Copyright The Boston Globe
Clark University will receive the largest single gift in its history, a $20 million donation from Panera Bread founder and alumnus Ron Shaich, to support a restructuring of the Worcester college’s operations. The gift, a mix of endowed and expendable funds, will bolster Clark’s enrollment and financial aid initiatives as part of the strategic transformation plan announced last spring, the university said last week in a statement. That plan is to refocus academic programs around the school’s strengths — climate, environment and society, and media arts, among others — and position the university to compete more effectively in the current higher education landscape. “With this gift, Mr. Shaich is affirming the promise of our strategic plan to propel Clark into a new chapter of sustained relevance, excellence, and impact,” Clark President David Fithian said in the statement. “The leading role he is taking to support us philanthropically is a testament to his belief in the distinctive and distinguished nature of a Clark education.” The restructuring comes as colleges nationwide grapple with what Clark officials call an “unprecedented combination of pressures,” according to the university’s website. Enrollment is down at many universities, the costs of school is increasing, and President Trump has pulled federal funding from campuses that don’t align with his administration. Advertisement The plan includes new programs, including a three-year accelerated undergraduate degree, and the elimination of academic programs that have drawn limited student interest. The donation will also support the university’s new School of Climate, Environment, and Society, the statement said. Fithian added that the funding will help Clark “as we continue the hard but necessary work of reducing expenses and rightsizing the institution.” Shaich, who also helped launch Tatte Bakery and Cafe, Cava, and Life Alive, graduated from Clark in 1976 and received an honorary degree in 2014. He’s a current trustee and remains involved with the university. As a student, Shaich founded and ran the General Store on campus, the statement said. His previous $5 million gift funded the Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center, which opened in 2016 as a hub for campus operations. Advertisement “Clark, like all of higher education, is at a critical inflection point,” Shaich said in the statement. “I applaud the way in which President Fithian and the entire University are confronting this moment proactively, boldly, and with plan and purpose.” Lila Hempel-Edgers can be reached at lila.hempeledgers@globe.com. Follow her on X @hempeledgers and on Instagram @lila_hempel_edgers.
