Mission
Assumption University is a comprehensive, private Catholic liberal arts institution, sponsored by the Augustinians of the Assumption. We awaken in students a sense of wonder, discovery, and purpose, forming graduates known for their intellectual seriousness, thoughtful citizenship, and devotion to the common good. Our curricular and co-curricular programs provide students with an education that shapes their souls, forms them intellectually, and prepares them for meaningful careers. We are a diverse community that welcomes different points of view and embraces all who share our mission. Enlivened by the Catholic affirmation of the harmony of faith and reason and by the pursuit of the truth in the company of friends, an Assumption education transforms the minds and hearts of students.
More Than Just Career Preparation
At Assumption, you will obtain skills and knowledge needed to thrive in your career and beyond. Assumption will instill within you confidence, comprehension, and good judgment, which will allow you to live life with purpose and meaning. Through your academic journey at Assumption, you will read works from influential figures through history who have searched for truth. Experiencing a multitude of viewpoints from across history will allow you to make sense of our increasingly complex world today.
Inspired by the Catholic Tradition
As a Catholic institution, Assumption encourages the study of works written by those inspired by Catholic tradition. This study promotes the search for truth about nature, the human being, and God by calling us to reflect upon and understand important questions posed to us by these thinkers in an intellectual setting.
In the search for truth, we, as a University community, are dedicated to promoting serious dialogue and debate. We want to foster a way of living, working, and studying on campus that is inspired by the Gospel and is faithful to the Christian message as presented by the Church. We work to support the faith development of students through our campus ministry program, assistance to students in their own personal and spiritual growth, and a worship program able to address the needs and culture of the campus.
History / Our Story
1904 – Assumption College is founded in Worcester, MA by the Augustinians of the Assumption. Enrollment initially consisted of male students of French-Canadian heritage, with most classes taught in French.
1906 – Assumption College High School (later Assumption Preparatory School) is established. The school would be in operation for 64 years, until 1970.
1953 – A major tornado causes the destruction of the original Assumption College campus.
1956 – Assumption College relocates to its current home on Salisbury Street.
1961 – First woman graduates from Assumption College.
1969 – The first co-ed class, the class of 1969, graduates from Assumption College.
1972 – The first lay person to become president of Assumption College, Dr. Pasquale DiPasquale, Jr., is appointed.
1972 – Title IX passes and Assumption introduces its first women’s athletic teams – Basketball, Volleyball, and Crew
1979 – Assumption becomes one of the founding member institutions of the Northeast-10 Athletic Conference (then the Northeast-7). Longtime Greyhounds men’s basketball head coach Andy Laska is considered a Founding Father of the conference.
1993 – The Plourde Recreation Center opens on February 27th, 1993. The Plourde features a pool, three full-size basketball courts, fitness center, aerobics room, varsity and recreational weight room, locker rooms, and an indoor track.
2004 – Assumption celebrates its centennial.
2013 – Assumption opens its second campus in Rome, Italy. The campus will later help Assumption become recognized as one of the top study abroad programs in the country.
2017 – Assumption opens the state-of-the-art Tsotsis Family Academic Center, a 62,000 square foot academic building that houses 13 high-tech classrooms, seminar rooms, common study spaces, a 400-seat performance hall with a rehearsal room, the Lagarce Trading Room, and a large multi-function space for up to 400 people.
2020 – Assumption College becomes Assumption University, housing five schools: the D’Amour College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Froelich School of Nursing, the Grenon School of Business, the School of Health Professions, and the School of Graduate Studies.
2020 – The Richard J. and Sophia Catrambone Health Sciences Building opens on campus to house the nursing program. The nursing floor features a large nursing skills lab with seven full-sized hospital beds for teaching patient care, and four simulation labs that have high-fidelity manikins that can simulate actual patient conditions (vitals, seizures, cardiac arrest, childbirth, etc) all of which can be controlled remotely by a simulation lab technician.
2022 – President Greg Weiner is appointed Assumption’s 17th President, becoming the first Jewish president of a Catholic college or university in the United States.
2023 – Assumption University’s first nursing class, the class of 2023, graduates.
2023 – The Assumption Greyhounds Women’s Ice Hockey team plays its first game, becoming the institution’s first athletic team to compete at the NCAA Division I level.
2024- Assumption University completes a $1 million renovation of Taylor Dining Hall.