state-funded has declined. In 1996, students paid 35% of the cost of their education at UWL and the state the remaining 65%. By 2005, the student share had grown to 51% as the state's shrunk to 49%. The university has felt the strain caused by decreased public funding. The university's centennial campaign and "growth and access" agenda are both aimed at providing the necessary financial resources to deal with the decreased state funding.
Construction for a new academic building, Centennial Hall, began in spring 2009 and the building opened for the fall 2011 academic year. Built for $44 million, it houses 44 classrooms, two auditoriums, the Academic Advising Center, Counseling and Testing Center, Multicultural Student Services, Office of International Education, and Student Support Services.
In 2018, the Prairie Springs Science Center opened at a cost of $82 million as an expansion of the nearby Cowley Center. Named after a $2 million gift from the Paul Fleckenstein Trust, the 187,000-square foot building expanded …
