One year ago, Tina Holland watched in wonder, a tear or two rinsing her eyes, as she witnessed a decade-old dream come to fruition. It was on that steamy June day Saint Francis Hall would trumpet the unification of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University campus community that was previously scattered in a bustling urban environment.
Even one year later, Holland remains awed by the 75,000-square-foot building and what it means to a growing university that during the past 10 years has emerged from relative obscurity to a place of prominence.
“There are times I have to pinch myself; is this real?” Holland, who has announced she is retiring 2025, said. “It was really hitting me at the end of the semester when kids were getting their pictures taken and they were putting on their graduation regalia in front of the building.
“There was no place for that to happen before. They were just so proud to do that.”
Holland said the first year has exceeded her expectations and on more than one occasion has been known to ponder, “How did we manage without it?”
She admitted however, there remain several quirks to be settled, including scheduling and developing policies for outside organizations who wish to use the building for meetings or retreats, and properly vetting each organization. She has come to realize the endless opportunities the building presents but is also mindful of determining the cost involved to host those groups.
“We want to make sure we are hospitable but we also have to cover all of our costs,” she said. “If there is a little bit of auxiliary income, fine. We aren’t out to make a killing when we welcome outside groups to use our facility.”
“We have discovered many creative and different ways that we can use the space, things we did not even plan for. The space has really been kind of a godsend.”
Holland proudly noted how the students have tapped into their own creativity in learning how to best use the quad area.
“It’s fun to watch where they land, it’s been fun to watch how they make the space their own, and it’s been fun to see what their needs are and how creative student can be in adapting the space to meet those needs.” she said. “The first year has really been a great time for us to learn the different ways in which the building can be used.”
Madelyn Adcock, president of the Student Government Association, said the ribbon-cutting was as if FranU had moved forward in terms of bringing the University together and creating the sense of community that other schools may have because of their student union buildings.
“I like to think of St. Francis Hall as our student union,” Adcock said. “A common place students can go to for services and support on campus. Or a place for education, or social events, like the very first fashion show that was hosted by our Career Development office.
“Also, it doesn’t hurt to have a chapel on campus that students can stop in to recharge on a particularly stressful day.”
Holland said the physical impact of St. Francis Hall has been significant, allowing for the intermingling of students. She said that since classes of almost every discipline are held at St. Francis Hall, students, staff and faculty are getting to know each other better.
“It has immediately broken down the parochialism among schools and disciplines,” she said, “and that was one of the hopes for the building.
“It is the most accessible building and it is the building where the largest number of students will pass through on any given day.”
Holland has also taken great satisfaction regarding St. Francis Hall’s spiritual impact, not only to campus life but also for the expanded Baton Rouge community. She said attendance at the weekly 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Mass, which is typically celebrated by Father Paul Counce, has increased with a greater diversity.
But she said the spiritual impact is not confined to Mass attendance but also any other spiritual or ecumenical event.
“Attendance is much greater because everybody can see it, it’s right there,” Holland said, adding that she believes the increased number of spiritual celebrations has helped increase the overall morale of students and faculty.
“There’s that big San Damiano cross there and we are saying we are a part of the community as a church organization, she said. “It’s a way of being church in the community. That is at the heart of things for me.”
Adcock said creating that sense of community is a critical component that St. Francis Hall has brought to FranU.
Holland admitted the completion of St. Francis Hall was one of her many goals, but she also believes the building is just the first step toward a more streamlined and consolidated campus, with perhaps up to four buildings confined to a three- to four-block area in the heart of the Baton Rouge Health District
“This is the anchor, the flagship building for the campus, and there will be an ongoing process in which one project bleeds into the next project so that ultimately this campus becomes a place that our students really deserve,” Holland said.
“Watching St. Francis Hall become part of the University has been exciting to see,” Adcock said. “I feel like I will always be associated with FranU and if that means a visit to SFH, then I will be here.”
The building, with its signature San Damiano cross that can be seen from across the campus and the nearby neighborhood, was designed to meet the academic and student development needs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The hall includes a library, social space, study space, a grab-and-go lunch area, administrative offices, chapel, green space and designated parking areas, which has been met with delight by students and faculty.
Critical to the new building is 19,000 square feet of simulated hospital space, nearly four times the previous square footage of the simulated lab. The building features hospital floors dedicated to intake and outtake providing hands-in training for students. The building also includes a home healthcare unit.
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