If you thought major construction on campus was done after the junior/senior apartment expansion, think again! After lengthy processing, President James Brenneman released to faculty last week an outline for the new capital campaign, entitled “Culture for Service: A Gift to the World.” The nine-year plan features major renovations to the Union building, Newcomer Center, and construction of the Center for Culture and Service, which will be home to the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning (CITL), Study Service Term department, and Visual Arts department. This specific campaign will cost $89,500,000, and is a part of the larger Master Plan developed between 2005 and 2007, which provides a visualization of the college’s future physical location, buildings and grounds.
In addition to significant remodeling, the two-phase plan will involve 100 additional scholarships for students, endowments for the CITL and SST departments, and scholarship money allotted to Faculty development, enhancing programs such as Maple Scholars and faculty diversity recruitment. “[Faculty recruitment funds] will add flexibility to attract people for specific needs,” said Professor of English Beth Martin Birky, Professor of English and Newcomer-office resident. “It’s good to see a plan that addresses a variety of needs on campus,” she said.
Phase One is projected for 2009-2012, and will involve moving the faculty offices currently in Newcomer Center into the Union building, which will become the premiere academic center on campus. The future layout will include two stories of offices overlooking a central atrium with gathering spaces and lounges for students and faculty to interact.
“It gives rebirth to an old building,” said President Brenneman. “It will be the new hub of academic life.”  An indoor garden, coffee shop, and glass windows overlooking Schrock Plaza will also transform the Union significantly.
Michael Sherer, ITS Director and Union-office resident noted his interest in the Union renovation’s affect on classroom space. “[Renovation] gives opportunities for people to think about how we use our space, and I hope we do a good job at that,” he said. “As residents of the Union building, we heartily endorse the idea that something will be done with this space!”
Newcomer Center will become the Center for Global Anabaptism—serving as a general Mennonite information center. The Mennonite Historical Archive will move inside Newcomer center and expand to include a more global standpoint. People will be able to tour Mennonite history through a museum and more extensive historical library. Through Global Education Partnerships, GC hopes to both give and receive scholarships with other countries and possibly offer more classes overseas.
In Phase Two, projected for 2013-2015, the SST and CITL offices will combine to feature GC’s core value “Global Citizen,” and relocate to the Center for Culture and Service—a new building replacing Physical Plant on the north end of campus. The Physical Plant will be pushed back to the grassy fields east of Eigsti Track and Field. Phases 1 and 2 split an endowment for CITL to ensure continued financial support of the new program.
“One of the dreams [for CITL] we have is that we’ve got to sustain it,” said Brenneman. The SST Pavilion, a branch of the new building, will highlight the SST department and honor each SST location with a special display. Brenneman hopes the pavilion will provide students and community members with new opportunities to learn about and interact with the SST program. Phase Two also plans to endow the SST department with a beginning installment.
A campaign committee will be formed during the next year to begin raising necessary funds. According to President Brenneman, the Union makeover featured in Phase One is hoping to be completed by 2012, but “time will tell.”