The University of Windsor officially opened The Stephen and Vicki Adams Welcome Centre today - a unique building on the northeast corner of Wyandotte and Patricia that will serve as a gateway to the main campus

UWindsor President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Wildeman said that placing the names of Stephen and Vicki Adams on this important new building recognizes their exceptional gift of $2 million to the University. It includes support for the Welcome Centre, a scholarship fund and an art collection that is on display throughout the new building.

“Through their scholarship fund, Stephen and Vicki are helping future generations of students. Their generosity has also helped the University of Windsor create a new and very special Welcome Centre – The Stephen and Vicki Adams Welcome Centre,” said Dr. Wildeman. 

“Consistent with their belief that education and the arts are intertwined, their giving back has included the art collection and sculpture that bring a unique and personal character to the space.”

Stephen and Vicki Adams grew up in Windsor and have a long association with the University of Windsor. Stephen graduated from the University with a BA Honours in 1969 and MA in Political Science in 1970. More than 30 members of Stephen and Vicki’s families have attended Assumption University or the University of Windsor.

“The University of Windsor has meant so much to us,” said Stephen Adams. “We are also proud to be able to recognize those who made our success at this institution possible – my father Thomas Adams, my uncle Jack Adams, and Prof. Walter White.”

At the grand opening, Dr. Wildeman also announced the release of “Steve and Vicki Adams, Our Story,” a book detailing the Adams’ connection to both the University and city.

The book is published by Windsor-based Black Moss Press and proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County.

“Stephen and Vicki’s story resonates as an example of what can happen when education and compassion and effort go hand in hand,” Dr. Wildeman writes in the Prologue.

In the book, Stephen and Vicki point out that for 158 years – first as Assumption College – the University of Windsor has been an intricate part of the social fabric of Windsor:  “A university as a place of learning, as a place to allow meaningful research and as a place to train and retain valued human resources is essential to a community’s development. The relationship between the City of Windsor and the University of Windsor is a testament to this.”

The Stephen and Vicki Adams Welcome Centre houses the offices of Student Admissions and Recruitment, Alumni Affairs and Donor Communications, the University Campaign, Public Affairs and Communications, and Alumni and Donor Records. The team of Amico Design Build and Hariri Pontarini Architects/Architecttura Inc. worked on the project.

Accessible from multiple campus routes, the curvature of the semi-transparent 18,000-square-foot building invites a feeling of openness, giving visitors 360-degree views of the surrounding campus. In addition to administrative offices, it offers a spacious lobby for campus events, a multi-purpose room for larger functions, and a Heritage Wall that depicts the University’s rich history.