Upper Iowa University reaches $25 million goal to end 10-year capital campaign

FAYETTE, Iowa (October 3, 2014) – Upper Iowa University (UIU) has announced the completion of its first-ever capital campaign, “Transforming UIU.” More than $25 million has been raised to exceed the goal of the 10-year initiative.

Outcomes of the 2004-14 campaign include academic, residential and athletic facility upgrades; funding for academic programs; enhanced living environments for students; and expanded scholarship availability university-wide. The campaign coincided with the university’s largest construction campaign and expansion of its community-based educational centers. The capital campaign set goals of raising $18.1 million for capital projects, $3.4 million for the endowment, $1.6 million for special projects, and $1.9 million for the UIU annual fund.

“We are very grateful to our alumni and friends for their generous support of UIU throughout this campaign,” said UIU President William R. Duffy II, Ed.D., Ed. S. We are especially pleased that the campaign helped expand our endowed scholarships for students and helped to steadily increase participation in our annual fund. As a University, we are committed to changing student’s lives one student at a time, and that takes resources. We are already in the planning stages to launch a comprehensive campaign soon, and will continue short-term fund-raising initiatives to support our continuing mission.”

The public phase was launched with major gifts from alumni Steve and Diane Harms to transform the football stadium and from alumna Betty Andres and the Andres Family Foundation for capital development projects. Special projects included the annual Upper Iowa Business Development grant, funding for the Volga River Bike Trail, and annual fund-raising conducted by Team Peacock as part of RAGBRAI.

Enhancements on the main campus in Fayette included construction of three suite-style student residence halls, construction of a Liberal Arts Academic Building, and renovation of the Harms-Eischeid Stadium. Concurrently, the University opened centers in the Quad Cities, Mesa, Ariz., and Baton Rouge, La. The New Orleans center completed repairs following Hurricane Katrina, and two Des Moines-area centers consolidated into a single new location.

The public phase of the capital campaign was launched in May 2011 after nearly $15 million was raised through the campaign’s silent phase. The silent phase included construction of the Andres Center for Business and Education and other campus improvements.

The successful conclusion of the capital campaign was announced Thursday, October 2, during the President’s Ball, which kicks off Homecoming weekend on the Fayette campus. To celebrate the end of the campaign, there will be a fireworks display after the Homecoming game in Harms-Eischeid Stadium Saturday night, October 4. The game kicks off at 6 p.m.; with fireworks expected to begin about 9 p.m., weather permitting.

More information about the capital campaign is available online.