For the past 40 years, St. Mary’s University has enjoyed incremental growth as it evolved from a college into a university college and finally a university in 2014. Now, the gentle slope of this liberal arts and sciences Catholic university’s growth graph has become a j-curve as it builds for purpose across the campus.
“We are kind of a unicorn in the university world. We grew by 11 per cent last year and this year we project our growth at 13 per cent. We went from a little university of 500 or 600 students decades ago to a headcount of over 1,300 now,” says Dr. Scott Morrison, president of St. Mary’s University. “We have a goal to take our student count up to 2,500, so we’re looking to double our population size.”
That ambitious goal has set exciting expansion plans in motion in programming and physical space. StMU has applied to offer a Bachelor of Business Administration and Social Responsibility that would prepare students to lead in business with ethical judgment grounded in Catholic social teaching. The University is in the process of applying to add a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, providing more flexibility for students who want to pursue a stronger foundation in the biological sciences to complement their psychological training. Last spring, it welcomed its first cohort of the new Masters of Education with a specialization in Catholic Leadership. Complementing that program is the Woitas Centre for Inclusive Education, which trains teachers in inclusive education strategies to better serve K-12 students with complex needs including autism, cognitive disabilities and mental health challenges.
To answer this growth, the University has launched its Building for Purpose campaign and has already raised $19 million in the first phase of the campaign, exceeding its $15-million goal. The transformational campaign will reshape campus with spaces designed to strengthen academic excellence and student experience while inviting the broader community into St. Mary’s University.
A major draw to the school is the small class sizes and intimate campus where students are more than a number. As a university that’s open to all and grounded in Catholic Intellectual Tradition, StMU aims to develop the mind, body and spirit of its students. Dr. Morrison vows that each student will have eight to 10 professors who know them by name, ensuring that personal experience remains at the heart of the university.
StMU is also investing in infrastructure growth to enrich the student experience and accommodate its expanding population.
“In the last year, the number one priority has been building for growth, and that’s physical growth, enrolment growth and program growth. All three of them are happening now,” he says.
The university’s Building for Purpose campaign is supporting that vision, reshaping the campus with spaces designed to strengthen academic excellence and student experience while inviting the broader community into St. Mary’s University.
Part of the first phase will transform the Father Lacombe Care Centre west of campus into a 100-bed student residence. This extensive renovation, made possible by Irene and Steve Groch, will retain the chapel at its centre and individual living spaces while adding seven classrooms to accommodate approximately 350 more students. Once the current Father Lacombe Care residents move to their new location across the street in January 2029, StMU will begin renovations for fall use.
Funds from the first phase of the campaign also include a 22,000-square-foot athletics and event dome. Through the generosity of Greg and Joanne Martin, St. Mary’s Lightning athletics will have on-campus facilities for training and competition. The high-end MARTINDOME will feature two full-size basketball courts and flexible recreation spaces, along with seating for 500 spectators that can be expanded to host over 1,500 guests for events.
In addition to its benefits to the University, this facility will also fill a need in southeast Calgary for additional recreation space, with StMU planning to rent it to community groups when available. The St. Mary’s University Lightning can look forward to the new facility opening in 2027.
“We’ve been an incomplete university for the past 40 years of our existence. We have lots of programs but we don’t have a gym so we don’t have a place for our athletics. We also don’t have residences which makes us overly focussed on southern Alberta and Calgary-area students,” Dr. Morrison says. “For the first time ever, we’re going to give our students a home and we’re going to bring our athletes home. It’s super exciting,” he says.
This campaign included an investment in student support, helping ensure financial barriers don’t prevent access to education. More than $1.8 million in scholarships and bursaries have been dedicated to student aid.
These additions to campus mark an important stage in StMU’s growth, but there is more in store for the next chapter of Building for Purpose. Phase Two fundraising is now underway for a 4,200-square-foot Academic Hall that will expand the campus’ physical capacity. The $50-million hall will feature an expanded library, state-of-the-art classrooms, a large lecture theatre and gathering and social spaces.
With enrolment, programming, faculty and physical infrastructure all expanding at once, St. Mary’s University is entering an exciting chapter of growth. The challenge, and opportunity, will be to build that larger university while preserving the personal, community-focused experience that has defined StMU from the beginning.