cover story
Story by Susan O'Connor, Photos by Dero Sanford

Arkansas State University alumni, prepare to be impressed. Just in time for homecoming activities Sept. 19-20, the doors of the Cooper Alumni Center (CAC) will open to the public.

“The dream of this facility has been in existence for 14 years,” said Beth Smith, director of alumni relations and head of the project. “We’ve never had our own place on campus. There was really no place for visiting alumni. That was a driving force for raising the funds and getting this project done.”

Located near the football stadium with a panoramic view of the pavilion lake, the $5 million, 20,000-square-foot facility will house not only the offices of the alumni staff, but is also equipped with large meeting areas that can be utilized by the community.

Smith, who came on board as director of alumni relations in the spring of 1992, first heard about the prospect of an alumni center at an ASU Alumni Association board meeting on April 1 of that year.

“Harold Perrin had a letter from Gene Smith designating that spot for an alumni center in the university’s master plan. It has been an important, ongoing goal for all the volunteers who serve as board members.”

Smith is passionate about this project, as well as the overall mission of alumni relations.

“Our mission is to connect alumni back to the university,” she said. “We work in partnership with every office and department on campus. It is our goal for alumni to come back to campus and say, ‘I’ll meet you at the alumni center and we can walk to the stadium, or we can drive to the Fowler Center — that it will become the gathering spot on campus.

“What we do is about building and maintaining relationships. Because we build those relationships, alumni call us for information. We have a strong customer service tradition.”

As Smith talked about the business of her department, she noted that the concept of alumni relations is fairly new to ASU. “No full-time director was hired until 1985,” she said. “We’ve been in existence for 24 years of the 100-year history of the university.”

The first director was Tom Manning, who began his tenure as ASU’s news bureau chief in 1962. Prior to Manning, Ray Hall Sr. took care of alumni business, as well as his duties as head of field services.

A full-time alumni office, Manning noted, enabled an escalation in the role of the department.

“With a full-time alumni office we were able to computerize the alumni files, publish an alumni directory, send out fund-raising mailings, establish a phone-at-thon conducted by faculty, alumni and students of various departments, begin a license plate program to support an alumni association scholarship and sponsor an alumni credit card,” he said.

Alumni relations’ staff also recruits students of alumni, and helps promote all types of ASU events. But most vital, Smith said, is the maintenance of the database of 60,000 alumni. She noted that only 3.9 percent of alumni are not in the system.

“I’ve talked with my colleagues in alumni relations and that figure is unheard of,” she said. She gives credit for the strong database to Manning. “Tom was a master of the database. He was serious about that data — about respect for the data. We’ve preserved his legacy,” she said.

The strength of ASU’s alumni program today is attributable to Smith’s hard work, and her love for her alma mater.

“ASU runs deep in our family,” she said. “My husband, Tom, and I met at ASU at my first street dance when I was a freshman. We married in 1980 and have two sons, both students at ASU. Hunter is a senior majoring in biology, and Ross is a freshman, undeclared major.”

Smith earned a bachelor of science in journalism in 1982, and a master of arts in speech communication in 2004.

Occasions recently visited with Smith to learn more about the newly-constructed Cooper Alumni Center.

What was the role of the Coopers in this project? Darrell and Charlotte Cooper of Clarkston, Mich., were the catalyst to move this project forward. Although they have not been involved in the day-to-day construction decisions, it was their commitment to the initial gift that enabled us to put the pieces in place and start construction. It simply would not have been possible without their support.

How did the design of the building evolve? Initially, we organized a meeting of students, alumni, staff and faculty and community members to brainstorm about what kind of space was needed in the community; what room arrangements would enhance existing availabilities, not compete with them. All of this information was shared with the architect to help guide the design process. In the earliest versions of the floor plan, we even included overnight accommodations, but in the final analysis it was determined that would not be the best use of space. I was able to visit other facilities across the country and speak with their directors about the alumni center on their campus and what worked well and what they would have handled differently. Our project is a melting pot of all this information.

What is the color scheme of the interior? The walls, carpet and tile areas are a predominantly neutral palette, but there are some spaces that have a punch of strong red paint color. Our ASU colors are red and black, so visitors to the CAC will see this evident in many of the public spaces, as we will layer these colors into the furnishings and decorative items.

Besides the offices of you and your staff, what else can we expect to find in the center? The staff of the development office and the Office of the Vice Chancellor of University Advancement will also be housed in the administrative wing of the CAC. In the public spaces, we will have a history room, boardroom and banquet space available for use by campus and community groups. The floor plan is relaxed and inviting and capitalizes on the site location with a bank of floor to ceiling windows along the north perimeter of the building, which will overlook the pavilion lake.

Are naming opportunities still available for any of the major rooms? Yes, we still have a lower lobby space that is magnificent and three salons of the banquet space have not yet been committed. Any of these presents a wonderful space to recognize a donor or make a gift in honor of someone who has been important to you.

How does the 1924 Sustaining Life Membership Program support the building project? The ASU Alumni Association was founded in 1924 by the first 13 graduating classes. When the CAC project was under way, the alumni association board of directors felt that we needed a way for individuals to contribute to the success of the building at a financial level that would be attainable by a large group of alumni. We introduced the 1924 program, which requires a gift of $1,924, but to make it more affordable, it can be paid over a five-year period. It has been a wonderful way for us to engage alumni in the excitement surrounding the construction of the CAC. So far, 310 people have joined at that level.

Are engraved legacy bricks for the center still available for purchase? Yes. Our brick program is initially directed at filling the paver sections located on the back terrace. We anticipate 1,800 bricks can be installed in the area. After this section is completed, we will install engraved pavers in the front area of the CAC, and eventually place them all around the lake as a walkway for alumni when they visit.

What are your goals for how this facility will be utilized by alumni and also woven into the fabric of the community? This is a very special space, both from a design standpoint and also from the importance it will play in engaging alumni in Arkansas State. Alumni are really the only permanent stakeholders in the university, because our relationship with the institution transcends the administrative and academic leadership, athletic coaches, etc. The Cooper Alumni Center will be the permanent tie that binds alumni to ASU. Our mission is to engage alumni in the life and work of the university. What better way to fulfill that mission than to offer a designated place for alumni to gather and celebrate their connection to ASU?

What is most satisfying about your job as director of alumni relations? Without a doubt, the friendships and relationships that I have developed over the last 16 years. There have been so many ASU alumni who have touched my heart; it has meant more to me than words can describe. I have shared laughter and tears and I wouldn’t trade any of it. I have the best job on campus.

After a project of this magnitude, what will you do to relax? I think I’ll take a week off and read and relax at the lake. Tom and I are empty nesters now with both boys at ASU and we don’t get to spend enough time on the water.