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Clark University received a $20 million gift, the single largest donation in the institution’s history, from the founder of Panera Bread. The donation from Ron Shaich, a 1976 graduate of Clark and trustee, is the largest gift he’s given and is an “awful lot of money” for him, he said in an interview with MassLive. However, it is part of a call to action for alumni, faculty and other community members to rally around Clark as it reconfigures and restructures its academic programming. “I have a sizable foundation, enough to make a difference, but not enough to change the world. I’m not going to cure cancer, and I’m not going to end malaria and I’m not going to resolve climate change, but I do have enough that I really want to make sure that what I’m doing makes a difference,” Shaich told MassLive. He believes donating to Clark will make a difference. “I am powerfully excited about that vision for transformation, and I saw an opportunity to jumpstart it,” he said. Read more: Clark U. was booming 3 years ago. How they got to laying off 30% of faculty At Clark, Shaich ran and founded the General Store on campus, which helped him reimagine fast casual food dining. Since graduating from Clark, he has not only founded Panera Bread, but also Act II Holdings, a personal investment firm and has also been the founder, lead investor, chair and/or CEO of multiple successful enterprises, including Au Bon Pain, Cava, Tatte Bakery and Cafe, Life Alive, Honest Greens Barcelona and Level 99. He donated $20 million to Clark as part of the university’s plan to refocus and streamline its operations. It will help expand enrollment and financial aid as well as raise awareness for new programming like the Clark School of Climate, Environment and Society. Read more: Eastern Mass. college president steps down after 6 years Alongside the reenvisioning of Clark in its strategic plan were the announcement of layoffs, leading to the potential for cuts of up to 30% of faculty and 5% of staff. Most of the layoffs the university hopes will come from retirement and attrition over the next two to three years. In August, the university also announced its incoming class is underenrolled by around 100 students. Higher education is in a particularly tenuous situation with enrollment declines and fewer college-aged students in the United States and the pullback of federal funding to research, Shaich said. “What I applaud with this gift is not the cost-cutting. What I applaud is the vision and the commitment to make the hard decision to evolve Clark into an even better institution,” he said. Shaich said Clark is unique because it is one of the small research institutions of its caliber in the United States and because of its new focuses and investment in topics like sustainability or media. “I think these are areas where Clark can make a difference in the world,” he told MassLive. Shaich’s gift is going to enable Clark to advance the university’s strategic plan, such as work on student recruitment and retention amid a difficult time in higher education, according David Fithian, Clark University’s president, said in an interview with MassLive. “What we’re doing at Clark isn’t just about getting from one budget year to the next. This is not about cost containment alone. This is about reorganizing the university, refocusing some of the academic programs that we know we have strength in and reenergizing,” he said. “Gifts like this really is a testament that we’re on the right path here and that people are doing good and hard work to advance this plan,” he later added. Shaich received an honorary degree from Clark in 2014. He previously made a $5 million gift in 2016 to create the Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center, a hub for campus operations and student success. “The truth of the matter is that I think Clark is worth having in this world, and that’s what it’s a statement about,” Shaich said.
