On
a beautiful Homecoming Saturday, NIU alumni and friends gathered to kick-off
a fund-raising campaign to secure the gifts and pledges needed to build
an Alumni and Visitors Center on the DeKalb campus.
Sparked by leadership commitments totaling more than $3.5 million, a campaign is now underway to raise the remainder of the $6.2 million construction costs.
Once again, NIU alumnus Dennis Barsema and his wife, Stacey, have made a major commitment to helping NIU realize its potential. Their $2.5 million naming gift is the cornerstone of the fund-raising effort.
“When Stacey and I reconnected with NIU three years ago, we said we planned to remain active, involved supporters of the university for many years,” Dennis Barsema said. “This project appealed to us because it will enhance the reputation of NIU and help attract top-flight students to what we truly believe is an outstanding university.”
In remarks at the campaign kick-off, Barsema made it clear that this project should be seen as a group effort. “This is a project that can do for the university as a whole what Barsema Hall has done for the College of Business,” he said. “It has the potential to impact every facet of the university by reconnecting NIU with its huge alumni base and re-energizing that base in support of their alma mater. “And that is why it is important that as many alumni as possible join in support of this effort. If there ever was a time or a place to give the gift of a lifetime, this is it.”
President John Peters echoed Barsema’s sentiments. “This is a top priority for the university because I am convinced that if NIU is to thrive in the future it will be due to the support of its alumni. This building will be a symbol for the excellence of NIU. It will be the central gathering point for our alumni, a place where they can reconnect with the university. It will also be a welcoming front door for new students where they can get a sense of what it means to be part of the NIU family, where they can get a sense of NIU tradition.
The Alumni and Visitors Center will provide an ideal venue for hosting alumni gatherings, volunteer and donor events, student activities, faculty forums, dignitary receptions as well as community groups and corporate meetings. The center will also be available to the extended NIU family for private occasions—weddings, family reunions, anniversaries, and other milestone events.
In addition, as the starting point for campus tours, the Alumni and Visitors Center will be the key to making that important first impression on prospective students and their parents by showcasing the accomplishments of NIU alumni and faculty.
This function of the building is one of its most exciting features, according to Nancy Castle, who along with Dennis Barsema has agreed to co-chair the steering committee to lead the campaign to raise the rest of the gifts needed to finish the building.
To Castle, who earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in psychology from NIU and now is a professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders, the project is all about pride. “It will be a place where anyone coming to campus can learn about all that we have accomplished—the types of honors we have earned, the discoveries that are being made here and the success that our alumni are experiencing,” Castle said. “We are a first-class university, and I think the Alumni and Visitors Center will drive home that realization for anyone walking through its doors.”
Set among towering pines and oaks, the new center will stand at
the crossroads of Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive, adjoining
a green space and grove. By virtue of its location alone, the center
will |
 Located at the corner of Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive, the new center (above) will stand at the crossroads of the campus. |
The Great Hall: The two-and-one-half story “main street” of the new building will create a positive first impression on guests and will highlight the achievements of Northern alumni and recognize major donors to the center.
Ballroom: The elegant ballroom will provide upscale event space suitable for a wide range of formal events with dinner seating for 250.
Faculty Library: Faculty books, artwork, and awards will be showcased and celebrated in a club-like atmosphere suited for smaller gatherings and presentations.
Board Room: This large meeting space for university and community organizations, seating 32 at board room table and 44 classroom style, will be fully equipped with the latest in presentation technology.
Meeting Rooms: Three smaller meeting rooms for informal discussions and workshops can accommodate 18 around a hollow square, 27 theater-style, or 66 in combined meeting rooms.
Retail Shop: The Alumni Shop will feature Huskiewear for visitors and alumni in an 800-square foot retail space with storefront on the Great Hall.
Catering Kitchen: The full prep and warming kitchen can plate 250 for dinner.
Terraces: Set amidst mature trees, new pavers and landscaping, the terraces will provide additional space for three-season entertaining.
