King’s Receives $20M Donation
The $20M donation will be used to develop the Centre for Excellence in the Sciences. (Image: kingsu.ca)
A few short weeks ago, President Adrian Bajaro of the Students’ Association announced that an anonymous family donor recently donated an astounding $20 million to The King’s University. Before you start getting excited and fantasizing about additional parking and a stable Wi-Fi network, Bajaro’s e-mail also specified that this private donation is to be put towards a new on-campus Centre for Excellence in Science. Along with this announcement came numerous speculations and whispers from students about the project, and the questions regarding the building grew tenfold. When will this project be finished? Why is all the money going towards the sciences? How will students in the Art’s program be affected? Will the parking lot be affected?!
Dr. Kristopher Ooms, the Vice President Academic and a noted Chemistry Professor at King’s, was excited to provide more details regarding the project. The building is projected to be completed in ten years, and King’s is hoping to get started as soon as possible; however, the university is not putting a firm deadline on when the building will be completed. Dr. Ooms specified that the Centre for Excellence in Science refers to the Natural Sciences and the Social Sciences. The Centre will indeed consist of new laboratories for Natural Science and Kinesiology students; however, all King’s students will benefit significantly from this project.
““The goal is to build a centre that is sustainable and long-lasting, and not necessarily the biggest building [we] can create.”
Besides laboratories, there will be additional classrooms, offices, study spaces, and lounge areas for students to congregate. The Centre for Excellence in Science is a testament to King’s dedication to its students. It will highlight King’s desire to continue to grow and be a pillar of sustainability within the Edmonton community. The building will hopefully have a green component, too, as King’s is constantly striving to be a lighthouse of sustainability to its internal and external community. Dr. Ooms stated that the “goal is to build a centre that is sustainable and long-lasting and not necessarily the biggest building [we] can create.”
Besides the internal components of the building, many have been questioning its location and whether or not students’ parking will be compromised in the construction process. The good news is that no one wants to hide a $20 million facility in the back of the university where few people can see it! The location is still being decided, but the new center will likely be located at the front of King’s or across the street.
This new addition aims to bring the King's community closer together, which is reflected through the entirety of the construction process. The planning, organizing, prepping, and building of the new science centre will be a team effort between many individuals at King's. Students' opinions and perspectives are also greatly valued. Although the development team is not ready for a flurry of opinions yet, they hope to release a poll or other informative tool in the future so that students can openly share their desires for the building.
Although it is disappointing that many of us will no longer be attending King's once the new building is open, it is exciting to see our university continue to grow. It is inspiring to know that King’s is working towards creating a bright future for the next generation of King's students despite the difficulties of the present times. Plus, on the bright side, even though the project won't be completed for a decade or so, it still will most likely be up and running before the LRT is!