Universit y NEWS
We’re Back, We’re Building, And We’re Better Than Ever Fairfield University’s Class of 2025 is making history as the University’s largest, with more than 1,250 incoming first-year students expected in its ranks. This class is also the academically strongest in Fairfield’s modern history. The newly minted Stags were selected from among 12,673 applicants — Fairfield’s biggest application pool ever — and come to Fairfield with an average high school GPA of 3.74 and average SAT/ACT scores of 1312. “The entire enrollment team is excited to welcome the Class of 2025,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Corry Unis. “This is a group that is equal part academically focused and community involved.” Members of the Class of 2025 hail from 26 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and eight countries: New Zealand, Canada, Vietnam, China, Chile, the U.K., Argentina, and Denmark.
Stags greet one another in the BCC.
(left to right) Taj Benning ’21; Christopher C. Quick ’79; Stephen M. Lessing ’76; Claire M. Knopf, P’16; Shelagh Mahoney-McNamee ’87, P’25,’22,’18; Lisa M. Ferraro (Martino) ’85, P’22; Mary Ryan Cunningham ’76; Mark R. Nemec, PhD; Paul Schlickmann; Christine Siegel, PhD; Rev. Paul Rourke, S.J.; and Tyler Heffern ’22.
Fairfield’s continued high placement in national college rankings includes distinctions in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2021 as well as on research website Niche’s 2021 Best Colleges in America list. The Princeton Review’s annual college rankings in The Best 386 Colleges: 2021 Edition placed Fairfield on its list of Best Northeastern Colleges, among other distinctions. Meanwhile, in June of this year, Fairfield became one of 300 “Vaccine Champion Colleges” by accepting the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge — an effort to end the pandemic, supported by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education. Participating colleges committed to taking three key actions to help get their campus communities vaccinated: engage every student, faculty, and staff member; organize their college communities; and deliver vaccine access for all.
The University continues to move forward on strategic priorities, including the Arena and Convocation Center. As part of its ongoing efforts, nearly 1,500 vaccines were administered at Fairfield University’s on-campus clinics with Griffin Health this spring semester. The University also continues to move forward on strategic priorities, including the new Arena and Convocation Center (ACC), which will replace Fairfield’s long-standing landmark Alumni Hall. Construction officially began with a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, June 28, 2021. The ceremony included remarks from President Mark R. Nemec, PhD. “Our rise has been predicated on a commitment to our core values and this building is no different,”
Dr. Nemec said during his speech. “For while new, this building will carry forward our commitment of campagna — companionship, our commitment to cura personalis — the whole person, and finally the fact that we do all of this with magis — excellence in all things.” The new venue will be an approximately 85,000-square foot, 3,500-seat multi-use space for basketball and volleyball games, University events, and concerts. This project is 100 percent donorfunded and is estimated to cost $45 million. Construction of the ACC is currently scheduled for F completion in the fall of 2022. l
Fa i r f i e l d Un i v e r s i t y Mag a z i ne | fal l 2021 5
