The $3 million, 12,000-square-foot, bungalow-style facility — made possible by a gift from the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation — has become an invaluable resource for the campus’ educators. It provides space for meetings both formal and informal, facilitating the exchange of ideas, the growth of interdisciplinary relationships and the spirit of community that has enriched the educational experience of CSU Stanislaus students.
The center is home to faculty development sessions, one-on-one support meetings, Academic Senate meetings and California Faculty Association activities, but also to celebrations for new faculty members, student and faculty research, retirements, birthdays and any number of other occasions.
The anniversary of the center was also the subject of a special edition of Faculty Voices, a yearly anthology of teaching narratives from professors across campus. Several faculty members shared stories of their experiences in the center, including gender studies Professor Betsy Eudey, now the director of the campus’ Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
While touring CSU Stanislaus during a job interview in spring 2003, Eudey was impressed by the beauty of the campus, the kindness of the faculty members she met and the mission of the university. But it was the John Stuart Rogers Faculty Development Center that made an unexpected impact on her decision to take a position here.
“The building signaled an institutional commitment to teaching excellence and to fostering a community among the campus faculty,” Eudey wrote. “The building was beautiful, comfortable and welcoming — a mix between a conference center and a mountain lodge.”
The center was named for John Stuart Rogers, who along with the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation have provided generous financial support over many years to CSU Stanislaus. John Rogers is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1989 after earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
His family’s dedication to supporting the critical educational mission of CSU Stanislaus includes the Mary Stuart Rogers Scholarship, established in 1991, and a $4 million gift in 1998 that led to the construction of the Mary Stuart Rogers Educational Services Gateway Building.
“What we aspire to do at the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation is help people help themselves,” John Stuart Rogers said. “This center allows the faculty of CSU Stanislaus to do just that.”