December 2023

Photo courtesy Alonso Nichols/Tufts University

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec 20, 2023—Santa Clara University President Julie Sullivan today announced the appointment of James M. Glaser as executive vice president and provost at the University. The appointment follows a national search, and he will begin his term effective July 1, 2024.

Glaser is currently dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, a position he has held since 2014. He is a noted scholar of electoral politics and American political behavior, and an innovative academic leader with decades of experience building programs across multiple disciplines at Tufts.

In addition to supervising the school’s academic operations, Glaser oversees admissions, financial aid, student affairs, the library, student services and the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion that serve the School of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering at Tufts, with combined budgets of roughly $535 million and close to 1,300 faculty and staff.

Prior to his current role, Glaser was Tufts’ dean of undergraduate education for the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering for seven years, and then the dean of academic affairs for Arts and Sciences for four years.

At Santa Clara University, Glaser will oversee a broad portfolio including the College and all the schools, two centers of distinction, libraries, academic support programs, student life and wellness programs, global engagement, and enrollment management.

“In Jim, we have found a values-based, servant leader who possesses a remarkable academic acumen and a profound commitment to fostering a community rooted in compassion and intellectual rigor,” said President Sullivan. “His dedication to collaborative initiatives and a demonstrated track record of innovation and results that support the interests of faculty, students, and staff make him an invaluable leader for our University as we move forward.”

“I am honored and humbled to join the Santa Clara University community as provost,“ said Glaser. “The Jesuit values of academic excellence, service to others, and the pursuit of knowledge align perfectly with my own professional ethos and my experience. During my visit to campus, it became clear that I would be joining an incredible community of dedicated and talented people—faculty, staff and students. I will dedicate myself to the University and its students and look forward to working with President Sullivan and so many others to continue Santa Clara on its excellent trajectory.”

Glaser’s accomplishments at Tufts University stem from his leadership roles in: 

• The Arts and Sciences 2015 Strategic Plan: Together with a faculty co-chair and a faculty committee, Glaser led the effort to generate and articulate the big ideas in the plan, bring it to the community, incorporate feedback and criticism, and see it to fruition.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice: During his nearly 10 years as dean, roughly one-third of full-time faculty hires have been from underrepresented groups. In addition to substantially diversifying arts, humanities, and social science departments, under Glaser’s leadership, the school implemented a retention plan that improved graduation rates among underrepresented students; established a “First Center"—a physical space with dedicated staff and resources for first-generation students, and created a summer session financial aid fund for students with high need. He also established the Indigenous Center in 2021.
• The School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA at Tufts): Glaser was instrumental in the Tufts 2016 acquisition of the historic art school from the world-class Museum of Fine Arts Boston. After the acquisition, the investments Tufts made in the school in financial aid, operations, and admissions turned around enrollments and resulted in a budget surplus.
• Curricular and Programmatic Changes: During Glaser’s deanship, the school established two new departments, including the Department of Community Health, and the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism and Diaspora, as well as a new Ph.D. program in economics and public policy, and a master’s program in diversity and inclusion leadership.
• New Science Buildings: Glaser was involved with the planning and decision-making associated with three large-scale science buildings on Tufts’ campus that enhanced the ability of science and data science faculty to conduct first-tier research and teach effectively.
• Fundraising: Glaser’s tenure as dean overlapped with the university’s capital campaign. Working with a team of advancement officers, Arts and Sciences raised $506 million for Tufts, surpassing the school’s campaign goal of $450 million.

“As we embark on Santa Clara’s journey forward guided by a new strategic plan, I am confident that Jim’s vision and experience will enhance our commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship, social mobility, and global engagement and impact,” said President Sullivan. “I look forward to warmly welcoming him to our Bronco family and collaborating closely with him for years to come.”

Glaser received his B.A. from Stanford University and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the Tufts University faculty in 1991. He is the co-author (with Timothy J. Ryan) of “Changing Minds, if Not Hearts: Political Remedies to Racial Issues” (2013, University of Pennsylvania Press). His previous books, “The Hand of the Past in Contemporary Southern Politics” (2005, Yale University Press) and “Race, Campaign Politics, and the Realignment in the South” (1996, Yale University Press), each received the Southern Political Science Association’s V.O. Key Prize awarded to the year’s best book on Southern politics. Both books also were named as one of the year's “Outstanding Academic Titles” by Choice, a publishing unit of the Association of College & Research Libraries. Throughout his 21 years as an administrator, he has continued to teach an annual course in political science.

Glaser and his wife, Pamella Endo, look forward to returning to the Bay Area, where they first met. They are the parents of two children, Alison of New York City, and Jared of Oakland, California. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Glaser is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. He is also an avid tennis player, and hopes to find partners in the Santa Clara community. His intellectual interests are in history, art, and, of course, politics.

About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars, as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. www.scu.edu.

Media Contact
Deepa Arora | SCU Media and Communications | darora@scu.edu | 408-554-5125