Campanile Plaza Renovation

Standing at the heart of campus, the Campanile is a rich piece of our university’s history and heritage. This cherished structure has witnessed countless memories, historic moments and the transformative journey of our students.

For many, the Campanile is synonymous with Campaniling, the tradition of gathering on the Friday night of Homecoming at the base of the tower to kiss your significant other — maybe even a stranger — at the stroke of midnight.

In May 2023, we completed the first phase of the Campanile project with the renovation of the carillon playing room and installation of nine new and 47 refurbished carillon bells, a new playing keyboard and clock mechanism — preserving and enhancing the Campanile’s carillon for the next 50+ years.

As we embark on this Campanile Plaza effort, we are reminded of the many individual contributions that built the Campanile and first 15-bell chime in 1926, but also of the generosity of current donors who made this year's changes possible. To date, almost 700 donors have contributed over $1.7 million towards the $2.2 million goal. With a challenge gift from alums Dick ('74) and Kathy ('77) Redfern, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000. Let's raise $50,000 by midnight on February 14 to keep the Campanile at the heart of campus for decades to come!

This cherished space has been a witness to countless memories, historic moments, and the transformative journey of our students, alumni and friends. Let's make sure that the Campanile Plaza can be a space for future Panthers to create new life-long memories.