EUGENE, Ore. -- (May 21, 2010) -- Before sharing his plans for the university's future at today's investiture ceremony, University of Oregon President Richard W. Lariviere is celebrating progress on a new facility that will help make those plans possible. After decades of research, fundraising and planning, the final beams of the Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn Ford Alumni Center are in place.
Slated for completion next May, the four-story, 60,000-square-foot center is being built just west of the Matthew Knight Arena. The $32.5 million project will be funded by private gifts and state bonds. A fact sheet with additional information is here: http://bit.ly/bzuHzt.
"I can't think of a better day to celebrate the new front door to our university," said Lariviere. "I've seen the remarkable things an alumni center can accomplish, and we're going even further by making the Ford Alumni Center a place for all Ducks -- former and future -- to find meaningful connections to the university."
The Ford Alumni Center will be the first in the nation to use interactive media to inform and inspire visitors with information about the history of the university and its students and faculty who've made significant impacts on the world. Tours for prospective students and parents will begin at the Ford Alumni Center. The university expects to host more than 17,000 visitors at approximately 600 recruitment and information sessions per year at the new facility. It also will provide offices for the Student Alumni Association, study spaces and other amenities for students.
"This new building is part of a broader, campus wide effort to support students and celebrate their success," said Emma Kallaway, president, Associated Students of the University of Oregon. "After I graduate this spring, the Ford Center will be the first place I visit when I return to campus. It will mark beginnings and endings for future generations of students. We're all chapters in the Oregon story."
With accessible parking, a reception atrium with a fireplace, a library and a staffed information desk, the Ford Alumni Center will welcome visitors to the UO and provide a central location to gather on campus. It will feature a ballroom, twelve conference rooms and office space for 125 staff members. It will host alumni events, reunions and board meetings.
"This will be the place to meet before games and for meetings or special events," said Corey duBrowa, a 1988 alumnus and president of the UO Alumni Association Board. "It will form a bridge between the campus, our alumni and the community. This has been a long time coming. On behalf of the board, I'd like to express my gratitude to the donors and friends who made this possible."
The building will also unite the UO Alumni Association, Office of Development and University of Oregon Foundation staff under one roof. This arrangement will promote synergy, creativity and efficiency among staff members working to advance the university.
Private gifts will pay for $22.75 million of the construction costs, and $9.75 million will be funded with state bonds. The university continues to raise $2.5 million for the project. The northeast corner of campus has been active with construction, including the Matthew Knight Arena and the John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes.
"This investment will yield results for decades to come," said leadership donor Teri Giustina. "The UO has maintained excellence only through donor support. Private gifts and corporate partnerships are integral to the university's future. This facility will provide the infrastructure to support the university's fundraising efforts and build strong partnerships."
To commemorate the event, leadership donors Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn Ford left their handprints (and The Oregon Duck left his webfoot prints) in wet cement. The prints will be permanently installed in the Alumni Center.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Julie Brown, UO media relations, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu
Link: YouTube flythrough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgm9NKsvrBo
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