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Funding the Strategic Plan |
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Marmion Academy will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2008-09, truly an occasion to honor all those who had a grand vision for Marmion. This includes: the young monks who showed the courage to come to Aurora from St. Meinrad Abbey in 1933 in the height of the Depression years to merge Jasper Academy with Fox Valley Catholic High School to create Marmion Academy; Abbot Gerald Benkert OSB and his fellow monks who had the foresight to purchase farmland in 1949 to build the Abbey and Academy campus; the monks and lay men and women teachers who created a first-rate, college preparatory Academy for young men; the alumni, parents and benefactors who guided Marmion with wise counsel and generous support. With this same vision the Marmion community under the leadership of the Board of Trustees has initiated a comprehensive Strategic Plan that honors Marmion’s solid traditions and shapes its future directions. “Large views always trump over small ideas,” as Winston Churchill said. Our Vision Marmion Academy will continue to be a preeminent educational institution forming leaders through a program of academic excellence and faith-based service, rooted in the tradition of its Benedictine heritage. Our Strategic Plan • Endowment and Annual Fund support to ensure fiscal strength
An aerial image of what Marmion‘s campus will look like after the capital projects are completed. The infrastructure work, which includes new roadways, parking, tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball field and detention pond, is currently underway.
Our Goals Increase Endowment and Annual Fund support to ensure fiscal strength Increased endowment and Annual Fund support—gifts that go directly to operations—are the cornerstones of plans to enhance financial strength and fiscal stability. Although there has been significant growth in the endowment in recent years, it must double from the current $9 million to fund at least ten percent of the Academy’s operational budget. This will help ensure a relatively predictable annual income to support: faculty compensation and professional development; seminary education and continuing and graduate school education for Marmion’s growing Benedictine community, which now has more monks teaching in the Academy than anytime since the 1960s; student financial assistance to attract a talented and diverse student body; and facilities endowment to provide income to help operate and maintain campus buildings. A leadership gift of $1.3 million has been secured for student financial assistance—a significant beginning toward this goal. In addition, the Benedictine Education Endowment has increased by $1 million through the generosity of one family. The Annual Fund is equally critical because tuition and endowment income simply cannot cover all operating costs, particularly given the desire of the monks to make the Marmion experience affordable and accessible to a broad range of families. Annual support must increase by a minimum of five percent each year to sustain a growing enrollment—500 boys in 2006-2007. Improve the campus infrastructure Campus infrastructure improvements that began this summer will set the stage for future campus development. This important work also addresses two long-standing needs: increasing available parking from the present 350 spaces to more than 700, and constructing a road system, separate and distinct from the parking areas. A new retention/detention basin will dramatically improve campus storm water management. This construction cost is $3.2 million. Expand and improve athletic fields Participation in athletics is an integral part of Marmion’s philosophy, following the ideal of the Scholastic philosophers: “a sound mind in a sound body.” Needed athletic improvements will include a new varsity baseball field, two new soccer practice fields, reconstructed football practice fields and eight new tennis courts. All need improvement and must be done in conjunction with the infrastructure work this summer. The construction cost is $800,000. These improvements build upon the substantial progress already accomplished over the past few years. The Regole Natatorium (2004) was totally rebuilt through the generous support of Edward and Vivienne Regole ’50 to meet new U.S. Swimming Association national specifications. The Arndt Stadium Building (2005), built through generosity of the Donald Arndt ’58 family and other donors, has dramatically improved the convenience and comfort of those attending games and events at Fichtel Field. Build contemporary facilities to support extracurricular programs
A rendering of the new Music Center, Welcome Center, and Field House. The new Welcome Center entryway to Marmion will be reminiscent of the front entrance of the main building of the original Lake Street Campus. More than ninety percent of Marmion’s young men participate in sports, music, campus ministry or one or more of the many extracurricular activities or clubs. Each experience is an opportunity to develop a Cadet’s talents. This series of capital projects will be initiated, some planned for the summer 2008, as gift funds become available. A new Field House will be the central feature. Marmion’s Gymnasium is woefully inadequate for the many competing demands of a growing school. The Gymnasium is in use from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on most school days for practices and games, school formations and assemblies, drama productions and alumni activities. The new Field House will feature three regulation-sized basketball courts with divider curtains to accommodate multiple activities simultaneously. Spring sports can practice indoors until weather improves. Military drill and formation can be conducted on an armory size floor. Conditioning for off-season sports can continue year round. Marmion has secured a leadership gift commitment in excess of $3 million toward the current estimated cost of $5.5 million. A new Welcome Center will include a main entrance and lobby, and will unite new and existing facilities, and create an attractive new public main entrance. The exterior will be modeled after the entrance to the former Lake Street campus main building to give a historical continuity with the original campus. The lobby area and hallways will provide convenient, secure and handicapped access to the Gymnasium, Field House, Music Center, Regole Natatorium and main school buildings. A leadership gift commitment of $1.5 million has been secured. The Welcome Center is currently estimated to cost over $2 million. A new Music Center will house the Marmion-Rosary music program that fosters artistic talent that is no less important than Marmion’s responsibility for training future scientists, mathematicians and businessmen. The music program has experienced incredible growth over the last decade with over twenty percent of all Marmion students involved in the band or chorus programs. There is now a Men’s Chorus and five bands: Marching Band, JROTC Band, Jazz Band, Concert Band and Beginners Band, all using facilities built for one band with fifty members. The Music Center, with more than 8,000 square feet, will more than triple the current available space. Marmion is seeking a leadership gift for this project that has a current estimated cost of $2.3 million.
Improve education facilities to support a challenging college preparatory curriculum Academic excellence is the primary reason students and their parents choose the Marmion experience and education. In today’s technological environment, this means that Marmion must prepare students for the digital age. To that end Marmion will dramatically transform Benkert Hall into a contemporary Math and Science Center to support a challenging and integrated math and science curriculum. This will address the critical need to help students use their native intelligence about technology in sophisticated, responsible ways that serve them well as they make their way in the digital age. The current science laboratories in Yender Hall were built in 1963. They are simply inadequate for teaching 21st century science classes. They are too small and cramped, and lack the technology resources needed for the digital age. The complex will include five large laboratories, joining classrooms and faculty offices on the first and second floors. The Math and Science Center will foster an interactive learning environment—students not just listening but participating. Through Power Point presentations and computer simulations students will be taught in their language—video and graphics. The integrated curriculum and upgraded technology, with new supporting facilities, will give Marmion a powerful package to recruit superior students and faculty. Sustain leadership programs that build character and instill discipline As the mathematics and science programs move to modern facilities in Benkert Hall, Yender Hall will be remodeled to meet the needs of Marmion’s growing enrollment. Renovations will include new offices and instructional facilities for both the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) programs relocated from Benkert Hall. Enhance the Catholic and Benedictine ethos that permeates all aspects of Marmion The centerpiece of the new Benkert Hall will be a new Student Chapel—at the heart of the school—seating 160 students, and supporting offices and meeting rooms for the Student Chaplain and Campus Ministry. The Abbey Church is the center of the campus; the new Student Chapel will be the center of the Academy. Its prominence will communicate who and what Marmion students are: a Catholic school community of prayer and work. The Campus Ministry Center will support a comprehensive program that coordinates the Christian Service Projects that all students are required to perform. Ninety percent of Marmion’s students participate in various Campus Ministry programs: peer ministry, big brother-little brother programs, off-campus ministry and student retreats, especially the senior Kairos retreats. Campus ministry comes alive when students are challenged to grow as Catholic young men. Expand and improve athletic support facilities The final component of the transformation of Benkert Hall will provide support facilities for athletics. Benkert Hall’s lower level will include a fitness center/weight room—double the size of the current weight room—and new and expanded athletic locker rooms that will provide athletic team members direct access to the outdoor playing fields. A new wrestling practice room will replace and upgrade the current, makeshift facilities. There will also be coaches’ offices and an athletic trainer’s room to replace the present crowded and cramped offices on the basement level of the Gymnasium. The lower level location offers the most cost effective option for improved athletic support facilities.
This architect’s rendering of the rebuilt Benkert Hall shows on the second floor the Student Chapel in the center and science and math facilities in the two wing areas (former student dorms); on the first floor campus ministry facilities are in the center, with science, computer and math facilities in the two wing areas (former student rooms); the lower level will have athletic locker rooms and coaches’ offices, wrestling practice area and physical fitness/weight training room. Why Renovate Benkert Hall? Benkert Hall, the former resident student dormitory building, is a well-constructed, three-story, 55,000 square foot facility. It is a solid structure of brick walls and poured concrete floors sitting at the center of the campus. Architects and contractors have all advised, “save that building. It will be less expensive to renovate it from top to bottom then to tear it down and replace with a new building.” There is now a great opportunity to convert Benkert Hall into a significant asset for the math and science programs, campus religious life and support facilities for the athletic department. This project is an essential component of the Strategic Plan to shape the future of Marmion. The cost to construct new science labs and equip them with their essential technology is substantial, as is the price to build the other religious, academic and athletic facilities planned for Benkert Hall. The current estimated cost is $9.5 million. When funds are available, the transformation of Benkert Hall will take place. Funding the Strategic Plan: Leadership Committee A Steering Committee has been quietly working to secure advance leadership gifts to fund the components of the Strategic Plan, that is, endowment, capital projects and Annual Fund gifts. Leading this effort are trustees John Cibulskis ’70 and Raymond Dalton as General Co-Chairs, and Honorary Chairs James Hughes, Sr., Jack Martin ’58 and Edward Regole ’50. Other committee members are: Fred Conforti, Gerard Dempsey ’61, Robert Fitzsimmons II ’78, Holly Grange, Dr. Thomas Huberty ’65, Dr. James Kucienski ’60, Grace McKnight, Thomas Mulligan, Reed O’Malley ’56, Mary Beth Regan, Timothy Reuland ‘66, Marilyn Schnell and Gerald Sidman. |
