New president welcomes students back

As Thayne McCulloh begins his term as the 26th University president, his vision revolves around what he sees as the most important part of Gonzaga: its students.

"Even as we remain connected to our intellectual heritage, we must also be a place unafraid to prepare our students, through our curricular offerings and co-curricular opportunities, to meet and respond to the contemporary professional and societal challenges that our students will wrestle with," McCulloh said.

In a University-wide e-mail sent July 16, McCulloh was officially announced as Gonzaga's newest elected president and the first non-Jesuit to hold the position.

McCulloh is no stranger to the University. For the past year he has acted as the interim president, following Fr. Robert Spitzer's, S.J., resignation in 2009 after holding the position for more than a decade.

"He has seen a broad view of the University over his 20 years and I think that will serve him well," Director of Public Relations Dale Goodwin said. "He has been involved in so many aspects of University life."

McCulloh first arrived at Gonzaga in 1986 as a student. Before graduating from Gonzaga he served as a resident assistant, resident director and student body president.

Beginning in 1990, McCulloh went on to hold a number of positions at Gonzaga, including several positions in student affairs and housing, assistant dean of students, dean of student academic services and dean of student financial services. In 2002 McCulloh was appointed associate academic vice president and in 2004 he was appointed vice president for administration and planning.

According to McCulloh, each of these positions was influential in preparing him for the job ahead.

 "I cannot think of a single professional experience that hasn't played a meaningful role in my capacity to do this job," McCulloh said. "I am deeply grateful to Father Spitzer for the many opportunities he gave me, to work with him on projects and to learn about his administration. To each of my supervisors I owe a debt of gratitude."

After Stephen Freedman's departure from the University in 2007, McCulloh was named interim academic vice president, the position that he held until becoming interim president of the University.

In the e-mail announcing McCulloh as University president, John Luger, chair of the board of trustees, explained the logistics of officiating Gonzaga's first non-Jesuit president.

"In order to seize this opportunity, the bylaws requiring the president to be a Jesuit were suspended," Luger said. "While this does not preclude Gonzaga from having a Jesuit leader in the future, we know that Dr. McCulloh is the right person to lead Gonzaga into its 125th anniversary [2012] and beyond."

Throughout the University there seems to be no concern with McCulloh's lay status and how it will affect his leadership of the University. Goodwin said that he believes most people will not recognize a difference in the quality of Gonzaga because McCulloh is not Jesuit.

"He was educated in the Jesuit tradition, worked in the Jesuit environment for 20 years, is a very spiritual man and thoroughly buys into Jesuit philosophies," Goodwin said of McCulloh. "Any changes that we see will be more programmatic and perhaps structural, but the Jesuit education will remain his top priority in my opinion."

According to McCulloh, the religious community has been helpful thus far. "The local Jesuit community, with whom I do my work in partnership, has been unequivocal in its support," McCulloh said.

Throughout McCulloh's term as interim president he proved to the University as a whole that he was capable of the new position he has received.

"The Board of Trustees is honored to have this leader, who has emerged from our midst and is himself a sterling example of what a Gonzaga education makes possible," Luger said.

"As he has proven in his year as interim president he is a devout collaborator," Goodwin said of McCulloh's leadership abilities.  "He seeks the counsel of others, he encourages dialogue and as a result his decisions and vision are shaped by the thoughts of many."

As summer fades and students return to campus, McCulloh is already experiencing firsthand what he is most excited for about the coming year.

"Seeing people coming back and reconnecting, you realize how students animate the campus."