On Oct. 22 2022, during Homecoming, there was a grand announcement of the Alumni Plaza. However, fast-forward to 2024, and there has yet to be any sign of the plaza anywhere. People are starting to question the project and whether it is going to happen or not.

Dr. Dale Van Cantfort did not buy a brick, but a family member of his paid for a brick in honor of him. Yet after not hearing any information after months of waiting, the member came forward to ask Dr. Van Cantfort if there was any information.

“I said I haven’t heard anything about it, and they [family member] go well, neither have I. So, I went to check with our advancement office, and the new director in that office had just been put in place. I asked her what the status of that was, and she said that got put on the back burner, I believe is the term she used.” said Dr. Van Cantfort.

Ann Sutton, the Assistant Vice President of Advancement and Development, investigated the issue as she came to the advancement office in August 2023, “There have been a few different renderings of this project, and I believe the cost was more than originally anticipated. Relocating the plaza to an existing space ready for paver bricks allows us to move forward.”

The original location of the plaza was the quad, but the concrete made it difficult for the project to start. But why not mention anything for over two years?

Sutton said, “finding the new location, getting the Alumni Association board support and purchasing the bricks took time.”

So there was a change in location, and the Advancement department also had to investigate budgeting and find ways to get the plaza project started. “We have recently partnered with our Art Department, and the bricks will be engraved by students rather than an outside vendor. This will enable our art professors to teach students about the creation of public spaces. The bricks are on campus and ready to engrave.”

The department is saving money and there is also an opportunity for the art students to gain experience from this project. The question, though, is the communication from the Advancement Department on how they have not contacted donors of the Alumni Plaza.

“I give them a little bit of a pass on this because so many changes haven’t been taking place at this university, and the entire advancement office is gone from who basically started the campaign are no longer there,” said Van Cantfort. “So, could it be possible that communication was dropped in between changeovers and whatnot? Probably so, but I would think if they haven’t already, they should very soon be reaching out to those donors and letting them know what the status is and what they are going to do.”

Sutton has given a new date for the anticipated dedication: April 27, 2024.

As February ends, there will be two months left to see if there has been more movement on the promotion and communication of the Alumni Plaza. However, how often has the university promised projects and hidden any information about said projects? An example from 2019 is the additional 80 acres of land bought for a new track and field, softball field, and practice fields, yet no information has come from that project.

Only time will tell when projects like these will be finished.