Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to winter quarter and happy new year!  I hope 2023 is a year filled with love, laughter, and joy for each of you.  I also hope you were able to spend precious time with family and friends during the holiday break and are returning to campus with a replenished spirit.  I was grateful to participate in the Christmas Eve Mass at the Mission Church and to share Christmas and leisure time with my five young grandsons and their families.

I recently did an annual “examen.”  Many are familiar with St. Ignatius Loyola’s structure for the daily “examen” or “examination of conscience,” where we look back over the day to see where God has been active, call to mind what we are grateful for, express our sorrow for things we wish we had done, done differently or not done, and we ask for God’s grace for the future.  As I did the same for this past year, I was struck by how so many of the times I recalled feeling God’s presence and/or moments of gratitude during 2022 involved my becoming a member of the Santa Clara community and my time here.  And as I look towards 2023 unfolding, I pray that we will have the grace to continuously see God’s presence at work in our Santa Clara community during the new year.

I am very excited about 2023, and it is beginning with gusto!  It was fabulous to kick off the winter quarter with so many Bronco students, faculty, staff, and alumni at the Leavey Center on Saturday night for an exciting basketball game against Gonzaga.  I was proud of our Bronco spirit and intensity both on and off the court.

I am thrilled that Lawrence Lokman, our new Vice President for Marketing and Communications, moved with his wife, Rhonda, to San Jose this past weekend and will begin at Santa Clara on January 17th.  I know you will enjoy getting to know him.  Please reach out to him with a warm welcome.

Very importantly, starting this week and continuing through January, we will be interviewing our finalists for Executive Vice President and Provost.  I encourage all to participate in the open forums and other opportunities to meet these candidates and to take time to provide your valuable feedback.

Also, in 2023, we will be developing our next strategic plan for Santa Clara.  This is our time to think collectively, creatively, and boldly about how SCU can best fulfill its mission over the next five years.  We intend to engage in an inclusive and transparent process that provides all faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to express ideas and feedback and also respects the role of the Planning Action Council, the University Policy Committee which is designated to oversee the development and revision of the University’s strategic plan, and the Board of Trustees, which is responsible for overseeing the mission, purpose, and plans of the university.  Please be on the lookout for a strategic plan communication next week with more detail on how you can participate.

The purpose of my monthly communications is to build relationships and to share with you a little about myself, what I am thinking and doing, and updates on my priorities.  If at any time you have a question about or feedback on anything I write, please reply to my email and express it.

I have enjoyed visiting with many of you in person during my office hours and will continue them in 2023.  My office hours for January and February are as follows:

• January 23    2:30 - 4:30
• January 26    9:00 - 11:00
• February 13   9:30 - 12:00
• February 23   2:30 - 5:00

If you would like to sign up for a time slot, please go here.

Please stay safe in the wake of our tumultuous weather.  I look forward to working with you in 2023.  Happy New Year!

Julie Sullivan
President