June 14, 2006
Queens, NY -
St. John’s University will celebrate the conclusion of a capital campaign that has raised
$271 million in support for student scholarships, faculty and
academic programs, technology, and facilities construction and
enhancement.
Emerging from a 1998 Campus Master Plan, the "Fulfilling the
Dream" campaign has since far exceeded its original scope, which
was to raise $100 million to begin transforming St. John's
University. The early outpouring of generosity from alumni and
friends was motivation to increase the goal – twice – to $200
million in 2002 and again – in 2004 – to $250 million. As of
June 2006, the campaign has exceeded this goal by nearly $22
million.
Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President of St. John’s
University, delighted at the overall spirit of St. John's alumni
and friends, will host a celebration on the Queens Campus on
Thursday, June 15th to thank benefactors who supported St. John's
in this historic endeavor. The celebration will include campus
tours, a Mass in the new St. Thomas More Church and a cocktail
reception and dinner in Taffner Field House.
“St. Vincent de Paul believed that those who benefit from
society should give back in equal measure, especially to the ones
who are most in need,” said Rev. Harrington. “The extraordinary
generosity of the St. John's graduates and other friends who
supported our mission and vision assures me that we are on the
right course.”
New enhancements and facilities have led to the “The New St.
John’s” since the campaign began in 1999. William Montgoris,
Former Chief Operating Officer of Bear, Stearns and Co., Inc., and
graduate of St. John’s who now serves as a member of the
University’s Board of Trustees and Chair of the Capital Campaign is
proud of the facelift and changes that have improved campus life
for the current student population that totals 20,346.
"A walk across the St. John's University campus reveals it as a
place significantly transformed over the last few years," said
Montgoris. "While the campus and other areas have changed what has
remained the same is our dedication to the Vincentian Mission. The
fabric of this Capital Campaign reflects that
philosophy."
New or enhanced facilities to the St. John’s University Campuses
include:
To many, however, the crown jewel of the campaign is St. Thomas
More Church, the first freestanding place of worship in St. John's
University’s 136-year history.
Since the campaign began in 1999, St. John's has tripled its
revenue from philanthropic sources, enabling the University to
enhance academic programs and more than double the amount of
financial aid it awards each year. Recent academic achievements
include implementing an enhanced Honors Program, establishing an
Institute for Writing Studies, endowing the D'Angelo Chair for the
Humanities, and making significant improvements to the University
Libraries. Also during the campaign, more than 80 endowed
scholarships were established to provide financial aid in
perpetuity for those students most in need.
St. John's University has also greatly expanded its
technological infrastructure, providing each of its incoming
freshmen with a laptop computer and building a wireless network
that led Intel Corporation to rank St. John's among the Top Ten
“most unwired college campuses” in the United States.
As a result of these advancements, St. John’s students’ academic
profile is the strongest in its history. Enrollment is up to more
than 20,000 full-and part-time undergraduate and graduate students
at the University’s five campus locations, and this past year
freshmen applications rose to the highest level ever at 20,669,
behind only NYU and Cornell among private universities in New York
State.
Along with the rise in academic quality, St. John's remains
committed to the ideals of St. Vincent de Paul to serve those in
need. By design, roughly one-third of enrolled students are
from families with the greatest financial need.
Media is invited to attend a pre-event reception with Rev.
Harrington on June 15th: RSVP to Dominic Scianna, Director of Media
Relations, at 718-990-6185 or e-mail requests to sciannad@stjohns.edu or carreram@stjohns.edu.