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Campus Improvements

Give Now

 

Through the $25 million Pritzker Challenge, St. John’s is preparing our two beautiful campuses for future generations of seekers.

The Jay Pritzker Foundation will contribute $1 for every $2 gift that alumni and friends offer in support of St. John’s physical infrastructure needs, setting the stage for a $75 million investment in campus improvement projects over the next ten years.

Many of these projects are already underway and many more are now possible with the Pritzker Challenge—and your support.

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Annapolis Campus Improvements

From lively gathering areas to cozy dorm rooms—our campus improvement plans will give students the space to dream.

In keeping with architect Richard Neutra’s original vision, a transformation is underway that will reestablish Mellon Hall as a welcoming hub of conversation and creativity.

Highlights of the renovation—the first in two decades--include an inviting lobby and a warm, welcoming living room that feels like home.

The area affectionately known as “the Fishbowl” will become cozier and more intimate, with new furniture, a fireplace, and “snack and go” vending options. Artist’s rendering of the Fishbowl.

Backstage space behind the Francis Scott Key Auditorium will become a dance recital studio and a black box theater, giving performers access to better lighting and acoustics. Artist’s rendering of black box theater.

Multi-purpose areas, including a music rehearsal space, will provide flexible space for other performing arts. Artist’s rendering of music rehearsal space.

Through the Pritzker Challenge, students will enjoy the benefits of 21st-century housing on the grounds of a 300-year-old campus.

We’re developing a roadmap to improved sustainability and a smaller carbon footprint.

Annapolis: transforming the student experience

Why is St. John’s renovating Mellon Hall?

Anyone who has attended a St. John’s seminar knows that the conversations continue beyond the seminar table. They flow onto our benches and into stairwells; they linger in our dorms and in our dining hall; and they are reignited over cups of coffee with a tutor and a nearby chalkboard. Architect Richard Neutra intended for Mellon Hall to meet that need, but it has reached the limits of what it can effectively provide.

Space for small-group gatherings and even one-on-one collaboration is severely limited. The space we do have is structured in a way that makes it inflexible—and ill-suited for any kinds of arts programming.

Because Mellon Hall is such an important part of who we are, and because it provides so much that is important to St. John’s—our Mitchell Gallery, our planetarium and pendulum, our connection with an intellectual giant in modern architecture—we are not replacing Mellon Hall; rather, we are refreshing it, and making it the social hub that Richard Neutra wanted it to be.

With your support for the project, students will have access to:

  • outdoor terrace for events
  • cozy, comfortable areas for informal gatherings
  • black box theater
  • music rehearsal room
  • flexible spaces for performing arts
  • gender-inclusive restrooms
  • ADA-compliant accessibility
How is the Mellon Hall renovation being funded?

Gifts from alumni and friends to the Freeing Minds campaign will fund the project in combination with a $5 million matching grant from the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA).

Every four years, schools can apply to MICUA for money to support capital improvements. For example, the last grant St. John’s received went toward the renovation of McDowell Hall. The current grant, however, stipulates that St. John’s raise matching funds to support the project.

Our portion of the match will come from alumni and friends, who support the Freeing Minds campaign, and from bond investors, who will have to be paid back. The more that our alumni and friends invest, the less likely it is that future students will wind up paying the bill.

In keeping with our commitment to investing campaign gifts wisely, these plans are not overly grand. Indeed, our peers might call them modest. Compared with what is taking place on other college campuses, they are.

What other projects are taking place on the Annapolis campus?

As a result of the Pritzker Challenge, the Freeing Minds campaign will have an even greater impact on campus life than we imagined. Projects that are now possible include sustainability initiatives and a comprehensive plan to refresh and renew our student housing.

Our vision for environmental sustainability will make St. John’s one of the most eco- friendly campuses in Maryland. Through an anonymous campaign gift, St. John’s has already taken the first step by outfitting Randall Hall with an energy-efficient HVAC system that will cool the dorm rooms with less cost to the budget—and the environment.

We still have more to do, however, particularly for our student housing, which needs to be repaired, refreshed, and brought into line with 21st-century standards.

How can I get involved?

The most profound way to leave your mark on the residential student experience is through a gift of support. Please reach out to us at development(at)sjc.edu or visit our contact page. Our development team can share a variety of options that will help you achieve the impact you desire.

You can also make a gift today and see your generosity go to work right away.

Regardless of how you choose to give, the Jay Pritzker Foundation will match every $2 of your gift or pledge with another $1, immediately magnifying your impact on our students.

How do I link my name to these projects?

St. John’s will offer a limited number of opportunities to personalize your gift by naming select areas of the campus, including the lobby and other gathering areas in Mellon Hall.

Such a gift can benefit from a deeper discussion with a member of our development team, who can help you understand what is required and what you can expect.

Please reach out to us at development(at)sjc.edu or visit our contact page. We would love to talk with you.

Santa Fe Campus Improvements

Our students want a campus that fulfills their environmental objectives and their need for community. Your gifts are giving them both.

In Santa Fe, sustainability initiatives aim to bring St. John’s closer to a carbon-neutral future.

First we outfitted our campus buildings with longer-lasting, energy-efficient LED lighting—a much greener alternative to fluorescent tube lighting.

Solar panels will harness the power of Santa Fe’s sunny skies and absorb the entire energy burden of the Santa Fe campus.

The solar power conversion, which includes ground and carport-mounted arrays as well as solar-powered phone-charging stations, is expected to be operational in 2022.

Our campus improvement plans will also re-energize community life by drawing students out of their dorms, away from digital devices, and into a revitalized Peterson Student Center—soon to be renamed the Pritzker Student Center.

Our plans for the student center will not only restore the midcentury masterpieces of designer Alexander Girard, but will also expand his signature style throughout the building.

Santa Fe: shrinking our carbon footprint and building community

How is the solar power project being funded?

An anonymous alumni couple funded the new LED lighting and the solar power project with a combined $3.2 million gift to Freeing Minds. Those same two donors also made a gift to outfit the Randall Hall dorms in Annapolis with energy-efficient air conditioning units.

The work that began with their generosity will not end with it. St. John’s intends to lead the way with green initiatives on both of our campuses, and doing so will require continued, generous support from our alumni and friends. When you make a gift in support of these initiatives, the Jay Pritzker Foundation will match every $2 with another $1, magnifying your impact on our students, our campuses, and our planet.

What is happening with the Peterson Student Center?

Our plans will transform this building—which will be rechristened the Pritzker Student Center—into the social heart of the Santa Fe campus. Students will enjoy safe, comfortable, flexible, and inspiring spaces that draw them out of their dorms and into conversation with one another.

Everything that makes this building special, from the masterpieces of designer Alexander Girard to our scenic outdoor spaces, will be wonderfully renewed—and joined by new, inviting, and comfortable shared spaces.

Groundbreaking is planned for Summer 2022.

How can I be a part of the excitement?

The most straightforward and immediate way to make a difference is through a gift of support for campus improvements. You can make your gift or pledge today, and when you do so, the Jay Pritzker Foundation will match every $2 with an additional $1.

If you prefer to have a conversation about your options, please reach out to us. We can work together to ensure your vision is part of our blueprint for the future.

Alumni and Friends are Making a Difference

Your gifts to Freeing Minds are keeping the Program strong today while preparing the college for an even stronger tomorrow.

Give Now
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St. John's College

Annapolis

60 College Avenue

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-263-2371

Santa Fe

1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca

Santa Fe, NM 87505

505-984-6000

To send gifts to the college via mail:
St. John’s College, PO Box 715905, Philadelphia, PA 19171-5905

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