Since an initial $2.25 million donation from OU alumni Perry and Sandy Sook given last June, OU is $1.3 million closer to its goal of raising $5.5 million for an academic center for student athletes.
Ohio University is more than halfway to its goal of $5.5 million to build an academic center for student-athletes.
The Perry and Sandy Sook Academic Center will be located at the north end zone of Peden Stadium and will mainly serve as a tutoring facility for students. A portion of the building will also be dedicated to accommodating donors of OU Athletics during football games.
Since an initial $2.25 million donation from the Sooks, both OU alumni, to the Ohio University Foundation in June, the project has raised around $1.3 million — bringing the total amount raised to $3.6 million, OU Spokeswoman Katie Quaranta said in an email.
“Athletics has been heavily involved in recruiting donations and we feel positive about the current state of the fundraising project,” Jim Schaus, director of OU Athletics, said in an email. “We are tracking just as we thought we would and will continue to put a focus on the project in order to hit our goal.”
More than 270 separate donors have contributed to the project besides the Sooks. Some of those contributions are gifts and others are commitments. It was not immediately clear how much OU has in hand from donors.
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Athletics hopes to reach its $5.5 million goal by the end of 2015, but Schaus said that process may continue into 2016.
The proposed building stirred controversy among faculty members when it was first announced in September, many expressing the belief the facility would create a separation between student-athletes and other students.
“I continue to think that raising money to build a new, separate academic support facility for student-athletes is likely to divert support from other core campus needs,” Beth Quitslund, chair of Faculty Senate, said in an email. “Providing new, separate academic support facilities for student-athletes only sends the wrong message about their first role as OU students.”
“I do think that Schaus and our ICA Department deserve commendation for prioritizing student-athletes’ academic success,” she added.
Athletics officials support the creation of the Sook Center, which they anticipate will be able to accommodate more than 450 student-athletes annually.
“The project’s objective is to enhance the academic mission of the university within the department,” Schaus said. “We see this as a positive development and one that will promote the academic focus of Ohio University.”
Student-athletes currently have a 4,500 square-foot academic facility in Peden Stadium’s tower, the Joan and Wallace Phillips Center, which accommodates about 440 students a year in its 10 tutoring rooms and one 42-seat classroom.
The Sook Center would provide an additional nine tutoring rooms and a 30-seat classroom, according to a previous Post report.
“I think the center is a great idea especially with how well Ohio University Athletics has done in the past few years,” said Andrew Mlynarski, a senior studying sports management and a member of OU’s golf team. “This is definitely a center that would help put OU athletics even more on the map than they are now.”
While Athletics officials and some student-athletes support the facility, others think the resources could be put to better use.
“I don’t think that they should deserve an extra center,” said Abbey Caporuscio, a junior studying integrated media. She said she would rather see the money go into academic programs or improved equipment. “So much money already goes into sports … I feel like sometimes all I hear about is things going into sports.”
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