Fairfield University”™s Board of Trustees has approved a contract extension for President Mark R. Nemec through the summer of 2027.
In a letter to the university community, Board of Trustees Chairman Frank J. Carroll III wrote: “During his tenure, prospective student interest in our institution has grown remarkably with undergraduate applications at the highest levels in our history, and we were pleased this year to welcome our largest undergraduate first-year class — a diverse body of excellent, talented and curious students of high academic standing.
“Simultaneously,” he continued, “our graduate programs continue to grow and thrive. To have achieved this in the midst of the extraordinary disruption to our day-to-day operations brought on by the pandemic is a testament to his leadership, to the work of his team, and to the commitment of all of those at the University who have shown him their support.”
Nemec also led the largest capital campaign in the school”™s history, exceeding an original goal of $160 million to raise a total of $218 million to benefit the university. As a result, Carroll said the school has been able to implement its “Fairfield 2020: The Way Forward” strategic plan, which was developed to be put into motion when Nemec joined the institution as president in 2017.
The fulfillment of that plan included enhancements to the campus living and learning environment and has brought new facilities and enhanced technological infrastructure, including the completion in 2019 of the new Charles F. Dolan School of Business facility, new residential facilities with the Barnyard Manor townhouses and 42 Langguth Hall, and a new 3,500-seat Arena and Convocation Center, slated to open in 2022.
During Nemec”™s tenure, Fairfield has also grown its online graduate and certificate programs and expanded its professional doctorates in preparation for a shift from a regional master”™s comprehensive institution to a national doctoral professional university.
The university said it plans to reach broader audiences in innovative ways by continuing to evolve its academic programs. Those include “Pathways to Higher Learning,” announced on July 31. That is a strategic partnership with the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Diocese of Bridgeport to support various routes to higher education, and a platform for access to the university”™s resources for the people of the diocese and the greater Bridgeport community.
