Donations totaling approximately $2 million were key in the creation of In Exchange, which converted a vacant portion of School Street into an educational and sculptural environment. Private gifts were received from alumni, faculty, and friends of the University, local businesses, and corporate and private foundations. Students also contributed through the Senior Challenge for the classes of 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1998.
University funds were used to complete the south entrance of the two-acre pedestrian plaza, which alumnus Dann Nardi specifically designed to capture the connection of humans with nature. He describes In Exchange as a location of shared property of both man and nature, an enduring timeless exchange of relationships between the two. Nardi's design consists of large circles that integrate art, plantings, and a water element with the environment to create a living laboratory. In Exchange was dedicated in 2004 and is a key element of the Fell Arboretum.