The University of St. Thomas launched Be Brilliant. Be Bold. The Campaign for St. Thomas, a $1 billion comprehensive campaign focused on expanding access and opportunities for students. With nearly $800 million already raised, the campaign will prioritize scholarships while investing in faculty, student experiences and the university’s Catholic mission.
From Minnesota Star Tribune:
“We’re on a journey from being a relatively small, excellent Catholic ... liberal arts college, to becoming a large, comprehensive, excellent Catholic university with national visibility and global impact,” said Rob Vischer, St. Thomas’ president. “This is the time we need to push us forward on lots of different initiatives.”
Vischer said the school, which began competing in NCAA Division I athletics in 2021, hopes to exceed the $1 billion goal.
The campaign aims to invest in faculty, promote learning experiences like internships and deepen St. Thomas’ Catholic identity and academic reputation, officials said. But its biggest priority is scholarships; so far, $350 million, the largest chunk, is dedicated to students’ education expenses.
From Twin Cities Business:
So far, St. Thomas donors have contributed or pledged about $350 million for scholarships.
The Ciresi-Walburn contribution is targeted to students who need scholarships to attend St. Thomas. Part of the historic gift will be directed to the Ciresi Walburn Center for First-Generation College Students.
“This is where the real synergy comes between the St. Thomas mission and Mike Ciresi and his wife Ann and Roberta’s mission,” Vischer said. The three of them are firm believers in the power of a St. Thomas education. The $82 million gift “boosts our progress” in making a St. Thomas education widely accessible, he said.
“We certainly want to be a school that’s attractive to families who have financial capacity, but we also want to be an option for families without that financial capacity,” Vischer said. “We want to reflect the diversity of the communities we aspire to serve, and that’s been very important to Mike Ciresi for many years. He is all about access. It’s the impetus for this broader gift. It is trying to drive access and support for lower-income students and for first-generation students at St. Thomas.”
From St. Paul Pioneer Press:
Vischer said that as a Catholic university, St. Thomas takes each student’s eventual vocation seriously.
“It’s not enough that we help them develop job skills. We have to help them find their core purpose,” Vischer said. “And for many that will be some dimension of leadership, whether it’s community or business leadership or just being an engaged citizen, finding their voice, but it’s really using their gifts for the benefit of the broader community and that is a big theme.”
That means being intentional about programming and educational initiatives on campus while also making sure students have a pathway to campus, he said.
“We already have a strong foundation for scholarship aid, and we want it to get even deeper and broader and stronger over these next years as the campaign picks up momentum,” Vischer said.
