The Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard is the president of Providence College. In October, Sicard announced that the Dominican Friars college had begun the largest fundraising campaign in the school’s history. The $300 million initiative is titled “Beyond Limits: The Campaign for Providence College.” Sicard spoke with Providence Business News about the campaign and its goals.
PBN: One of the goals of this campaign is to make education at PC more affordable. What have you heard from current and prospective students about high costs for college and what will this campaign help establish to address that at the college?
SICARD: Our students are some of the most driven young people you’ll ever meet. They come to Providence College to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in exciting careers. Equally important, they come here to learn and grow as individuals in a supportive environment grounded in our Catholic and Dominican identity.
Because the PC experience is life-changing, we want to continue expanding access for all the talented, hardworking students who want to be here. The need is significant. For example, 82% of first-year students receive some form of financial assistance. We were able to allocate over $96 million to financial aid this year, in part, because we have more than 500 endowed funds that help to support our students in perpetuity.
We know that many more alumni, parents and friends will choose to honor a loved one or significant person in their lives by creating a scholarship in their name during this special moment in PC history, and that generosity will light the way for countless Friars to come.
We also continue to look for new and creative ways to offer deserving students a path to Providence College, including our recent partnerships with national networks such as the Posse Foundation and Cristo Rey Network that support historically underrepresented students.
PBN: The college also wants to use this campaign to raise funds to enhance student experiences. What new experiences does the college hope to launch on campus after the campaign?
SICARD: For more than a century, PC has instilled in our alumni a deep affinity for the college and their fellow Friars. But with challenges today that are greater in number, scope and complexity, we must rise to meet this moment in supporting our students.
Young people flourish most when they are supported intellectually, personally and spiritually. So, beyond investing in our already rigorous academic program, we plan to strengthen our health and wellness student services. We will also build on a Catholic and Dominican tradition that empowers students to develop faith that fosters peace in their lives through fellowship, service and formative religious experiences.
And of course, this wouldn’t be Friartown without continued investment in our championship-caliber varsity athletic teams. We’ll expand support for the personal growth of our student-athletes that helps them compete at the highest levels while navigating an exciting and evolving college athletics landscape. Many of our students participate in club sports, and our staff in student affairs sponsors a variety of social programs to enhance the student experience.
PBN: During the quiet phase, PC received a $10 million gift from retired financial services consultant Ronald P. Stride and then a $10 million gift from Madeline Mondor for the new Nursing and Health Sciences building. What other notable gifts did PC collect during the quiet phase and for what causes?
SICARD: Beyond the gifts you mentioned, there have been a number of seven- and eight-figure gifts quietly given during the leadership phase of this campaign. What’s special about many of those gifts, beyond the incredible level of generosity, is that they have supported varied initiatives across the college.
Our donors are often passionate supporters of particular causes such as the School of Nursing and Health Sciences or athletics, but many of them also enthusiastically include support to our annual fund – The Fund for Providence College – through their philanthropy. Ardent support from thousands of donors each year totals more than $6 million for The Fund for Providence College, which is really the most direct and powerful way to have an immediate impact on the current student experience. It provides immediate operating support that grants us flexibility, creates sustainable impact and addresses all our campaign priorities. The consistent, collective power of The Fund for Providence College is notable in itself.
PBN: Are there any new academic programs that PC is looking to establish with funds raised from the campaign? If so, what is PC considering?
SICARD: You mentioned the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, which is still relatively new, having enrolled its second talented class this year. That school is poised for growth and for interdisciplinary collaboration across campus.
We also encourage the creation of new and innovative programs in the liberal arts or in one of our professional schools – the School of Business, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the School for Education and Social Work – and although our focus will always be on undergraduate education, we are exploring new master’s programs.
At the core of everything in our academic endeavor is a world-class faculty. It must always be a top priority to continue investing in these passionate scholars and educators who push the frontiers of knowledge in their fields.
We are also in the conceptual phase of expanding the academic experience through new centers of excellence that focus on the skills students need to succeed – data science and analytics, for example. The demand for that skill set has exploded in the past decade and will only continue to grow.
Mathematics and quantitative reasoning are as essential to the liberal arts as language in empowering students to understand the world. We believe that Providence College is uniquely equipped to impart these skills in the context of a humanistic tradition that teaches ethical and effective use of the incredible power of big data in any field.
We will continue to enrich the academic offerings outside of the classroom that help complete the PC experience. The revelatory moments that unlock one’s path in life so often come through successful participation in an internship, engagement in faculty research, study-abroad programs, reconnecting with one’s faith through peer ministry, pilgrimage opportunities, service opportunities, and a vibrant liturgical life on campus. We want to offer more of these experiences, deepen their quality and ensure that they remain available to all our students regardless of their financial circumstances.
PBN: Who will PC target to help raise the remaining $127 million? And, when does PC hope to conclude its campaign by?
SICARD: The great joy of being in this public phase of the campaign is seeing the way it inspires our community. We were the beneficiaries of so many wonderful leadership gifts to spark the campaign – and with God’s providence, those will continue to come – but we also look forward to broadening our base. Beyond Limits is an opportunity for anyone and everyone to invest in the incredibly bright future of Providence College.
This campaign is about coming together to build a Catholic liberal arts institution with outstanding professional schools that will be seen as a national leader and a premiere destination for all who seek the knowledge and truth that comes with a Providence College degree. It will take the collective power of our community to reach these bold aspirations – ones that we have set higher than ever before. That’s why we have intentionally created a goal of engaging 70% of our alumni network throughout the campaign in addition to the overall campaign goal of $300 million.
Beyond Limits is scheduled to conclude in June 2028, by which point I know we will have laid the foundation for the extraordinary potential and sustained excellence that we owe to all who will follow us.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
