Another indication of UCLA's dedication to athletics. Interestingly enough, it will cost more to build than the new basketball facility and looks like it will incorporate and include some remodeling of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
https://woodenathleticfund.com/academiccenter/
The following is from UCLA:
UCLA Athletics today officially announced its plan to construct a new on-campus student-athlete academic facility, to be known as the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes, designed to serve the scholastic needs of UCLA's nearly 700 student-athletes who participate in its 25 intercollegiate athletic programs.
To be named after legendary music industry executive and philanthropist Morris "Mo" Ostin, who has generously committed the lead gift of $15 million to the proposed project, the comprehensive, state-of-the-art academic facility will be located in the heart of UCLA's campus, immediately adjacent to the east side of the J.D. Morgan Center, the "hub" for all 25 of UCLA's intercollegiate athletic teams.
With Ostin's commitment in place, the UCLA Athletic Department is now launching a comprehensive $35,000,000 fundraising campaign in total to fund the new building, which will only be made possible through securing another $20,000,000 in private donations from fans, alumni and friends of UCLA. There are a variety of naming opportunities within the facility now available to those who may have interest, with gifts of any amount being accepted to reach an aggressive yet optimistically obtainable goal. Construction will begin as fundraising milestones are reached.
"UCLA has a deep commitment to academic success for all of our students, particularly those with demanding schedules, like our student-athletes," said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. "Their dedication to success both on the field and in the classroom will only be enhanced by this new center. We remain grateful for Mo Ostin's wonderful support and our shared vision as UCLA begins its second century."
"UCLA is the premier public institution in the country, one that is rigorous both athletically and academically. As we look to provide our student-athletes with every resource and opportunity for success in this environment, a state-of-the-art academic center is the next step in our facilities master plan," said UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero. "This facility will be essential to maintaining the balance of athletic accomplishments and academic achievements that has become a hallmark of UCLA Athletics, and it would not be possible without supporters like Mo Ostin. Mo has stepped up time and again in support of our student-athletes, and quite simply, it would be impossible to overstate our gratitude for the impact his generosity has had on our program."
Ostin, who holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA, is currently Chairman Emeritus of Warner Bros. Records. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and presented the Grammy Icon Award in 2007 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Ostin served at Warner Bros. Records for 32 years, 25 of them as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and later signed on to head the music arm of the entertainment conglomerate DreamWorks SKG. This transformative gift by Ostin for the planned student-athlete academic center follows his $10 million lead gift for the construction of the Mo Ostin Basketball Center, a state-of-the-art basketball training facility that opened on the UCLA Campus in 2017.
"It is my hope this academic center for student-athletes will serve as a resource for the most elite student-athletes in the country, at the country's #1 public institution, to excel not only athletically but also academically," said Mo Ostin. "For decades UCLA has developed talented student-athletes, to include legendary Academic All-Americans like Mike Warren, John Sciarra, Bill Walton, Denise Curry, and Jamaal Wilkes, to not only perform at their best athletically, but thrive in a very competitive academic environment. Assisting future student-athletes to reach their academic best is extremely important to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of this new academic center."
The planned three-level Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes will include both individual and group study spaces, individual and group tutorial areas, state-of-the-art technology labs, and offices for UCLA Athletics' Academic and Student Services staff situated over nearly 20,000 square feet of new space. In addition to the academic space, the facility will feature a new Hall of Champions entry display showcasing UCLA's 116 NCAA Championship trophies and linking the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes to the existing UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
The new facility's proximity to the J.D. Morgan Center will centralize the academic space in an area close to UCLA's coaching and administrative offices, allowing staff members to affirm the expectation that student-athletes excel in the classroom and demonstrate their support for utilizing resources and services in pursuit of academic goals. Further, the single, unified space for all UCLA student-athlete academic and student services in the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes will allow student-athletes to be more efficient with their time in order to balance their academic and athletic responsibilities
"This proposed project is another opportunity for loyal and generous alumni, fans and friends of UCLA to provide our elite student-athletes with world-class facilities; this time to support their success academically - a subject all benefactors of UCLA we believe will rally around," said UCLA Senior Associate Athletic Director Josh Rebholz. "We are so grateful to Mo for stepping up once again and provide the lead gift, and we now look to invite the generosity of others to raise $20 million more to make the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes a reality."
The project and its corresponding campaign to raise private funds is part of the $4.2 billion campus-wide UCLA Centennial Campaign which is scheduled to conclude in December 2019 during UCLA's 100th anniversary year. The UCLA Athletic Department has surpassed its already-extended $300 million campaign goal. The Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes directly addresses one of the Department's signature Centennial Campaign objectives: Capital improvement gifts will allow UCLA Athletics to construct and renovate athletic facilities that will provide the necessary flexibility in supporting our students' academic and athletic activities. UCLA Athletics recorded a school-best Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 90 percent in the fall of 2018 – a rate that exceeds the national average of 88 percent for Division I schools.
https://woodenathleticfund.com/academiccenter/
The following is from UCLA:
UCLA Athletics today officially announced its plan to construct a new on-campus student-athlete academic facility, to be known as the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes, designed to serve the scholastic needs of UCLA's nearly 700 student-athletes who participate in its 25 intercollegiate athletic programs.
To be named after legendary music industry executive and philanthropist Morris "Mo" Ostin, who has generously committed the lead gift of $15 million to the proposed project, the comprehensive, state-of-the-art academic facility will be located in the heart of UCLA's campus, immediately adjacent to the east side of the J.D. Morgan Center, the "hub" for all 25 of UCLA's intercollegiate athletic teams.
With Ostin's commitment in place, the UCLA Athletic Department is now launching a comprehensive $35,000,000 fundraising campaign in total to fund the new building, which will only be made possible through securing another $20,000,000 in private donations from fans, alumni and friends of UCLA. There are a variety of naming opportunities within the facility now available to those who may have interest, with gifts of any amount being accepted to reach an aggressive yet optimistically obtainable goal. Construction will begin as fundraising milestones are reached.
"UCLA has a deep commitment to academic success for all of our students, particularly those with demanding schedules, like our student-athletes," said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. "Their dedication to success both on the field and in the classroom will only be enhanced by this new center. We remain grateful for Mo Ostin's wonderful support and our shared vision as UCLA begins its second century."
"UCLA is the premier public institution in the country, one that is rigorous both athletically and academically. As we look to provide our student-athletes with every resource and opportunity for success in this environment, a state-of-the-art academic center is the next step in our facilities master plan," said UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero. "This facility will be essential to maintaining the balance of athletic accomplishments and academic achievements that has become a hallmark of UCLA Athletics, and it would not be possible without supporters like Mo Ostin. Mo has stepped up time and again in support of our student-athletes, and quite simply, it would be impossible to overstate our gratitude for the impact his generosity has had on our program."
Ostin, who holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA, is currently Chairman Emeritus of Warner Bros. Records. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and presented the Grammy Icon Award in 2007 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Ostin served at Warner Bros. Records for 32 years, 25 of them as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and later signed on to head the music arm of the entertainment conglomerate DreamWorks SKG. This transformative gift by Ostin for the planned student-athlete academic center follows his $10 million lead gift for the construction of the Mo Ostin Basketball Center, a state-of-the-art basketball training facility that opened on the UCLA Campus in 2017.
"It is my hope this academic center for student-athletes will serve as a resource for the most elite student-athletes in the country, at the country's #1 public institution, to excel not only athletically but also academically," said Mo Ostin. "For decades UCLA has developed talented student-athletes, to include legendary Academic All-Americans like Mike Warren, John Sciarra, Bill Walton, Denise Curry, and Jamaal Wilkes, to not only perform at their best athletically, but thrive in a very competitive academic environment. Assisting future student-athletes to reach their academic best is extremely important to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of this new academic center."
The planned three-level Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes will include both individual and group study spaces, individual and group tutorial areas, state-of-the-art technology labs, and offices for UCLA Athletics' Academic and Student Services staff situated over nearly 20,000 square feet of new space. In addition to the academic space, the facility will feature a new Hall of Champions entry display showcasing UCLA's 116 NCAA Championship trophies and linking the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes to the existing UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
The new facility's proximity to the J.D. Morgan Center will centralize the academic space in an area close to UCLA's coaching and administrative offices, allowing staff members to affirm the expectation that student-athletes excel in the classroom and demonstrate their support for utilizing resources and services in pursuit of academic goals. Further, the single, unified space for all UCLA student-athlete academic and student services in the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes will allow student-athletes to be more efficient with their time in order to balance their academic and athletic responsibilities
"This proposed project is another opportunity for loyal and generous alumni, fans and friends of UCLA to provide our elite student-athletes with world-class facilities; this time to support their success academically - a subject all benefactors of UCLA we believe will rally around," said UCLA Senior Associate Athletic Director Josh Rebholz. "We are so grateful to Mo for stepping up once again and provide the lead gift, and we now look to invite the generosity of others to raise $20 million more to make the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes a reality."
The project and its corresponding campaign to raise private funds is part of the $4.2 billion campus-wide UCLA Centennial Campaign which is scheduled to conclude in December 2019 during UCLA's 100th anniversary year. The UCLA Athletic Department has surpassed its already-extended $300 million campaign goal. The Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes directly addresses one of the Department's signature Centennial Campaign objectives: Capital improvement gifts will allow UCLA Athletics to construct and renovate athletic facilities that will provide the necessary flexibility in supporting our students' academic and athletic activities. UCLA Athletics recorded a school-best Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 90 percent in the fall of 2018 – a rate that exceeds the national average of 88 percent for Division I schools.
Last edited:
