PEOPLE PLANT

TREES

THOUGH THEY KNOW

IT WILL ONLY BENEFIT THE

NEXT GENERATION

Renderings: MCF Architecture | Story: David Collins and Morgan Paris

While a maven of differential equations may salivate over asymptotic stability, and convective stability may perk up a meteorologist’s ears, stability in its own right doubles as a Benedictine Hallmark, one that’s at the forefront of SVC’s revised campus plan. It’s fitting, then, that this campus plan is a reflection of the College’s ongoing commitment to improving all aspects of the campus community.  

A few years ago, SVC engaged in a process to create a new plan for the physical footprint of our campus, commissioning MCF Architecture, led by Mr. Timothy Powers, to work with a steering committee and the whole campus to identify the needs and the wishes of the community. This document, completed in March 2024, articulates the many aspects of SVC’s unique and diverse community and campus entities. The resulting 2024 Campus Plan identifies four core areas of focus—hospitality, academics, student life, and sustainability—each with the potential to plant trees that benefit the next generation of the SVC community. 

HOSPITALITY

The Rule of Saint Benedict instructs, "Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ," and a new Welcome Center is an assertive step towards manifesting this standard. To be located to the right of Aurelius Hall, the new Welcome Center will be the front door to Saint Vincent—not simply the physical campus, but the College’s essence and heritage.

For many, the Welcome Center will be their first interaction with Saint Vincent. In order to ensure all visitors—future Bearcats and alumni alike—have a dynamic experience that allows them to engage with the Saint Vincent story, the new Welcome Center will house both the Offices of Admission and Alumni Relations as well as a swag store, an interactive campus map, and a meeting space. 

ACADEMICS

Integral to any plan to improve the Saint Vincent campus are updates that aid in the College’s constant pursuit of academic excellence. Classroom upgrades and the creation of two new academic hubs will provide the campus community with the means to maximize their experience at SVC and beyond.  

Classrooms will be redesigned to support contemporary, project-based, and collaborative learning models, which also all utilize smaller class sizes. Updated furnishings will provide for additional flexibility in instructional models, allowing students to engage with curricula in new and creative ways. As these instructional models evolve, commensurate modern resources are paramount, and priority will be given accordingly to continually upgrade and replace outdated technology. Wi-Fi connectivity will be improved throughout all instructional spaces while every classroom will have projection and content capture and cast abilities.  

Another vital element of fruitful academic output is scholastic setting, soon to be enhanced through two new academic spaces. To support the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Direct Entry – Master of Science in Nursing (DE-MSN) programs, Donahue Hall will be an innovative, three-story facility that will be home to the BSN, DE-MSN, and Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice programs. On the west side of campus, near the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion, Donahue Hall will feature a nursing skills lab, virtual reality and telehealth suites, simulation labs, a home health/hospital-at-home space, conference rooms, and classrooms, and the first floor will house the David Scaife Family Center for Excellence and Innovation in Nursing, all supporting the distinctive elements of medical arts curricula.  

Not to be outdone, Sauerkraut Tower will take on a new purpose as the Library Annex, its cool interior allowing for the climate-controlled storage of the College’s extensive bibliographic collections. The space will feature a study space, reading room, and a public gallery as well. 

STUDENT LIFE

Saint Vincent’s commitment to a holistic education aims to allow students to experience social, mental, and emotional growth as well as support their overall health and wellbeing. Nowhere is this commitment clearer than with the construction of the Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center.  

The Dunlap Center will allow every student to engage in health and wellness, providing the campus community with essential facilities for recreation and exercise. It will include space for intramural athletic competition and varsity athletic practice in addition to a healthy café, multipurpose rooms for fitness classes such as yoga and Pilates, and a variety of cardio and circuit training equipment.  

Beyond extracurricular opportunity with the Dunlap Center will follow revised housing, emphasizing the safe and comfortable environment sought after for students and fostering a sense of community and belonging outside of the classroom. Wimmer and Aurelius Halls will be renovated, and deferred maintenance of Rooney and Saint Benedict Halls will be addressed to ensure these buildings are able to continue supporting the integrated growth of students for years to come. Meanwhile, considerations for new residence halls to replace older buildings could offer the unit accommodations and socialization opportunities that students favor in Rooney and Saint Benedict Halls. 

SUSTAINABILITY

Policies and practices that are environmentally just are key to the sustainability of Saint Vincent College. The College’s dedication to sustainability is an ongoing effort working towards continuous improvement in the mission to be good environmental stewards while maintaining the viability and longevity of the College.  

This dedication includes transitioning old fluorescent lights to energy efficient LEDs, implementing wind and solar energy, and enhancing the campus recycling program. This campus plan as a whole takes as its guiding motto the words of Boniface Wimmer: “People plant trees though they know this will only benefit the next generation.” These undertakings are not merely for the benefit of those currently inhabiting SVC but for all future generations of the community. And planting trees is not just metaphorical either; it’s a physical manifestation of SVC commitment to realizing these advancements.  

Founded in 2019, Tree Positive Program aims to increase the number of trees on campus: if a dead tree is cut down, another is planted in its place, and if a live tree is cut down, two are planted in its place. While this certainly aids in keeping the campus beautiful, aesthetics is not the driving force behind the program; rather, the trees planted as a result of the Tree Positive program increase local biodiversity, improve air quality, conserve water, and help to regulate the climate.  

To date, thirty trees have been cut down, and seventy-six have been planted, with plans to plant thirty-three more—thirty-three more that will serve as a reminder of the campus’s devotion to sustainability—thirty-three more that will provide meaningful shade and save a student from otherwise having to wear an unsightly and altogether unflattering hat—thirty-three more under which generations to come will read, write, or even study asymptotic and convective stability.