Progress on Campus Framework: Donor Recognition Event to be Held for the Barnes Center at The Arch

A centerpiece of Syracuse University’s Campus Framework will celebrate an important milestone this weekend. Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in a donor recognition event for the Barnes Center at The Arch, a state-of-the-art, student-focused health and wellness complex that is central to the transformation of Archbold Gymnasium.

An artist’s rendering of the outside of the Barnes Center at The Arch

Scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m., the event will be held outdoors at the south end of Archbold. The speakers will include Board of Trustees Chairman Steven W. Barnes ’82, who along with his wife, Deborah, made a $5 million gift to support the creation of the Barnes Center at The Arch. Chancellor Kent Syverud, Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, and Angie Pati ’18, vice president of the Student Association, will also deliver remarks.

“Syracuse University has long recognized the importance of providing a holistic student experience that combines extraordinary academics and forward thinking co-curricular activities,” says Barnes. “This new facility will enhance the health and well-being of our students, further enabling them to excel both inside and outside the classroom.”

The Barnes Center at The Arch will house all of the campus health and wellness services—including the Counseling Center, the Office of Health Promotion, Health Services, Recreation Services and the Office of Student Assistance. Centrally and conveniently located, just off the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle, the new complex will feature a modern multi-floor fitness center, a world-class rock climbing wall, a multi-activity sports court and fully accessible locker rooms and restrooms.

The event comes on the heels of the Nov. 3 Board of Trustees meeting, during which the board unanimously approved the planned transformation. Chancellor Syverud says this transformative Campus Framework initiative would not be possible without the tremendous generosity of the Barnes family.

“I am grateful for Steve and Deborah, both of whom have invested significant time and energy to making Syracuse University a better place to live, learn and study,” says Chancellor Syverud. “The Campus Framework imagines a bold vision for the future of Syracuse University and the transformation of Archbold Gymnasium is central to bringing that vision to life. I look forward to seeing the great impact this facility will have on our campus community.”

The Barnes family has a long history of philanthropy at Syracuse University. In 2010, they endowed the Barnes Family Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities and the Barnes Professorship in Entrepreneurship, both in the Whitman School of Management. Steve Barnes was a founding co-chair of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and a founding investor in the Orange Value Fund, a $4.1 million student-run portfolio.

The family has also provided support to the Remembrance Scholarship Fund and the McLane Legacy Fund, which supports disability initiatives and the Office of Disability Services, and recently made an annual fund challenge gift of $500,000 to match new and increased gifts supporting Invest Syracuse’s $40 million fundraising campaign to increase opportunities for promising students to attend the University.

To learn more about the transformation of Archbold Gymnasium, visit http://campusframework.syr.edu/barnes-center/.

About Syracuse University

Founded in 1870, Syracuse University is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence, rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents. Syracuse’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Syracuse also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families. To learn more about Syracuse University, visit http://syracuse.edu.