NIU was on a roll in the early 2000s, having reconnected with many alumni and created a development program that offered donors important ways to help their university. One such project was the Alumni and Visitors Center, a gathering place to welcome alumni home and make a first impression on those new to the campus.
Introduced to a group of 200 alumni and friends at a ceremony prior to the Oct. 18, 2003 homecoming football game, the center was to be “a gateway to campus” that “makes the difference in how we are perceived – by our alumni, our community, our students,” according to President John Peters.
“It will be a symbol of the excellence that is NIU,” Peters said.
The building would contain a faculty library, state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities and office space for the NIU Alumni Association. Its centerpiece would be the Great Hall, featuring plaques, displays and exhibits highlighting NIU’s history and the accomplishments of its alumni.
A fundraising campaign was undertaken for the facility co-chaired by Nancy and John Castle and Dennis Barsema. By the time the campaign was publicly announced, more than half of the $6.2 million construction budget had been pledged, including a $2.5 million naming gift from Dennis and Stacey Barsema. Fifteen other major donors who gave at least $100,000 each are recognized in the “Circle of the Seal” marble floor tiles in the Great Hall. In the end, the building was entirely funded through private donations.
“We’re trying to reconnect, or create a connection, or build on a connection between the university and its alumni,” said Foundation Board Chair David Nelson. “This building is really a physical representation of that effort, and it was conceived by alumni and funded primarily by alumni.” On October 15, 2005, a warm and sunny NIU Homecoming Saturday, NIU celebrated the grand opening and dedication of the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center. The 40,000-square-foot facility was pledged to be a home away from home for alumni and the starting point for twice-daily campus tours. In the end, more than 2,500 donors contributed $7.3 million to complete the project.
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