Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College embarks on an $11M campaign aimed at enriching the total college experience and increasing recruitment efforts by building a sports and recreation center, according to President Dottie L. King, Ph.D. The College kicks off the campaign on Friday, October 12, 2012, with a gala fundraiser for donors and friends that highlights opportunities for supporters to become involved. The College has raised $6.5 million of the funds needed to build the facility during the quiet phase of the campaign.
“This campaign will strengthen and sustain the things that make The Woods a rich liberal arts experience, and advance the initiatives and programs that will define our future,” King explained. “With the early support of visionary and generous partners, we will realize a new facility that will live up to our aspirations and create opportunities for future generations.”
The motto of the campaign, Pomeroy Pride, stresses the fundamental SMWC principles of educating the whole student – mind, body and spirit. Pomeroy Pride is the spirit of competition, individuality and teamwork. It is the power to create new directions, expand boundaries and make every experience, success or defeat, add to your character. Pomeroy Pride means surpassing your own expectations.
Named in memory of Sister Mary Joseph Pomeroy, SP ’21, a cherished SMWC alumna and educator, the Pomeroy Pride campaign ignites Woods students, alums and friends with the passion to aim for higher standards on every path in life. Pomeroy Pride — inspiring us to carve our name into the world and to, above all else, never settle for less than extraordinary.
The overall objectives for the campaign:
- Support Great Student Athletes. SMWC athletes comprise about 30 percent of the campus student body. As a group, athletes maintain a higher GPA and are leaders on campus. These students deserve facilities that are commensurate to their achievements on the court, the field and in the classroom. They excel academically, while simultaneously competing nationally in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). SMWC currently offers seven sports: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and softball, as well as hunt seat and western equestrian teams.
- Attract Students. A sports and recreation facility is a minimum expectation for today’s prospective students. The new facility will attract more young women interested in strong academics partnered with extracurricular activities. These programs, such as fitness and wellness programs, cheering at home games and intramural sports, will enrich the college experience for both the athlete and non-athlete.
- Additional Athletic Teams and Address the Issues of Health and Wellness. The building will allow the campus to grow by introducing new sports, such as volleyball, which will bring additional students. This facility will also better position the College to begin addressing the issues of health and wellness with students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community.
- Provide Revenue. The facility will provide opportunities for young people to attend summer sports camps, while providing auxiliary revenue for The Woods and increased economic opportunities for Terre Haute.
King acknowledges that the facility is an investment in the future of the institution as well as the community. “This campaign creates more than a building. It creates a legacy growing with energy, vitality and vision for The Woods and the Wabash Valley.”
The building site is tentatively planned for the west edge of campus, behind the Mary and Andy Rooney Library, adjacent to the Mary O. Goodwin Guest House. Building specifics include:
- 36,000 square feet of space
- An NCAA regulation-sized gym seating approximately 1,000 spectators
- Practice gym for auxiliary revenue and intramural sports
- 2,000 sq. ft. lobby – flexible space for functions and activities
- Locker rooms, a training room, a fitness room and ample storage space
- Offices for a growing athletic program, and
- Silver LEED environmental certification.
Follow Pomeroy Pride in the News:
- SMWC to build $11 million sports, rec center, Tribune Star, October 2012