On Higher Ground Campaign Closes with $19 Million Raised

Siena Heights University closed the most successful campaign in the institution’s history with an on-campus celebration Oct. 16. The On Higher Ground Campaign shattered its original goal of $13 million by finishing with more than $19 million in pledges and gifts over a three-year period. The campaign officially ended on June 30, 2012.

“The campaign response was everything we had hoped for and more,” said SHU President Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD. “We secured the largest individual gifts in the institution’s history, and we now have visible evidence of what this campaign has meant for Siena Heights—especially for our students.”

The campaign addressed three primary priorities: new athletic facilities, a new university center and growing the endowment through securing planned and estate gifts.

O’Laughlin Stadium and Dawson Field were completed in fall 2011, and now host athletic events such as football, track and field, soccer and lacrosse.

The baseball field, completed last spring, features an artificial surface infield and is considered one of the premier small-college facilities in the region. In July 2012, the Mary and Sash Spencer Athletic Complex opened adjacent to the stadium and features state-of-the-art locker rooms, offices and training facilities.

Construction is currently underway on the new McLaughlin University Center, which will include a dining service, bookstore, community rooms and recreational space. The student center will be a functional gathering space and will benefit all segments of the university community, enhance the quality of student life for resident and non-resident students alike and support more community events. The center is scheduled to be open by the time classes begin in fall 2013.

“None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our donors, some of whom have created a lasting footprint and legacy at Siena Heights,” President Albert said. “Our benefactors recognized what great things are happening here at Siena Heights, and now have a chance to create even more opportunities for our students. We are certainly now ‘On Higher Ground’ from a facility and student support standpoint.”

A Grand Opening of the Spencer Athletic Complex

The new Mary and Sash Spencer Athletic Complex was completed last summer—just in time for the fall sports season. The new facility that is attached to the O’Laughlin Stadium complex on campus features new lockerrooms, training rooms, and coaches offices for teams that use the stadium. The state-of-the-art facility, which was part of the $19 million On Higher Ground Campaign, was formally dedicated on October 6 during Homecoming Weekend with Mary Spencer on hand to do the honors.