Prospective students and their family members, patrons of the fine arts, and other guests at Viterbo University will continue to experience the best in Franciscan hospitality thanks to the new Skogen Family Welcome Center and an extensive remodel of the first floor of the Fine Arts Center.
“We want to make a very positive first impression and make sure everyone’s needs are met when they visit Viterbo, and these projects will help us continue to meet that goal,” said Viterbo President Glena Temple. “These are great spaces from which to introduce everything Viterbo has to offer. We also wanted to have an efficient ‘one-stop center’ with admission staff located all in one place.”
The Skogen Family Welcome Center is located on the first floor of the D.B. and Marge Reinhart Center for Ethics, Science, and Technology. It features a centralized welcome desk, comfortable seating, a fireplace, and a coffee bar; six meeting rooms in which Viterbo employees can meet with prospective students and their families; a remodeled, large multipurpose classroom in which windows were added and the tiered seating removed; eight additional offices for enrollment management staff; and two gender neutral, ADA accessible restrooms.
As plans for the Welcome Center were being discussed, university officials were also aware that the Fine Arts Center needed updating. The Fine Arts Center hosts more than 80,000 patrons a year, including 24,000 school-aged children. Officials also wanted a second “entry point” to campus and another place to host admission-related gatherings and events.
The Fine Arts Center remodel includes an updated main lobby and restrooms, new presidential and advancement staff suites, an updated and named Kwik Trip Hospitality Suite with windows, and an updated box office.
“These campus improvements help us to provide all visitors with the best possible experience,” Dr. Temple said.