This past week, Marla and I hosted the Class of 2026 on the first year residence hall patio for some burgers and hot dogs, music, and cornhole. It was a beautiful night and was great to connect with the first-year students and hear how their first semester on the Hill is going. Go Books. Go Bison.

Come join the Nichols Community on Friday, September 9 at 6 PM when Nichols College Football takes on Dean College. At halftime, there will be special recognition of the Towns of Dudley, Webster, and Oxford Board of Selectmen. Post game, there will be fireworks! Tickets can be bought at the ticket booth before the game and there will be concessions. Go Books. Go Bison.

Greetings to the Herd on the Hill,

The faculty and staff are excited to welcome our students and families back to campus soon! It truly is a magical time for all- a sense of new beginnings, a fresh learning opportunity, and exciting events. We look forward to starting the academic year with these traditional fall activities as well as a few special events. Can’t wait to see you and get #ONTHEMOVE!

Important Dates to Remember:
New Student Check-In and Move-In: Friday, August 26
New Student Fall Orientation: Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27
Returning Student Check-In and Move-In: Sunday, August 28
Welcome and Involvement Fair: Sunday, August 28
Classes Begin: Monday, August 29
Welcome Week Activities: August 30 – September 2
Convocation: Wednesday, August 31
Accounting & Finance Career and Internship Fair: Tuesday, September 13, 2-3:30 p.m., Daniels Auditorium
Parent’s Zoom with President Sulmasy: Tuesday, September 13, 5-6 p.m., Zoom link to follow for parents


Fall Fun:
Football and Fireworks/Town Appreciation Tribute: September 9, 6 p.m., Vendetti Field. Friday Night Lights take on new meaning when the Bison take on Dean College, followed by a fireworks display!

Nichols College Art Show Opening: September 29, 6.p.m. Conant Library. Nichols kicks off its fall 2022 artist showcase with the unique glass and gas sculptures of American artist Mundy Hepburn.

Homecoming: Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1. Come home to the Hill for plenty of sporting events, tailgating, a student float parade, and a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Athletics Hall of Fame.

Family & Friends Day: Saturday, October 15. Families can get a glimpse of student life on the Hill and enjoy the beautiful campus and fun activities.

Pumpkinfest: October 28 and October 29. Get into the Halloween spirit all weekend long! This fall favorite features live music, games, prizes, food trucks and, of course, pumpkin carving.

Go Books. Go Bison.

Sincerely,
President Sulmasy

Greetings to the Herd on the Hill,

As summer progresses, I am hopeful that all are enjoying their time with family and friends and resting up before a great semester starts in just a couple of months. For now, I wanted to send along some updates for you as so much is going on in many divisions that I realize it is important to share:

1. Strategic Plan:  Cabinet has taken the feedback from faculty and staff and students, to continue work on our five-year strategic plan.  We will have a draft product to show all for review, and comment by the end of the summer.  It will then get kicked around by the Board of Trustees, and then back to us to share with the community, have focus groups to review and comment, and then seek to complete by the end of the fall semester.  The goal will be to have it adopted by the January Board meetings.  Again, our theme, Embracing Greatness, revolved around our collective vision of Regional, and then National, Prominence. 

2. Master Plan:  Contemporaneously with the Strategic Planning process, Bob Lavigne, VP for Operations, has been leading the charge on our new master plan for the community.  We just selected SASAKI to do the plan, and they will be reaching out to faculty, staff, and students to garner thoughts, suggestions, and insights to incorporate into the plan. This effort is an extension of our plans for buildings, new dorms, campus beautification, etc. and is an exciting time in the college’s history.  The Master Plan will be in place for longer than our Strategic Plan, so this can be really fun for all to participate in.

3. Ongoing Projects:  There are a ton of projects going on this summer – approximately 30 taking place.  There will be a new Campus Ministry at Nichols in our updated All Faiths Chapel; Lombard will be almost new with the several added components to the student dining facility; The Starbucks at Davis Café will be completed and be fully outfitted; the Library will be exceptional with new furniture, and the ACES (Academic Center for Excellence & Support) team inside as well as the Laptop Central help desk, Townhomes will break ground in August/Early September when students return; BAZZIE’s (formerly Jazzman’s (that was a Sodexo name/brand)) will open again as a tea/protein stop for the students and will be a hub for our commuter students during the day as well, a kitchen has been installed in Budleigh Hall, and so many other improvements are happening all over campus. There is truly A LOT going on in construction and I remain grateful to our Facilities team for all they do to make this a special place for all of us to study, work, and live.

4. Calendar updates:

August 26- “Opening Day” for the Class of 2026

August 27-28– Returning Students Move- In 

August 31- Convocation

September 9- Fireworks at Nichols -“Friday Night Lights” Nichols vs. Dean Football Game – Honoring the Towns of Dudley, Webster, and Oxford

September 22 (tentative)– Fall Art Show Opening

October 1- Homecoming

October 15- Friends and Family (Parent’s) Weekend

October 28-31- Pumpkinfest Weekend

November 6-9- AACSB Site Evaluation Team Visit 

December 1- “Light Up the Hill”- Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting

As you can see, a lot going on and a lot of activities to look forward to on campus this Fall. There will be more info to follow as new events and activities get solidified.

I look forward to welcoming you all back to the Hill in August!

Go Books.  Go Bison.

President Sulmasy

Wow. What an incredible week we have enjoyed welcoming the Class of 2026 over three different overnight sessions.  It has truly been a memorable and remarkable week. I especially want to thank the Student Affairs team and the Admissions team for partnering, collaborating, and developing a wonderful schedule for our incoming students, and their families. In addition, thank you to our dedicated faculty, coaches, and staff who all came together to welcome the Class of 2026 and to our Facilities and Catering team for exceptional food and service. Our orientation leaders were the most enthusiastic, as well as professional, group I have encountered over the past eight years. 

To the Class of 2026, we can’t wait to welcome you officially come August. I hope you are as just as excited as Marla and I am to get the semester started. See you all soon! Welcome home.

Go Books.  Go Bison.

President Sulmasy