Greetings from Dean Maxfield – July 2022

Dear Friends,

I noticed that I was smiling a lot during Commencement weekend, May 20-22. While that is not unusual because commencement is a joyous part of academic life, the celebration of our 2022 Providence College graduates was undeniably special.

First of all, it was wonderful to be back in our familiar settings; the Sunday baccalaureate ceremony was the first one at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center since 2019. The Friday graduate programs/School of Continuing Education ceremony – a new tradition born during the pandemic and carried forward because it worked so well – brought graduates, their families, and their friends home to campus for a lovely event that gave us the opportunity to give those students the distinct recognition they certainly earned.

Moreover, I was struck by the fact that every single person who crossed the stage carried with them a story of perseverance and accomplishment. Most shouldered the extra burdens of the pandemic quietly as they pursued their degrees, but they universally faced a dizzying array of challenges both large and small. All deserve our unyielding respect for overcoming those challenges and accomplishing something that is difficult under the best of circumstances – earning a college degree.

Of course, I take particular pride in the business school graduates, including the three (Andrew Antonik, Brian Campbell, and Aisling Maguire) who earned undergraduate co-valedictorian recognition by virtue of achieving perfect 4.0 grade point averages.

Aisling, incidentally, represented all five Class of 2022 co-valedictorians as a featured speaker at the college’s Academic Awards Ceremony. Watch her address now:

Andrew, Brian, and Aisling vividly represent the excellence that permeates the PCSB graduating class, undergraduate and master’s grads alike. The business school is attracting very strong students, including the excellent cohort that will join us later this summer as members of the Class of 2026. This is an excellent indicator of the rising quality and national reputation of PCSB, and it gives us confidence that the school’s trajectory remains as positive as it has ever been.

Students are selecting PCSB because of the high-quality academic program; the opportunities to make valuable connections with faculty members, other students, supportive staff, and potential employers; and because they know that we will open the doors to practical, hands-on experiences that will serve them well beyond graduation. With all of this available at a mission-oriented, liberal arts institution the caliber of Providence College, it is no surprise that PCSB is, by every measure, an ascendant business school.

Credit for this goes – first and foremost – to our extraordinary faculty, those dedicated professionals whose teaching, scholarship, and commitment to service inspire our students and motivate all of us to keep raising our aspirations. We also owe thanks to you, our alumni and friends. Your support, encouragement, and advice make a meaningful difference, and the successes you have achieved give our students confidence and inspiration as they work to follow in the example you have collectively set.

I hope you have an enjoyable summer, full of fun, relaxing time with family and friends.

Sincerely,

Dean Sylvia Maxfield
Providence College School of Business