Regis Today | Spring/Summer 2021
What an incredible spring semester we had at Regis! We successfully welcomed back more than 350 students to campus in January, and nothing gave me more pleasure than seeing our campus starting to resume to some sort of normalcy.
I am so proud of our faculty and staff who worked diligently to ensure a safe return for our students. Since last August, Regis has administered more than 20,000 COVID tests to students, faculty, and staff on campus and 99.7 percent were negative. As a result of this success—in conjunction with the rollout of the vaccine—we intend to reopen the campus this fall close to full capacity. I am so grateful to the Regis community for their resiliency and for all we have accomplished this year for our students.
In May we held virtual commencements for the classes of 2020 and 2021. It was fantastic to celebrate more than 2,300 graduates from associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs and welcome them into the Regis alumni community—which is now more than 18,000 strong!
During the past year, enrollment at all levels has remained strong. In fact, we have seen an increase at the graduate level, in both on-campus and online programs, thanks to several new programs and updates. Our online Master of Social Work is now accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, a three-year process. Regis also recently launched a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and is actively recruiting for the fall. A boost in applications to our online accelerated nursing program—for students who have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree but want to return to school to change careers to nursing—reflects a career trend toward nursing during the pandemic that is truly heartwarming. Read some of their stories.
Inside this issue you will also find stories demonstrating how Regis holds a competitive advantage by diversifying programs. Our new Professional MBA program bridges science and business, while a new partnership with Boston Public Schools provides tuition discounts on Regis graduate programs to BPS employees and full-tuition scholarships to current BPS students interested in pursuing a major in education. We are proud to help shape a new generation of educational leaders and teachers who will have a significant impact on students for generations to come.
There is still unrest in our Regis community and the nation as a result of racial injustice. While the guilty verdicts of Derek Chauvin are a significant step toward advocating against systemic racism, there is still so much work to be done. We stand up against ongoing anti-Asian rhetoric and violence. We fight against any intolerance against communities of color and uphold the values of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. In March the university shared a six-month progress report on the Institutional Action Plan to Address Racism at Regis, and this important work continues as the action plan is only a first step.
Throughout a very challenging year, there was still so much to be grateful for. I have learned that we must embrace where we are and what we have. We have our friends and family. We have our tight-knit Regis community and I am so grateful for all of you. This year more than ever, your support means so much to Regis and our students. So thank you for being a valued member of the Regis community and for standing with me as an ambassador of our vision, our mission, and our students.
Sincerely,
Antoinette M. Hays, PhD, RN
PRESIDENT
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