After raising nearly $49.5 million for construction, the College of Arts & Sciences invited University students, faculty and staff to a presentation of the South Lawn Project yesterday in Old Cabell.
Initial fundraising for the South Lawn took place in congruence with the private phase of the Capital Campaign. While building construction is not scheduled to begin until next year, a ground breaking ceremony will take place this Friday coinciding with the Campaign's public kick-off.
Ed Ayers, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, University architect David Neuman, John Ruble of the Moore Ruble Yudell architecture firm and landscape architect Cheryl Barton presented information on the highly anticipated building design and fielded questions regarding concerns over the project.
"When I became dean, one thing became very clear -- the College's future was very limited by space," Ayers said. "We currently have a 300,000 square foot deficit."
The South Lawn Project aims to relieve some of this pressure by creating an extensive classroom site for the history, politics and religious studies departments in addition to a 250-seat auditorium, café and various common areas for students and faculty.
"I'd like to grow faculty faster than the number of students," Ayers said. He noted the University's need for improved student-faculty ratios and said the current lack of space places a "limitation as to how good we can be."
According to Bob Sweeney, senior vice president for development and public affairs, funds raised through the Capital Campaign will also go towards similar improvements.
He estimates 40 percent will be directed towards facilities, 40 percent will go towards endowments and 20 percent will go towards current operating support.
The Campaign itself is a comprehensive fundraising initiative with aims of earning $3 billion for the University's various schools and projects by Dec. 31, 2011.
"[It's a part of] a strategy of moving the University from a traditional state university to one that is a privately financed institution but embraces the public mandate," Sweeney said. "What we're saying is that we think we can be a better public university if we have more resources beyond what the Commonwealth can provide us."
According to Sweeney, the culmination of this first phase of the Campaign earned upwards of $1 billion through private donations.
"The majority of our money comes from individuals not corporations," he said. He said he believes that by the end of the Campaign "about 45 percent of giving will come from alumni, about 20 percent will come from non-alumni friends and parents and about 35 percent [will come] from corporations and foundations."
Friday's launch marks a shift in the Campaign from private to public, a move which will target more involvement from students.
"[The private phase of the Campaign] was more directed towards the general alumni population," Sweeney said, noting that most contributors donated around $100,000 or more.
According to Sweeney, the public phase of the Campaign is "much more mainstream" targeting "much more giving from parents and young alumni, class trustees; its really reaching the masses."
As a part of the public kick-off, the University will host a fireworks show over the Rotunda this Friday.
Sweeney said that he hopes initiatives such as these will help students connect their experiences at the University and the value of their degree with the importance of giving.
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