At the 2006 State of the University speech on Feb. 14, University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., reflected on his hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future. He connected his personal journey toward vocation and mission to his role as president. As the University progresses into the 21st century, he said, SCU will continue to rely on three pillars: programs and Jesuit education; people in community; and resources.
Supporting Santa Clara’s Jesuit identity, Locatelli said, requires a constant consideration for social justice. “I want a Santa Clara education to develop your intellectual talents, inspire you to be ethical in your personal and professional lives, and to have compassion to actively construct a more humane and just world,” he explained.
People and community already play a key role in the university’s overall excellence, Locatelli noted. He attributed Santa Clara’s designation as one of the 10 best places to work in the Bay Area—the only university to achieve that status—in large part to the people and community working here. But he encouraged all to strive for an even better future by reviewing and revitalizing academic programs to best prepare students to be “ethical, compassionate, global leaders who will be effective citizens and professionals upon graduation… and throughout life.”
Improving resources at Santa Clara will continue to involve updating facilities on campus, which Locatelli acknowledged will involve continuing fund raising as well as dislocation and disruption for students, faculty, and staff, particularly during the two-year library building project.
In closing, Locatelli urged all to find their personal calling within the context of their roles at the University. “Responding to your call in life, discovering your vocation, is not a one-time zap from God, but a lifelong journey.” Locatelli’s journey will continue to be at Santa Clara, as he assumes his fourth six-year presidential term in August.