Already an important partner to public and private universities, hospitals, libraries, schools, businesses, industries, government, and social-service agencies, USI now plans to expand its impact by engaging the community in new ways. USI will continue to build on its award-winning engagement program through education, arts, and business outreach designed to improve quality of life for all citizens in our region and state.
Endowing Operations for an Applied Engineering Center — $1 million
One of USI’s most innovative new programs—Applied Engineering—provides students the opportunity to work with cutting-edge manufacturing equipment in a teaching and learning factory. The University plans to equip and operate a 16,000-square-foot factory on campus so that students can work safely with regional industries using the Applied Engineering Center for research and technical projects. This center will help students become manufacturing leaders. (Strategic Plan Goals #1, #4)
Sustaining Historic New Harmony’s Living Classroom — $4 million
Since 1985, USI has managed educational and tourism programs in Historic New Harmony, seeking to preserve the utopian legacy of New Harmony through programs, retreats, and tours. Included in Historic New Harmony’s strategic plan are proposals for increasing the artifact acquisition and conservation fund, gifts to the D.W. Vaughn Endowment Fund to preserve historically significant New Harmony properties, grants for the Atheneum film and exhibits, toursite upgrades and high-tech tours, collection-management needs, and underwriting for symposia, institutes, and retreats. The vision for New Harmony is to become the global center for the concept of community, which meshes perfectly with the University’s prominent role in community engagement. Finally, support for New Harmony will include means to train USI students in preservation, conservation, and museum management. (Strategic Plan Goals #1, #4)
Developing a Center to Welcome Campus Visitors — $2 million
Each year more than 200,000 people use the campus for activities other than academic classes. Visitors, including prospective students and their parents, deserve a warm welcome and clear directions. Therefore, USI seeks to build a 6,000-square-foot highly visible (photos) and easily accessible facility adjacent to the Orr Center. This visitor center will serve as the central point for convening all campus tours. (Strategic Plan Goals #3, #6)
Building a Conference Center — $5 million
Anyone who visits campus recognizes the need for additional space with convenient parking to accommodate events such as hosting alumni groups, visits with University friends, and trustee and foundation meetings. This free-standing structure, built with future expansion in mind, also will be available for use by community groups. (photos) Designed to host about 200 persons at tables, the main meeting room will be planned so that it may be divided into three smaller rooms. Large floor-to-ceiling windows will accentuate the surrounding natural cliffs and wooded beauty of campus. It will include a kitchen, a private dining room, and a conference room. Plans are that the historic Bokelman School, which was moved to campus in 1993 to make way for the Lloyd Expressway overpass, will be used as the main entryway. A large exterior canopy at another entrance will protect guests during inclement weather. (Strategic Plan Goals #3, #4, #6)
