As an institution, we have much to be grateful for, particularly that our values-based, studentcentric, outcomes-focused approach to education continues to attract ever greater interest and engagement. Year over year, the number of young people applying for acceptance at Fairfield increases remarkably. This year, more than 10,000 applicants from 1,756 high schools from around the world sought early admission. We admitted less than half of that number, the lowest early acceptance rate in our history. Buoyed by our continued efforts to broaden our student body, this was also our most diverse pool of early-applicant admitted students, and amongst our strongest academically in terms of grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

This tells us we are succeeding in a most critical obligation: to be understood as an excellent investment at a time of deep tectonic shifts in the higher-education landscape. You may have heard me speak about the “flight to quality” in higher education. What we know is that the number of college-age students nationally is in a long-term decline, while at the same time, some policy makers and advocates are questioning the worth of a four-year, residential college education. Building upon our Ignatian pedagogical tradition, our model of holistic formation, and our unparalleled location in the Acela corridor, we have invested in our faculty, facilities, technological resources, and student experience — including our residence and recreation facilities.

Mindful of the increasing weight that families are placing on measurable value, we have endeavored to ensure that Fairfield’s unique quality remains resonant and relevant as these underlying economic and demographic shifts unfold. Thus, it is gratifying to see that our continued planning and foresight have been rewarded, and that — more than succeeding — we are thriving in this challenging environment.

As a Jesuit, Catholic university, the mission of the Society of Jesus is at the core of what we do. Answering the needs of the 21st century, we recognize that we are asked to reach ever broader student populations in ever more innovative ways. Thus, we are gratified that our Bellarmine Campus is on track to open in the fall of this year, having accepted our first students to our associate’s degree-granting program in Bridgeport, which we expect will be a pipeline to bring traditionally underserved students into our Fairfield community.

So too, our new Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies facility in Austin, Texas will enroll its first students this spring, addressing a critical need for nurses in that region. And finally, we welcome Don C. Sawyer III, PhD, to our team as our new vice president of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. He will chair the President’s Working Group on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence, and will lead ongoing efforts to foster institutional inclusion as we continue to advance our work in this area.

As always, we move into the future in the spirit of optimism and faith, encouraged that our careful strategic planning has met with success, and that we have remained centered in the truth of our mission, reminded again as we enter spring that as the early Jesuit Pedro de Ribadeneira explained to Philip II of Spain almost 500 years ago, “the proper education of our youth will mean improvement for the whole world.”

With very best wishes and utmost gratitude,

Mark R. Nemec, PhD
President