Elms College Receives Donation Naming School of Continuing Education

CHICOPEE — Elms College has received a generous donation from Francis and Marian Kirley to rename the college’s School of Continuing Education as the Sister Kathleen Kirley ’66 School of Continuing Education.

Sr. Kathleen was director of Continuing Education at Elms College from 1977 to 1990 and served as the dean of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies from 1990 to 1998.

“We are grateful for the Kirleys’ transformational gift to name the School of Continuing Education that will benefit our students for generations to come,” said Harry Dumay, president of Elms College. “Guided by the mission and vision of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Sr. Kathleen, Francis, and Marian are dedicated to the success of our students — continuing education, undergraduate, graduate — and preparing them to be lifelong learners.”

Francis Kirley, a former member of the Elms College board of trustees and last year’s commencement keynote speaker, is a cousin of Kathleen Kirley. He is also the founder, president, and CEO of Nexion Health, a healthcare organization with 56 skilled-nursing and assisted-living facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. He currently serves as the chairman of the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Foundation and is a board member of the Louisiana Nursing Home Assoc. and the Coalition for Quality Health Care in Texas.

The Sister Kathleen Kirley ’66 School of Continuing Education at Elms College provides flexible academic options for students returning to college to complete their degree. Students can take classes online, on-site at Elms, or at one of the college’s off-campus locations.