Thrive: Charting a Course for Excellence

Through the goals of Thrive, an ambitious 10-year strategic plan, Assumption University outlines an inspiring road map anchored in our steadfast commitment to providing a distinctively Assumptionist Catholic liberal education to all those who seek it. Embracing a dynamic and forward-thinking approach, Thrive charts a course for excellence. Working groups of faculty, staff, and students across the University are already actively engaged in making these visions a reality and have been since the launch of Thrive one year ago. 

Vision I: Infuse

We will instill a unified understanding of Assumption’s distinctive Catholic liberal arts education across academics, student life, and operations. 

Vision I of Thrive seeks to integrate Assumption’s mission into every aspect of campus life. That begins with the Foundations Program – a shared experience for every undergraduate student. More than a common core curriculum or a simple series of classes, Foundations sets us apart by offering a distinct vision of Catholic liberal education. 

In Year 1, Foundations Learning Communities were introduced that encourage students to find connections between traditionally separate fields such as science and theology. Through shared Learning Circles, students reflect upon how their experiences shape them academically, personally, and spiritually. As Assumption’s signature academic experience, the Foundations Program also launched a public lecture series this fall, sharing faculty expertise across disciplines with students, alumni, and members of the wider Worcester community. The first lecture, by chemistry, art history, and political science professors, examined a painting from the Enlightenment era.  

The University’s distinctive emphasis on thoughtful citizenship and a culture of inquiry rooted in intellectual courage and humility has drawn both local and national acclaim. The Center for Civic Friendship, founded in 2024, represents a major Vision I goal of positioning Assumption as a leading resource in bridging contemporary divisiveness by cultivating friendship between citizens that is not just polite, but also productive. 

Under the leadership of the center’s director, Dr. Mary Jane Rein, and with significant faculty engagement, an innovative tiered scholarship program for the Class of 2029 yielded nearly a hundred students eager to engage with this work. Among them are 10 Civic Friendship Scholars who hail from across the nation and world – including from Uganda, the Dominican Republic, and the Czech Republic –with each student receiving a renewable $10,000 scholarship. Most of these scholarships are funded by first-time donors from a variety of backgrounds who were inspired by the center’s potential.  

Because Vision I aims to infuse Assumption’s mission across the entire institution, special emphasis has been placed on graduate programs – not only to improve the experience of students in current programs, but also to develop new graduate and professional programs for which there is market demand that Assumption can distinctly meet. One of those is the recently launched Certificate in Healthcare Leadership program, designed to equip professionals with the skills to navigate healthcare business practices and policies ethically. Assumption’s graduate programs continue to innovate by designing stackable credentials and certificates that can be applied toward full master’s degrees as working professionals advance through their careers.  

Building on the University’s excellence in helping profession programs such as clinical counseling psychology and rehabilitation counseling – as well as the successful new physician assistant and accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing programs – new graduate programs including master’s degrees in nursing, genetic counseling, and social work have been identified as areas of possible expansion. 

An Assumption education dictates that career planning and preparation should not come at the expense of liberal education, but instead be thoughtfully enriched by it. Vision I will ensure that all students have opportunities for professional experiences and credentials that prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives, regardless of what they choose to study. 

Vision II: Focus

We will make all decisions based on what is ultimately best for the student, rather than what is easiest for the institution.  

While Assumption has always been a student-centered institution, Vision II aims to formalize that culture through strategic decision-making that orients every University action toward helping students thrive. That doesn’t mean simply asking students what they want and delivering it. Instead, Assumption is committed to engaging students as partners and including their voices in the most important decisions in order to ascertain what will truly foster growth and cultivate joy. 

Through Thrive, every experience – from how students are welcomed to campus to how they pay their bills and how classes are scheduled – is being wholistically examined. 

Year 1 saw improvements to the campus experience, including streamlining financial aid, student accounts, and the cashier’s office into the Office of Student Financial Services. Similar modernization has taken place in the Department of Buildings and Grounds, which has become the Office of Facilities Operations, creating greater efficiency in how community members request maintenance and facility services.  

In addition to improving students’ experience navigating campus departments, the University has strategically invested in the physical campus. In response to student feedback, Taylor Dining Hall recently underwent a major, $1 million renovation through Assumption’s new partnership with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. Charlie’s Café in the Hagan Campus Center also received a significant update that brought fresh new menu options to students. Other recent improvements include an overhauled varsity weight room, proposed by Michael DiFelice ’27 as part of Professor Shahara Drew’s class, Writing in the University, which encourages students to consider how they can make a positive impact on the campus experience. Assumption’s campus master planning process will inform these kinds of strategic investments to best serve the needs of students.  

One of Vision II’s most important goals is creating an environment that supports student wellness, safety, and success. That includes expanded faculty and staff professional development training on Title IX and ADA compliance. But it also reflects a larger, campus-wide commitment to cohesively care for students’ mental health and well-being. Last year, the University launched its own Red Folder initiative – part of a nationally recognized program designed to help higher education staff and students recognize and respond to signs of students in distress or crisis. Assumption’s Red Folder is available both digitally and in print and is designed to make cross-functional resources easily available to those who need extra support. 

Vision III: Grow

We will increase access by growing enrollments, philanthropic support, and revenue streams to establish sustainable excellence.  

In a higher education environment that has responded to uncertainty with increasingly short-term planning, Thrive sets an ambitious decade-long road map. The reason is as clear as it is bold: While some liberal arts colleges are faced with closure or contraction, Assumption is growing. Thrive reaffirms our confidence in each other, and in the kind of education Assumption provides. It sets the foundation for the University to not just sustain itself through 2034, but to thrive. 

Vision III focuses on growing the number of students enrolled at Assumption. This is not simply expansion for its own sake, but strategic growth that meets a persistent need for Catholic liberal arts education. Specifically, the University aims to increase enrollment to at least 3,000 students, with 2,400 undergraduate and 800 graduate students enrolled by fall 2034. To do this, both the Enrollment and Integrated Marketing teams are working to grow the Assumption brand, increase market share beyond New England, and build awareness and understanding of our distinctiveness. 

The University is well on its way to achieving this goal. Assumption has seen 42% new student enrollment growth, and the Class of 2029 is the largest in nearly a decade. Assumption’s growth has recently been highlighted as a success story in liberal arts education by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and several other Massachusetts newspapers. It is clear that the school is bucking a national trend that has seen countless institutions fail to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

That growth is as mission-aligned as it is strategic. Vision III is deeply inspired by the school’s founding mission to provide access to a Catholic liberal education for everyone who desires it and is equipped to succeed in it. Through initiatives like Assumption Access Promise, which offers Pell Grant-eligible residential first-year students from Massachusetts free tuition and the Rise Scholarship, which recognizes determination and potential in promising students, Assumption is working to accomplish this goal.  

Vision III also aims to strengthen opportunities for alumni to engage with the University. Under the direction of Vice President for University Advancement Jeffrey Gillooly, the Advancement team at Assumption expanding alumni-focused events, relaunching the Alumni Association and Board of Directors, and will plan a comprehensive campaign.