Last night, the St. °µÍø½ûÇø community gathered to celebrate the conclusion of LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence. The campaign, which ended on November 1, is the largest campaign in the history of the University.
The campaign launched in March 2020 with an initial goal of $130 million. At the community celebration, a cast of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and leadership announced that, through the generosity of over 15,750 donors, $149,054,964 was raised in support of four funding priorities: Our Students, Our Faculty, Our Place, and the Katie Fund. Check out the breakdown here.
"The success of our campaign will be measured for the next generation in the impact these dollars make in the lives of our students and faculty, and in the spaces on this campus that they call their academic home," said President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76.
Onstage at last night’s event, members of the St. Kate’s community shared personal stories of this campaign’s transformative impact across each of its four priorities. Testimonies explored the campaign’s expansion of scholarships and student resources through the Katie Fund and the Office of Scholarly Engagement (OSE), as well as its investment in faculty development through the establishment of the Teaching Hub and a robust faculty mentorship program.
Some of the most exciting updates shared at the community celebration are already visible on campus. Last night, faculty and staff announced that the restoration work in Our Lady of Victory Chapel will be complete in time to celebrate her 100th anniversary in October 2024, and that the large-scale renovation of Mendel is on track to be complete by the end of January 2025.
In the words of Daron Janzen, PhD, professor and Carondelet Scholar of chemistry and biochemistry, “Though construction is still in process, I can already see changes [to Mendel] that welcome all of our students to the building with improved access, common spaces for students to study in community, and new and improved laboratory spaces for teaching and student-faculty collaborative research.â€
This historic campaign represents a confident step into the future for St. Kate’s, as these strategic investments allow us to seize opportunities for growth, realize the potential of our extraordinary students and faculty, preserve and expand campus monuments and resources, provide our Katies with the support they deserve, and achieve our mission of educating women to lead and influence.
Thank you.