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September 2022 Board of Trustees Meeting Recap

November 7, 2022

Dear members of the SLU community,

On September 23, we held the first Board of Trustees meeting of the new academic year. I want to summarize some of the topics discussed at that meeting.

We began the meeting by welcoming a new Trustee, Fr. Timothy McMahon, S.J., to the Board. Fr. McMahon is the rector of the new Jesuit Center on campus and the canonical pastor at St. Francis Xavier College Church. A Jesuit priest for 50 years, Fr. McMahon most recently served as the superior of a Jesuit community in El Paso, Texas, and before that, the president of a Jesuit high school in Denver.

In my report to the Board, I shared that Provost Michael Lewis, Fran and I attended the 2022 Assembly of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), which drew nearly 400 presidents, faculty and administrators from Jesuit institutions and organizations from around the world. The highlight of the assembly was a keynote address from Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa, S.J., who concluded his insightful, illuminating and inspiring remarks with the following observation:

The desire of the Society of Jesus is . . . that we can grow as institutions that form persons who are integral and integrated, able to discern the present as long as they live, and committed to the search for social and ecological justice.

As I noted to the Board, our collective purpose is to realize this vision in a university like ours, at this time and in this place. And we are in a strong position to do so, having just concluded what — by most measures — was the most successful year at SLU since my arrival in the summer of 2014.

Looking ahead, I outlined the four priorities that will guide our efforts this academic year. They are:

Members of the executive leadership team have been assigned as point persons for each priority, charged with fostering collaboration and synergy across the institution. Our successful pursuit of each of these priorities will move us closer to Father General Sosa’s desire and our vision for SLU to be a global Jesuit university — one that is mission-focused, student and patient-centered, and research-driven, working with the people of St. Louis to reimagine, transform, and unify our city.

Below are brief summaries of other updates shared during the meeting.

Executive officers

As they do each year, the Trustees approved the slate of executive officers that will serve the University this academic year. This includes the provost and vice presidents, along with the secretary, assistant secretary and treasurer of the University.

Academics

Provost Lewis gave an update on the academic strategic plan, noting that it is being developed through a broad and inclusive process that has included input from more than 500 faculty, staff, and students. Additionally, we are pleased that more than 2,000 students are now engaged in the undergraduate Core, which includes 83 new courses proposed by our faculty.

Enrollment

Kathleen Davis, Vice President for Enrollment Management, reported that this term’s total enrollment is our strongest since 2012. The first-year class is the fourth largest in our history, and transfer and graduate enrollments are up substantially, bucking national trends. This remarkable success is thanks to our revised enrollment strategy and multi-prong focus on undergraduate, graduate, and transfer students.

Medical Affairs

Dr. Chris Jacobs, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine, discussed the integration of SLUCare with SSM Health, which has opened a new chapter for our medical school and its mission of education, research, clinical care, and community engagement. Dr. Jacobs also noted that the School of Medicine is currently developing a five-year strategic plan, a process led by seven working groups and involving multiple listening sessions across the school.

Finances

Vice President and CFO David Heimburger reported that we have begun the academic year in a very strong financial position — especially compared to our peers — and that SLU is well-positioned for the future. As my October 14 budget update communicated, the FY22 normal operating budget closed with a smaller operating deficit than expected, while the overall budget closed with a much larger surplus than anticipated in spring, thanks in great part to previously unbudgeted large restricted gifts.

The Trustees also approved the formation of two quasi-endowments funded by proceeds from the SLUCare integration with SSM.

Fundraising

Sheila Manion, Vice President for Advancement, thanked the Board for its leadership and generous support of the Accelerating Excellence campaign, which ended on June 30. Combined, our trustees gave $102 million of the $604 million we raised. Our faculty and staff generously contributed $14.7 million. This year’s goal is to build on the momentum of this tremendous success.

In addition to these updates, there were two special focus topics during the meeting:

Student Well-being

Dr. Sarah Cunningham, Vice President for Student Development, was joined by University Counseling Center (UCC) Director Knieba Jones-Johnson, Director for Parent and Family Engagement Kesha Williams, and Wellness Coordinator Tori Harwood to highlight some of the remarkable work they are doing to support student wellness. This includes becoming a JED Campus, increasing UCC staff and hours, launching new well-being coaching services for students, and enhancing parent/family engagement, among other efforts.

Fr. David Suwalsky, S.J., Vice President for Mission and Identity, discussed campus ministry and pastoral ministry efforts at SLU, including Tuesday and Thursday Masses at the new Jesuit Center. The University’s campus ministers — Catholic, Christian, and non-Christian — were significantly involved in supporting students last year and will continue to be here for our students as compassionate listeners today.

Humanities Scholarship and Research

Concluding the meeting was an impressive presentation from Dr. Claire Gilbert, Associate Professor of History and a renowned scholar. Now also serving as Director of Scholarly Research Initiatives in the Office of the Vice President for Research, Dr. Gilbert detailed the exciting landscape of humanities scholarship at SLU.

As someone who has long believed in the intrinsic value of a liberal arts education, I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Gilbert that humanities scholarship will play a central role in SLU’s journey toward becoming one of the nation's preeminent Jesuit research universities. The humanities continue to grapple with the big questions of our time. They remain at the heart of the modern university, especially a Jesuit university that is called to pursue truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity.

Sincerely,

Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.
President