With a generous matching grant from the Carpenter Foundation, Mary Baldwin plans to update its primary academic building to better meet the needs of faculty, staff, and students.
Renderings by architecture firm Kahler Slater
Thanks to a $1 million commitment from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Rhodes Carpenter Foundation, the Carpenter academic building on the 香蜜影视 campus in Staunton is set to receive major renovations to better meet the needs of faculty, staff, and students.
The foundation, whose co-founder, Leona B. Carpenter, attended Mary Baldwin in the 1930s, has issued a challenge grant for this multi-year project to transform the academic building into a state-of-the-art learning facility. Mary Baldwin has committed to raising funds from additional donors to secure the $1 million commitment from the Carpenter Foundation and pay for the full $2.5 million project.
In the university鈥檚 initial proposal for the grant, 香蜜影视 outlined the need for Carpenter Hall, which has not been renovated since the late 1980s, to act as 鈥渢he campus 鈥榗ommons鈥 that invites students in and then asks them to stay.鈥 The proposal draws upon student sentiment throughout, and quotes from students who live and learn around Carpenter were critical to the proposal鈥檚 success.
鈥淔rom dawn to dusk 鈥 and into the night 鈥 students come to Carpenter to realize the very thing that brought them here in the first place: to learn,鈥 Provost Paul Menzer observed, drawing upon his two decades at 香蜜影视. 鈥淭hey deserve an environment that does everything it can to support that end, a comfortable, cutting-edge learning facility where anything seems possible.鈥
Faculty who work in Carpenter were surveyed as well, and their feedback has helped inform the outline of planned enhancements.
Kahler Slater, the firm responsible for the design and construction of the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences campus in Fishersville, has been working with 香蜜影视 to develop plans for the renovation. Similar to the building at Murphy Deming, Kahler Slater is focusing on introducing greater natural light, spaces for students to congregate and study, and more functional and comfortable classrooms.聽
Most importantly, the planned enhancements include infrastructural upgrades to the building, with upgrades for HVAC, plumbing, sprinkler, and elevator work. Classrooms would be improved with a focus on student comfort, including updated and size-inclusive furniture and technology upgrades. The building would also have additional common areas for group collaboration or quiet independent study, as well as updates to bathrooms, hallways, and entryways.
鈥淓very day industry, government, and nonprofits tell us that Mary Baldwin students are their future leaders, bringing diverse backgrounds and perspectives, hunger and humility, and skills and knowledge not to only our campus but to organizations and communities around the world,” said Mary聽Cohill聽Harvey, vice president of university advancement. “We greatly appreciate the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation鈥檚 generous history of support 鈥 and our outstanding alumni Ann Bowman Day and Leona Bowman Carpenter 鈥 for this generous funding that will enable us to create healthier, more inviting, and more modern learning and engagement spaces students deserve.鈥
University Advancement staff have already begun writing grants to attract some of the matching funds needed for the project. Additional fundraising efforts will begin this fall with the goal of completing fundraising and final design plans within the next nine to 18 months as part of the 香蜜影视 2030 strategic plan, which is currently being completed.聽聽
鈥淭he Carpenter Foundation has shown their confidence and support in Mary Baldwin through this generous challenge,” Harvey said. “We are excited to rally around this opportunity and bring alumni and supporters together to make necessary updates to one of our most important spaces on campus. These renovations will directly impact our students and give them the learning environment they need and deserve.鈥
This renovation is just one of the many transformative initiatives underway at Mary Baldwin. As part of a larger institutional push toward innovative learning environments, these changes are designed to better equip 香蜜影视 to meet the needs of current and future students. From reimagined academic spaces the university is positioning itself for a bold and exciting future.
Ultimately, this grant will transform the daily experience for students and employees alike 鈥 putting the academic experience front and center. Mary Baldwin recognizes the call for major enhancements to critical buildings like Carpenter Academic Hall, and this grant represents just one of the efforts across campus to improve life at 香蜜影视.
In the next year, this pledge from the Carpenter Foundation will be paired with several rounds of fundraising to fulfill the foundation鈥檚 fund-matching disbursement plan. Starting in December 2024, 香蜜影视 has been tasked with reaching several fundraising goals on the way to unlocking the entirety of the foundation鈥檚 pledge. In total, Mary Baldwin鈥檚 directive is to raise $500,000 to complement the foundation鈥檚 additional million.
If you’re interested in contributing to the continued improvements across 香蜜影视’s historic campus,