This is more than a marketing tagline; it springs from the heart of Catholic social teaching and expresses the inspiring mission of the University of St. Thomas. I am proud to lead this vibrant community where we seek to advance the common good through excellence in education, work and ethical action.
St. Thomas continues to live out this mission through the ongoing implementation of a new strategic plan. With a robust enrollment exceeding 10,000 students and more than 100,000 living alumni all over the world, the university envisions priorities that are, in the words of the plan, “bold and expansive.”
We hope you will enjoy learning more about our initiatives and St. Thomas by exploring our website. Our faculty proudly combine excellence in teaching with rigorous scholarship, and we are eager to share our programs and services with you. I know that as you learn more about us, you too will see a community that defines education as essential to realizing the common good.
Julie H. Sullivan, Ph.D.
President
Julie H. Sullivan is the 15th president of the University of St. Thomas. Serving since July 2013, she is the first layperson and first female president of this almost 135-year-old Catholic university. St. Thomas is the largest private university in Minnesota, with 10,000 students and 2,000 employees. With campuses in St. Paul, Minneapolis and Rome, St. Thomas is a comprehensive university, grounded in the liberal arts and Catholic intellectual tradition, and encompassing eight schools and colleges, including schools/colleges of business, engineering, education and law. Its newest college, the Dougherty Family College is reducing the college education and prosperity gaps in Minnesota by providing an alternate pathway to a bachelor’s degree for first generation and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
Sullivan served as executive vice president and provost at University of San Diego (2005-2013) after an extensive academic and administrative career as a professor of business and accounting at the University of California-San Diego (2003-2005) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1987-2003).
Sullivan is an innovative academic leader with a purpose. She is known for her commitments to eliminating economic, education and health disparities and promoting intercultural understanding. She is a champion for social innovation and has been a leader in the global Ashoka Changemaker movement.
Sullivan shares her education, financial, leadership and strategy expertise with public companies, as well as nonprofit organizations. She currently is a board member of TCF Financial Corp., Catholic Charities, Minnesota Business Partnership, Loyola University Chicago and Greater MSP. She also is a member of WomenCorporateDirectors and Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable.
Sullivan’s prior board service includes 14 years of cumulative experience as a director of three other public companies: PICO Holdings, Applied Micro and United PanAm Financial Corporation. She also has served on additional non-profit boards, including Greater Twin Cities United Way, Project Concern International and The Old Globe Theatre.
A native of Florida, Sullivan has three degrees from the University of Florida, a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a master’s degree in taxation and a Ph.D. in business. She is a (non-practicing) certified public accountant.
At the University of St. Thomas, we believe in hard work, human dignity and the transformative power of purple. We stand up for faith, hope and the power of individuals, working together, to achieve uncommon feats. We build bridges, create solutions and power ideas that move the world forward.
The 2025 Strategic Plan was developed to focus our efforts over the next 5 years, building on the success of the 2020 Strategic Plan, recognizing the headwinds and opportunities facing the university, and shaped by input from the entire St. Thomas community.
The University of St. Thomas will advance to the level of excellence, impact and reputation that distinguishes the top 10 national Catholic universities.
As our community came together through the strategic planning process to develop goals for the next five years, the following themes emerged. These will guide our work, helping us remain true to what makes St. Thomas unique while empowering us to focus on key ongoing and emerging priorities that will help us thrive.
See how the Themes and Priorities of the 2025 Strategic Plan interweave
Additional information
Dr. Eddy Rojas, current dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Dayton, has enthusiastically accepted President Julie Sullivan's invitation to join the University of St. Thomas, effective August 1, 2021.
Read MorePresident Julie Sullivan shared that the St. Thomas community will observe Juneteenth as a holiday this year. (June 4, 2021)
President Julie Sullivan invited all St. Thomas faculty and staff to a retirement party for Father Larry Snyder from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15. (June 1, 2021)
One year after the death of George Floyd, President Julie Sullivan asked the St. Thomas community to remember the lives of all those lost to racial violence. (May 25, 2021)
The University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees enthusiastically approved new university principles on renaming, as proposed by our Committee to Establish Principles on Renaming. (May 20, 2021)
Contact Karen to make an appointment, book a speaking engagement, or invite President Sullivan to attend a meeting or event.