?By now we all have noticed the ongoing construction around the campus and many of you may be wondering exactly what is going on.
The Campus Center project will bring much-needed upgrades to the sports science and athletics pavilion. It also will include a new plaza and other facilities, which should serve our future students better.

The question is not whether the changes are needed. Sketches and plans show a state of the art facility. The question is whether the funds for this project are going to be available.

On Nov. 4, less than seven weeks from now, the Board of Trustees is going to meet to discuss the status of fundraising for the Campus Center project.
Trustee Michael Abraham and his wife, Sara, have set what is now known as the “Abraham Challenge.” Abraham has pledged $4 million to the project under the conditions that the rest of the Board of Trustees match his four million and that another eight million be raised through other sources by the Nov. 4th deadline.If the funds are not be raised by this date, the conditional pledge of $4 million will be lowered to $1 million.

The University has to date raised close to $13.5 million dollars towards the goal. If you do the math, that leaves an additional $2.5 million outstanding in less than seven weeks.

Lately, e-mails have been shooting around campus explaining the status of the project and the University’s need for money.

A Leo Family Fund has been conveniently set up in conjunction with the project as well.

The status of the project funding is looking bleak at best right now, and it appears that administration has turned to desperation to get over the $16 million hump. Come on, they’re asking underpaid faculty and staff for donations.

Imagine if the $16 million cannot be raised.

Not only will funds be short but they will be further reduced because Abraham will reduce his pledge by $3 million, creating an even bigger problem.We understand that the administration is doing all it can to raise these funds for our beautiful new Campus Center.

But what will happen with construction and the timetable if these funds are not raised?

It just plainly appears the timeliness of this project is certainly out of sorts. Because the project had a late start, couldn’t it have waited so it would not extend into the school year? Then their would be more time to properly raise the funds needed for a project of this scale.

The future is exciting but its funding needs help and it needs it now, or we all could be waiting for this Campus Center a lot longer than we think.