Hundreds of alumni came back to the University
this fall to celebrate homecoming and to attend class reunions,
many of them returning to campus for the first time in 10, 20, or
even 50 years.
Although they lamented the loss of several old landmarks and marveled
at the proliferation of new construction, what most impressed many
alumni was that the campus looks cleaner, friendlier, and more beautiful
today than it has in a long time.
Indeed, the campus has taken on a fresh new look since President
Mark Yudof came to town. Shortly after taking office, Yudof launched
a “Take Pride in U” campaign aimed at improving campus
morale by erasing the years of dilapidation and neglect brought
on by successive cuts in the University's maintenance budgets.
In the 16 months since Yudof arrived, the campus has undergone
a remarkable transformation. The windows in every campus building
have been cleaned for the first time in nearly a decade. Many hallways,
classrooms, and offices are freshly painted. The trees have been
trimmed, lawns are again lush and green, and flowers bloom in gardens
around every corner.
The Washington Avenue Bridge, once a desolate expanse of graffiti
and grime, has been cleaned, painted, and repaired. Murals line
the interior walkway, and 52 University flags fly high above its
maroon and gold deck.
Visitors will notice other changes as well. Stately limestone monuments
mark campus entrances. An information center near the Civil Engineering
Building offers directions, maps, and parking advice. Historical
markers scattered throughout the campus document the University's
history and acknowledge the people who contributed to it. New signs
and directional kiosks identify buildings and the offices located
within them. And new maps and markers direct students and visitors
how to navigate campus “the Gopher way”—through
the University's vast network of skyways and underground tunnels.
By next spring a new visitor and alumni center will open on the
corner of Oak Street and Washington Avenue. This impressive new
facility, the Gateway Center, will welcome visitors and house the
offices of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association and the
University Foundation.
Yudof's long-term plans call for the restoration of historical
buildings and the redevelopment of the south mall, the area between
Washington Avenue and the Mississippi River. The renovation of Walter
Library and the demolition of the East River Road Parking Ramp are
the first steps toward this goal.
The Walter Library project is particularly impressive. The library,
one of the University's grandest historical jewels, will be returned
to its former glory. The ornate ceilings in the lobby and second-floor
reading rooms will be restored, complete with gold-leaf detailing
and authentic 1920s-era incandescent light fixtures. The cramped
12-level stack core will be replaced with five floors of classrooms,
offices, and laboratories for the new Digital Technology Center.
Although the dean's office and the Science and Technology Library
will be displaced during the two-year construction period, we will
return in 2001 to one of the most magnificent buildings in the state.
Although many of the other current campus building projects—
including the construction of new mechanical engineering facilities
and the expansion of Amundson Hall—are unrelated to the “Take
Pride in U” campaign, their completion will most certainly
enhance the University's aesthetic environment as much as its academic
programs. (You can read more about the mechanical engineering and
Amundson Hall projects on page 4.)
Within the context of Yudof's other initiatives, it might seem
easy to dismiss these improvements as trivial, but enhancing the
campus environment has bolstered the University community's pride
and enriched the experiences of the thousands of people who live,
work, and learn here.
For those reasons alone, it's a wise and worthwhile investment.
