Learn a bit about St. Joe’s recently named President-Elect Mark C. Reed., Ed.D., and his thoughts on becoming the university’s new leader in his first ever Q&A with The Hawk. Read on to hear his answers and ideas on everything from becoming the first “first family” of St. Joe’s to addressing the university’s financial issues.
How do you feel about being the new president of Saint Joseph’s University?
“It’s a bit surreal, to be honest. I’m honored and humbled by it. Thrilled at the opportunity, excited. Sad to leave Fairfield, which is a place I love. Looking forward, though, to what lies ahead, which I know will be very special. St. Joe’s is a great community and an excellent university. I couldn’t be more fortunate with being entrusted with the responsibility as the university’s next president.”
How does your family feel about your new position?
“Much the same way I do. Everyone will tell you that they have a dream job or two, and St. Joe’s is that for me, and my family shares this. I also want to add that we are so grateful for the wonderful reception we received last Wednesday on campus. Everyone could not have been nicer and more welcoming. I particularly want to thank all the students whom we met and the many others who just said hello. It meant a great deal to us.”
Will your wife and daughters be regular faces around campus?
“I think so and I hope so. But I also think it’s important that they have privacy and a normal experience, too. Personally, I don’t buy into the ‘first family’ lingo. We are just a regular family, like so many other families associated with SJU. We’ve brought our girls to many activities and sporting events on Fairfield’s campus, and we’ll be regulars at Hawks’ games too. Our girls especially like the mascot and cheerleaders!”
How do you feel about returning to Philadelphia?
“It’s a great city, one of the country’s best, with so much to offer and going on. We look forward to it. It’s also a changed city. So much positive development in the past 20 years since I last lived here.”
Tell us more about your connection and roots with Philadelphia.
“… [I] was born and raised in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, just outside of Northeast Philly. I attended St. Albert the Great school. My parents are still there. My family continues to enjoy summers at the Jersey shore.”
How does your high school (Saint Joseph’s Preparatory school) affiliation affect the way you have viewed Saint Joseph’s throughout your life?
“Well, I have known about SJU all my life – for at least as long as I can remember anyway. But that’s primarily because my father is a graduate, and we also used to go to Big Five games at the Palestra when they were all played there as double-headers. At the Prep, we did not have much interaction with the university, but we did have our graduation in the fieldhouse.”
How do you think being a layperson will affect your direction and the decision-making process of our Jesuit institution?
“This is an interesting question, and perhaps the best answer I can give is I don’t know. The reason I say this is that I don’t intend to change at all whom I am and how I approach decisions from the way that I do now or have learned over my career and life. SJU’s Jesuit mission is at the core of the university’s identity, and it will always be top-of-mind with any decisions I make.”
The past few years have brought several financial problems to the university. How do you plan to address and fix these issues?
“I’m glad you asked this question. I learned a lot about SJU during the search process, and by all metrics and indicators I have seen, SJU is in solid financial position. However, as I said in my introductory remarks last Wednesday, it’s no secret that American higher education is under enormous pressure – and private, residential, liberal-arts based, tuition-dependent higher education in particular. Saint Joseph’s fits every one of those descriptors.
The true problem, as I see it and have experienced first-hand, is that the previous business model of the prior 30+ years no longer applies. You no longer increase tuition between five and seven percent every year, fund everything you want to, and just keep going. It’s changing the model that causes angst and in some cases disruptive tension on campuses like Saint Joseph’s. There is nothing I can tell that is unique about the challenges that SJU faces. So that’s good news. However, what it also means is that there are no easy solutions or they would have been found and implemented by now.
So what is it going to take? First, a willingness and acknowledgement by all at the university to accept that the model has changed and we must change with it. Trying to make the previous model simply work better is not going to work long-term. At the same time, we can’t forget who and what we are – a university, and one with a wonderful Jesuit mission. Second, we have to take a hard look at what SJU does well and also be honest about what we could do better or might not be able to continue doing at all. And when we do this, we need to invest in new things (academic programs, student services, etc.) and curtail others…The diversification of revenue streams from academic programs and other activities is of paramount importance. Expense growth cannot outpace revenue growth. Again, when you look at SJU’s financial performance of the past several years, there is solid ground from which to build.”
We have also seen a number of complaints about the governance structure of the university. What experience do you bring to these problems and how do you hope to mend feelings of discontent among members of the faculty?
“Again, SJU is not unique, and I have experience at Fairfield with similar issues. I think it’s important to communicate openly and transparently. I find in the absence of information, people tend to assume the worst. Perhaps that’s just human nature. At the same time, everyone has a role to play – administrators, trustees, faculty, students, alumni, etc. – and universities cannot be run by a ‘committee of the whole’…I appreciate the recent tensions at SJU, but it’s time to move forward. We learn from it, but we need to move forward, and that’s what I intend to do upon my arrival. We all want the same things – academic distinction, a student experience second to none, and the full embodiment of our mission. These are the things to guide us.”
What is your vision for the university?
“There will be more time later to go into greater detail about this. But for now, let’s state simply that the vision is for SJU to grow both in reality and in perception as one of the top Jesuit and overall comprehensive universities in the region and country. Many things have to happen and work together to achieve this. But if we are true to our Jesuit mission, smart in our management of our resources, and focused on students learning and transformative living and learning, I am confident the vision will be achieved.”
How do students fit into this vision?
“Students – their learning and formation – are the reason we exist as a university.”
