President Julie Sullivan on campus in June. Photo by Mark Brown.
can have the most success. We also will seek new revenue sources from innovative programs and opportunities. And we will increase our fundraising efforts. The Board of Trustees recently approved a comprehensive 10-year capital campaign that will attract donors who want to help us achieve these goals because of the impact we can have on society. Donors will help us keep St. Thomas affordable, enrich the student experience, raise our national profile and achieve our 10-year aspiration. What do you say to people who think St. Thomas is changing too fast? I’d say that adaptation and moving forward are part of the lifeblood of this university. Monsignor Terrence Murphy, two presidents before me, said, “If you're not moving forward, you're going backwards.” That is so true, especially today. The entire world is changing, and for some people, it’s too fast and too much. But we don't have a choice but to be a part of it. It means we have to be intentional, so we retain the things that have made us who we are, while we meet new challenges in a rapidly changing world. n
engaged as alumni. It’s already helping us to draw a more geographically diverse student body. Our first class of about 150 incoming athletes this fall come from 16 states and three countries outside the United States. Importantly, they also have excellent academic potential with an average GPA of 3.65. With six new and emerging priorities and 10 ongoing priorities, in what tangible ways will you measure success? We will intentionally measure our progress on key factors related to each priority and embed this plan in our existing and ongoing work. Importantly, the plan is integrated into our current organization structure and allows our entire community to be engaged. We're not creating new committees and new groups to make this happen, it's a part of our everyday work. The possibilities are powerful in a motivated and focused organization of nearly 10,000 students and 2,000 employees. How will St. Thomas fund such a bold plan? Some priorities will be funded through internal prioritization, by focusing resources where we
*Top 10 national Catholic universities according to 2021 U.S. News & World Report: University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, Boston College, Villanova University, Santa Clara University, Loyola Marymount University, Fordham University, Gonzaga University, University of San Diego and Marquette University. St. Thomas is tied for 17th in the rankings.
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