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Photo Album |
 A beam autographed by community members was installed July 23. |
5.15.07 - Steel girders were going up fast on the south side of the new CPACS Building. The girders will form the skeleton of the building's south addition. |
All of the previous Deans of CPACS returned for the groundbreaking ceremonies. |
 Breaking ground at last. |
 The gutted building during the demolition phase. |
 The Dean, Chairs and Directors get a hard hat tour of the gutted building during the demolition phase. |
Fall Convocation and CPACS Dedication
UNO Chancellor John Christensen presented his state of UNO address Wednesday that officially kicked-off the UNO Centennial Celebration. A capacity crowd of students, faculty, staff and community leaders filled the Strauss Recital Hall for the annual event. Following the convocation ceremony, dedication ceremonies for UNO's CPACS Building were held along the campus walkway. An open house for the new CPACS Building will be held Friday, October 10 from 3-5 p.m.
Art Installation
The artwork installation in the atrium was finished Oct. 7 in time for the building's dedication. Artist Tim Prentice and his assistant David Colbert of Cornwall, Conn., spent two-days hanging the moving artwork made of Lexan and aluminum.
Planting and Unpacking
2008.8.18 -- The pace shifted into overdrive in recent days to complete the new College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) Building and the renovation of the Milo Bail Student Center's Plaza. Faculty, staff and professional movers have almost finished moving into the new building as landscapers have dug and planted on the outside of what was the old Engineering Building. A few yards to the east, the finishing touches are being added to the plaza project ... all in time for the start of classes on Monday.
Click here to view a Through the Lense slideshow of images of the building.
Art Update
View a video proposal of kinetic sculpture in the North Entrance, by the winning artist Tim Prentice. (length: 5.5 minutes)
Attention Artists!
CPACS, in accordance with the State of Nebraska One Percent for Art legislation, seeks artwork for the new CPACS building, presently under construction on the UNO campus. Deadline October 9, 2007.
For more information and to download the prospectus > >
Groundbreaking - April 4, 2007
View additional pictures of the Groundbreaking Ceremonies
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) Building were held April 2, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony took place on the north side of the old Engineering Building, which is being redesigned, modernized and expanded for CPACS.
The building will bring together all of the college's units for the first time since the college was started in 1973. The units include the UNO Aviation Institute; Department of Gerontology; Schools of Social Work, Public Administration, and Criminology and Criminal Justice; the Goodrich Scholarship Program; the Center for Public Affairs Research; William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies and the Division of Continuing Studies. Approximately 150 faculty and staff work in the college, and student enrollment was 1,973 last fall.
Built in 1957, the Engineering Building has housed a variety of departments, classrooms and offices since the College of Engineering moved into The University of Nebraska Peter Kiewit Institute on the UNO Pacific Street campus. During the last few months, much of the building has been gutted, and work is under way for two new additions that will add 20,000 square feet of space to the structure.
The renovation work will cost approximately $14.2 million and is funded with state allocations. The two additions, one on the north and the second on the south side of the building, will cost approximately $4.5 million and are being funded by private donations. Donors who have made lead gift commitments to the University of Nebraska Foundation to benefit this project are The Peter Kiewit Foundation, The Lozier Foundation, Mammel Family Foundation, William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation, and Weitz Family Foundation. Work is scheduled to be completed in August of 2008.
"The culture of our college focuses on collaboration, the value of community, diversity, transparency and communication, the value of research and academic excellence," said B. J. Reed, CPACS dean. "This project reflects the mission of the college--to foster a comprehensive, high-quality learning environment, conduct research and provide professional services to the community. We are grateful to the donors whose generosity has allowed us to proceed with this significant effort."
"The building design includes open areas that allow for increased student access to faculty, spaces to promote collaboration between the departments and faculty, students and the community; and the incorporation of community open spaces that lead to labs and classrooms," Reed said. The interior of the building will be made up of open, interactive areas, seminar and meeting rooms, and multi-use classrooms and offices where the emphasis will be on space separated by little more than light and glass.
"We are a Ph.D.-granting college with many award-winning programs," Reed said. "We want the building to be an open, interactive environment that emphasizes our commitment to academic excellence, research and outreach."
HDR Inc. has provided the architectural design for the CPACS Building, and W. Boyd Jones Construction Co. is the construction manager.