The red-brick bell tower rises more than 125 feet atop one of the highest elevations in the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Built in 1939 as a feature of St. Ambrose parish, the landmark beacon will soon signal to students that they have arrived at Fairfield University’s vibrant new Bellarmine Campus.

Leased from the Diocese of Bridgeport, the property located at 1596 Boston Ave. will undergo extensive renovations in preparation for the fall 2023 opening of Fairfield Bellarmine, a new two-year associate’s degree college program for students in the Greater Bridgeport area. After their two-year degree, students will be ready to transfer to a four-year university – like Fairfield – or go into jobs in a variety of fields.

The Bellarmine initiative addresses headon the challenges of providing access and affordability in higher education. Tailored toward the region’s low-income, firstgeneration college students, the program is based on similar models — Loyola University Chicago’s Arrupe College, Dougherty Family College of St. Thomas in Minnesota — but is designed to meet the specific needs of under-represented students in the urban Bridgeport community.

According to Nakia Létang, Fairfield Bellarmine’s director of admission, the ideal candidate for a Bellarmine associate’s degree is a capable academic achiever with the potential to succeed. “For a variety of reasons, many students have amazing potential that is not fully reflected in their academic performance,” said Létang. Taking a holistic approach to the admission process, her team is looking for applicants who are ambitious, driven to attend college, and who are eager to benefit from customized support. Regardless of the barriers that may have held them back previously, “these are the students who will thrive at Fairfield Bellarmine.”

Most, if not all Fairfield Bellarmine students’ tuition and expenses will be covered by Fairfield University and philanthropic partners, as well as federal and state grants. Applicants must demonstrate a high level of financial need. The majority of students will hail from diverse communities, and many will be first in their families to attend college.

For Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, the Bellarmine initiative to provide a college pathway for underrepresented students is grounded in the 500-year Jesuit tradition of reaching out to provide educational opportunities where they are most needed.

“Fairfield Bellarmine offers a way to serve ever broader populations in ever more innovative ways,” he said, “and to recognize that nothing is more dignifying, nothing is more empowering, nothing brings a human more fully alive than higher education.”

Locating Bellarmine Campus in Bridgeport’s East End neighborhood is one way of meeting the program’s students and families where they are. The new campus will be accessible for students who rely on public transportation, and will allow the program to develop organically through close contact with area residents. “When our team met with Bridgeport community members,” said Rev. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., vice provost and executive director of Fairfield Bellarmine, “they told us, ‘We want you near our families, engaging with our neighborhoods.’”

Fairfield University’s shared vision with the Diocese of Bridgeport and its bishop, the Most Rev. Frank J. Caggiano, sets the Bellarmine initiative apart from similar programs at other schools.

“The bishop is deeply committed to expanding access to Catholic higher education,” said Fr. O’Brien, “and we are leasing diocesan property, which makes this a true partnership.”

In the fall of 2023, the inaugural class of up to 100 Fairfield Bellarmine students will begin their studies toward a two-year associate’s degree on one of four academic tracks: business, computer science, liberal arts, or pre-nursing and health studies. Students will be divided into two cohorts and will attend classes in the morning or the afternoon. According to Fr. O’Brien, research has shown that students learn better — and performance improves — when they are part of a steady cohort.

Twelve new faculty members will be assigned to Fairfield Bellarmine. Small class sizes and personalized mentorship will enable the students to develop the critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills necessary for success. Upon graduating, students will be equipped to continue their studies for two more years to earn a bachelor’s degree at Fairfield University or another four-year institution, or embark on a meaningful career path.

Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics reports fewer than 20 percent of students at community colleges graduate within two years. Through holistic, personalized care, the Fairfield Bellarmine administration team is committed to ensuring that its first class remains on-track to graduate in spring of 2025.

“We will surround our students with love,” Fr. O’Brien said. “This will be made concrete through very targeted resources and support services, as an expression of the Jesuit commitment of cura personalis — caring for each of our students in mind and body and spirit.”

Subsidized meal and transportation programs will be fundamental. “We will make sure students can affordably travel to and from campus,” continued Fr. O’Brien, “and we will provide them with access to quality food while they’re with us, since many will be coming from work before classes or heading to work after school.”

Assigned success coaches, will play a critical role in student achievement, and will be overseen by Pejay Lucky, assistant dean of student success. Lucky is a Bridgeport native who most recently served as the University’s director of student diversity and multicultural affairs. Wendy Mendes, LPC, joined the Fairfield Bellarmine team in October 2022, and will serve as director of student well-being. 

Fairfield University’s Writing Center and Math Center staff will have a presence at Bellarmine Campus, offering access to peer tutors as well as faculty mentors.

As far as extracurriculars, students at Bellarmine Campus will be encouraged to form a student government, and engage in social activities and faith-related events. With full undergraduate student access to all facilities on Fairfield’s North Benson campus, including the library, chapel, museum, Quick Center, RecPlex, and the new Leo D. Mahoney Arena, Fairfield Bellarmine undergrads will also participate in existing University organizations.

For students who wish to continue their studies toward a bachelor’s degree, Fairfield University has committed to offering up to 35 two-year, full-tuition scholarships for Bellarmine program graduates and discussions are underway with a number of colleges and universities in the region to forge additional two-year transfer agreements. The Fairfield Bellarmine administration is also hard at work establishing relationships with corporate and alumni business partners to offer paid internship and career opportunities for its students.

Bellarmine Campus was welcomed to the East End neighborhood of Bridgeport in a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 2, 2022. In his remarks, Bishop Caggiano noted that the hilltop property at 1596 Boston Ave. is situated “on one of the highest — if not the highest — geographical points in the city of Bridgeport.”

He urged those gathered — community leaders, state representatives, program supporters and University representatives — to take in the autumnal beauty of the surrounding “park city” below, and to know that “this campus will always be a beacon.”

“May it be a beacon of hope to the whole city, that good people can work together for a greater good: Church, state, and community,” prayed Bishop Caggiano. “And let us resolve ourselves to provide the example of the good that people can do together in a world that is so divided, so broken, and so fractured. This college will be a reminder — to everyone of goodwill — of what we are still capable of doing together.”

To learn more about Fairfield Bellarmine and how you can support the program, please visit fairfield.edu/bellarmine.