– St. Angela Merici, founder of the Ursuline Order
For 80 years, Ursuline Academy has provided a faith-based education that encourages young women to be both bold and compassionate, to become women of integrity who engage in their communities with purpose and presence.
Today, we feel strongly that the values of an Ursuline, Catholic education have never been more relevant or necessary — the world in which we live cries out for those who foster community, collaborate freely, and channel their talents to effect positive change.
In early March 2020, we embarked on a strategic planning process to provide visionary direction for our future. Impacted — yet also informed — by the global pandemic, this process revealed the shifting landscape of Catholic education and confirmed the vital role Ursuline has in educating young women in the Greater Boston area.
We called upon our various constituencies to share their time and expertise to create a data-driven plan to ensure Ursuline’s longevity. Rooted in our mission, this vision safeguards both our students’ best interests and our school’s fiscal vitality for years to come.
Our Vision Points
Champion our Ursuline, Catholic values and identity
Lead women’s education in fulfillment of St. Angela Merici’s vision
Empower young women to realize their full potential
Ignite a positive, engaged community imbued with a spirit of Serviam
Forward, Together
Infused with optimism and guided by our mission and core values, we have a clear sense of who we are, whom we serve, and where we are going. This vision is our roadmap to ensure that Ursuline Academy continues to be a source of light in the world.
As we write the next chapter in the history of this remarkable institution, we invite you to join us as we move forward, together — with faith, courage, and joy.
Champion our Ursuline, Catholic values and identity
Inspired by our centuries-old faith tradition — and guided by the bold spirit of our founder, St. Angela Merici — we reaffirm our dedication to providing an Ursuline, Catholic education to young women who aspire to lead lives of integrity and effect positive change in the world.
We are deepening our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging, by:
- Ensuring diversity among our trustees, faculty, and staff to better reflect our student body.
- Making our community programming inclusive of and accessible to diverse populations.
- Providing our faculty with specialized training to better meet the unique needs of our students who learn differently.
We are preserving, sharing, and celebrating our Ursuline heritage, by:
- Ensuring that all parts of our community fully appreciate and understand the charism of St. Angela Merici.
- Creating archival space to honor the enduring legacy of the Ursuline Sisters and their lasting impact on our school.
We are creating a much-needed spiritual center for our entire school community, by:
- Developing a campus chapel, within existing space in the former convent, and making it accessible to all.
- Designing areas adjacent to the chapel for campus ministry use.
We are ensuring that we are serving the faith development needs of today’s students, by:
- Evaluating and adjusting our theology curricula, when necessary, taking into account that many of our students, who may identify as Catholic, have not been actively raised in the faith.
- Strengthening our retreat opportunities to help each student develop her personal relationship with God.
Lead women’s Catholic education in fulfillment of St. Angela Merici’s vision
The worthiness of women and their potential to positively impact society is the foundation upon which St. Angela Merici built the Order of St. Ursula. We remain true to her vision by thoughtfully integrating our classical, Catholic education with forward-thinking academic practices — that, together, best prepare our students to be the intelligent, talented, faith-filled leaders of tomorrow.
We are ensuring that our curriculum and academic experience prepare — and reflect the needs of — our students now and in the future, by:
- Evaluating our curricular offerings to make certain that we are preparing our students for the world in which they will live.
- Integrating principles of equity and inclusion across all curricula.
- Assessing and updating the support services offered within our Academic Resource Center (ARC).
We are investing in — and improving our ability to attract, retain, and reward excellence in — all those who teach and support our students, by:
- Conducting ongoing benchmarking to confirm that our faculty are receiving a competitive wage.
- Instituting comprehensive evaluation procedures for faculty and staff to ensure excellence throughout our professional community.
- Developing funding mechanisms for salary and benefit improvements through sustainable sources.
We are further embracing innovation, combining the best of an Ursuline, classical education with cutting-edge curricula and methods, by:
- Strengthening our targeted professional development opportunities.
- Renovating our classrooms with an emphasis on flexible space conducive to collaborative, hands-on learning.
Empower young women to realize their full potential
To build upon their God-given talents and potential, our young women deserve a robust student experience, one that extends beyond the classroom. Whether it is on the stage, in the lab, on the field, or in the local community, we are investing in our students’ academic, social, emotional, and spiritual growth — and inspiring them to lead lives of purpose.
We are deepening our commitment to supporting the comprehensive health and well-being of today’s young women, by:
- Establishing relevant programming that is intrinsically woven through our entire educational experience and strengthened by partnerships with parents and families.
- Refining our advisory program to foster community and build meaningful student-faculty and peer relationships.
We are leveraging local and global resources to connect students with the broader community, by:
- Developing specific programs with local institutions that expand our learning environment beyond Lowder Street.
- Tapping into the global Ursuline network to broaden student perspectives.
We are creating additional student-centered spaces that support how today’s students learn, gather, and work together, by:
- Transforming currently underutilized areas on campus into essential spaces for quiet study, seminar instruction, and collaboration.
- Structuring gathering areas in ways that serve our students’ needs and reflect our wholeness as a community.
We are improving co-curricular spaces for arts and athletics, by:
- Increasing resources for both the performing and fine arts to promote student creativity.
- Analyzing and improving existing playing fields to increase usage.
- Exploring and potentially developing additional venues in support of our athletic programs.
Ignite a positive, engaged community imbued with a spirit of Serviam
As a mission-driven community of young women, faculty, staff, and alumnae, we accept and embrace our responsibility to serve others — and to use our talents as a force for good in the world. For us, Serviam is a lived experience, a shared bond, a point of pride that unites us all, and it is the cornerstone of our Ursuline, Catholic education.
We are improving access and affordability for young women seeking an Ursuline education, by:
- Establishing dedicated financial resources to fund the increasing demand for tuition assistance and to create greater opportunities for a socio-economically diverse student population.
We are expanding programming in support of our alumnae through all phases of life, by:
- Amplifying outreach efforts to our alumnae and offering them meaningful opportunities to participate in our student life and advancement programs.
- Cultivating deeper connections among alumnae and our school, our students, and each other through such engaging events as networking breakfasts, retreats, and reunions.
We are continuing to develop impactful service opportunities for students, by:
- Broadening our students’ understanding of Serviam through more real-world experiences.
We are providing students with valuable career exploration through our active alumnae and parent networks, by:
- Expanding our Ursa Majors/Minors Externship Program, which benefits both students and alumnae in their pursuit of professional endeavors.
We are deepening a culture of philanthropy to ensure Ursuline’s future, by:
- Promoting and expanding our philanthropic efforts and providing meaningful opportunities to contribute to the growth and success of our school and students.
- Improving upon our ability to articulate and demonstrate the impact of an Ursuline, Catholic education.
Although we are just starting to share our strategic vision with the Ursuline community, we have already begun working toward achieving our goals. In fact, we have made significant progress on all four vision points, enhancing such areas as faculty compensation, student support services, and faith development, among others.
Faculty Compensation
Over three years, we have made substantive improvement to faculty compensation — an increase in pay of 23% — and we have improved benefits for all of our employees, including an increased 401(k) match and enhanced life insurance offerings.
Student Support Services
Through our Academic Resource Center (ARC), which was established during our 2022-2023 academic year, we have increased the support services available to our students, adding a math specialist and offering executive function coaching. In addition, we have provided valuable, hands-on professional development opportunities for our faculty and staff to meet the needs of Ursuline’s diverse learners.
Faith Development
Reflecting our longtime commitment to meeting the faith needs of Ursuline’s young women, we have introduced a “teaching” Mass, which is offered to our students, providing detailed explanations of each part of Mass while also promoting active participation in and a deeper understanding of this Catholic ritual.
Student-Centered Spaces
In recognition of the ways in which today’s students prefer to study and work together, we have renovated 19 classrooms in our main academic building. By refreshing their interiors and refurnishing them with desks that allow a variety of configurations, we are giving our students and teachers the ability to connect and collaborate in ways that enhance their learning experience. Outside the classroom, we have brought back the beloved “Senior Lounge” tradition by designating a comfortable gathering space adjacent to the lobby, where our seniors can come together and build community. Additionally, recent modifications to both the Tea Room and Angela Hall have improved their functionality, enabling students to fully utilize these spaces throughout the school day for quiet study as well as for socializing.
Access and Affordability
We have improved the access to and affordability of an Ursuline education for young women in the Greater Boston area by substantially increasing our tuition assistance – from $1.12 million to $1.67 million over the past three years – and by expanding our merit scholarship program to attract and recognize highly talented students. In addition, we are examining the true cost of the Ursuline student experience with the hope of providing more non-tuition financial assistance, and we have begun to add dedicated funds to the endowment in support of these efforts.
We encourage you to check in regularly, as we continue to make progress — and move forward, together.
Copyright © 2026 Ursuline Academy
Photography: @AdamRichinsPhoto