Clarke University SLLEI Brochure

It was more than a hall.

It was home.

It was more than a room.

It gave us room to grow.

It was more than a learning center.

It was the center of our lives.

Let’s do more to create new centers of living and learning through the Student Living-Learning Experience Initiative.

As a Clarke University graduate, you likely feel that Clarke has always been more than a school to you. It’s a truly special place where important life lessons were learned. Treasured friendships were formed. And lifelong memories were made. The campus itself—with its historic buildings and scenic beauty—was a welcoming community that felt more like a home than a school.

The same is true for today’s Clarke students.

Many come here for more than the promise of a quality education. They want to connect to something greater. Something deeper that remains with them long after graduation. This is the legacy of Clarke University.

Part of Clarke’s legacy lies in our landmark buildings and residence halls. Places where Clarke students live, learn, and create lasting memories. These buildings—many constructed more than half a century ago—have stood the test of time. Today, however, they need to be upgraded to meet the many needs and expectations of our student body.

This is where you come in.

Building on our legacy ‌it starts with you.

Today, Clarke is planning a $7.5 million living-learning renovation project involving Mary Josita and Mary Benedict Halls as well as Catherine Byrne Hall and the Alumnae Lecture Hall. Mary Jo and Mary Ben, as they are affectionately known, are two primary residence halls that have faithfully served the many needs of our students for several generations. (In fact, over 60% of on-campus students live in one of these halls.)

Catherine Byrne Hall and the Alumnae Lecture Hall are cherished fixtures on campus, where generations of students learned valuable academic and life lessons. Here, in the classrooms, they gained knowledge and wisdom that would serve them well for the rest of their lives.

While all of these buildings are still solid, the current resources have outlived their relevance. With your support, we can make much-needed improvements— improvements that align with our mission to provide learning opportunities that enable persons to reach their full potential. To continue this important mission, Clarke must be able to offer the latest resources and learning tools. We must provide a learning experience and environment that will attract and retain students eager to continue Clarke’s legacy of service, personal excellence, and commitment to the common good.

A look inside our residence halls.

As a graduate, you’re likely very familiar with Mary Josita and Mary Benedict Halls. Mary Josita was built in 1955, prior to Clarke’s co-ed enrollment, athletics, or graduate, adult, and doctoral programs. Today, mostly male students are housed here. Mary Benedict (formerly West Hall) was constructed in 1965 and it houses female students.

Both buildings require critical upgrades.

To meet the needs and expectations of our students now and in the future, we have planned the following renovations to be completed as funding is available.

• Install new flooring and electrical • Paint 218 residential rooms, all hallways and update building wayfinding • Install an ADA compliant elevator in Mary Josita • Increase number of rooms and entryways that are ADA compliant • Update bathrooms to ADA compliance in Mary Benedict • Make significant repairs to Mary Josita’s roof • Install air conditioning • Install energy efficient windows • Purchase new furniture, including loft beds, desks, chairs and common area furnishings • Replace room sinks and plumbing • Install new cabinets In addition to these updates, we are planning the following renovations for the Alumnae Lecture Hall and 14 classrooms in Catherine Byrne Hall.

• Modernize technology • Removal and disposal of asbestos tile • Install new flooring • Replace A/V equipment • Upgrade ceilings and lighting • Update desks and chairs • Repair and paint walls

Why your support is so important.

For generations, Clarke has equipped its students with important life lessons and values that have carried them far, allowing them to impact our world in many wonderful ways. A positive, well-resourced, and immersive living and learning environment plays a great part in making this possible. So as you consider your support, please consider these reasons for providing it: • Research done in 2018 revealed that admitted students ranked the “Quality of Residential Facilities” as one of the primary negative reactions they had when visiting the Clarke campus. Additionally, when making their final college decision, Clarke non-matriculants cited “Quality of Residential Facilities” as a primary reason for not attending Clarke.

• Clarke ranks very high with potential students in other key areas—top faculty, available financial aid, career preparation, curriculum, and job placement.

The quality of our residence halls should match the high quality of the rest of the student experience here at Clarke.

• These renovations align perfectly with other recent projects, including the Dorice and Corbin McNeill Wellness Center, adding greatly to the student experience and quality of campus life and education.

• These improvements allow us to offer students leading-edge resources, which is critical to attracting and retaining the next generation of Clarke students.

• Improving the living-learning experience at Clarke furthers our overall mission to promote lifelong, life-changing learning that contributes to the common good in our global society.

Clarke University Institutional Advancement 1550 Clarke Dr, Dubuque, IA 52001

888-825-2753

If you appreciate and treasure your experiences at Clarke University, we ask that you consider making such experiences possible for future Clarke students.

To learn how your support can make a real and lasting difference, visit clarke.edu/sllei