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. The university's plans for the future revolve around increasing access to UWL for talented students of all backgrounds and expanding student research and academic opportunities. Both the centennial campaign and "growth and access" agenda are major tools meant to lead the university to these goals. Construction for a new academic building, Centennial Hall, began Spring 2009 and the building opened for the Fall 2011 academic year. Built at a cost of $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. Students in the spring of 2012 overwhelming voted in favor of a new student center to replace the Cartwright Student Center. Construction for the new student center occurred during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 academic years, and the Student Union opened in January 2017. The new student center edifice was designed to emulate Grandad Bluff, a defining feature of La Crosse. It houses 7 distinct eateries, a game room, movie theater, live performance space, The Cove (a central hub for university organizations), the Pride Center, Veterans' Lounge, campus food pantry, a wide array of relaxation and study saccommodate ces, and meeting rooms that can accommodate conferences and other events. Campus The campus is located in a residential section of La Crosse. The extensive landscape of grassy fields, trees, flowers, and other vegetation gives the campus a distinct park-like feel. The university has limited vehicle traffic on campus. In 2006, UW-La Crosse received a "Grand Award" at the 2006 Green Star Awards competition for its campus landscaping from the Professional Grounds Management Society. To the east of campus are the La Crosse bluffs, of which the most prominent is Grandad Bluff (mentioned in Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. Downtown La Crosse and the Mississippi River are about a half mile west of campus. Hoeschler Tower (1996), located in the heart of UWL, is the focal point of campus and a popular destination and meeting place for students. It is also the site for many university and student events, such as concerts, fundraisers, the clocktower dance, memorial services, and the traditional hanging of the