letter from the president

“Our students leave us knowing that a high personal standard has been set for them — that whatever they undertake, they will accomplish as leaders in service to their communities.”

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Dear Friends,

We could not have asked for a more beautiful weekend than that of May 21 and 22, as we celebrated Commencement ceremonies on Bellarmine Lawn. Under cloudless skies, Fairfield enjoyed our largest graduating class in history, with more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students receiving degrees.

A Fairfield education is a rare thing in today’s world – an intensive journey of personal formation, attended to by faculty, staff, and alumni, leading to the education of the whole person with an emphasis on the dignity and giftedness of each student as a child of God and an individual of purpose.

Our students leave us knowing that a high personal standard has been set for them — that whatever they undertake, they will accomplish as leaders in service to their communities. “The proper education of our youth will mean improvement for the whole world,” wrote Pedro de Ribadeneira, S.J., (1527-1611) to King Philip ll of Spain — a sentiment as inspirational today as it was in the 16th century. Yet our commitment to foundational inspiration in the Ignatian tradition is matched by our embrace of the world as it is, meeting our young people where they are and preparing them for the future. There is no doubt that we are growing in national prominence and evolving as a University recognized for excellence.

For the incoming Class of 2026, we enjoyed the largest applicant pool to date with 13,358 applicants, an increase of almost 20 percent from just 5 years ago. With that, we expect about 1,325 incoming students next fall, the largest firstyear class in our history. At the same time, our selectivity remains on an upward trend, with an admit rate of 52 percent (five years ago it was more than 60 percent), and with more admitted students who are first in their families to go to college, are graduates of Jesuit high schools, or are from traditionally underrepresented communities. Put simply, more and more young people want to come to Fairfield, and we must make a Fairfield education as accessible to as many as is feasible.

Thankfully — and thanks to our traditional emphasis on service — we have an engaged alumni community that wants to pass the Fairfield spirit on for generations to come. There is no greater evidence of this than the Fairfield Awards Dinner, our flagship fundraising event for scholarship, which took place at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City in April. More than 600 people gathered to recognize honorees for their professional achievements, leadership, and volunteer commitment to Fairfield, and more than $1.25 million was raised — making it the most successful fundraising dinner in the last seven years.

We are growing, with many important developments on the immediate horizon. Our Bellarmine initiative, a plan for a two-year associate’s degree program in Bridgeport, is moving forward apace. We have also found a site and are hiring staff for a new satellite nursing program in Austin, Texas, where we will train college graduates returning to school for nursing as a second degree. Both initiatives expect to welcome students in fall of 2023.

In the coming weeks, campus will be buzzing with summer program students, Camp Montmartre middle schoolers from Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, Missoula Children’s Theatre and other Quick Center youth arts programs, sports camps, and Premier League Lacrosse (PLL). Rafferty Stadium will host four PLL games on July 23 and 24, attracting fans from all over the country and showcasing Rafferty Stadium as an exceptional lacrosse venue.

Year-round, our vibrant campus is bustling with activity, but we are never too busy to welcome visitors. Whether you are interested in catching summer lacrosse action at Rafferty, strolling the new Walking Examen path that you will read about on page 8, or checking out the progress on construction of our new arena, we hope to see you at Fairfield soon. With utmost gratitude and very best wishes to you all,