Woods College charts a course toward its second century
As it approaches the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1929, the Woods College of Advancing Studies is anticipating its second century with the launch of a five-year strategic plan designed to enhance its distinctive role within Boston College and set a course for its future.
The plan was celebrated at a event held at the McMullen Museum of Art, which brought together administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and special guests, including Woods College benefactor Robert M. Devlin, whose 2002 gift resulted in the naming of the school.
Titled "Charting a Course for the Century Ahead," the strategic plan seeks to ensure that nontraditional students of varying backgrounds have access to a formative educational experience in the University's Jesuit, Catholic tradition, that its alumni remain engaged with the school after graduation, and that the Woods College continues to contribute to the mission of the University on campus and in the broader society.
In support of those objectives, the plan outlines four strategic directions that aim to: strengthen the Jesuit, Catholic dimensions of the Woods College as a school and learning community; foster personal, communal, and professional connections at the school, particularly among students, faculty, and alumni; enhance curriculum, teaching, and student success; and implement a mission-driven recruitment and enrollment strategy.
"The Woods College is an extraordinary ongoing extension of the original mission of Boston College. It lives and breathes in such powerful ways in the lives of so many people," Dean David Goodman told attendees at the Woods College reception on April 8.
"One of the immediate needs I heard articulated when I began as dean was for a sense of direction and a deepening of our mission," Woods College Dean David Goodman said in an interview following the event. "It became apparent that while Woods is well-established, we needed to set our priorities and develop a shared and aligned vision for its future. Woods will be 100 years in 2029; it an exciting moment in our history, and one that calls for reflection, renewal, and bold action. The higher education landscape is shifting rapidly, and continuing and professional education schools are redefining their relationships with their institutions, the lives of their students, and the broader world. There was a clear need for a focused and forward-thinking strategic plan."
Launched with a retreat in January 2025, an 11-month strategic planning process aimed to establish a feeling of shared ownership among all stakeholders and participants, Goodman said, and to incorporate the priorities and voices of staff, faculty, alumni, community partners, and students. A comprehensive data collection period included focus groups, surveys, and environmental scanning of peer institutions. The findings were reviewed and refined through additional discussions and a second retreat, resulting in the development of the plan's strategic directions.
During his address at the April 8 gathering, University President William P. Leahy, S.J., noted that the event was an opportunity to give thanks for Woods' achievements, impact, and renewed commitment to its mission, as well as to remember and reflect on the origins of both Boston College and the Woods College, each rooted in the desire to meet educational needs in changing circumstances.
Goodman echoed that sentiment in his remarks. "The Woods College is an extraordinary ongoing extension of the original mission of Boston College," he said. "It lives and breathes in such powerful ways in the lives of so many people."
In his keynote remarks, former Boston mayor and U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh, now executive director of the National Hockey League Players Association, talked about the impact of the Woods College on his life.
The event's keynote speaker was Martin J. Walsh, who overcame a number of challenges, including childhood cancer, before earning a bachelor's degree in political science from the Woods College, at age 42.
A son of Irish immigrants, Walsh was born and raised in Boston. He attended Woods while he represented his Dorchester neighborhood in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served as an advocate for organized labor, public transportation, workforce development, and education.
He later became the first undergraduate alumnus of Boston College to serve as mayor of Boston, was appointed U.S. Secretary of Labor during the Biden administration, and now serves as executive director of the National Hockey League Players Association.
Walsh, who received the school's Distinguished Alumni Award at a ceremony in 2014, cited his gratitude to the supportive Woods College faculty and staff, particularly the school's eponym, Dean James A. Woods, S.J., who led the school for 44 years until his retirement in 2012.
Aisling Walsh '23 sharing her experience, as Woods College benefactor Robert M. Devlin, 网曝吃瓜 President William P. Leahy, S.J., and Senior Advisor to the Dean Claudia Pouravelis, who served as the event's master of ceremonies, look on.
Also at the event, two recent graduates spoke about what the Woods College has meant to their personal and professional development.
Aisling Walsh '23, originally a transfer student who is now in her first year at New England Law School as a recipient of its Justice Sandra Day O'Connor full-tuition merit scholarship, expressed her gratitude for the foundation she received at Woods, which she said thoroughly prepared her for her current experience in law school.
"I hope that Woods College can continue to provide students of all ages and backgrounds with that strong academic foundation," she said.聽
U.S. Air Force veteran Milton Rodriguez '22攚ho following graduation earned a master's degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and was a Fern Holland Foreign Policy Fellow at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., before becoming a global trade analyst at BAE Systems攔ecalled his initial encounter with Woods.
Growing up in Lynn, Massachusetts, 网曝吃瓜 was an aspiration, he said, "but always seemed out of reach."聽 He joined the Air Force after high school, and returned home in 2018, when his former guidance counselor (who attended the event) introduced him to the Woods College.聽
"After my first information session, my decision was clear," he said. "Woods would provide 网曝吃瓜's high-quality education with the flexibility to work full time, small class sizes, a diverse student body, and a sense of community, especially among veterans."
He credited in particular Woods faculty member Mike Lorenz, 网曝吃瓜's director of military and veteran support, as well as the school's strong academic program, which prepared him for his graduate studies at the Fletcher School, his work with Congress, and his current position at BAE.
U.S. Air Force veteran Milton Rodriquez '22 praised the sense of community and support for veterans at Woods College and the University.
Anne Marie Grejdus, a student in the Woods M.S. in Leadership program, who was in attendance at the reception, applauded the strategic plan, copies of which were available at the event.
"While everyone has a story, the students at Woods really have a story," she said "My classmates are raising families, working full-time, battling cancer. The support of the Woods College leadership, faculty, and staff is invaluable as we pursue our studies. 网曝吃瓜 is a special place, and I have found that the Woods College truly exemplifies the Jesuit values of accompaniment and being persons for others. This meaningful strategic plan will help Woods welcome so many others into this remarkable community."
Though the event served to announce the plan to the community, the Woods College is already at work on many of the activities and goals associated with each direction, Goodman said, while a formal implementation process is set to kick off in early summer with clear tracking markers to gauge success and timelines.
"The Woods College community is energized by this plan," he said. "Alumni are excited to engage deeper, faculty and students see themselves in the strategic directions, and community partners recognize they are a priority for our future as well. We know there is an opportunity to become the best version of the Woods College and to continue to fulfill the original mission of Boston College."