In March 2022, you identified some of the university’s pressing challenges such as infrastructure, enrollment, and marketing and communications. Where are we with these now?

We are making progress in all areas. One of our main goals has been to hire permanent employees in key positions in Admissions, Advancement, Finance, Human Resources and the School of Business and Management so that we are not relying on full-time consultants or Interim employees. We are fully staffed now, and I am really delighted with our Cabinet; we are really clicking as a leadership team. In addition to bringing their professional expertise to the university, our Cabinet members share a passion for the mission – addressing populations that are typically underserved and actively preparing future teachers, mental health professionals, and business and nonprofit leaders who are so critically needed in our community.

On the admissions front, we are starting to see some momentum in our efforts to grow enrollment; in fact, we are looking at a significant net increase and our first true fall-to-fall enrollment increase in the last 10 years. We are also putting significant energy into attracting international students, especially for our MBA Stem and MS Tech programs in the School of Business and the new online Master of Arts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership. This past month two staff – John Veitch, our Dean, School of Business and Management and Tanya Tran, Dean of Enrollment Management – headed to India to meet with prospective students to discuss our degree completion and master’s programs. We are also talking with Sr. Aoi Tsuda, President of Notre Dame Seishin University, to recruit students from Japan.

Given our enrollment numbers, fundraising successes, and community response to some of the programs we have done over the past year, including the Women in Leadership Speakers Series,  I think it is safe to say that we are moving past the perception that we are closing our doors.

What is happening with Stanford’s option-to-purchase agreement by mid-2025?

Stanford has made an application to the city for a Conceptual Development Plan for the campus. Belmont is making good progress on the Environmental Impact Report and NDNU is supporting the process in any way we can.

What are some of the highlights during your tenure as President thus far?

Looking back on two years, there is really a lot to celebrate. We are on the right track in so many areas. For example, late last year we were awarded a $3MM grant, Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program (PPOHA), that will enable us to better support minorities and other underserved students who might otherwise be unable to benefit from our program. This includes wrap-around services like counseling and career support, as well as scholarship assistance.

In addition to the PPOHA grant, the University recently received approval from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System for two academic programs in the School of Business and Management. This is important because we can now issue I-20 student visa forms to international students for both programs, Master of Science in Technology Management and MBA STEM. We can now market to and enroll students from foreign countries who want to learn about business and technology in the heart of the Bay Area. The ability to grant student visas for these two programs is a game-changer that is poised to yield significant results by Spring 2024.

I am very excited about the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership program that will begin in January 2024 and allows students the flexibility to study in an asynchronous online environment. Additionally, we are staffing our Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with several instructional designers to rework all curriculum so it can be offered online in an optimal way. We are also hiring an Associate Provost and Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies to serve as a WASC Senior College and University Commission specialist, and work with students and their faculty to create their own master’s program.

What are larger challenges going forward, and how are we addressing them?

Reaching financial sustainability is by far our biggest challenge. We will get there, but it will not happen overnight. We have deferred maintenance of older buildings to address. Also, while we are looking at promising long-term enrollment numbers for our online classes and influx of international students, we are still a few years away from reaching optimum capacity. We need a financial bridge to span the length of time to get there, and we are blessed that the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) have agreed to support us for the interim.

This year is particularly special as we celebrate the 100^th year anniversary of the SNDdeN moving to Belmont. What does this mean to you? More specifically, how have the courage and conviction of the Sisters inspired you in your professional and personal lives?

The 100th anniversary of the Sisters being in Belmont is very significant. The university has had a major impact on the local community. We have populated schools with teachers and administrators, prepared mental health professionals, and strengthened business leaders. With the city’s incorporation in 1926, it is not an overstatement to say that Belmont grew up with the University.

The courage and conviction of the SNDdeN have really inspired me. They never give up; they always keep going. When times are rough, they are still waiting for the wind, like they were waiting in the harbor of Antwerp, Belgium to set sail for America. If we are having a rough patch, Sr. Jean Stoner, our Board President, will say, “Well, we’re waiting for the wind.” These women possess such strength and moral fortitude. It is a gift to be working with them and advancing their mission.