Dear Students, Colleagues, Trustees, and Friends of the College,
For those of us who work in education, the beginning of a new school year is always nostalgic and exciting: we love meeting new students, thinking about new classes, and anticipating all there is to learn. At Thomas, fall 2025 is especially exciting.
First, our enrollment at the College is up—way up. Our fall 2025 entering class is more than 30% larger than our fall 2024 class, and interest for fall 2026 is already surging. Thomas College is experiencing momentum that swims against the tide of higher education, and this is because we are envisioning the future of higher education and demonstrating the value of a Thomas degree.
Our new strategic plan Thomas 2030 promises to build the college of the future right here in Waterville, Maine. Thomas 2030 calls upon the College to embrace artificial intelligence and to prepare our faculty, staff, and students to thrive in an AI world. Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and the only way forward is to immerse ourselves in our shared technological reality.
Our strategic plan also calls on us to acknowledge, respect, and support the unique needs of Generations Z and Alpha. Generations Z and Alpha are pandemic-impacted digital natives whose attitudes and approaches to mental health, anxiety, disability, neurodiversity, and learning are different from those of previous generations. Thomas 2030 sets the stage for meeting Generations Z and Alpha where they are with the support they need to design the lives they want and maximize their individual potential.
This fall’s incoming class is more globally and geographically diverse than any previous Thomas College class. Our new Terriers hail from 29 states and 17 countries, making up 17% and 13% of the class, respectively. Most of our new students are athletes, and more than 80% chose to live on campus. Student demographics at Thomas are changing, and this gives us an energizing opportunity to grow along with our students.
Finally, our fundraising is also up—way up. In the past 18 months, the Advancement team has raised more than $3 million dollars for the Laurie Lachance Scholarship Fund. This Fund supports student scholarships and paid internships and is intended as a safeguard for students who face financial challenges during their time at the College.
Simply put, it’s a great time to be a Terrier, and many are noticing our success. This season saw excellent coverage of Thomas College in a variety of media outlets: Mainebiz, Bangor Daily News, NewsCenter Maine, and WGME13 Portland.
Happy Back-to-School Season, Everyone!
Jeannine Diddle Uzzi, Ph.D.
President