Iowa State University dedicated a new $10 million facility on its campus Friday aimed at helping students perform better academically.

The Hixson-Lied Student Success Center, centrally located near the Maple-Willow-Larch residence halls, was built especially to provide services to students in need of academic counseling, tutoring and testing.

The 33,500-square-foot facility is the new home of ISU's Christina Hixson Opportunity Awards Program, the Rod and Connie French Athletic Academic Center and the Academic Success Center.

"Student success is what we are here for," said Tom Hill, ISU's vice president for student affairs. "This building offers another location to provide services and space so that students can have the most successful experience possible."

ISU President Greg Geoffroy said the center will help with recruiting both students and student-athletes to ISU.

"It sends a powerful statement that we at Iowa State University care about the success if our students," he said.

The center was funded entirely through private donations. The first, and largest, donation came from Christina Hixon, a native of Clarinda, who gave $5 million to the project.

Hixon is a philanthropist who, in 1995, established the Christina Hixon Opportunity Award scholarship program at ISU. The program awards tuition money to financially needy students from Iowa to help them attend ISU.

The other major contribution on the project - a $1.5 million donation - came from Rod and Connie French, of West Des Moines.

About 250 ISU students, staff, donors and alumni packed the center and lined the stairs for the dedication.

William Dillon can be reached at 232-2161, Ext. 361, or William.Dillon@amestrib.com.