Philanthropists offer fund match for Utah Valley University building

OREM — Local philanthropists, Marc and Debbie Bingham, have offered a $1 million match for any funds raised this year in support of a new science building at Utah Valley University.

The school has raised just over a million for the proposed $50 million facility, which is badly needed due to space constraints on campus.

"Being on the UVU Foundation Board and knowing what I know about the university, I felt very strongly that this building needed to be built, both for the students and for the faculty," said Debbie Bingham, whose family founded the Phone Directories Company and manage Blue Diamond Capital, an investment firm. She hopes the announcement will help spur other donations, which will be doubled by their match, up to the first million.

"By doubling the effect of even small donations, the Bingham's generosity signals that UVU has the capacity to support creative solutions the state Legislature is currently exploring to fund the top building need at the state's fastest-growing university," said UVU President Matthew Holland. "Every dollar counts at this point."

Holland encourages anyone, specifically in the Utah Valley region that relies on UVU, "to give in any way and any amount they can."

As announced by the Utah System of Higher Education last week, UVU is experiencing its ninth consecutive semester of enrollment growth, making the need for additional space paramount. UVU, now Utah's second-largest public university, currently has the lowest square footage per student of any institution in the state, at 121 square feet per its 26,322 students. The shortage has been said to affect the class size and availability of courses as students aim to graduate in a certain number of years.

"It's about the students and the quality of education they deserve," Bingham said. "The current science site is just not adequate."

State government awarded UVU $2.8 million last year to begin the planning and design phase of the science building project. The school is hoping this year for an approval to bond for construction costs as no revenue is available for captial projects in the state.

Although the 160,000 square-foot science building at UVU is the state's top priority, the school is being asked to come up with private monies to fund the debt service on the bond for the first few years, until revenue numbers start to take a turn upward.

e-mail: wleonard@desnews.com