Bulk of university policy from board, not president

Standing before any major decision made at the university are 38 individuals that make up the board of trustees.

With Santa Clara being a Catholic and Jesuit institution, the board decides on policies with the constant intention of furthering Roman Catholic and Jesuit ideals. Although many policies that are brought to the board do not involve Catholic values, it is inherent that each move the board makes is in accordance with the church ,according to James Briggs, executive assistant to the president and assistant secretary to the board.

Policies such as the one that restricts the distribution of contraceptives on campus are ones that are made hand-in-hand with the ideals of the board and essentially the policies of the Pope. When asked if there would ever be a case in which the desires of the Roman Catholic Church and the desires of the board were in opposition, Briggs said he could not imagine there ever being such a case.

The unison between the ideals of the board and the Church can serve to isolate certain students, according to senior Eizer Queja. Queja is Christian and while he feels that the school has the right to instill its religious philosophy to the students, he doesn't agree with it.

"The school can't just assume that everyone is Catholic or even believe in God," said Queja.

One way that the university's religious affiliation affects the school is in the three course religion requirement for all students, a requirement that senior Camille Bamba finds pointless.

Bamba, a non-Catholic, agrees that the school has the right to apply Catholic ideals to certain policies, although she feels that there are certain areas the university should not have to deal with, such as contraceptives.

"I don't think it should be the responsibility of the school to say we can or cannot use contraceptives," said Bamba, "We're adults and that's a personal issue that the school shouldn't be involved in."

Mario Prietto, S.J., head of campus ministry, feels that non-Catholics can still benefit from the Catholic ideals instilled in the university. "It is my hope that non-Catholic students investigate their own faith tradition, be it Christian or non-Christian," said Prietto.

"Given the variety of course offerings in the religious studies department, this is possible. The Catholic Church's teaching on social and justice matters over the centuries has been exemplary, and ... matters [such as] world hunger and abuses of capitalism are worthy of consideration by people of all faiths."

The board's jurisdiction encompasses virtually every aspect of the school as it is divided into several committees including ones in education, finance, university relations, investment, marketing, technology and master plan. The master plan committee is assigned to consider the long-term future of Santa Clara in regards to renovations and restructuring of facilities.

The entire board of trustees meets once per quarter. Outside of these meetings, each committee may meet in order to prepare either an informational report or an issue to be voted on at the next board meeting.

In the end, the future of Santa Clara in almost every aspect is in the hands of the 38 individuals on the board of trustees.

"The university ultimately is entrusted to the trustees to ensure that the university continues to be a quality institution and is moving in the right direction," said Briggs.

Contact Lance Dwyer at (408) 554-4546 or at ldwyer@scu.edu.