Premium ContentClick on Premium Content on the Featured navigation bar for information.
Chadron State College is more than two-thirds of the way toward its fundraising goal of $11 million to make campus building improvements, boost the endowment and address immediate needs.
The campaign is expected to end in 2011, the college’s centennial year.
Chadron State already has raised more than $8.6 million in the “silent phase” of the campaign. The fund drive was only recently made public.
The campaign has three goals:
Ÿ $4 million for capital improvements.
Ÿ $5 million for the endowment, including scholarships, equipment and faculty support.
Ÿ $2 million for immediate support for the campus.
The capital projects include a renovated events center and the Rangeland Agriculture Center & Pavilion, with a goal of raising $2 million for each.
The college’s Ross Armstrong Physical Education Building, opened in 1964, will be renovated and expanded into an events center.
The building will be enlarged by 94,000 square feet and seat 2,900 people. It will be used for concerts, conferences and commencements.
“Right now, not everyone can get into the little gym for commencement,” said Connie Rasmussen, executive director of the Chadron State Foundation. “They have to go to another building and watch it on TV.”
The Rangeland Agriculture Center & Pavilion plans to host agricultural expositions and animal competitions.
The animal sciences program and the rodeo team will welcome the extra space for various activities, such as workshops and seminars.
“All of this ultimately impacts the students,” Rasmussen said “The nice thing about these two facilities is that both of them will be, in a sense, community buildings as well.”
The $4 million for capital improvements could be eligible for a match in state funding, said Chadron State President Janie Park.
More than 100 alumni and friends of the college came together to form a National Campaign Leadership Council to plan strategies for what is called “Vision 2011.’’
Randy Bauer, one of the council’s co-chairmen, has stayed connected to Chadron and the college since his graduation in 1974.
Bauer said it’s been very rewarding to see alumni and friends from all over the United States “reconnect with the college and to hear their stories.”
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
