A new facility dedicated to increasing student retention, graduation rates and improving academic achievement is in the works for ISU students.

The Hixson-Lied Student Success Center is scheduled to open in March 2007, and the $10 million needed to complete the project will be provided by private gifts.

The new facility will be built on Beach Road in the location now occupied by the Wallace Road Office Building, which is being demolished.

Because the academic center is not scheduled to open for two years, it is important to continue to provide support service to help students be successful, said Debra Sanborn, program coordinator for the Dean of Students Office. The whole idea behind the project is to provide better services to students, she said.

“It’s wonderful when we have additional space to enhance students’ success, create a larger community and have a space to call our own,” Sanborn said.

“There has never been a space for students to gather and to build a community.”

The center will be home to the Christina Hixson Opportunity Awards program, which provides a $10,000 scholarship to one student from each Iowa county. Students who are first generation college students and might not be able to attend college without aid will benefit from services offered at the new center, Sanborn said.

The new Rod and Connie French Athletic Academic Center, located on the second floor of the facility, is planned to provide student athletes with academic development programs and career development services, said Donald Reed, manager of athletic academic services for the athletic department.

He said no new services will be provided to students in the new facility.

Instead, the current services in Beyer Hall and the Student Services Building will be relocated to the new building.

“We want to enhance students’ experience not only from an athletes’ perspective, but also from a students’ perspective,” Reed said. “The idea was to provide opportunities for students who have a centralized location for program services. Similar to the Memorial Union, but with an academic slant.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill said donors have made the new facility possible.

“It is designed to most definitely help improve students’ academic successes,” he said.

“This is our opportunity to reach more students.”

According to the ISU Foundation Web site, the Lied Foundation Trust of Las Vegas, Nev., committed $5 million to the new center, and Rod and Connie French have given $1.5 million.

Christina M. Hixson, trustee of the foundation, has also donated funds to support ISU students in the past.