message from the president

September 2019

President HaysGreetings from Regis!

Academic year 2019-2020 is off to a wonderful start—here on our campuses in Greater Boston and around the country where more than 1,300 students are enrolled online. The Regis footprint continues to grow: We exceeded enrollment goals in all categories—undergraduate, graduate on-campus, and graduate online, so our total enrollment this fall is more than 3,000 students.

Earlier this week on our Weston campus, we celebrated Convocation—a beautiful tradition where we reflected on the Regis mission and values of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and welcomed all our new students, including the Class of 2023, to the Regis family! Our theme was "(Dis)Connection," which was an important opportunity for all of us to put down our electronic devices and make genuine connections with fellow members of our community. In an age where digital communication is the norm (and oftentimes, a necessity), we inevitably give up some degree of personal connection in favor of a faster, more efficient communication. But in a close-knit community where we so highly value our dear neighbors and building relationships with those we serve and work with, it’s more important than ever to pause and reflect on that value by engaging with one another face-to-face.

We pause for reminders like this throughout the academic year. In just a few weeks we will celebrate Founders’ Day, where students, staff, and faculty will come together to participate in more than 20 different service projects. Regis Fest Alumni and Family Weekend will follow, and we will welcome alums, parents, and students to campus for a festive weekend that includes a great schedule of events. All are welcome—I hope you will register to join us.

As we kick off this academic year there is much to celebrate. A few highlights include the recent opening of our new state-of-the-art Regis Dental Center in Waltham for our dental hygiene students. We also just cut the ribbon to open a new, on-campus counseling center in Health Services, which was made possible by a generous Now We Fly campaign gift. And we are continuing to recruit students for the Fast Track program, which is a way for students to receive their bachelor’s degree in as little as three years while saving up to $54,000—a critical need for prospective students as tuition costs continue to rise around the country.

The Now We Fly campaign, launched in 2017, has made a tremendous impact on our ability to offset these high tuition costs. Thanks to the incredible support of many, we now stand at nearly $39 million of the $40 million goal and we will complete the campaign by December 31. The annual Let It Shine Regis Gala on October 23, where we will honor Patricia A. D’Amore ’73, PhD, MBA and celebrate Women in STEM, will help push the campaign over the top. I hope you will learn more and join us for what promises to be an elegant and inspiring evening supporting Regis students.

Throughout the campaign, many have asked me what “Now We Fly” really means. For me, “we” is the key word. At Regis, we seek to solve complex problems and make a real difference in the world. To do this, we rely on the “we” every day—without our strong community and ability to connect with each other, we wouldn’t be inspired to have such a great impact around the world. That’s something our founding Sisters of St. Joseph taught us, and we continue to honor our roots and live that mission at Regis today.

And that really brings it full circle—at Regis we know that sometimes you have to “(dis)connect” to truly connect. And that true connection allows us to educate students not just in a classroom or at an internship, but as a whole person—to give them the courage, confidence, and knowledge to be curious, caring, and compassionate people. And ultimately, that is what enables them to fly.

Regis is thriving. With the continued generosity of its supporters, the university will be propelled to ever-greater heights. Thank you for your part as a valued member of our community, and best wishes for a prosperous academic year ahead.

Sincerely,

Antoinette M. Hays, PhD, RN
President