{"id":20401,"date":"2025-03-28T10:20:17","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T14:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/?p=20401"},"modified":"2025-03-28T14:08:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T18:08:30","slug":"excellence-access-ambition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/excellence-access-ambition\/","title":{"rendered":"Excellence. Access. Ambition.\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On an evening filled with energy and optimism, Monmouth University announced its most ambitious undertaking yet: Excellence. Access. Ambition. The Campaign for Monmouth University. Unveiled during the 50th annual Gala at the Great Hall on Dec. 7, the $175 million initiative is the largest fundraising campaign in the University\u2019s 91-year history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This historic campaign reflects Monmouth\u2019s evolution from a local junior college to a nationally ranked university and aims to secure the institution\u2019s future as a place where ambition meets opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designed to advance the University\u2019s strategic plan, the campaign focuses on three key priorities: enhancing campus facilities, endowing academic excellence and student access, and enriching learning opportunities through annual fund support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcellence. Access. Ambition. underscores Monmouth University\u2019s unwavering commitment to transforming students\u2019 lives and creating a more equitable and innovative future in higher education,\u201d said Henry D. Mercer, III \u201987, \u201917HN, who together with his wife, Joan, is chairing the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Patrick F. Leahy added, \u201cOur bold aspirations for the campaign will ensure that a Monmouth education remains within reach for deserving students regardless of their means and advance our goal to make Monmouth University a national leader at integrating excellence and access.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

Transforming Students\u2019 Lives\u2014and Monmouth\u2019s Future<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
\n
\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Monmouth University has always strived to balance academic rigor with accessibility, ensuring that students from all backgrounds can achieve their dreams. Founded during the Great Depression as a junior college providing local students access to higher education, Monmouth has grown into a nationally ranked university with doctoral programs, Division I athletics, and state-of-the-art facilities. Throughout this evolution, the University has remained true to its founding principle: access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, today\u2019s higher education landscape presents new challenges, from rising competition for a shrinking pool of college-age students to increasing demands for financial aid. Excellence. Access. Ambition. is a direct response to these challenges, positioning Monmouth to remain a place where students from all backgrounds can thrive. The campaign\u2019s success will provide critical resources for three key priorities that together ignite the spark of ambition and opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n

Priority 1: Enhancing the Campus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

Strategic investments will enrich the University\u2019s facilities, creating an exceptional learning environment and strengthening the Monmouth experience. In addition to a number of campus enhancement projects, three major capital investments\u2014each inviting support from donors of all levels\u2014include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Springsteen<\/figure>
\n

Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music:<\/strong> A $48 million, 30,000-square-foot facility featuring an amphitheater, galleries, listening studios, and a 244-seat theater. This environmentally friendly building will attract visitors from around the world while serving as an educational and cultural resource for the Monmouth community.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Wellness<\/figure>
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Student Wellness Center:<\/strong> A $28 million, 23,000-square-foot expansion of the OceanFirst Bank Center. This space will include a sports medicine lab, hydrotherapy pools, flexible wellness areas, and an enlarged fitness center to support the well-being of Monmouth\u2019s 600 student-athletes and broader student body.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Campus<\/figure>
\n

Campus Gateway: <\/strong>This new main artery of the campus will begin at Pollak Theatre and traverse the southwestern grounds, connecting the new Nagy Common\u2014an outdoor student plaza featuring a fire pit and lounge chairs\u2014with a new student gathering space featuring a four-sided clock and fixed seating adjoining the Great Hall.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Priority 2: Endowing Academic Excellence and Student Access<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

A robust endowment is essential to sustaining Monmouth\u2019s long-term growth and securing its mission for generations to come. Through the campaign, the University aims to expand scholarships, ensuring that financial barriers never prevent deserving students from attending Monmouth\u2014not just today, but in perpetuity. At the same time, the campaign supports faculty development and innovative academic programming, strengthening Monmouth\u2019s ability to attract and retain top-tier educators who inspire, challenge, and mentor students.<\/p>\n\n\n

Priority 3: Annual Funds to Support Students Today<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

Annual funds provide vital resources that directly benefit today\u2019s students. These flexible resources address immediate needs such as scholarships, hands-on learning opportunities, and enhancements to campus life. Increasing annual support enables Monmouth to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities, preparing students for successful post-graduate careers. <\/p>\n\n\n

The Impact of Giving<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

At the heart of Monmouth\u2019s Excellence. Access. Ambition. campaign are the students whose lives are transformed by the generosity of donors. Two such stories, shared at the campaign kickoff event, illustrate the transformative power of philanthropy.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Kylensky
Students Kylensky Miracle and Emily Singer shared how scholarships have transformed their lives at the campaign kickoff event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Kylensky Miracle, a sophomore pursuing dual degrees in economics and finance and musical theater, shared how donor-funded scholarships opened doors he once thought impossible. Raised in a three-bedroom apartment that housed 14 family members, he faced constant challenges but stayed focused on school, guided by his father and his own determination. The first in his family to attend college, Miracle described Monmouth as the place where he can merge his passions, excel academically, and set a positive example for his younger siblings. \u201cBecause of donors like you, you have given me hope, a future, and a way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily Singer, a junior communication major and member of Monmouth\u2019s field hockey team, moved 9,000 miles from New Zealand to pursue her education. She credited her scholarship support with making her Monmouth experience possible and the University\u2019s student life resources with helping her overcome personal challenges. \u201cThanks to Monmouth, I am living a life-changing experience,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, their stories illustrate how philanthropy provides the spark that ignites ambition and opportunity, ensuring that Monmouth remains a place where students from all backgrounds can thrive. <\/p>\n\n\n

Join Us in This Ambitious Undertaking <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

The Excellence. Access. Ambition. campaign is more than a call for support\u2014it is an invitation to shape Monmouth\u2019s future. Its success, President Leahy said, \u201cwill help elevate academic excellence, expand educational opportunities, enhance our campus, and establish Monmouth University as a leading force in higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Campaign co-chair Henry Mercer echoed the transformative potential of this effort during his remarks at the gala, emphasizing that reaching the ambitious $175 million goal will require the collective commitment of the entire Monmouth community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith your help, we can raise Monmouth\u2019s stature and clout to the level we aspire to\u2014and, most critically, nurture future generations of Hawks,\u201d Mercer said. He closed with a fitting nod to Bruce Springsteen: \u201cAs the Boss says\u2014you can\u2019t start a fire without a spark. Please help us provide that spark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

From new programs to national recognition\u2014view the campaign\u2019s early impact.<\/a><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

For more information about the campaign priorities and ways to give, visit the Excellence. Access. Ambition. campaign website<\/a> or contact Amanda Klaus \u201909, vice president for university advancement, at campaign@monmouth.edu<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Campaign for Monmouth University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":20405,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"image_focus":"{\"x\":54,\"y\":64}","hide_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"thumbnail":"\"\"","catString":"Features","issue":"Spring 2025","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20401"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21269,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20401\/revisions\/21269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}