Financial Aid, Faculty Scholarship and Research and Endowed Faculty Chairs
Through its endowment, the University critical resources to students and 
faculty in support of their academic endeavors. The endowment funds student scholarships and fellowships, co-curricular activities such as lectures and on campus performances, the purchase of new equipment and technologies and many other aspects of a vital educational enterprise. A strong endowment also allows the University to maintain costs and operational budgets while remaining competitive with its peer institutions. Through the Light the Way campaign, the University can build on its already strong endowment and provide increased funding for student financial aid, faculty scholarship and research, and endowed faculty chairs.
Lighting the way to a better future through financial aid
In an increasingly complex and knowledge-driven world, a college education has become a vital component of a successful and meaningful life. Unfortunately, for many the cost of an education presents a significant challenge. Assumption seeks to lessen the financial burden through endowed scholarships and other financial aid, allowing talented students to obtain a college degree and use the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to better the world around them.
In the 2018 academic year, 98 percent of Assumption University’s 1,996 undergraduate students received some form of financial assistance. More than $57 million in federal, state, institutional and private assistance, both merit-based and need-based, was awarded to deserving students. Providing an affordable education is one of the many ways that Assumption can continue, and further, its commitment to truly doing good and making an impact in the world.
Lighting the way to discovery through faculty scholarship and research
Assumption’s faculty are called upon to form graduates known for critical intelligence, thoughtful citizenship and compassionate service; to transform the minds and hearts of their students. The one-on-one advising and inspiration they provide students is a hallmark of an Assumption education.
Providing faculty with further opportunities for professional development empowers them to modernize curriculums and develop new academic options. In turn, these innovations raise the College’s academic profile and interest from prospective students. The D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence, a new center made possible by the generosity of donors through the Light the Way campaign, works to foster and contribute to conversations about teaching and learning at Assumption University. The Center is one of the ways the University provides professional development opportunities for faculty who, in turn, pioneer new teaching methods and help shape the field of teaching and learning in higher education.
The University also seeks to provide additional resources for student/faculty research endeavors. Valuable research is performed every day at Assumption in a myriad of disciplines—and yields great advancements—but the value of student and faculty research extends beyond the data collected. These research opportunities train the next generation of leading scholars, scientists and researchers and provide them with the grounding for future exploration. Undergraduate research opportunities also enable students to become competitive for admission to some of the nation’s top-tier graduate programs, which demonstrates the prestige of an Assumption education. By investing in the research and researchers of today through the Light the Way campaign, we are funding the discoveries of tomorrow.
Lighting the way in thought and discussion through Endowed Chairs
Assumption University prides itself on being a school that not only has something to teach but also has something to say. Our students and faculty are not passive observers but active and vocal participants who help shape the world and how we understand it—for the better. As the home of leading scholars in fields that can significantly influence discourse across academia, Assumption will be able to take a larger role in discussions of national and 
international importance and attract noteworthy faculty and talented students to contribute to this dialogue. For instance, an endowed chair in a department that is mission-critical enables that department to increase their influence on campus and find new paths to reflect the University’s mission.
An endowed chair remodels the entire academic environment. All that is prized about the academic endeavor—the exchange of ideas, the nurturing of exceptional talent, the promulgation of scholarship and faculty collegiality—is enhanced by the installation of a position for exceptional scholarly achievement, and by the presence of the esteemed individual who fills it. Funding endowed chairs throug the Light the Way campaign will enable Assumption University to significantly augment the educational experience, as well as elevate various areas of study. Through the establishment of new endowed chairs, Assumption University will strengthen the teacher-scholar model and more effectively engage students in the classroom. The establishment of a new chair for the Center for the Study of Ethics is one important example of how Assumption can uniquely influence the national debate on issues of societal importance.
Endowing additional chairs at Assumption serve three primary institutional purposes. The first is to attract scholars who are voices of influence in their field and add their unique perspectives and acumen to the University’s rich academic discourse. Secondly, chair appointments allow the University to recognize and support existing Assumption faculty who have distinguished themselves as scholars, teachers and leaders. Finally, the establishment of endowed chairs provides the University with the flexibility to hire scholars in mission-critical disciplines.
The fulfillment of these goals will have a direct and significant impact on raising Assumption’s national profile and provide students with access to the very best educators.
