With the help of an appointed staff, University of Memphis President M. David Rudd plans to work towards building an on-campus Alumni and Faculty House.
The university has $1 million currently invested in this project. Rudd said the expenses could total anywhere from $1.5 million to $2 million to bring out a more beneficial and efficient building. With an appointed staff set, Rudd said he feels very strongly the university can raise the funds they need to follow through with this project.
The appointed staff will conduct their first meeting in the next couple weeks, Rudd said. This facility will serve multiple purposes, but Rudd said its main goal is to bring the alumni and faculty together in number.
“This building will beneficial to the university because it will be able to bring many alumni back to the campus in larger number and will also bring a meeting space for the faculty to show them we have their full support,” Rudd said.
“The facility will provide a unique meeting environment for university alumni and faculty, as well as uphold the U of M tradition and collegiate heritage,” Rudd said.
The project has been on Rudd’s to-do list since coming to the university.
“The university will also be building this facility for future events hosted by the Office of the President, Alumni Association and events hosted by other on campus senior leaders,” Rudd said in an email to students and staff, announcing plans for the building.
This building will give many faculty members and alumni who have never met a chance get to know one another. An exact location on where the facility will be built has not yet been decided. It will mainly be used for meetings and events consisting of alumni, members of faculty, the Alumni Association and other senior leaders.
“I think we need a place for faculty, alumni and the administration staff to meet and share ideas,” Antonio de Valasco, communications professor and 12-year U of M faculty member, said.
The U of M sold the former president’s house three years ago for the need for renovations and annual expenses the university had to cover. These funds were moved into a holding account until they could find the best possible investment for the money.
In order to go through with this project, Rudd appointed a planning group to help raise funds for the remaining expenses. There are many ways the university could raise money for this project, and even some alumni offered ideas to raise funds for their new house.
“The university could set up fundraising events in areas that many people would visit such as grocery stores and malls,” Shetarus Ratliff-Thomas, a 2011 U of M graduate, said. “They could even consider having an alumni and faculty 5k marathon to not only raise money for the project but also bring together many faculty and alumni members.”
