Investing in Student Fitness and Well-Being
• The Need
• The Investment
• Well-Being at Bates
• Bates Athletics
• How you can help
Our Students’ Need
Fitness Spaces — Over 80 percent of Bates students use fitness facilities on the Bates campus: varsity and club athletes, recreational enthusiasts, and students pursuing wellness activities for the first time in their lives.
Our current fitness spaces, divided between Merrill Gymnasium and Underhill Arena, are maxed out, often reaching total capacity during peak times, with an average of 450 students using the fitness center daily. This overcrowding reduces the effectiveness and enjoyment of workouts and makes the space less welcoming for regular users and beginners alike.
Prospective students who visit Bates, whether online or in person, expect to see well-designed and visually appealing fitness spaces; such facilities can drive home a college’s commitment to supporting athletic excellence and a student’s overall experience.
2,600
students, faculty
and staff
31
varsity
teams
13
club
teams
56
coaches and
trainers
The Investment
Centered on 8,500 square feet of spectacular new fitness space, Bates proposes a major facility enhancement to historic Alumni Gymnasium and Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building. The new Fitness and Well-Being Center will be located at an incredibly convenient crossroads of campus, equidistant from Commons, Ladd Library, and the newly renovated Chase Hall. Bridging two historic buildings, this beautifully reimagined space will more than double the amount of fitness space available to the campus community.
Centered on 8,500 square feet of new fitness space overlooking the Library Quad, Bates proposes a major facility enhancement of historic Alumni Gymnasium and Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building.
The new center will support students pursuing their personal health and fitness goals, allowing for improved regular workouts as well as varsity and club athletes seeking to be as physically healthy as possible for their next big game, match, or race.
The facility will offer vital new coaching, program spaces, and locker rooms that meet the contemporary needs of Bates athletics and our student-athletes.
“In the years ahead, we must focus on thoughtfully and intentionally preparing our students to lead and serve for the benefit of industry, disciplines, organizations, and communities. This will involve taking a good look at how we invest in those areas — particularly in co-curricular programs, community-engaged work, the arts, and athletics, fitness, and wellness — that help our students grow; help them nourish and sustain habits and practices for a healthy and well-rounded life; and help them build character to become leaders in all walks of life. “
Bates President Garry W. Jenkins, 2024
Well-Being at Bates
Well-Being at Bates is a comprehensive program designed to support students’ overall health. It offers resources and programs that focus on nine different dimensions of well-being, including physical, mental, social, financial, and occupational. The program aims to equip students with the skills and habits they need to succeed in college and beyond.
“This signature space is intentionally designed to reflect Bates’ holistic commitment to student well-being. Whether they’re competing as part of a Division III team or focusing on their personal fitness and health goals, all Bates students will benefit from this new facility.”
Rosanna Ferro, Vice President for Student Affairs
Bates Athletics
Bates has undertaken effective, incremental facility improvements to support our students’ athletic endeavors.
But to remain competitive with peer institutions and continue to provide an environment where all Bobcats can thrive and succeed, we have prioritized the development of this essential facility, following more than a dozen incremental projects for athletics since 2016. Without these enhancements, we risk falling further behind our NESCAC rivals who have already invested heavily in their athletic facilities.
The facility will offer vital new coaching, program spaces, and locker rooms that meet the contemporary needs of Bates athletics and our student-athletes. The center will aid Bobcats of today while creating a visually powerful statement of commitment to athletics and fitness to draw talented prospective student-athletes to Bates.
Call to Action
We invite you to join us in a significant, highly visible, and strategic effort to expand the fitness and wellness spaces on the Bates campus.
Your support will enhance the collegiate experience for our students and help attract talented prospective students to Bates.
Thank you for considering this vital investment in our community and our future.
GET IN TOUCH:
If you’re interested in learning more or making a gift, please contact:
Seth Williams
Director of Leadership Gifts
swilliams2@bates.edu
207-755-5988
OFFICE OF COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT
1-888-522-8371
batesfund@bates.edu
