BUFFALO, NY – Canisius University announced that it will recognize Rochester entrepreneur and philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano by naming its new student success center the Golisano Center for Student Success. Golisano made a transformational $5 million gift to the university in fall 2024, which Canisius is using to support the construction and future operation of a centralized hub for critical student support services. The naming celebrates Golisano’s investment in Canisius’ vision to be the preeminent student success university in the region, where students come to succeed – academically, professionally and personally.
“Mr. Golisano’s extraordinary gift significantly advances our institutional vision of Canisius as the student success university,” said Canisius University President Steve Stoute. “It enables us to realize a strategic priority outlined in Answer the Call by creating a single, dynamic and engaging student-centered space that brings a multitude of resources together to ensure every student has the support they need to thrive at Canisius.”
Currently under construction on the second floor of the Andrew L. Bouwhuis, SJ, Library, the project combines private philanthropy with public investment, by leveraging Golisano’s gift to unlock a $1 million New York State Higher Education Capital (HECap) matching grant that Canisius received in summer 2024.
Construction on the Golisano Center began in June 2025 and is expected to be completed in spring 2026. The center will feature modern, bright, open spaces, collaborative work areas, and dedicated zones for academic and career support. Once open, it will house the following functional areas:
Academic Achievement: An integrated support system that includes advisors who specialize in students’ majors; success coaches who mentor students through academic challenges; care managers, who create networks of support for at-risk students; and academic specialists who help Division I student-athletes balance their dual commitments.
Academic Mentoring: Empowers students to reach their full learning potential through personalized peer-to-peer mentoring that builds essential skills and fosters confidence. Trained mentors work closely with students to develop critical competencies that support their journey toward academic excellence.
Career Development: Launches students into successful careers through support that begins on day one and extends beyond graduation. This personalized approach integrates exploration of students’ strengths and interests, hands-on experience through internships, service-learning and research; and engagement with extensive alumni and employer networks to build the professional skills and connections essential for students’ career success.
Writing Center: Develops stronger, more confident writers across all disciplines through personalized peer tutoring. Trained undergraduate tutors work with students at every stage of the writing process – from understanding assignments and crafting thesis statements to analyzing evidence and refining arguments – helping them find their voice, articulate their ideas and learn to communicate more effectively.
Student Accessibility Services: Creates equal access and removes barriers for students with disabilities through individualized accommodations that maintain academic integrity while ensuring full participation. This approach addresses each student’s unique needs, providing essential services that foster an inclusive living and learning environment where every student can succeed.
Canisius Cares: Provides holistic support by connecting students with extensive on and off-campus resources that address a full spectrum of personal concerns. This caring network offers assistance across diverse areas, such as emotional and mental well-being, physical health, spiritual guidance and social concerns, so that students have access to the support they need to personally succeed.
As the Golisano Center takes shape, Canisius will continue to seek philanthropic partners to endow key positions and programs that will help advance the university’s student success vision.
Golisano's gift to Canisius was part of a historic $360 million philanthropic initiative, announced in September 2024, benefiting 82 nonprofit organizations across Upstate New York. The unrestricted gifts reflect his support for organizations committed to expanding access, opportunity and long-term impact in their communities. This initiative nearly doubled Golisano’s lifetime giving, which now totals $860 million.
"Education creates opportunities and changes lives," said the namesake of the Golisano Center for Student Success. "I hope this center reminds the students who walk through it that their success matters and that their potential is worth investing in."
Golisano is the founder and chairman of Paychex, Inc., a leading provider of payroll and human resource services that he built from a startup into a Fortune 500 company. He has become equally known for his philanthropic leadership and lifelong commitment to giving back.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
