Gasson Leadership Report

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF BOSTON COLLEGE

BOSTON COLLEGE KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. This year, BC admitted the most academically accomplished and most diverse incoming class in its 160-year history. In fact, 94 percent of the Class of 2027 ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. They hail from all 50 states and 79 countries. Nearly 44 percent identify as AHANA, nine percent are international, and 12 percent are the first in their family to attend college.

How they are able to get to the Heights and what they are able to achieve once they arrive here is made possible thanks to donors like you. Because of you they will thrive academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. Your enviable dedication to this University ensures that the Jesuit, Catholic ideals upon which BC is built are passed on and sustained by this generation of Eagles and the many that will follow. Thank you for your commitment to Boston College.

STUDENT FORMATION

The transition to college can be a joyous yet challenging occasion, and Boston College’s investment in student formation is critical to our students’ success. Mentorship programs, retreats, leadership opportunities, and service experiences encourage students to engage in selfreflection

and identify their deepest desires.

Boston College is committed to forming the whole person, and these values of cura personalis are integrated across our campus. Our Jesuit, Catholic mission calls us to support students of all faith traditions in their search for ultimate meaning.

I came to BC kind of having coasted through most of my life, and then I got hit with problems right away. Mental health

problems, school’s harder, it’s harder to make friends, all of that. So I kind of had to reevaluate myself, be willing to be vulnerable, take risks, open up in ways I haven’t opened up before. And that really allowed me to explore parts of me and other people that I haven’t really seen.”

BRUCE SALISBURY ’24 Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences

CORE CURRICULUM

Your generosity helps to maintain a rigorous and fulfilling Core Curriculum, which seeks to provide all students across all academic disciplines with the framework to approach our ever-changing world. Eagles learn essential building blocks in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, while also conducting research, engaging in fieldwork, and accessing the latest in technology and scholarship.

This year, the University pioneered a new major in Global Public Health and the Common Good, previously

only available as a minor. Led by biology Professor Philip Landrigan ’63 and administered by the Connell School of Nursing in partnership with the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, the program responds to the high level of interest in the field and the growing need for an interdisciplinary focus on public health.

Thanks to supporters like you, Boston College has the resources to refresh existing programs and introduce new offerings in order to address the needs and interests of our students and communities.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Across schools, BC’s faculty are prominent scholars and innovative researchers. Yet the true impact of our faculty greatly exceeds their scholarly output. They mentor and inspire students, guiding them to engage with the world’s complex problems and become conscientious and compassionate leaders.

Boston College relies on the recruitment and retention of talented faculty—and the competition for that talent is continually increasing. Closing the gap with peer institutions requires enhanced resources through philanthropic support.

I’m very excited about the course that Boston College is setting with the new Center for the Economics of Ideas. In the pursuit of progress, the market can be the vehicle, but the values of science, scholarship, and enlightenment must be the compass. We’ve got plenty of disruption. What’s missing is direction.”

PAUL ROMER Seidner University Professor, Carroll School of Management

GREGORY KALSCHEUR, S.J.

Dean, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences

Students can sometimes feel like, I need to be in this major if I’m going to get a job. And there’s value in that. But it’s a relative value; it’s not the most important thing. At a Jesuit university, having a more broadly based humanistic experience is the foundation and the core curriculum is part of what’s most distinctive.”

In May 2023, Boston College announced a major win in this area—Nobel laureate Paul M. Romer, one of the most influential economists of this century, will join Boston College as the Seidner University Professor.

Romer will launch the Carroll School of Management’s new Center for the Economics of Ideas and join the faculty of the finance department, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s best undergraduate finance programs and among the most productive for faculty scholarship.

FINANCIAL AID

Boston College’s Jesuit, Catholic mission is grounded in welcoming talented students from every background, regardless of their financial means. Financial aid support is critical to serving our undergraduates, nearly 40 percent of whom receive need-based University grants. Still, currentuse support through the BC Fund makes up less than 10 percent of the University’s financial aid budget, leaving BC reliant on the operating budget to fund financial aid. Continued philanthropic support, through annual support of the BC Fund, helps close the gap from our better-resourced peers while strengthening BC’s financial position and fulfilling the University’s commitment to access.

Being able to enjoy my college experience and form incredible connections without worries is a gift for which I’m endlessly grateful. Thank you for making this my home.”

ROWAH IBNAOUF ’25

Carroll School of Management, Goldman Sachs Alumni Scholar

LILY FLEMING ’25 Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Estep Memorial Scholar

SAMI BENAYAD ’24

Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Hale Family Pops Scholar

In my hometown, the norm is to go into the workforce, not college. I am incredibly grateful for the privilege of attending BC, and I am excited to become a woman for others and to leave the world better than I found it!”

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I am forever grateful that I attended BC. Without mincing words, I attended BC because of the financial aid package. Your commitment to BC and giving back has allowed me to pursue my dream and is truly carrying it forward.”

96%

overall Graduation Success Rate in all sports

ATHLETICS

Boston College Athletics are the heartbeat of the University, proudly representing the Heights in competition from Alumni Stadium and Conte Forum, to Brighton and Newton campuses, and across the nation. From the first postseason title for volleyball to the first ACC championship for lacrosse and everything in between, donors like you have played a major role in our teams’ on-field success.

BC prides itself on providing students not only with opportunities for athletic excellence but also an exceptional experience that fosters personal growth and contributes to the community. BC is the first recipient of the Collegiate Community IMPACT Award from Team IMPACT, an organization that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved. Our student-athletes are also leaders in their communities through initiatives like Eagles for Equality and as success coaches for the new Pine Manor Institute for Student Success.

Academically, BC Eagles ranked among the nation’s elite once again, tying for fifth in the nation with a 96 percent overall Graduation Success Rate in all sports, besting the national average by six percentage points.

I know I can speak on behalf of a lot of other BC athletes—this is such an incredible school, and we love being here. And without the help and support from our donors, it wouldn’t be possible. We are incredibly grateful for all the support that the donors have provided for us.”

KAMRYN WARMAN ’25 Softball, Connell School of Nursing, Poltack Family Flynn Fund Scholar