Assumption University is located on 185 acres in the west side of Worcester, offering the opportunities of a large city while providing the comfort of a beautiful residential neighborhood. Assumption’s facilities support students’ academic, social, recreational, and spiritual needs. Some of our most notable buildings are described below.
Admissions House (2008) The Assumption University Admissions House was built around 1912 as the home of Charles Persons and his family, manufacturers of bicycle saddles. In 1980, the house was acquired by Assumption to be used as the home of its president. In 2007 the University renovated the building to create a space for Enrollment Management, including the University’s Admissions and Financial Aid offices. The project included renovation of the 9,000-square-foot Persons mansion and the construction of a 6,000-square-foot addition in a compatible style. The accompanying three-car brick garage was adapted for use as a classroom and meeting space, and was renamed the Carriage House.
Andrew Laska Gymnasium (1963) is the home of Assumption’s intercollegiate basketball teams and the volleyball team and is the location for key University functions. The facility was renovated in 2009 and accommodates 1,500 spectators. Within this building are athletic staff offices, showers and locker rooms. As a Division II program, Assumption’s Intercollegiate Teams emphasize academic pursuits, while enhancing the athletic skills and competitive instincts of all participants. In addition, intercollegiate athletics assist in the development of the personal characteristics of fairness, cooperation, self-control, and good sportsmanship, and extend the students’ physical and social capacities.
Armanet House (1960/2001) is where you will find Student Health Services. SHS has three rooms for exam and treatment, and space for day treatment and observation.
Richard J. and Sophia Catrambone Health Sciences Center (2020), is where students prepare to treat an illness, but more importantly, to treat a human person who is ill. Future health care professionals who graduate from Assumption will be known for their empathy and as those who understand and respect the dignity of the human person. The 41,000 square foot, centrally located Health Sciences Building houses the Froelich School of Nursing, but benefits students in all disciplines. All classrooms are equipped with full audio/visual technology including a recording system in the simulation labs for debriefing following lab exercises. The nursing floor features a nursing skills lab with seven full-sized hospital beds for teaching patient care. Throughout the spacious building students have access to lounges, smaller break-out spaces and de-briefing rooms and conference rooms. The building includes nine spacious offices and office suites for faculty, staff, and administration.
Chapel of the Holy Spirit (1968) is the spiritual center of the University. The Assumption community is welcome to pray at Mass and Morning and Evening Prayer with the religious communities (Augustinians of the Assumption and Religious of the Assumption) who sponsor the University. Other opportunities for students and the Assumption family include participation in the Liturgical Ministries of Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Altar Server, Greeter, and membership in the Chapel Choir. Under the direction of Campus Ministry, students participate in retreats, mission opportunities, prayer and discussion groups, and numerous other opportunities for spiritual growth.
Charlie’s (1983), the University’s casual dining facility, is located on the first floor of the Hagan Campus Center. Charlie’s offers a social environment and a trendy Bistro/Café atmosphere. Charlie’s offers extensive hours and a variety of meal options. It is also a hotspot for live music and campus activities. The offices of Student Activities, Student Government Association, and the Cross-Cultural Center are located in Charlie’s.
Dipasquale Media Center (1977) is home to Media Services, which provides audio-visual services to the campus community. The building has a television studio for classroom and student productions, and houses four Avid non-linear editing systems, including a High Definition system. Television production students can sign out two professional video field production kits that include JVC video cameras, Arri light kits, and Sennheiser audio recording equipment.
Emmanuel d’Alzon Library (1988) serves as an intellectual hub of the campus bringing together a large collection of materials, print and electronic, to aid the Assumption community in their intellectual pursuits. The collection encompasses books, journals, film, reference works and primary source materials. The Library’s website acts as a gateway to these resources and the large corpus of electronic resources are available from both on and off campus. The University’s participation in local, regional, and national library networks provides access to additional resources through interlibrary loan. Library reference staff provide mentoring and instruction in the research process, both for individuals at point of need or, for those with more extensive research needs, via schedulable research consultations. With over 350 seats, the Library provides an atmosphere conducive to social learning and chance encounters between students and faculty. This environment serves as a comfortable space for students to meet with peers, study in groups, or just take a needed break. The Library has a variety of spaces designed for group interactions, such as collaborative spaces where students can develop and practice presentations, work on group projects, or study together. The Library provides access to a range of campus technologies such as Wi-Fi, computers, printers, scanners, etc. to aid student work. The Division of Student Success, Student Accessibility Services, the International Student Success Center and the Academic Support Center are also found here.
Emmanuel House (1985, addition 2023) is home to the Augustinians of the Assumption, the University’s founding order. Located next to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, the house is designed for ten residents and two guests. There the Assumptionists live in community, with candidates at various levels of discernment to religious life.
Founders Hall (1963) was originally designed as a residence hall. In 1988, it was converted to the primary faculty office building. Currently, 100 faculty have their offices in Founders, in nine academic departments. Founders was fully renovated in the summer of 2008.
Fuller Hall and Information Technology Center (2002) house the IT staff, three computer lab/classrooms and two mobile print stations. Several advanced technology classrooms are also located here, including a lab equipped with AVID Media Composer editing software, used in the Video Production and English Mass Communication courses. The IT Helpdesk, located here, assists students, faculty and staff with technology related challenges. Additional computer labs and smart classrooms are located in academic buildings throughout the campus.
Fr. Isidore Gayraud, A.A. Living Learning Center (1998) is a residence hall with a special mission. It is designed to foster intellectual discourse among faculty and students: students choose a specific interest circle and work with a faculty mentor who facilitates weekly discussions pertaining to that theme. The student learning outcomes associated with this program include developing critical thinking and speaking skills, global awareness, and a strong sense of community.
Hagan Campus Center (1983) Named for past president Joe Hagan, this is where students conduct many of their daily activities. The University’s Post Office, and Charlie’s casual retail dining facility are located on the first floor, where offices for the Cross-Cultural Center, Student Engagement and Leadership, Campus Activities Board (CAB), Le Provocateur newspaper, the Heights yearbook, and the Student Government Association are also found. The second floor is where the University Bookstore and Pierre’s Pub are located. New in 2024, the Pub offers a warm social environment for talk, games, a performance space and age-appropriate refreshments, all, “in the company of friends.”
Kennedy Memorial Hall (1956) is named in memory of Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., Navy pilot killed in action in WWII, and brother of President John F. Kennedy. It holds two technologically sophisticated auditoriums: the George I. Alden Trust Auditorium, and the Assumption Prep Auditorium, the primary classroom for the Worcester Institute for Senior Education (W.I.S.E.) programs. It also houses Campus Police, a music practice room, faculty offices, a graduate student lounge, and several classrooms.
La Maison Française (1956) Marked by a statue of Our Lady of the Assumption at its entrance, La Maison is centrally located above the University’s duck pond and is the first building seen on campus. As the main administration building, it houses the offices of the President and Provost, the office of Undergraduate Studies, the French Institute, the Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) and the Office of Integrated Marketing. The multi-purpose Salle Saint Jean-Baptiste Hall is used for small theatre productions, meetings, symposia, lectures, and dinners.
Brian Kelly Stadium (2005) supports six varsity athletic teams (field hockey, football, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s soccer) and an outdoor intramural sports program with a synthetic turf field. It also features lights for evening games and practices, elevated grandstand seating for 1,200 spectators and a press box.
Plourde Recreation Center (1992) provides extensive recreational facilities for the Assumption University community. The 69,000-square-foot complex is the largest building on campus and features a six-lane swimming pool, a jogging/walking track, three full-size multipurpose courts with individual scoreboards, two racquetball courts with a viewing area, a mirrored aerobic/dance studio, a fitness center with cardiovascular machines and free weights, lounges, and locker rooms with saunas. The popular intramural program has numerous sports including basketball, flag football, ice hockey, floor hockey, racquetball, soccer, softball, co-ed volleyball, battleship and wiffleball. Approximately half of the University’s students participate in the intramural program, competing against student teams as well as faculty/staff teams. The Club Sports program is designed to serve individual student interests in various sports and program activities. The active club sports are: cheerleading, dance, ultimate frisbee, outdoors club, volleyball (men’s and women’s), and equestrian. Other programs include first aid, yoga, aerobics, spinning, lifeguard training and massage therapy.
Residence Halls provide quality housing options to the University’s undergraduate students, the majority of whom reside on campus. While most first year students are typically assigned “traditional” two or three person dormitory rooms, upper class students have a variety of options including doubles, triples and suites, as well as four and five or six person apartments. Since 1998, the University has built four new, air-conditioned residence halls: Living Learning Center, Plough, South, and West.
Richard and Janet Testa Science Center (2003) provides students with an exceptional environment for scientific research and laboratory work. The Center houses the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, which includes the disciplines of biology, chemistry, environmental science, and physics. The three-floor Center features a 60-seat auditorium, four state-of-the-art classrooms, ten teaching laboratories, seven laboratories dedicated to faculty and student research, two conference rooms, and a greenhouse. Additionally, the students enjoy bright and inviting study and lounge areas located throughout the building, and the Center’s South Atrium offers a sound system for lectures, receptions, and other special events, making it valuable for campus-wide use. Student-faculty research is thriving in this academic building.
Taylor Dining Hall (1956) Affectionately called “Taze” by the students and fully redesigned in the summer of 2024, Taylor Dining serves as the primary resident dining facility offering an extensive assortment of menu choices and catering services. The Marriott Conference Room and the Presidential Dining Room are also located here. Dining services are provided by Aramark.
Tinsley Family Campus Ministry Center (2012) is the home of the many activities of Campus Ministry. The facility, adjacent to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, opened in January, 2012. The space has offices for staff, conference space and an interfaith prayer room.
Tsotsis Family Academic Center (2017) demonstrates the University’s commitment to educating the whole person by integrating class and co-curricular spaces. The building houses 13 high-tech, flexible classrooms, seminar rooms, common study spaces, and faculty offices. The Grenon School of Business, the Honors Program, and the Core Texts and Enduring Questions (CTEQ) Program are located here, as well as a 400-seat performance hall, a rehearsal room, and a multi-purpose space with a terrace offering a panoramic view of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit and a fountained piazza.
Villino Dufault (2013) is home to the University’s Rome Program. Located in a residential neighborhood about a 25 minute walk from the Vatican, the Villino offers comfortable living quarters, a professional kitchen staffed by an Italian chef, laundry, dining and common areas, a state-of-the-art classroom, and a rooftop patio affording stunning views of the area. The neighborhood offers a large park, fine dining and shopping options as well as a gym. Nearby bus and metro stops make for quick and convenient access to the heart of ancient Rome. Villino Dufault is located at Via San Pio V, 55, 00165 Roma, Italy.