Philanthropy at Mines

Mines students work hard and they play hard. Despite demanding academic schedules, 85 percent of students regularly participate in athletic activities.

With plans underway to build a state-of-the-art fitness facility just southwest of the Ben H. Parker Student Center, finding the time and motivation to exercise may become that much easier.

“The facility is going to add a great deal to the campus,” says Vice President and Dean of Student Life, Harold Cheuvront. “Students have wanted this for years. Encouraging team sports, physical fitness, and balanced lifestyles is a part of our educational mission and a priority for the School.”

Indeed, the Board of Trustees recently approved an official “Philosophy Statement on Athletics” that closely ties the overarching educational objectives of the institution to physical activity. Explaining this philosophy, President John U. Trefny points out, “We have four short years to turn high school graduates into professional engineers of the caliber expected from Mines. The entire fabric of campus life must support this undertaking. Athletic programs teach communication skills, teamwork, ethical conduct, and leadership—all critical professional qualities for a successful engineer. No less important, athletics help instill healthy lifelong fitness habits.”

Realizing this philosophy is a major factor behind the Colorado School of Mines Recreation Center project. Volk Gymnasium and Steinhauer Field House are presently the only indoor athletic facilities on campus. Constructed in 1937, Steinhauer continues to provide valuable space for athletics, but the surfaced concrete floor is unsuitable for many activities. Volk Gymnasium, constructed in 1958, offers a much wider variety of facilities, but it was designed for a student body of 1,000 students, all male. The student population is now approximately 3,300—a quarter of whom are women.

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Another concern is that the varsity basketball and volleyball teams must currently share the one basketball court in Volk. They rotate two-hour practice slots each day between the hours of 4 and 10 p.m., so no one team is permanently saddled with the late-evening practice. With a large gymnasium that accommodates two basketball courts, the new Colorado School of Mines Recreation Center will alleviate these scheduling pressures.

The planned $25 million facility will also include a 25-meter pool, a climbing wall, a jogging track that encircles the gymnasium, a cardiovascular and weight room, and space for group activities such as aerobics, martial arts and yoga. Plans also include classrooms for health and fitness instruction.

The proposed location and design of the Colorado School of Mines Recreation Center are the result of an extensive planning process headed up by a CSM program committee in consultation with Denver-based Christopher Carvell Architects. To ascertain community needs, SportsPLAN Studio, an independent consultancy specializing in collegiate athletic facility design, conducted detailed surveys and interviews with students, faculty and staff throughout the School. From this data, space requirements for specific activities were derived. And based on this information, the input of the CSM program committee, and their own detailed analysis of the Mines campus and community, Christopher Carvell Architects generated preliminary plans for the Colorado School of Mines Recreation Center.

The proposed location offers a number of advantages. It is conveniently accessible from Weaver Towers and neighboring fraternity houses. It is adjacent to intramural fields and close to the Ben Parker Student Center. SportsPlan’s surveys revealed a strong demand for more informal recreational spaces on campus. So, in addition to serving as a center for athletic activities, it is hoped that the central location will make it a convenient meeting place for students. Current plans are for a student lounge to be included inside the large atrium, which will command a spectacular view of Golden.

After several years of planning, breaking ground is significantly closer thanks to a generous challenge grant of $2 million from the Adolph Coors Foundation. Acknowledging this extraordinary gift, Trefny said, “The goodwill and generosity of the Coors family and the Coors Foundation have had an important and tangible impact on all aspects of academic and student life at Mines. We are very grateful for this latest instance of the special relationship we share with them. This commitment is a major step toward reaching our philanthropic goal for the project.”

The funding plan includes philanthropy, bonding and state financing. One critical component of a bond issuance involves a mandatory student fee of $55 per semester. Mines students overwhelmingly approved the fee in a campus-wide vote this spring. The fee will begin once the Recreation Center is ready for use. A request for capital construction funding has been submitted to the state, but recent budgetary cutbacks for higher education have been severe. In light of this uncertainty, philanthropic donations are likely to play a more critical role. With the Coors gift, approximately $10 million must still be raised through philanthropy. Cheuvront is optimistic about securing funding. “This is going to be the largest building on campus—a landmark,” he points out. “It is going to make a significant contribution to the quality of life of every student passing through Mines for many years to come.”

Alumni, corporations and foundations are being asked to support the center, which is a priority in a major capital campaign soon to be announced. The target for completion of construction is 2005.

Check out the floor plan