Building Momentum
Over the past decade, Vision 2030 has reshaped our campus and community — and we're not about to stop.
When Monsignor James Shea announced a $272 million capital campaign in the fall of 2015, the goal was not only audacious, but completely unprecedented. In its entire history, the University of Mary had never garnered financial support at that scale — nor had any other institution of our kind in the region.
Our president was undaunted. “We are ready for this challenge,” he said. “This is our time."
The effort has transformed every aspect of life at Mary, from academic offerings and enrollment to facilities and student life. The Lumen Vitae University Center quickly became the beating heart of the campus and the Warford Grotto, one of its most beloved landmarks. The new Hamm School of Engineering — home to eight state-of-the-art degree programs — graduated its first students, and the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences and the Larry and Eileen Weigum Division of Nursing were renovated and renamed.
In addition, scarcely a roadway, parking lot, or element of university infrastructure has been untouched by the Master Landscaping Plan, in preparation for the construction of the new Marauders Athletics Complex, Saint Joseph’s Residence Hall, and Welcome Center, all scheduled for completion in the next two years.
“We have come a long way, but we’re not slowing down,” says Executive Vice President Jerome Richter, who oversees Vision 2030 planning and execution. “We’ve been given great blessings, and we need to execute as the Lord has provided.”
Monsignor’s words have proven true: This is our time — and we are seizing the moment.
"As I look across the university today, I can’t help but be filled with gratitude. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways — in our students, our faculty, our academic programs, our athletic achievements, our campus, and the extraordinary friendships that have made Vision 2030 possible. None of this is our accomplishment alone. It has been built upon the enduring foundation laid by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, sustained by our Catholic intellectual and Benedictine wisdom traditions, and made possible through the generosity of thousands of people who believe in the mission of the University of Mary. Every new building, every new program, and every new opportunity is ultimately about one thing: forming men and women who will transform the culture by living lives of truth, service, and joyful hope. For all of this, we give thanks to God.”
Monsignor James P. Shea
President
2013: Vision 2030 Strategic Plan approved.
2015: $272M Vision 2030 Capital Campaign announced.
2016: Roers Hall opened.
2017: Lumen Vitae University Center, Warford Grotto, and Fieldhouse and Wellness Center opened.
2018: New Marauders brand and Marauders Armada announced.
MARAUDERS ATHLETICS COMPLEX
- Game-day venues for football, soccer, softball, and track and field
- Research and Performance Center serving scholar-athletes, health sciences students, and fans
- Multipurpose sports dome serving Marauders Athletics and Bismarck-Mandan community
Construction underway; slated to open fall of 2027
“‘Momentum’ is exactly the right word for what we are experiencing. Unquestionably, the Marauders Athletics Complex will have a transformational impact on our scholar-athletes, athletic programs, and student experience by welcoming three sports back home to our vibrant campus community and expanding facilities for everyone. But the truly humbling part of this project is it that it transcends athletics in a tangible way. It is a visible expression of the growth, commitment, collaboration, and shared vision that defines our university. The robust partnership between athletics and academics, especially the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences working inside the new Research and Performance Center, will create new, meaningful opportunities for collaboration, professional development, and human formation for students and athletes alike.”
Marcus Wagner, MEd ’21
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
2019: Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences named; Phase 1 fundraising closes at nearly $101M.
2020: Engineering school opened.
2022: Engineering school named the Hamm School of Engineering.
2024: Fundraising for Vision 2030 surpasses $200M; Larry and Eileen Weigum Division of Nursing dedicated.
2025: Butler enter for Early Learning, Catholic Montessori Institute, and Nazareth Seminary (Diocese of Phoenix) launched.
2026: Master Landscaping Plan completed; Photina Center Catholic Counseling (Diocese of Phoenix) launched.
SAINT JOSEPH’S RESIDENCE HALL
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New 232-bed female residence hall
- Relieves housing pressure for male and female students at all levels of university study
- Supports students in the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers and the Saint Scholastica and Mary and Martha communities
Construction underway; slated to open fall of 2027
"Saint Joseph’s Residence Hall for women is a win for everyone. Not only does it restore existing residential spaces to our male students that were traditionally designated for them, but it also opens up more space for all our incoming students and gives returning students more options. The vision of this new hall is to provide a compassionate and stable environment for our student mothers who are seeking a degree, as well as communities in which women can discern their vocations in a very distinct and beautiful way. Students in the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers will receive childcare, life skills development, and faith formation to help them focus on their education while balancing college and motherhood. The women in the Saint Scholastica Community will benefit from a formative way of life built on prayer, virtue, and sisterhood as they discern a possible call to religious life, while students in the Mary and Martha Community spend time in intentional vocational discernment with the Benedictine Oblates of Mary.”
Dr. Reed Ruggles, ’04, MEd ’16, DBA ’25
Vice President for Student Development
LOOKING AHEAD
2027: Athletics Complex and Saint Joseph's Residence Hall slated to open.
2028: New Welcome Center slated to open.
2029: Possible launch of Phase Three, including discernment and feasibility of a medical school.
WELCOME CENTER
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Provides a new front entrance to the university on the east side of the Benedictine Center for Servant Leadership
- Home to the offices of admissions, alumni relations, student life, military services, financial aid, and student accounts
Currently in design; slated for completion in fall of 2028
"Since our founding, the Benedictine value of hospitality has shaped how we welcome every student and guest to the University of Mary. The Welcome Center will be a tangible expression of that tradition — a place where everyone, from prospective students and their parents to alumni and friends of Mary, are joyfully received as Christ.”
Rachael Brash
Vice President for Enrollment Services
You Can Help
Any endeavor of this magnitude needs the support of alumni, friends, and family like you! Please pray for the work already underway for Vision 2030, the initiatives still in design or discernment, and continued success in delivering on our mission. To learn more about Vision 2030 and how you can help financially at umary.edu/Vision2030.
