Suffolk University may be a vertical, urban campus without a traditional quad, but our sense of community runs deep. Every day I witness acts of generosity and friendship that bind our campus closely together: Faculty and staff going the extra mile to help students succeed; students supporting one another and celebrating their successes together.

This is a community that shares its time and talents freely; this week we have a chance to share some of our treasure as well. April 26-27 are Suffolk’s annual Days of Giving, when we can support the Suffolk programs and people that we care about deeply. Our theme this year is “Step It Up for Suffolk.”

This is our chance to step up and support scholarships, enhanced academic programs, student clubs and organizations, athletics teams, and campus life programming—whatever matters most to you at Suffolk.

You can choose how to direct your gift, and gifts of any size will have a real impact. Together, if we raise $100,000, the Suffolk University Board of Trustees will generously match our gifts, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $100,000. And for gifts of $20.23 and more, you’ll receive a fabulous pair of Suffolk socks!

So please join me on April 26-27 and give back to the University that gives so much to our community, our Commonwealth, and our world. Let’s Step It Up for Suffolk.

With appreciation for all you do,

Marisa

Suffolk University has long been known for our engagement in the public sphere. From our academic and co-curricular programs to our location, we are well positioned to promote public service and participation in a variety of forms, and we do. Indeed, our central value proposition is that we foster transformational learning opportunities that prepare our students for professional success and for positive impact on the communities in which they live and work.

Engagement in the electoral process—no matter our political party or the policy views we hold—is one critical way all of us can positively impact our communities. Our very commitment to voting is in and of itself a statement in support of democracy, and a necessary condition of its continued viability.

With this as context, I am very proud of our collective engagement in the electoral process and our continued efforts to promote voter participation across campus. If you are wondering whether Suffolk votes, the answer is yes, we do! In 2016 and 2018, we received the silver seal from the ALL-IN Campus Challenge for voter registration and engagement efforts. We are also part of the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement that tracks voter participation and turnout nationally.

Our institutional commitment is evidenced by the hard work of the Suffolk Votes committee, supported by our Center for Community Engagement, the Political Science & Legal Studies Department, and the Institute for Public Service. The committee is made up of faculty, staff, and student leaders who educate and engage the Suffolk community in the electoral process by making it as easy as possible to register to vote and to exercise that right. In 2020, 84% of Suffolk students who registered to vote did so.

In other words, getting people registered is key. This year Suffolk Votes Ambassadors—who are students trained in the registration process—are working hard to encourage their peers to register. They plan events to raise awareness about the upcoming elections and the importance of voting, including a voter engagement table at the Causapalooza Club Fair on October 18, 12:30 p.m., Sawyer Building, 2nd floor. On October 19 at 6 p.m. we invite you to join a webinar panel discussion, Our Issues, Our Voices, Our Votes: Youth Civic Participation Today, hosted by Suffolk’s Political Science & Legal Studies Department, Ford Hall Forum, The Washington Center, and GBH Forum and Network.

Yes, Suffolk votes, but let’s all work to foster even greater participation across our community and ensure that all who are eligible are part of the electoral process. Elections do have consequences that impact us all. No matter your race, religion, political persuasion, gender identity, or socio-economic status, exercise your voice in the public sphere by registering to vote and filling out your ballot.

To our new students, welcome to Suffolk, and to all the returning members of our community—students, faculty, and staff—welcome back! Classes are off to a great start across all three of our schools; our residential students are largely settled into their new homes away from home; and last week’s Student Involvement Fair was a huge success. And today is Founder’s Day.

As we move fully into the fall semester, it seems fitting to remind ourselves and to share with the newest members of our community the story of our founding. Why? Because our beginnings have, in so many ways, made us who we are today.

Suffolk was founded in 1906 by a young man named Gleason Archer, who had worked his way through college with aspirations of going to law school. Archer had a chance encounter on a train with a local businessman and philanthropist named George Frost, who took an interest in helping Archer achieve his law school dream and offered to pay his tuition. When Archer later tried to pay him back, Frost refused to take the money, asking only that Archer “pass the favor along to others” if he ever had the chance. And Gleason Archer did just that. In 1906, he founded the Suffolk School of Law in his Roxbury apartment and began teaching law to recent immigrants and working-class people who otherwise would not have had those educational opportunities.

Today, Suffolk is a much, much larger institution. We offer outstanding, transformational learning opportunities to students from so many backgrounds and income levels and in so many fields—from law to finance, biology to marketing, journalism to theatre, philosophy to entrepreneurship, and so many others. Learning takes place in state-of-the-art facilities that enhance the experience for students at every level. Learning also takes place on our athletic fields, in our support offices, in residence halls, and in and around the cities of Boston and Madrid, among many other places.

But with all that change, one element remains the same: We are committed to educational opportunity for all. We are committed to an inclusive environment, where people from all walks of life and backgrounds are a part of our community and are supported. And we are committed to all our students and to their success. Today is Founder’s Day, and our chance to remember that the more we grow and evolve, the more we also stay the same.

One of the things I love about Suffolk is that it’s a community that cares deeply and gives generously.

I watch our students give their best efforts to learn more, and our faculty and staff give their all to help them do it. And our alumni, community partners, and friends give their time and resources to help Suffolk thrive.

This week, we all have the opportunity to give just a little more. From April 4-8, we are celebrating Suffolk’s Week of Giving. This year’s theme is Moving Forward Together, and your gift, whatever its size, will help us do just that.

Each day is dedicated to one particular school or program. Today, we focus on the College of Arts & Sciences; Tuesday, the Law School; Wednesday, Athletics; Thursday, the Sawyer Business School, when we’ll also celebrate the 75th anniversary of our BSBA program. Friday is “Give to What You Love Day,” our chance to support our favorite Suffolk scholarship, center, club, or cause. Gifts can be made here or by texting SUGIVES to 71-777.

Together, if we can raise $100,000, the Suffolk University Board of Trustees will generously match our gifts, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000. That means our gifts can double in impact.

So please join me this week and give back to a University that gives so much to our community, our Commonwealth, and our world. Let’s move forward together.

With appreciation for all you do,

Marisa