By David Nathan | Illustrations by Ed Vill
What could Lasell University look like in 25 years, when the institution celebrates its 200th anniversary? We asked community members what they envisioned—whether practical, whimsical, aspirational, or imaginative.
The traditional higher education liberal arts model will undergo radical change over the next 25 years, and institutions like Lasell that listen, rapidly adapt, and look ahead will differentiate and distance themselves from those that cling to tradition.
— Gerry DeRoche, Lasell University Trustee
Lasell will be at the forefront of a new educational model. The core student will no longer be an 18- to 22-year-old undergraduate. Instead, Lasell will have a multi-generational student body and will educate new groups of learners who have been misplaced by emerging technologies. Lasell will serve as a kind of home base that students keep returning to when their skills are no longer relevant in the marketplace and they need to prepare to enter another field.
— Vicky Rakov, Lasell University Trustee
Students and Village residents will learn, conduct research, and create together. Lasell won’t just educate students, it will connect generations in ways no other small university can replicate.
— Darby Dallea P’28
Lasell will be recognized as a founding university of the (yet-to-be-created) World Organization of Lifelong Learning Institutions, which will link institutions committed to educating the whole person, regardless of age, around the world.
— Dennis Frey Jr., Professor of History
Building on its highly ranked legal justice/criminal justice program, Lasell will have a law school in 2051, either as a stand-alone venture or in partnership with another school.
— Anthony Berry ’23 G’24
Lasell will allow some upperclassmen and graduate students to enhance their intergenerational learning by living at Lasell Village for one or two semesters. The students will receive academic and mentorship support from Village residents with expertise in their field of study, participate in activities, and enjoy meals with residents.
— Jean Stringham, Lasell Village Resident
"Fashion—people will always want to look their best! Trends may shift, but fashion is always at the center of change and societies because it is a form of expression and communication." — Kellie Wallace, Associate Professor of Justice Studies
A few of our fellow Village residents are members of the Lasell Student Government Association, and I’d like to see more of that kind of collaboration between residents and University students. It’s a connection that’s not just important, it improves the experience for everyone.
— Rhoda Mann, Lasell Village Resident
Lasell’s football team.
—Anthony Berry ’23 G’24
I could see an increase in students studying mental health and psychology to support people in our ever-changing world. And, with so many alumni working with the Celtics, Red Sox, and other Boston sports organizations, I could see more of a draw toward the mix of sports and science.
—Valerie Pierre ’06
Higher education will be more modular, flexible, and lifelong, with students stacking credentials over time rather than completing a single four-year experience and moving on. AI will be seamlessly integrated into research, tutoring, and skill development, shifting the focus from information acquisition to critical thinking, judgment, and creative leadership.
— Brian Wardyga, Professor of Communication
Science knowledge will be doubling every month or perhaps week. Learning what is known will be impossible and relatively useless because of this rate of change. Students will need to learn how to learn using AI. Faculty will need to change from being sources of information to being facilitators of learning.
— Parker Small, Lasell Village Resident
It will become more personalized and embrace technology even more. Higher education will focus on preparing students to meet the needs of employers in the workforce rather than memorizing facts or data.
— Mylena Bovo ’26
The graduate degree will be the new baseline in education. Institutions will offer a three-year model to earn an undergraduate degree and offer high school students additional opportunities to take courses.
— Anthony Berry ’23 G’24
One thing I hope doesn’t change is our campus, especially the natural beauty and the Victorian houses. I think it will be necessary to keep up with the times and upgrade, like we did with the Michael B. Alexander Science & Technology Center, but I hope through it all we maintain the physical aesthetic of campus.
— Rhoda Mann, Lasell Village Resident
"Similar to the movie Back to the Future, students will be able to transport themselves around campus through an app on their watches or smart phones. For example, they could instantaneously move from the Arnow Campus Center to the Michael B. Alexander Science & Technology Center." — Jean Stringham, Lasell Village Resident
Education will be more immersive, using extended reality environments to simulate workplaces, labs, and global settings. Wellness—mental health, physical vitality, and life design—will be central to campus life.
— Darby Dallea P’28
The student experience will be far more personalized, with AI‑assisted academic planning. Physical campuses will emphasize community, production, labs, and mentorship—spaces students choose for connection and applied work rather than passive lecture attendance.
— Brian Wardyga, Professor of Communication
Sports will be non-gendered and played for the sheer joy of competition because professional and high-level college leagues will be fully automated by AI-powered bots.
— Dennis Frey Jr., Professor of History
There is practical and empirical value in face-to-face interactions and education, so I hope classes will remain in person—but I imagine they will be held online, through a hybrid model, or some platform we have not discovered yet such as an AR/VR campus workspace or video‑game‑like set up.
— Kellie Wallace, Associate Professor of Justice Studies
Professors will be measured by their teaching ability and knowledge rather than their academic credentials. They will focus on mentorship, collaborating with students on research, and helping to create the whole student.
— Caroline Schastny, Lasell Village Resident
I see more high-tech housing in the future: using AI within the residential buildings and new technology as a way to get around campus. I also hope Lasell grows its residential and orientation leader staff. Having more 1:1 interactions would offer students (especially new students) the individual support they need.
— Valerie Pierre ’06