After eight years of fundraising, St. John’s celebrated the end of its Capital Campaign. The efforts made by the University resulted in a $271 million total, which will provide support for student scholarships, faculty and academic programs, technology, and facilities construction and enhancement.
Begun in 1999, the initial goal of the campaign was $100 million in funds. However, following the donations of 47 grants of $1 million or more, the goal was surpassed. Through such donations, the University was able to raise more than double what they had originally hoped to receive.
“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 University President Rev. Donald J. Harrington in a University release. “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.”
Since the start of the Capital Campaign, a number of enhancements and additions have been made to the University. On the Queens Campus, additions included St. Thomas More Church, Belson Stadium, the first-ever on-campus housing at St. John’s in the form of the Residence Village, along with many other additions.
St. John’s has also had a number of academic achievements since the start of the campaign. Recent achievements include the implementation of an advanced Honors Program, the establishment of an Institute for Writing Studies, endowment of the D’Angelo Chair for the Humanities, and making improvements to the University Libraries.
In addition, more than 80 endowed scholarships have been established to provide financial aid for students most in need.
St. John’s has also expanded its technological infrastructure. Each incoming freshman, and each transfer student, receives a laptop computer upon entry. They are also able to use a wireless network across campus that led to the University being ranked among the Top Ten “Most Unwired College Campuses” in the United States, according to the Intel Corporation.
The numerous advancements made as a result of the successful campaign have helped the University recruit students with the strongest academic profile in the history of St. John’s. Enrollment has increased to more than 20,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University’s five campuses, an increase of 19 percent. In addition, the University received a record 25,000 applications for the coming academic year, second only to New York University and Cornell University among private universities in New York State.
“We’ve come a long way since the early days of the campaign,” said William Montgoris, former Chief Operating Officer of Bear, Stearns and Co., Inc., Chair of the Capital Campaign and graduate of St. John’s in a University release. “This campaign puts us at another level and it’s incredibly gratifying to see students benefit from this historic endeavor.”