At last, a space near the new entrance to Fort Hays State University dedicated to all FHSU graduates. Devoted to welcoming alumni back to campus, the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins Center - Foundation and Alumni Association will be a starting point for all campus visitors.
"We want to welcome alumni and friends back to campus, have them stay connected and be involved with campus life," said Debra Prideaux '86, '92, director of alumni and governmental relations for FHSU. "And this building is an excellent opportunity to do that." On a practical side, the new Robbins Center will also be, at last, a permanent home for two organizations essential to the growth and success of the university, the Alumni and the Endowment associations.
"The new home will be a tremendous asset in furthering the work of the association for the university," said Virgil Scott '81, president and CEO of the FHSU Endowment Association. "It will enable both of our organizations to grow and meet the ever-increasing needs of our alumni and supporter base."
"This new Alumni & Endowment Center will greatly enhance the quality of service that our two associations can provide to the university," said Dr. Edward Hammond, FHSU president.
The architect on the project, Horst, Terrill & Karst Architects, P.A., of Topeka, was recommended by the Joint Building Committee, which includes representatives from the Alumni and Endowment associations. The committee also reviewed the design and layout of the building. Horst, Terrill & Karst also designed the award-winning Tomanek Hall at FHSU. The Alumni & Endowment Center is estimated to cost $5.5 million.
Most universities have a facility such as the one envisioned for FHSU, but the FHSU Endowment Association is now located in a small office building across from Picken Hall and the Alumni Association is located in one wing of Custer Hall, a student residential building. "Right now, the building is insufficient," said Scott. "We have crowded workspace with little space for meetings and none for growth." Prideaux echoed Scott. "We have simply outgrown our space," she said. "The association has been housed in different locations across campus through the years. In 1988, the Alumni Board of Directors worked very closely with the administration in arranging our current offices in Custer Hall. It's a very nice facility that has worked well for our needs, but we have outgrown it."
It is important that alumni have a place on campus where they can walk in and feel like they are at home. "One of our goals," Prideaux said, "is to constantly identify and meet the needs of our alumni and friends." "The important thing is we are trying to draw people back to campus and have them take part in events and activities."
The new center will have much to offer in this regard. Its 27,500 square feet will have two stories and a basement; the reception foyer will be open to a second-floor balcony; a family room with a fireplace will provide an inviting space for intimate gatherings; a 3,000-square-foot multi-purpose room, with a full-service catering kitchen, will serve for large meetings or banquets for 250 and will open onto a landscaped terrace garden in the back of the building.
And, again on the practical, day-to-day side, there will be a large board room for meetings of the alumni and endowment boards and committees; a communications center in the lower level; modern, efficient office space for the two associations; and, vital for the university's alumni and friends, parking close to the entrance. The Robbins Center must and will be, say Prideaux and Scott, a warm and welcoming place for alumni and friends to meet for Homecoming and graduation and a host of other activities such as donor recognitions, alumni awards and gatherings for groups such as the Lewis Field Club and Half Century Club.
It will encourage involvement in FHSU where events and activities generate a spirit of commitment to the university. It will be a place to celebrate university events, to honor retired faculty and recognize staff, or to hold receptions for visiting dignitaries, for donors or government officials. The facility will serve as a visitors center for friends and prospective students, and as a place where the Student Alumni Association or other student organizations will gather. The center will be a highly visible symbol of the past success and the vision of the future for the university, its students, alumni and friends. "It will be a state-of-the-art facility for all alumni and friends to enjoy," said Prideaux.
"There will be a paved plaza area with a garden terrace and a pergola. People can enter through the building or take a landscaped path around the building to the terrace, or just walk across to Gross Coliseum for whatever event is taking place." Prideaux said, "It epitomizes the very essence of a warm, inviting home environment - someplace that all alumni and friends will want to visit and enjoy for many years to come." Scott agreed. "The Alumni & Endowment Center is an investment in the future of the university. It will become a gateway to our campus, extending an open door to all visitors."