The UALR Alumni Association has announced plans to construct an Alumni Plaza at the heart of the campus which will become the new home to the Alumni Walk, a campus tradition in which names of graduates are preserved on brick pavers for a walkway.

Original pavers for the Alumni Walk, adjacent to the Donaghey Student Center, were removed and stored in 2011 to make way for the new Student Services Center. They dated from 1927 to 1999.

“Our staff removed each paver and neatly arranged them in a safe environment for their eventual return to campus in an equally visible location,” said Dave Millay, associate vice chancellor of facilities management.

It is estimated that the bricks will be re-installed by June 2014.

“Chancellor Anderson has made funding available, and we have begun the process of removing mortar from the edges of some of these markers before returning them to campus to their new permanent home,” said Millay.

The Alumni Plaza will be nestled between Student Union B and the Ottenheimer Library.

According to the Alumni Association, this area is traversed by thousands of students each day, making it one of the most visible and visited areas on campus.

Once the new plaza is completed, the tradition of placing pavers with names of alumni will continue. New brick pavers will be available for purchase by UALR students upon their graduation.

Alumni Association members are invited to add their name to the Alumni Walk by reserving a paver for $100.

Money collected from the purchase of the brick pavers goes to support the Alumni Association and the annual fund, which provide scholarships for UALR students.

Once installed, the bricks on the Alumni Walk can be viewed by reserving a tour with Alumni Association staff or through an online brick locator that is currently under development.