The design concept behind the U. of I.'s new Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education building was simple: It should feel free from conflict.
Thanks to a $6 million donation by 1962 U. of I. graduate Ron Chez, $4 million in funds from the state of Illinois and private donations, the concept becomes reality with the official dedication of the center from 3:30-5 p.m. Oct. 2.
"There is assistance out there for veterans, but we haven't seen many services in higher education specifically for veterans with disabilities," said Nicholas Osborne, the interim director of the center. "That's about to change."
Osborne said the idea for a comprehensive campus-based veterans center was first articulated six years ago by Tanya Gallagher, the dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences.
Before ground could even be broken in 2013, Osborne and staff members of the college worked overtime to secure funding and develop a needs assessment that guided the design and construction, as well as the center's overall mission.
"The thought process at the U. of I. has been, starting this center is building on our history of being a leader in providing opportunities for students with disabilities," Osborne said.
That history reaches back to 1948 when Timothy Nugent, the former director of what is now the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services, altered the perception about people with so-called disabling injuries and advocated unlocking the potential they possessed.
Working with injured World War II veterans, Nugent's advocacy led a national conversation about the public responsibility to help people with disabilities integrate into general society – and made the U. of I. a national leader in disabled student services.
The veterans center will provide individualized on-site services that include transition and academic help, counseling and family services, career and employment assistance, health and life skills services, benefits and outreach services, and peer mentoring.
Veterans with disabilities can be assessed even prior to enrollment. An individualized program can be started during recovery, even before the student-veteran arrives on campus.
"We don't use a one-size-fits-all model," Osborne said of the center's process. "Here, it's more of a holistic model. We have a core staff that can work fluidly as a group."
The center, which already has 30 students enrolled and the potential to expand to 165, also will offer residential services that include 12 living units with state-of-the-art features such as a remote-controlled ceiling lift and accessible bathrooms and showers. Two students currently reside in the third-floor residences.
Students with comprehensive and multiple disabilities have the option of having a personal assistant, and there are options for students who seek accessible off-campus residences.
"The conditions are across the board," he said, with injuries ranging from amputations and burns to post-traumatic stress disorder.
"We can expand as the need necessitates."
Several veteran-specific classes will be offered, including a transition class taught by Osborne.
The center started serving students this semester and the building is still undergoing finishing touches. A week before the dedication, the sporadic sound of power drills could still be heard in the building, and construction workers were finalizing details such as the donor wall.
The building's open design is inescapable upon entering the lobby area, which is framed on every wall by double-high glass windows that wash sunlight over a lounge and study area that is accented with soft-toned, rounded wood furniture.
The lounge gives way to an equally open and sunlit dining area, which ends at a large kitchen that includes audio-visual equipment on the ceiling for cooking classes. Everything is accessible by wheelchair.
"Everything was designed with a very soft touch," Osborne said. "Veterans have a tendency to isolate, so this is meant to be open and inviting of conversations. We want this to be a festive area."
There are also offices and a teleconference room on the first floor, and the second floor includes an exercise area and administrative offices that include space for onsite Veterans Administration services.
The second floor also houses a library and space for researchers, who will use the center for a variety of research projects. Osborne said he already has received much interest on campus concerning research possibilities.
"We think this will provide a real-life perspective that can have far-reaching impact on disabled veteran care," he said. "The U. of I. has been a national leader in this field for a long time. With this center, that legacy will continue."