Media coverage of Kennesaw State names Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center
Center to Carry Former KSU President's Name
The Board of Regents of the University System of…
Georgia
(Oct 12, 2012) — The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the name and the
construction of the student recreation and activities center.
Publication
Link To Article
http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/20462647/article-KSU-to-name-rec-center-for-former-president?instance=special%20_coverage_right_columnCenter to Carry Former KSU President's Name
Kennesaw State University's new $38.7-million student recreation and activities center will carry the name
of the first woman to lead an institution in the University System of Georgia.
The System's Board of Regents this week approved the school's request to name the
176,000-square-foot facility after Betty L. Siegel, who served as KSU's president from September 1981 until May 2006.
“I am deeply honored to have this new facility named for me,” Siegel said in a statement.
“For the 25 years I served as president of KSU, I enjoyed the unwavering support of
family, the students, staff and administration at KSU, and this extraordinary community.
I share this moment with them all.”
Under Siegel's leadership, KSU grew from 4,000 students with 15 undergraduate degrees
to more than 18,000 students with 55 graduate and undergraduate degree programs.
Construction on the center that will bear her name is expected to begin early next
year and wrap up by fall 2014.
Among other things, the center will feature an indoor competition swimming pool, an
outdoor leisure swimming pool, an outdoor basketball court, four indoor ones, and
a multi-activity court large enough to play indoor soccer.
http://kennesaw.patch.com/articles/center-to-carry-former-ksu-president-s-name
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KENNESAW — With approval from a state board, Kennesaw State University can get to
work on a recreation center that will be named for a longtime school president.
Earlier this week, the University of Georgia System Board of Regents approved construction
of the $38.7 million Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center.
The 176,000-square-foot facility, an expansion of an existing 55,000-square-foot recreation
center, will be named for Siegel, who served as KSU president from 1981 until 2006.
“Most of the existing one is going to be renovated, and the rest is going to be built
around it,” KSU spokesman Robert Godlewski said.
Construction on the new recreation center is expected to begin in early 2013 and looks
to be completed in time for the fall 2014 semester. KSU Vice President for Student
Success Jerome Ratchford said that naming the building for Siegel was a “collective”
idea in line with honoring Siegel’s philosophy of helping students in ways other than
just inside the classroom.
“It will enhance our recruitment,” Ratchford said. “It will enhance our retention
of students.”
Ratchford said the facility at the campus of 24,100 will serve as a place that will
make students feel more like they are at home.
“It will compare very, very favorably, if not in a superior capability, to what other
schools have,” he said.
The recreation center will include two swimming pools — one indoor competition pool
and one outdoor leisure pool — along with one outdoor and four indoor basketball courts,
a weight training area, eight tennis courts, a rock climbing wall, an indoor track
and a “multi-activity court” large enough to host indoor soccer play. It will also
include racquetball and sand volleyball courts.
Siegel was the first woman to lead a University System of Georgia institution, overseeing
KSU’s growth from a campus of 4,000 students offering 15 undergraduate degrees to
an 18,000-student university with 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Since her retirement in 2006, Siegel started a nonprofit foundation for global ethical
leadership. In March, she was presented with the Elridge McMillan Award by the University
System of Georgia Foundation for her lifetime work in support of higher education.
Siegel was out of the office and could not be reached for comment Thursday. In a statement,
she said, “I am deeply honored to have this new facility named for me. For the 25
years I served as president of KSU, I enjoyed the unwavering support of family, the
students, staff and administration of KSU, and this extraordinary community. I share
this moment with them all.”
Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - KSU to name rec center for former president
WUGATV
BOR Approves UGA Construction Projects
Written by Ellen Reinhardt Thursday, 11 October 2012 05:46
ATHENS - The Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia Wednesday approved 17
construction projects at campuses around the state. They include an expansion of UGA’s
Terry School of Business and the Marcus Nanotechnology program at Georgia Tech. The
Board of Regents signed off on the Terry College of Business Learning Center. Tom
Jackson, vice president for public affairs at the University of Georgia, says the
building will include faculty offices and classroom space in the heart of campus.
He says “This is the first building in what will be several buildings for a new campus
for the Terry College of Business. It’s 35 million dollars. It’s entirely private
donations from supporters of Terry College. And we expect to have a groundbreaking
on that project in the spring.”
Jackson says private donations were key to several of the projects.
“The state funds some buildings, but most of our projects have internally-generated
revenue or private funding as a component. It’s a way to move projects forward in
what otherwise is a tough economic time.” he says.
The Board of Regents also approved 12.8 million dollars in renovations to the Health
Sciences campus at UGA. And the Board approved renovation of an old Navy barracks
into student housing on the Health Sciences campus.
It appointed a construction management firm for the Marcus Nanotechnology program
at Georgia Tech.
And the Board also approved expansion of the student recreation and activity center
at Kennesaw State University.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports about a dozen students briefly disrupted
the Board of Regents meeting. They were protesting a policy that bans illegal immigrants
from the state’s top colleges. They also want UGA to stop using a coal-fired boiler.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.