Dear Saint Mary’s University Community,
As many of you may know, the Saint Mary’s University Board of Trustees convened its fall meeting on Oct. 10 and 11 at the Winona Campus. Given that many of our Trustees are loyal and proud alumni, we cherished the opportunity to return to campus and experience the beauty of Winona and the joy of the new academic year. We are equally enthused to visit the Minneapolis Campus for our next meeting. I wanted to follow up with the entire Saint Mary’s community to convey the Board’s sincere gratitude for the wonderful time you afforded us when on campus and for your ongoing dedication to fulfilling our educational mission.
In addition to our meetings, we had the opportunity to celebrate the Slaggie Family Foundation and the late Brother I. Patrick Hayes, FSC, with the Heritage Award for Transformational Philanthropy. As we honored Saint Mary’s tradition of philanthropy, we also launched our $125M comprehensive campaign, “Rooted in Faith: Growing our Future.” This campaign presents an ambitious and optimistic goal for Saint Mary’s at a critical juncture. Attaining many significant philanthropic milestones, we have already made substantial progress toward our campaign goal, already at more than $120 million. We are profoundly blessed by the generosity of our benefactors, all of whom have given gifts of time, talent, and treasure. It is also important to note that a significant portion of the funds already raised represent restricted or legacy contributions that will not yet completely address our operational needs. This campaign will allow us to expand our outreach and support. I invite you to join us in a strong finish for this campaign.
Operationally, we will continue to identify growth opportunities for Winona, Minneapolis, Rochester, and online, navigating the significant challenges within the higher education sector. We recognize that we are not immune to financial pressures that will require innovative solutions and unique partnerships to meet the needs of contemporary students and the marketplace. Strong leadership continues to be an integral component of meeting these challenges and I am pleased to report that we have recently concluded our annual evaluation of the Very Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary’s. The Board of Trustees confirms our support for Father Burns, his leadership, and the university’s direction. We deeply appreciate his vision for our students and the institution, resulting in progress observed in philanthropy, admissions, academics, and student life.
Collectively, we are constructing a promising future for Saint Mary’s and I am confident that we will achieve even greater milestones. Your service to our students and the university is invaluable, and together, we can overcome many of the challenges ahead of us. On behalf of the Trustees and all of our past, current, and future students, thank you for all you have done to support these efforts and carry out our Lasallian Catholic educational mission.
Gratefully,
Mr. Gregory Stevens B’74
Chair, Board of Trustees
