Student Success
Athletic Facilities Enhancements $3M
Thomas More partners with the Florence Y'alls
Upgrades to the softball complex
New Track and Turf Field for Griffin Plaza
“Our job and our responsibility is making sure that you have an education that is going to serve you a lifetime, because we know that a Thomas More education has to be a lifetime experience.” Dr. Joseph L. Chillo, President
The Next Inning
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It’s no secret that winter and early spring weather often keep our baseball and softball teams off their fields until opening day. Plans for the new Academic Center place the building in the right outfield corner of the current baseball field. This provides an excellent opportunity to upgrade the facilities for the Saints baseball and softball teams.
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Providing both teams with state-of-the-art facilities ensures that the Saints continue to attract the kind of well-rounded student-athletes that make Thomas More one of the top athletic programs in the country.
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Thomas More University and the Florence Y’alls Baseball Club partnered to rename the home of the Florence Y’alls “Thomas More Stadium.” The stadium is also the home of the Saints’ baseball team starting in spring 2023. Read more about this partnership and how it greatly benefits our student athletes HERE.
Upgrades planned for the softball complex ensure our athletes have the facilities they need to succeed. Construction beings in summer 2023 with a new turf field to be added, allowing for more use than the current grass fields. Upgrades will also provide space for intramurals and events, creating a new vibrant and active spot on campus. For more information about the upgrades, click HERE.
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Updates go beyond the diamond and include the installation of new turf on Thomas More Field at Griffin Plaza, which has now been accomplished. The previous turf was well beyond its life cycle, with drainage issues and surface hardening that exacerbated the need for replacement.
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“We want to continue our tradition of winning. To do that we have to make an investment and step up our facilities. It’s time.” Terry D. Connor ’92 Director of Athletics, Thomas More University
Renovation of Student Engagement & Success Spaces $3M
Renovation of Saints Center – Student Center
Moving Success Center into Benedictine Library
A Living Learning Community
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Our Second Century Campaign will transform the students, community, and campus of Thomas More.
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New Spaces Promote Collaborative Learning
Front and center in the campus transformation is the Saints Center renovation. The Saints Center is being returned to its originally intended use as a true student center, providing the University with a space for students to come together to strengthen the campus community. Progress will continue as additional spaces within the Saints Center are renovated.
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That transformation continues with the blending of the Success Center with the Benedictine Library to create a new Learning Commons that provides students with the tools, guidance, and support they need to find the lifelong success that was a cornerstone of our first century.
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The Success Center will improve the experience of all students, presenting the opportunity to connect with other students and faculty, and engage with student success coaches and advisors. These experiences will strengthen retention rates and help students graduate on time – and, for some, even earlier.
These reimagined facilities will promote student success and improve retention rates by providing our students with destinations for true campus engagement. The goals are simple but the need to reach them is vital to our continued pursuit to improve student experiences at Thomas More.
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