Thanks to a gift of $1.5 million from the Wu family of Hong Kong, Acadia University has announced plans for construction of the Wu Welcome Centre at Alumni Hall.

A 3,600-square foot, two-storey addition to Acadia’s historic Alumni Hall will serve as the new point of entry to campus, meeting the needs of prospective students and their parents, visiting alumni and special guests, as well as a venue for town and gown events, reunions, faculty meetings and other activities.

“This new facility will be a tremendous boost to our campus and our town,” says Acadia President and Vice-Chancellor, Ray Ivany. “We are deeply grateful to the Wu family for their extraordinary generosity.” Ivany explains that the gift is from the children of Hong Kong businessman Dr. Jieh Yee Wu, for whom the Wu Wing in the Vaughan Memorial Library is also named. Dr. Wu’s children are all Acadia graduates: Lily (1963), Doris (1964), and Timothy (1966), as is Lily’s husband, Dr. Andre Lau (1961).

According to Rod Morrison, Acadia’s Vice-President, Advancement, the Wu Welcome Centre is a family tribute to Dr. Wu and reflects the strong and enduring ties his children have with the University. “Lily, Doris, Timothy, and Andre,” he says, “are leaders within our alumni community and their generosity will serve Acadia well for generations to come.”

Multi-purpose welcome centres have become important and high profile elements of many university campuses. These centres provide a warm reception to campus visitors and represent the entire campus, connecting the university to the surrounding community. For Acadia, the new Wu Welcome Centre will allow University staff and faculty, as well as the Town of Wolfville, to better represent Acadia to prospective students and their families. As an event venue, its central location means visitors and guests will have convenient access to campus and downtown Wolfville.

Following planning approval from the Town of Wolfville, construction of the Wu Welcome Centre at Alumni Hall is scheduled to begin in Spring 2014 and to be completed by the Fall.