Upper Iowa University to celebrate completion of two buildings on Fayette campus; ribbon cutting and grand opening set October 8
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South Village I – Suite-style |
UIU Liberal Arts Center |
FAYETTE, Iowa (September 28, 2010) — Upper Iowa University will use Homecoming weekend as the stage for the official ribbon-cutting ceremonies and grand opening of the first two buildings completed as part of Phase I of its $75 million construction project here, the largest capital improvement project in the University’s history.
The Liberal Arts Building and South Village I, UIU’s first suite-style residence hall, opened for use this semester when students returned to campus for the academic year. Ground was broken for the buildings in August 2009. Construction is continuing to enhance entrances to the campus, complete a new student center, and finish a restaurant in downtown Fayette.
The program begins at 3:30 p.m. Friday, October 8, under a tent on Grace Meyer Square, featuring UIU President Alan G. Walker, Board Chair Bob Firth, Faculty Chair Angie Leete, and Student Government Association President Justin Marchant. The first ribbon-cutting ceremony and a brief look at the new residence hall will begin about 4:15 p.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, reception and tours of the Liberal Arts Building about 4:50 p.m.
“We are very pleased to have these state-of-the-art buildings on campus, especially at a time when many other colleges and universities have had to cut back in response to the recession,” said UIU President Alan G. Walker. “We expect construction to continue on campus for another five years, which will create dozens of jobs in the community and create a campus in Fayette that rivals any Midwestern private college.
“These buildings are showpieces for UIU as well as for the Fayette region,” Walker added. “They are beautiful, functional and efficient, and create a welcoming home for our students as well as a learning environment that supports academic quality and excellence.”
“As someone who has long been affiliated with the University, I am very proud of seeing UIU grow in such a visible and significant way,” said Bob Firth, chair of the UIU Board of Trustees. “This construction initiative is symbolic of our solid financial strength, our steady and continuing growth in all areas, and our commitment to a future in which UIU continues to expand and provide quality educational opportunities to students of all ages and backgrounds on campus, in our center locations, and through our distance education programs.”
Features of the Liberal Arts building include computer labs, an office for the UIU student newspaper, classrooms, faculty offices, and a large auditorium. The building also houses the latest in higher education technology for both faculty and students to enhance instruction and learning The unique building includes a raised floor system to keep cables, wiring, and pipes underneath; and a “chilled-sail technology” for heating and cooling.
Features of South Village I include a variety of suite-style arrangements to accommodate up to five students in one suite with a living room and bath for each suite. Common spaces in the building include computer labs, a meeting room, a study hall, lounge, laundries, and kitchens. South Village I is capable of handling the advanced technology students bring to campus, including wireless access for laptops, cable TV, and internet-protocol phones. The residence hall will accommodate 90 students.
Although not all future UIU buildings will include the “chilled sail” Bryan Jolley, UIU director of facilities, said that geothermal technology will be part of every new building. “We installed geothermal wells 350-feet deep employing a heat pump to warm or cool air by utilizing the constant temperature of the earth,” he explained. “The systems are cost-effective, ‘green,’ and much better for the environment.”
Other “gentle-on-the-earth” features include the use of sustainable construction materials – such as polished concrete and repurposed barn wood -- most brought in from within a 500-mile radius of Fayette, Jolley added. “Daylighting” is incorporated throughout the buildings, with a window ring above the second floor to provide direct light and reduce energy consumption.
Contact:
Monica Bayer Heaton
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: 563-425-5773
Cell: 515-291-2070
heatonm@uiu.edu
About Upper Iowa University
Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to over 6,600 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.