On Nov. 25, Guilford announced that it received a $2 million gift from the McMichael Family Foundation. The donation was given to specifically help fund a new fitness center, estimated to cost $8 million.The gift, one of the largest Guilford has received, was contributed by Dalton L. “Mac” McMichael Jr. and his wife, Susan. McMichael has served as a Guilford trustee since 1994.
“Either through the foundation or directly, the McMichael family has been among the most generous donors,” said President Kent Chabotar. “Among other things, they funded a multi-million-dollar scholarship fund.”
This donation follows the $500,000 the McMichaels gave for the construction of the Dorothy Ragsdale McMichael ’37 Centennial Class Tennis Courts in August 2007.
“More and more students are health conscious and have gym memberships prior to coming to Guilford,” said Dean of Students Aaron Fetrow. “The existence of an appropriately appointed and sized fitness center would be a tremendous draw for incoming students.”
According to the press release listed on Guilford’s homepage, the fitness center will provide state-of-the-art equipment and space needed for a wide range of activities.” It will “create an inviting environment for gathering and group activities.”
“Fitness centers become social gathering places for students to make friends quickly and feel connected to other students, faculty and staff,” Fetrow said. “The fitness center would provide a positive community space on our campus and send a message to students that health and wellness are very important parts of success in college.”
In addition, the center will also house a dance exercise studio as well as classrooms and offices for the sports studies department.
“Many competitor colleges already have one but it is more about improving the quality of life here,” Chabotar said. “That is always a plus for recruitment and retention, even if no (other institutions) had a fitness/wellness center.”
Guilford is actively looking for additional funding for the fitness center.
“It is a priority project in the upcoming capital campaign,” Chabotar said. “(The Advancement Office) and others are out raising money try to match this need with the passions and interests of potential donors. This is what happened in the case of the McMichael family.”
A location for the center has not been designated, but construction will most likely take place near Founders Hall for student convenience.
“There are a number of discussed locations that will go to the board (of trustees) in Feb. 2009,” said Jon Varnell, associate vice president of operations and facilities.
“Around or near Founders Hall is our goal. The reasons are obvious: it’s the center of campus, and by nature one of the busiest places. It’s also an important traffic pattern from the residence halls to classroom buildings.”
When asked about how this project might conflict with current budget constraints, Varnell said that a fitness center will not significantly impact the budget.
“Capital spending is not the same as operational spending,” Varnell said. “You’re not trading staff jobs for capital spending. From a budget standpoint, there’s no relief (if the project was cancelled).”
“I don’t think anyone should view it as a burden. It’s up to the donors how their money will be used, and they will be heavily involved in the planning process.”
According to Varnell, the total area of the building will be approximately 25,000 square feet, but a multi-level complex would alleviate substantial ground coverage.
“It won’t be more than 12,000 square feet on the ground,” Varnell said. “We’re not in any position to really expect how much space it will take up yet because we’re still in very preliminary stages of planning.”
First-year Melissa McCourt, a Quaker Leadership Scholars Program (QLSP) member, feels that a fitness center might not be necessary.
“I think (a fitness center) is important if it is helping people to be more active, but I think there are other ways to encourage people to exercise beyond constructing a new gym,” McCourt said. “I attended a Quaker boarding school, and there was some controversy because they just finished a new athletic facility and some didn’t feel that it befit a Quaker institution.”
The possibility of building the center on the quad also troubled McCourt.
“Community is a big part of Guilford, and the quad is important for that. We already have a space for gathering.”
Contact Jon Varnell at jvarnell@guilford.edu if you have suggestions for the placement of the fitness center.