Tabor kicks off new capital campaign
President Larry Nikkel has many projects that he would like to see completed. These future endeavors would not only improve the image of Tabor College, he says, but also the quality of life both in and out of the classroom for students and faculty and staff alike.
The latest capital campaign by Tabor College was kicked off at the Homecoming Festival Dinner held Oct. 17 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Wichita.
At the center of the largest campaign the college has ever undertaken is a 72,169 square foot residence hall complete with network hookup and wireless transmission for network connection in every room, a mini-computer lab, laundry facilities, kitchenettes, gathering areas on each floor, conference rooms and two classrooms featuring advanced lecture/seminar room technology.
With the addition of this new residence hall, "the whole campus will take on another dimension," says Nikkel.
Physically, the campus will appear to be larger with the closing of Madison Street, the planting of new lawns and the addition of a cul-de-sac adjacent to the Business Studies Building.
"Closing Madison Street will allow us to take another good step forward in expanding the campus into a cohesive, unified campus without streets running through the heart of it," says Nikkel.
But regardless of the street situation, building the residence hall will enhance the spirit of community among students. Built to house 224 students, each suite will allow enough living space for up to eight people, which has some on campus excited about the possibilities of recruiting new students.
"If we have high quality facilities, it's going to make it easier to sell Tabor to people," says Nikkel. "It will make (the campus) more attractive. It will provide a better living and teaching environment."
Rusty Allen, director of admissions, agrees that people considering Tabor as their choice for higher education are looking for quality of all sorts.
"Students and especially parents are interested in as much quality as possible for the money they spend on higher education," he says. "There is no question that our new residence hall will provide a more quality experience for students. The better the quality, the better the sale."
The residence hall hasn't always been the highest priority on the college's to-do list, but it has been present. Originally part of a campus development plan that included other major projects, the residence hall emerged as the most crucial when results of a Student Satisfaction Inventory survey confirmed that living conditions were the most unsatisfactory aspect of student life over a span of four consecutive years.
As the board of directors and administration examined the campus plan again, they concluded that recruiting, retaining and meeting the needs of students had to be the first priority in growing the college.
So at the eleventh hour, says Nikkel, costs were added for residence hall improvements, and at the request of the board of directors, research was conducted to determine how much could actually be done to the men's residence halls with a specific amount of resources.
After discussing the situation with the architect, it became apparent that renovating the existing structures would be prohibitive and a decision was made to include new residence halls in the feasibility study. One year later, the leadership gift phase of the campaign began. Currently, as of press time, over $3 million has been raised in cash and pledges.
"Traditionally, raising money for residence halls is a greater challenge than for other facilities," says Nikkel. "We have to do first things first, and our highest (priority) is meeting the needs of students."
Don Krebs, interim dean of students, believes the new residence hall will have "a tremendous impact" in terms of safety and community.
He believes the keyed automatic entrances, lounges on each floor, commons area and main entryway will foster bridge building among students.
"Overall, student life will be improved," says Krebs. "It's going to be a nice facility that students will take care of and have a lot of pride in."
But the road to construction is one filled with bumps. The previous campaign for the Solomon L. Loewen Natural Science Center, dedicated at Homecoming 1999, had been the largest campaign at $3.5 million. Now, with a price tag of over $10.6 million — a figure that also includes funds for endowment and Tabor Fund — the residence hall surpasses the science center by three times.
"We've got an uphill climb here, and there's no question about that," says Nikkel. "In order to be successful, we're going to need a high percentage of alumni and friends who are giving, and we will need people to think sacrificially.
"If we're going to be competitive, we have to offer quality living space."
