Extending the Tradition of Excellence
A Campaign

At St. Mary’s University, central to our 157-year educational mission is keeping the St. Mary’s experience accessible to new generations of students. Guided by our strategic plan, Vision 2012, we remain focused on maintaining an educational option that is viable and affordable for students and providing that education within a modern and nurturing campus environment. To succeed, we are asking for your help.

The initiatives set forth in the Extending the Tradition of Excellence campaign reflect St. Mary’s current funding priorities while furthering our strategic goals. The Extending the Tradition of Excellence campaign seeks $23 million to:

• advance academic excellence and assure viability by increasing annual and endowed scholarships to attract and retain a gifted and diverse student body and faculty
• extend boundaries and enhance facilities by building an Outdoor Sports Complex of national stature to meet the needs of St. Mary’s athletics teams and develop community partnerships

Annual and Endowed Scholarships – $10.5 Million

The intellectual curiosity and capacity of St. Mary’s students and teachers energizes and defines the educational experience. To continue to attract great achievers that will benefit from the transformational experiences a St. Mary’s education affords, and to diversify our student body and faculty further, the availability of scholarships must be increased. This is our top priority.

Outdoor Sports Complex – $12.5 Million

With the opening in 2001 of the Alumni Athletics & Convocation Center – with its 3,800-seat Bill Greehey Arena – Rattler basketball and volleyball teams found a new home. To continue St. Mary’s legacy of success in athletics, one that includes five national titles and more than 110 conference championships, new or updated facilities are needed for baseball, softball, soccer and tennis to match those available for indoor competition. This is our second priority.

Cognizant of the unique opportunities inherent in hosting national competitions – and eager to invest in such opportunities – Bexar County granted the University $6 million for an Outdoor Sports Complex of championship caliber that could attract such competitions while providing much-needed modern facilities at St. Mary’s. To receive Bexar County’s generous grant, we must at least match that amount by next summer.

In addition, by building an Outdoor Sports Complex for the highest level of competition among student-athletes in NCAA Division II, St. Mary’s will match Bexar County’s bold investment while developing important partnerships with sports organizations, the City and the County.

Finally and of great importance, as an educational and community leader, revitalizing the neighborhoods around St. Mary’s is essential for the University to thrive, and carries with it long-term benefits for our campus community and for the community at large. Providing intellectual capital to the area as well as modern multi-use facilities like the Outdoor Sports Complex to San Antonio’s Westside, helps St. Mary’s in these revitalization efforts.

I invite you – loyal alumni, dedicated friends, and visionary partners – to invest in future generations of gifted students and in the future of St. Mary’s University by making a gift today to the Extending the Tradition of Excellence campaign.

With you, I know that we can and will succeed.

Cordially,
Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.
President