Three Years In, Julie Sullivan Sets Her Sights Higher

Santa Clara University's President, Julie Sullivan, sits down with The Santa Clara and her dog, Bella. Photo by Nick Glick

Julie Sullivan is no stranger to university leadership. But as she closes her third year as president of Santa Clara University, she notes this one feels different.

“The third year is always a really exciting year,” she said. “The first year, you’re drinking from the firehose. The second year, you’re building relationships and finishing your leadership team. The third year, you’re off and ready to go.”

Sullivan, who previously was the president of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, has used her third year at Santa Clara University to push forward a broad institutional agenda. She attributed growing momentum around the University’s new strategic plan, increasing socioeconomic diversity among students, and deepening global ties, especially within the Jesuit network.

Financial aid and access have been top priorities. “We exceeded our Pell Grant goal this past year,” she said, referring to the federal grant program for low-income students. The University, she added, is also on track to meet its target of having 20% of its incoming 2030 be first-generation students. 

To maintain momentum, Sullivan emphasized the University’s ongoing fundraising priorities. “Our highest priority right now is scholarships,” she said. “We’re working to support students across the financial spectrum, not just those on full aid or full pay.”

But Sullivan also sees inclusion as more than a matter of access. “Belonging for all Broncos”—one of the University’s strategic pillars—reflects a broader goal to ensure that students, faculty and staff can thrive. “Because this is such a relational community, there’s a strong desire to strengthen the relationships that help people feel at home here,” she said.

That commitment is being tested in a national environment that Sullivan acknowledges is increasingly hostile to higher education. She said federal policies have created “fear and anxiety and uncertainty” among families, particularly undocumented students and international students. 

The University’s response, she said, has been shaped by discretion and respect.

For undocumented students, that has meant private gatherings, not public statements. “We reached out to the community and asked how they wanted to be supported,” Sullivan said. “They told us they didn’t want large public events, so we’ve focused on private outreach and legal resources.” International students, meanwhile, have received regular communication through campus offices and additional support, including housing options and summer job opportunities.

The University’s commitment to social justice, Sullivan emphasized, remains rooted in its Jesuit identity. “Jesuit values will always be the key driver to whatever we do. And, the Jesuit values are not illegal,” she said. “The Jesuit values have been here for over 500 years, and this university has embraced them for almost 175 years.” 

The topic of belonging—a theme that cuts across many of these initiatives—remains a major pillar of the University’s plan. Sullivan framed it as a commitment that goes beyond checking demographic boxes, especially in light of Santa Clara University’s move toward becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

“The important word in HSI is ‘serving,’” she said. “How do we ensure we’re employing best practices so that those students thrive and flourish?”

Sullivan clarified that the University will comply with non-discrimination laws, but she defended the importance of identity-based events and organizations: “We make sure all our events are open to everyone, but we also support spaces where students from specific communities can find connection.”

That principle also guided the University’s decision to sign onto an amicus brief supporting academic freedom and the autonomy of higher education institutions. Sullivan described it as “a very balanced argument” that highlighted universities’ role in fostering social mobility, research, innovation and democracy. “It talked about the need for certain principles to be upheld,” she said, pointing to academic freedom and freedom of speech.

Sullivan’s global ambitions for Santa Clara University have also begun to materialize. A major change on the horizon is the likely relocation of the Jesuit School of Theology from Berkeley to the main Santa Clara campus. “That community is deeply global,” she said. “Over half the students and many faculty are from outside the U.S.” 

The move, Sullivan noted, would bring a more globally rooted Jesuit presence to campus.

In anticipation of the transition, the University plans to renovate Guadalupe Hall to create classrooms and faculty offices. Sullivan added that the University is also preparing new graduate student housing on underutilized land near campus. “We want to create something multi-story that would house a number of residents,” she said, adding that the Jesuit conference is also purchasing homes for JST students.

Beyond housing, the University is expanding its international footprint. This spring, it signed a new agreement with Sogang University, a top Jesuit institution in South Korea, and is continuing pursuing broadening study abroad and experiential learning programs. “We’re looking at how to create more immersion opportunities and internships,” Sullivan said, pointing to faculty and administrative leadership guiding the effort.

One initiative drawing both interest and concern is the University’s potential shift from a quarter to semester system. Sullivan made clear that no decision has been made. “We’re just asking the question, and studying what the implications would be being on the semester versus being on the quarter,” she said. “The reason we’re having the conversation now is the core curriculum is under revision.”

For Sullivan, service and transformation remain guiding principles. When asked what advice she would offer to graduating students entering an uncertain world, she offered a personal refrain: “Live by your values. Speak up. Be respectful. And—this too shall pass,” she said, quoting her grandmother.

Challenges, however, persist. Federal policies have disrupted families and campuses across the country, and Sullivan acknowledged that Santa Clara has not been immune. “While we’ve been less directly impacted than others, the ripple effects—especially fear and uncertainty—have touched our community,” she said.

And despite the broader challenges facing American universities—from political polarization to demographic shifts—Sullivan expressed a deep sense of optimism.

“I think our students are awesome,” she said. “They’re the best students I’ve ever worked with. They’re very bright, very kind and compassionate. They care about others. They care about the world. And they are respectful in the way they express themselves and seek to make change.”

It’s a vision of higher education that, for now, remains defiantly hopeful—and distinctly Jesuit.