James M. Glaser, Santa Clara’s Executive Vice President- and Provost-elect, is joining Santa Clara with an open mind.

Source: Santa Clara University -- Photo courtesy Alonso Nichols/Tufts University

“I am going to come in and listen,” Glaser said. “The way things work best is when they [the needs of the community] come organically from the community. This is the most important way to build support for any initiatives.”

According to Glaser, the Santa Clara Provost is responsible for appointing and managing the leadership of the colleges as well as of the Learning Commons, admissions and student affairs departments. He will officially step into the role on July 1, 2024.

Before developing an action plan, Glaser intends to learn about Santa Clara’s culture and character.

“My first months on the job will be an effort to learn, to study the institution, to meet its people and to get a sense of what people are concerned about,” he said. “My job is to coalesce people to drive positive change forward.”

Although Glaser has not worked at a Jesuit institution before, he is confident that his values and previous experiences align with Santa Clara’s guiding principles, character and culture–and is open to aligning himself to these new values.

“I’m gonna need to learn a lot more about the Jesuit culture and how I can contribute to it,” Glaser said. “Access, public service and educating students fully–not just in the classroom but outside as well–are all part of the ethos of my current institution and values I already hold.”

Until his term begins, Glaser will remain in his current position as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. In his 33 years at Tufts, Glaser has spearheaded many initiatives, including developments in diversity, equity and inclusion. Glaser created Tufts’ first on-campus spaces for first-generation and Indigenous groups and established funds for low-income students looking to take summer classes.

Glaser recognizes Silicon Valley’s high cost of living as a concern when hiring. To help mitigate the impact that this is having on recruitment, Glaser hopes for faculty partnerships with nearby universities.

“I will be working cooperatively with Stanford, Berkeley and San Jose State to hire people who want to be in the same place and where combined incomes of the partners can help deal with high cost of living,” said Glaser. “It is an enormous strength of the university to be located in Silicon Valley, but it is also one of the great challenges because the area is so expensive to live in.”

Looking forward to the start of his term at Santa Clara, Glaser says he is ready to return to the state where he spent his college years. Having attended both Stanford and UC Berkeley, Glaser most looks forward to reconnecting with old friends and family living in the area.

“Returning to California brings me enormous joy and I look forward to making a lot of new friends at Santa Clara,” Glaser said. “I feel really lucky coming to a high quality place that is value-driven with a wonderful reputation in California.”