AU News
- Assumption Celebrates Conclusion of Record-Setting, $50 Million CampaignAssumption Celebrates Conclusion of Record-Setting, $50 Million Campaign dz.pepin Thu, 06/16/2022 - 13:08 Assumption University celebrated the conclusion of the wildly successful Light the Way capital campaign on Friday, June 10 with a gala honoring those who have spent the last several years supporting the University’s record-setting campaign. After seven years, two of which were plagued by a pandemic, the University raised an historic $50.6 million, 45 percent over its original goal. “The Board and I are tremendously grateful to each and every one of you,” said Fran Bedard ’81, chair of the Board of Trustees, addressing the audience of benefactors, including several faculty members, administrators, staff, alumni and their families, student mentors, advisory board members, Trustees, and other University ambassadors. “Your generosity of time, talent, and treasure significantly enhances the strength and quality of Assumption and our ability to serve students. The milestone we celebrate tonight is significant in our nearly 120-year history. This successful campaign has a transformational impact on the University and provides great momentum as we continue to enhance our university status.” “The sun is rising on a day bright with possibility at Assumption—one where we embrace our Catholic identity in educational terms and welcome all, no matter who they may be, who seek to pursue the truth in the company of friends,” said Interim President Greg Weiner, Ph.D. “I stand here with confidence and gratitude—confidence in the Assumption we can build together and gratitude for all you’re doing to make it possible.” The Light the Way campaign began with a silent phase in 2015 before being publicly announced in 2017. The campaign had an original goal of $35 million and four fundraising priorities: building a new academic center, athletic facility improvements, as well as increasing resources for the endowment and The Assumption Fund. Because of the tremendous success of The Light the way campaign in raising nearly $16 million more than planned, Assumption was able to broaden its growth, both physical and financial. The University added physical structures to its campus with the additions of the Tsotsis Family Academic Center, which has become the hub of academic life on campus, and the Richard J. and Sophia Catrambone Health Sciences Center, a response to the increased global need for healthcare professionals. This spring, the University broke ground on its latest project of upgrading the softball field to a multi-sport artificial turf facility, thanks to a matching grant provided by Brian Kelly ’83 HD ‘12. The University also launched innovative partnerships, such as one with the Worcester Red Sox, that provide students exciting opportunities for internships and community engagement. The addition of these important edifices and partnerships allowed the University to expand and organize into five schools—the Froelich School of Nursing, Grenon School of Business, D’Amour College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Health Professions, and School of Graduate Studies—leading the way for the approval of Assumption’s transition from a college to a university in June 2020. The campaign also provided key financial assistance to Assumption students. More than 44 scholarships and endowed funds were established to support students and faculty initiatives and the University was able to raise more than $500,000 for the Coronavirus Financial Aid Relief Fund to help students and their families impacted by the pandemic. Bedard shared that while many individuals were essential to the success of this campaign, the leadership of President Emeritus Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D., was the key to the campaign’s success. Bedard lauded President Emeritus Cesareo for traversing the country and “meeting with alumni and friends of Assumption to share a compelling story of the value of an Assumption education – and why they should make a selfless sacrifice to support the institution.” In honor of his dedication to Assumption and his countless contributions to the institution during his 15 years of service, Bedard announced that the University would honor him by the renaming of South Hall to Cesareo Hall. “This campaign has been transformative for Assumption with the changed landscape of the campus that resulted from the construction of the Tsotsis Family Academic Center, the Richard J. and Sophia Catrambone Health Sciences Center, and the piazza as the focal point for the shift of the campus to the actual center,” said President Emeritus Cesareo. “Each of these projects were more than bricks and mortar, but reflected a particular vision that I had which spoke to the education we offer to our students and the purpose of Catholic liberal education and our mission as a Catholic institution, which each of these donors understood and for which we are all grateful. The true essence of this campaign and its priorities was the students – this was a student-centric campaign which was only fitting since my presidency was always student-focused. This evening is an opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to our supporters for investing in Assumption and laying a strong foundation for its future.” On hand to celebrate the success were campaign co-chairs Michael Sullivan ‘83 and Carolyn Clancy ‘82. Honorary Campaign Chair Brian Kelly ’83 provided a recorded message from his new home in Louisiana. “I'd like to extend my sincere gratitude to all who contributed to our campaign and helped us significantly exceed our goals,” shared Clancy. “This will allow us to continue to provide an exceptional education to so many for years to come. Assumption University continues to evolve, expand, transform, and innovate greatly thanks to your generosity and commitment.” Sullivan echoed his co-chair’s sentiments. “The overwhelming support of the Assumption community and alumni made this campaign a success,” he said. “The $50 million in capital contributions will position the university well to serve its current and future students’ needs as they prepare to make a meaningful difference in the world. We are grateful to all who made it happen.” ABOUT ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY Assumption University, founded in 1904 by the Augustinians of the Assumption, is New England’s premier university for high-quality education, integrating career preparation and education of the whole person, drawing upon the best in the rich and centuries-long tradition of Catholic higher education. Assumption, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, seeks to provide students with a transformative education that forms graduates who possess critical intelligence, thoughtful citizenship, and compassionate service. The University offers 34 majors and 49 minors in the liberal arts, sciences, business, nursing and professional studies; as well as master’s and continuing education degrees and professional certificate programs. For more information about Assumption University, please visit www.assumption.edu. Gala1.jpgInterim President Greg Weiner speaks at the Light the Way Campaign Gala.General
- Nursing Schools Almanac Ranks Assumption’s Nursing Program among the Best in Massachusetts & New EnglandNursing Schools Almanac Ranks Assumption’s Nursing Program among the Best in Massachusetts & New England mguilfoyle Mon, 06/13/2022 - 20:12 An independent organization that ranks the academic prestige, program depth and breadth, and student success in nursing programs has ranked Assumption’s Froelich School of Nursing among the top 50 programs in New England and the top 23 in Massachusetts. According to the ranking organization, Nursing Schools Almanac, they collected data on 3,000 institutions, and only 20 percent made their list of the best nursing schools. “The Froelich School of Nursing cultivates an intellectual community committed to preparing leaders in the delivery of safe, high-quality, and compassionate professional nursing practice,” said Froelich School of Nursing Dean and Associate Professor Caitlin Stover RN, Ph.D., PHCNS-BC, CNE, CNE-cl. “Nursing students are provided a strong liberal arts education that prepares them for reasoned decision-making, engagement in critical thinking, effective communication, and the ability to make ethical decisions that respect the fundamental dignity of every human person. At Assumption, future nurses are formed to be leaders and providers of high-quality compassionate patient-centered care.” According to Nursing Schools Almanac, its purpose is to provide aspiring nurses with a detailed, comprehensive, and analytical resource for selecting their future nursing school. Academic prestige and value comprise 50 percent of each school’s ranking. One factor examined in this category includes the ability to repay student debt in a timely manner. The breadth and depth of nursing programs offered by each institution comprise 20 percent of the overall score. Criteria in this category include a range of undergraduate nursing programs and the size of the program. Finally, student success, particularly the passage of licensure examinations, accounts for 30 percent of the score. Nursing Schools Almanac states that student performance on licensure tests provides a standardized metric for assessing the quality of instruction across schools. Assumption’s Froelich School of Nursing has initial approval from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). assumption-nursing-header.jpgGeneralNursing
WHO News Updates
- Suspension of supply of COVID-19 vaccine (COVAXIN®)Suspension of supply of Covaxin produced by Bharat, through UN procurement agencies and recommending to countries that received the vaccine to take actions as appropriate.
- WHO, Qatar, FIFA leaders agree actions to promote health at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™As part of a unique global partnership to promote health, the senior leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO), the State of Qatar and FIFA today agreed a range of measures that will be implemented at this year’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ to protect and encourage health; and take lessons learned from the first tournament in the Middle East and Arab world to share with future mega sporting events. The heads of WHO, Qatar Ministry of Public Health, FIFA and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) met together for the first Steering Committee meeting of the “Healthy FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – Creating Legacy for Sport and Health” partnership. Launched in late 2021, the partnership is committed to: protecting the health of all those involved in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: FIFA, WHO and Qatar have teamed up to ensure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is a healthy and safe event from the implementation of precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the provision of healthy menu options; using the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ as a platform to promote healthy lifestyles: The tournament will inspire millions around the world to play more football and be more active including a global campaign to raise awareness of the health benefits of physical activity. The State of Qatar have also signed a 3-year partnership with WHO to improve healthcare access and promote healthy lifestyles across the country; and creating a blueprint to protect and promote health at future mass gatherings: The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™represents a unique opportunity to develop a new approach to organizing mega sports events factoring-in lessons learnt from the pandemic and reinforcing sports and health as a pathway for recovery. "The State of Qatar is proud to be the first country from the Middle East to host the FIFA World Cup,” said HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Qatar’s Minister of Public Health and Chair of the Steering Committee Meeting. “Our overall goal is not just to hold a successful sporting event, but to also show how football and sports in general can be drivers of better health for all people. This is why we are working so closely with WHO, FIFA and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.” At today’s meetings, the Steering Committee leaders agreed a range of action areas to be taken for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and future events, including: build on actions taken at the FIFA Arab Cup™ in late 2021, strengthen health emergency preparedness and ensure maintenance of precautionary measures for containing infectious diseases, including COVID-19, to keep people safe and healthy; provide healthy food options inside stadiums and fan zones; enhance tobacco prevention in stadiums, fan zones and other areas; start collaborative agreements with countries to benchmark legacy building activities; and exchange lessons learned with the International Olympic Committee for Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026. “WHO is committed to working with the State of Qatar and FIFA to leverage the global power of football to help people lead the healthiest lives possible,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This partnership will help to make the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 a role model for healthy sporting events.” The first-of-its-kind agreement was also lauded by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who said, “It’s important that the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East will be the healthiest World Cup ever. Here, we put our efforts together through this innovative partnership to promote health in a different way, using the power of football to communicate certain messages. We have been working together on different awareness campaigns and what better platform now than the FIFA World Cup for passing the Health for All message?" “You have to do whatever you can to protect your health and that of those around you. That is part of education and that is why we are proud to be part of this team here. We need health for football, and we need football for health. Let’s win this World Cup, our World Cup, which is a World Cup of humanity in the end,” Mr Infantino added. As part of the agreement, two SC legacy programmes – Generation Amazing and B4Development (B4D) – will provide operational and technical collaboration on a range of projects. Generation Amazing is a football for development programme that has positively impacted more than 725 000 people globally since being launched during Qatar’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup™, while B4D is the region’s first “nudge unit” that utilizes behavioural science to solve a range of societal issues. H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, SC Secretary General, said, “As FIFA World Cup hosts, Qatar has worked to underscore the importance of leaving sustainable and transformative social legacies that improve lives – in Qatar, within our region and around the world.” “This partnership is critical for us as we prepare for hosting the world at the end of this year in the context of the pandemic, which has affected so many lives around the world. We’re engaging in every effort along with local and international partners to ensure a healthy and safe FIFA World Cup.” “Together, our work with FIFA and WHO will add to our current efforts, including projects delivered by our legacy programmes such as Generation Amazing and B4Development, to ensure the first FIFA World Cup in our region serves as a benchmark for future mega-events across the globe,” he added. Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, reinforced the Organization’s commitment to advancing health for all in the Region, and said that the partnership between WHO and Qatar would support improvements in physical activity, mental health and organized sports. “WHO looks forward to working closely with Qatar in the months ahead to use the platform that sporting events offer to bring people together and foster solidarity, which is the core of our regional vision of 'Health for all by all: a call for solidarity and action', while at the same time promoting healthier habits, from diet to physical activity, for people of all ages, genders and cultures.”