Energy, enthusiasm and excitement filled the Marcelle Athletic Complex Saturday night as students, parents, faculty, administrators, staff, donors and trustees celebrated Family Weekend and the launch of Living Our Tradition: The Campaign for Siena College. The $50 million comprehensive campaign is designed to help the Siena continue to grow and evolve while pursuing the goals established in its strategic plan.
Student Senate President Ryan Murphy ’14 and Vice President Brittany Tayler ’14 hosted the student-centered event, which also featured performances by the Siena College Chorus and Chamber Singers and the Pep Band. Murphy and Tayler also starred in a music video titled “You Give Because You Care.” The video celebrated Siena’s past and thanked Campaign supporters who are ensuring that the College will continue to provide the education of a lifetime for years to come.
“Siena’s story is the narrative of incredible yet very real growth and transformation,” said Siena College President Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D. “Having just celebrated Siena’s first 75 years, I am confident that Living Our Tradition: The Campaign for Siena College will shape the story in such a way that all of us will be proud to tell it.”
While Siena’s Comprehensive Campaign officially launched Saturday night, thanks to the hard work and generosity of many members of the Siena community, the College has already received $34 million in gifts and commitments.
“I’m proud to celebrate the launch of an initiative that will give current and future Siena College students access to programs, professors and state-of-the-art facilities that are the foundation of a lifetime of learning and career success,” said Board of Trustees Chair Howard Foote ’74.
Campaign Initiatives
The 14 initiatives of the Comprehensive Campaign will help to enrich the mind, body and spirit of Siena College students. This commitment to educating and the whole person reinforces the College’s mission and the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi.
Mind
- Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (CURCA)
Students work under the guidance of faculty mentors to engage in undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity that prepares them for graduate schools and future careers. - McCormick Center for the Study of the American Revolution
The McCormick Center raises awareness of upstate New York’s contribution to the founding of the American Republic. It builds collaborations between academic and public historians and provides students with internship opportunities and experiences at local historic sites. - Pre-Law
Along with earning a certificate in pre-law, students can learn from a Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence, and every summer select rising seniors participate in Siena’s eight-week Summer Legal Fellows program where they work directly with professors and students at law schools around the northeastern United States. - Siena Advanced Instrumentation and Technology (SAInT) Center
The SAInT Center will involve partnerships with industry leaders in scientific instrumentation to provide training and research opportunities for students and the local community. - The David ’73 and Christine Spicer ’75 Stack Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Stack Center helps students of all majors who have the entrepreneurial spirit learn how to build successful business ventures. Students will participate in a fast-paced, three-year experience that will teach them all the skills that a business owner must master and perform. - J. Spencer and Patricia Standish Honors Program
The Honors Program supports the intellectual and aesthetic growth of its students through small, interactive seminar-style courses, service opportunities and research. Begun in the fall of 2002, the program has raised its standards and grown to its current enrollment of 300 students.
Body
- Athletics
Campaign funding will support renovations to the Alumni Recreation Center. It will also support the Saints Alive! annual giving program, which supports recruiting, facilities, team travel, equipment and coaching. - Nursing Program
Siena College will partner with Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, N.Y. to create a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The program will be offered to students who have earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing and who have successfully completed the licensure requirements to become practicing RN’s. - Richard and Joan Rosetti Hall
Rosetti Hall, which opened in August, houses the departments of sociology, social work and education. It includes high-tech classrooms and spaces for collaborative learning and faculty-student interaction. Rosetti Hall is LEED certified. Its environmentally-friendly design includes a geothermal heating and cooling system and photovoltaic solar panels on the roof. - Sarazen Student Union Renovation
Renovations to this student gathering space include the creation of a “student living room,” a new coffee shop, performance stage and charging stations.
Spirit
- Academic Community Engagement (ACE)
ACE involves more than 200 students a year in long-term, academically-grounded service at local nonprofits. ACE works with more than 30 not-for-profit partners. - Scholarships and Endowed Funds
More than 400 scholarships and endowed funds have made a difference in the lives of countless Siena College students. This Campaign initiative will ensure that a Siena College education remains accessible. - Annual Fund
Unrestricted Annual Fund dollars support academic programs, scholarships, faculty and staff development and campus improvements. - Global Medical Volunteers Program
This program will provide Siena’s pre-med students with the opportunity to participate in service trips in disadvantaged regions around the world. It will help them develop their medical skills and set them apart from the competition when applying to medical schools and residency programs.
For more information on the Comprehensive Campaign, visit the campaign website www.sienacampaign.com.
