Footbridge connects with new section of campus

Daemen College’s Institutional Advancement Division has a new home with the addition of Alumni House, which serves as the new central location for institutional advancement operations. The building was officially unveiled at a grand opening celebration held in March.

Addressing a capacity crowd at the special celebration, Daemen President Gary A. Olson said, “We are pleased to continue to expand our campus in meaningful ways that are beneficial to our college community. The opening of Alumni House has allowed us for the first time to headquarter our entire institutional advancement team in one facility, which, in turn, created space for all of enrollment management to be housed in Rosary Hall.”

Set in a beautiful wooded area on the south end of campus, Alumni House is home to Daemen’s fundraising, alumni relations, publications, and special events areas.

Renovations of the 2,600-square-foot Alumni House, which is located across the street from Daemen’s Business Building, feature reconfigured spaces for nine offices, a reception area, and a meeting and event room for small gatherings.

Other improvements include high-speed Internet and Wi-fi access, electrical updates, and additional upgrades. As interior enhancements were done, efforts were made to preserve several of the home’s original features, such as fireplaces, hardwood floors, and a wooden staircase, while providing a highly functional space for staff housed in the building.

“With Alumni House, we have established a central hub for institutional advancement activities that has helped foster a stronger connection and more collaboration among our staff that has already proven beneficial to enhancing our efforts,” said Craig Harris, vice president for institutional advancement. “The building’s warm, friendly atmosphere provides the ideal setting to engage with our graduates, donors, faculty and staff, and other guests as we build our presence on campus and in the community.”

In addition to Alumni House, Daemen formally opened a new section of campus with a ribboncutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a footbridge that connects with the original part of campus grounds.

The approximately 30-foot bridge is accessible from a recently installed parking lot located by Alumni House and the college’s first-ever Honors House, a study and communal space specifically for Honors Program students. The bridge spans a small culvert and leads to a walking path behind Schenck Hall.

“This new bridge connects our newest facilities with the rest of campus and both symbolically and physically bridges the new and older parts of our beautiful and growing campus,” said Olson. “It signals a new era for Daemen College.”

Extensive efforts were made to retain large trees where the short footbridge and 62-space parking lot have been added. The bridge’s entry point was designed to provide a convenient route from the lot to Daemen’s campus and to improve pedestrian safety.

“With the addition of our new facilities and parking lot, we are pleased to open this bridge as a safe walkway for pedestrians in an area of campus that is experiencing increased foot traffic,” said Harris. “The bridge also offers visitors to Alumni House an easily accessible walking path to our campus’ central corridor.”