For more than 60-years, St. Andrews has been graduating young men and women with a solid liberal arts education – and graduates have been impacting their professions, families, and communities. That education has been the result of the social, cultural, and academic environment on campus and in the local community.
Our community has impacted us – and we have impacted our community and region throughout the years. We have hosted community events, provided a venue for dozens of sports camps, swimming lessons, academic competitions, early college programs, and athletic tournaments.
St. Andrews has a significant economic impact on this region. Boasting an annual payroll of almost $10 million, St. Andrews is a key part of the local economy – the overall economic impact 0f approximately $70 million annually.
St. Andrews brings hundreds of students and employees, and thousands of visitors to campus each year. Prospective students and their families, opposing sports teams and families, as well as Scottish cultural fans and genealogical researchers, supporting local businesses, creating jobs, raising awareness and opportunity for the region. Hundreds of our graduates have remained here on the central NC/SC border region and making an impact by launching businesses, joining established companies, teaching in the classroom, starting and growing families.
Over the years, declining enrollment has resulted in declining revenue. Declining revenue has led to deferred maintenance and no capital improvements. After two major hurricanes and the flooding that came along with them, our facilities have significantly degraded.
Recently, however, we have seen increasing enrollment and increasing revenue. This year student retention is the highest it’s ever been on record. These are positive signs that we are moving in the right direction. Each achievement can be equated to better communication, strategic analysis, and attention to detail by SAU leadership.
To continue this positive momentum we must improve our infrastructure – and it starts with Belk – the center of daily student life. Facility improvements are essential to sustain our enrollment and retention.
A permanent kitchen will save us 30-40% on food costs, repair the major casualty from the hurricanes, improve morale, and enhance the student experience.
In order to operate and house residential students, we require an operational dining facility. Students also require a useful recreation space in Belk – a replacement for “Farrago” which has also been out of operation in recent years.
With your help, we can accomplish this and build Belk back even better.
Or
You can also mail a check (include “UKnighted Capital Campaign” on the memo line):
St. Andrews University
ATTN Office of Institutional Advancement
1700 Dogwood Mile
Laurinburg, NC 28352
“We are launching a $5 million capital campaign and I am asking you to join us – UKnighted for St. Andrews!
With these funds, we will renovate Belk Center and begin renovating dorms. Our first priority will be to build a new kitchen, dining facility, bathroom, and student center. Years of deferred maintenance and damage from two major hurricanes have left Belk in need of significant improvements.
This campaign will span the next two years, and we are committed to transparency throughout the campaign. We’ll provide regular updates on progress and milestones by email, social media, news media, and on our web site.
We are honored to have a distinguished group of alumni, University Trustee, and local community leaders serving on our Capital Campaign Board. I am thankful to each of them for their commitment to St. Andrews, this effort and investment in our future.
Mr. Roy Phelps (’63), Virginia Beach, VA
Mr. Bill Rinker (’69 and University Trustee), Concord, NC
Ms. Carol McCall, Laurinburg, NC
Mr. Allen McLaurin, Laurinburg, NC
Mr. William Dulin, Laurinburg, NC
Mr. Steve Clabaugh, Laurinburg, NC
Mr. Ken Nichols, Laurinburg, NC
Mr. John Robertson, Red Springs, NC
We are UKnighted for our future. Since March 2023, our fiscal situation is healthier. Thanks to financial management, strategic enrollment efforts and student engagement – retention is up over 11%.
We are UKnighted for our students. To keep education affordable for our students, St. Andrews contributes $10 million of institutional funding for student scholarships. Balancing aid and investments is challenging; we have ignored our ageing facilities and must now invest in them to provide a quality student experience, remain competitive, and manage operating costs.
We are UKnighted for our mission. We offer students programs of study that create life transforming opportunities with special emphasis on communication and critical thinking skills.
We are UKnighted for our local community. We are a major contributor to the local economy – nearly $70 million in annual economic impact. Our students volunteer more than 25,000 hours each year to local service projects. We have hosted events in our theater and auditorium, opened our gym, pool and athletic fields to campers and athletes, helped rebuild a local community park, served BBQ at In-gatherings, and tutored local students – our DNA is entwined with this community.
We are UKnighted for St. Andrews. The campus is home to over 12,000 alumni and those who served along the way. This is a place where one finds themselves, where all are welcome and encouraged to make their mark, a place that can’t be recreated. This is a place whose history won’t be forgotten.
This is a critical time in St. Andrews’ history, and we need your support to make our vision a reality. We believe that with your investment, we can improve our facilities, continue to shape the lives of many young people, and continue to play a key role in this local community.
I encourage you to contact one or more of the ‘UKnighted for St. Andrews’ Campaign Board members to learn more about this effort and how you can invest in the future at St. Andrews.
If you want to schedule a conversation about the various donation options available to you, please call or email Jeff Robertson in the Institutional Advancement Office, at 910-277-5769 or email [email protected].
Thank you for your support.”
1700 Dogwood Mile | Laurinburg, NC 28352 | (910) 277-5555
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