Newton's Lasell College Is Now Lasell University

NEWTON, MA — Lasell College is no longer going to be Lasell College. The State Board of Higher Education has designated it a university, effective immediately. Hello, Lasell University.

Lasell makes the leap as several other colleges have similarly transitioned in an effort to stay nimble during a time when smaller colleges have taken hits and at least 17 have had to close in recent years. Bentley, Simmons, Western New England, and Bay Path, have all transitioned during the past decade from college to university.

"This new designation more accurately reflects the institution’s financial stability and record growth in its undergraduate and graduate and professional development programs, along with the strength of its endowment," according to a statement from the school.

The upgrade better represents the school, President Michael Alexander said.

“This timely change underscores our rich history, shared vision, and long-range goals, and emphasizes our long-held commitment to the benefits of higher education at a private institution that features small classes sizes and individual faculty attention for every student,” he said in a statement.

Lasell said it has experienced growth, as many other small schools have seen declines in enrollment. The school credits the growth to administrative "strategic reinvention." Over the past 10 years, Lasell has increased its endowment by 79 percent, according to the school. Overall enrollment has increased by 26 percent and last semester alone, enrollment in the division of Graduate and Professional Studies grew by nearly 20 percent the school said.

Since 2008, Lasell has invested $90 million in its infrastructure, building state-of-the-art facilities such as the recently opened Science and Technology Center, modernizing classrooms, updating dining halls, and renovating common spaces.

“Lasell has frequently reimagined itself and its offerings since its founding in 1851,” Keon Holmes, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said in a statement.

Lasell was among the first private colleges in Massachusetts and a pioneer in post-secondary education for women. The former seminary became Lasell Junior College in 1932. In 1989, Lasell College emerged as a four-year institution and in 1998, became co-ed. In 2002, Lasell College launched the first of its now more than 20 graduate degree programs.
Nearly 20 years ago, the institution opened Lasell Village in Newton, a vibrant continuing care retirement community with a fully integrated educational focus.

Lasell has developed numerous programs including Lasell Works, a professionally focused cost-savings initiative designed to help ease the financial burden associated with higher education. Lasell is a founding member of edHEALTH, an organization committed to bringing lower healthcare costs, better medical insurance coverage, and more transparency to its member institutions. The school also specializes in Connected Learning: Lasell has established partnerships with numerous corporations including tech giant Google, Converse, and Encore Boston Harbor. The school started Lasell’s Pathways to Teacher Diversity Program in 2016 to build a new generation of educators whose backgrounds and experiences mirror those of their students.

In 2018, Lasell introduced a five-school structure, each led by a dean, to house the college’s academic programs. This interdisciplinary initiative moved academic programs into the institution’s schools of business, communication and the arts, fashion, health sciences, and humanities, education, justice and social sciences.

The Board of Trustees had been discussing the transition to University status for a while, according to board members.

The upgrade comes about a year after former Newton College Mount Ida announced merger talks with Lasell fell through. Ultimately Mount Ida - which had been around since 1899, folded. As small liberal arts colleges across the country have been struggling to stay afloat, battling enrollment decline and a shift toward more career-oriented training.

Read more:

Newton's Lasell College Partners With Google On Pilot Program

Rep. Joe Kennedy To Deliver Lasell College Graduation 2019 Address

Two Newton Colleges Consider Merger

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).