Assumption University launches scholarship program to foster civic dialogue and community-building
Photo | Grant Welker
Assumption University in Worcester
Assumption University in Worcester has announced the launch of a scholarship program through its Center for Civic Friendship in an effort to promote the center’s mission to help students navigate differences and foster positive relationships with their peers and the community.
The new scholarship program offers students a $10,000 housing scholarship and a $500 book stipend per year, both renewable for up to four years, according to a Friday press release from Assumption. Scholarships will be available starting in fall 2025.
“This program, supported by the Center for Civic Friendship, will enable students to engage in constructive dialogue and community-building. As they work to advance this program for future generations, the inaugural class of Scholars will also be laying the foundation for Assumption’s continued commitment to productive engagement with ideas even when they may challenge and divide,” Assumption President Greg Weiner said in the release.
The Center for Civic Friendship is run by Director Mary Jane Rein, who resigned from her role as executive director of the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University in Worcester in April to head the program.
Rein’s exit was prompted after she reported receiving admonishments and threats from both students and staff following a March 13 event she helped organize at Worcester State University where an Israel Defense Forces soldier and first responder to the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel was the featured speaker. Clark refuted Rein’s claims.
Rein wrote about her experience in an opinion piece published by the Wall Street Journal.
The scholarship will cover nearly all of Assumption’s room costs, which comes to $10,344 for the 2025-2025 academic year in addition to a $350 room damage deposit. Board costs total $6,000 per year and students should expect to pay $1,000 per year for books, according to Assumption’s website.
Program participants will participate in events, activities, and initiatives within the Center for Civic Friendship aimed at strengthening their ability to prioritize community-building and respectful discourse when facing differing viewpoints.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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