Chancellor Michael Harris IU Kokomo Raising Funds for Fitness Center Inspire Power Campaign

IU Kokomo raising funds for fitness center - Kokomo Perspective: News

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IU Kokomo raising funds for fitness center

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By Pat Munsey

Indiana University Kokomo Chancellor Michael Harris wants the community to take ownership of his campus.

He wants it to be a place where students congregate and enjoy the college experience. But there is something missing.

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Posted: Thursday, August 2, 2012 8:03 am | Updated: 5:49 pm, Thu Aug 23, 2012.

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That something is a wellness and fitness center. The university is unveiling the public portion of its $4 million fund-raising campaign to build the facility, and it is looking for the community’s assistance.

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“We believe that the future of North Central Indiana depends on the quality of higher education we provide to our students, since 80 percent of our students remain in the region after graduation,” said Harris. “Together we have achieved great success in the past two years. In order to continue our journey to become the best regional campus in the world, we must assure our students have all that is necessary for their success.

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“A wellness and fitness center is a direly needed facility that will enhance the IU Kokomo experience and student life.”

The facility’s progress was jump-started by a $1.45 million donation from the Milt and Jean Cole family, for whom the center will be named. That leaves approximately $2.5 million that will need to come from the greater community. To reach this goal, the university has launched an “Inspire Power” campaign.

“The Inspire Power campaign has been in the silent phase for a little over a year,” said Penny Lee, Vice Chancellor for Advancement. “We’ve been building the base of the support. Now we’re ready to go public.

We’ve created the enthusiasm for the campus so that we can invite everyone now to be a part of the campus and take ownership.

http://kokomoperspective.com/kp/news/iu-kokomo-raising-funds-for-fitness-center/article_20862796-dc9a-11e1-9cf4-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=story[3/18/2014 11:28:56 PM]

IU Kokomo raising funds for fitness center - Kokomo Perspective: News

“It’s about inspiring people to be more than what you were and inspiring others to be a part of it. When Milt and Jean Cole gave their gift for this effort, one of the things they said was they wanted to inspire people to give. We’ve worked hard to get here, and we’re so proud of what is happening. We just want people to join us.”

The facility will take up 22,000 square feet in an area located beneath the university’s library, and it will include a running track, classrooms, and exercise equipment for use by students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The fund-raising campaign for this project is set for five years, but Harris indicated that construction won’t be held off that long.

“The wellness and fitness center will be opened in September 2013,” said Harris. “That is going to happen. We’re raising money, but we’re opening it next year. That’s how much I believe in this project. After we’ve gone through this silent phase, I am confident people will see the value of what we’re doing.

We’re asking for a contribution that will change the life of this community. We would like to see everyone to contribute. A gift of $10 is something we will appreciate immensely, just like we will appreciate a $1 million contribution.”

Harris is so eager to have everyone take part in the project that he is willing to give personal attention to every contributor, regardless of amount.

“You want to give $10, I’ll take you on a private tour so you can see what we are doing,” said Harris. “I mean it.

It’s that important to us.”

There are a number of reasons why IU Kokomo believes the wellness and fitness center is important to the campus and the larger community. According to Cathy Valcke, Director of Human Resources, it starts with the obvious -- a healthier student populace.

“We’re doing this so our students and alums can be healthy and happy,” said Valcke. ”It’s good for our students.

It’s a stress reliever. We need to be healthy; we’re not a very healthy state. We want our students, faculty, staff and alums to have the best life possible.”

Beyond that, Harris contends that the center will foster the college experience for those attending IU Kokomo in a way that can’t happen without it.

“The campus needs to be a place where students want to congregate,” said Harris. “Going to college is an experience, and we know that in order to attract students, we want the campus to allow them academic and student life opportunities. I want to put the wellness and fitness center in that context.

“We need a wellness and fitness center. The place has to have character. If you look around the Midwest, there isn’t a regional campus that doesn’t have one. It is a basic part of the college experience. We are growing dramatically in the allied health field. We need a place where we can use equipment and teach. We’ve also gotten into sports to create community and excitement. We want to enhance that awareness. And we want to create a place where people spend time together and develop life habits of health.

Harris added that he expects graduation and retention rates to increase as a result of the fitness center.

Giving to the wellness and fitness center project is made simple by visiting www.iuk.edu. On the site is a “give now” button that leads the visitor to the donation page. According to Lee, pledges can be made by cash, check, or credit card, and the term of the pledge can be stretched over five years.

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IU Kokomo raising funds for fitness center - Kokomo Perspective: News IU Kokomo tells Chad about new Inspire Power campaign

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Posted in News on Thursday, August 2, 2012 8:03 am. Updated: 5:49 pm.

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