Dear Saint Peter’s Colleagues:

Yesterday I spent my first official day as president of Saint Peter’s.  I am blessed for the opportunity to be with you, and I am deeply appreciative to Board of Trustees Chair Kenneth Moore for his warm welcome message and to all who have extended greetings and well wishes as we embark on this exciting journey together.

As we begin our collective work, I do so with sentiment of hope, and would like to share some initial thoughts.

First, communication and collaboration are extremely important to me, and my first 100 days will be centered on listening and learning.  Over the coming weeks I will be setting up meetings to interact with the University’s internal and external constituencies, to learn about our institution and to hear and understand people’s perceptions and expectations of Saint Peter’s. To build a collective vision for the future of Saint Peter’s, I want to learn about your hopes, desires and aspirations and those of the community from a personal and professional standpoint.

Second, we all know that higher education, our local communities, and the greater world face numerous and serious challenges, and the future feels uncertain. However, I have no doubts that a Saint Peter’s education, with its focus on leadership, service, diversity and inclusion, and social justice, can be a catalyst for change, community development and progress. I believe that there are untapped possibilities within our reach and that the opportunities at Saint Peter’s are truly endless. Most importantly, I trust that the University is well-positioned to respond effectively to those opportunities. Our efforts will be successful because we will work with conviction supported by our Jesuit tradition of excellence and the intense personal attention to a well-rounded student experience and a supportive campus environment.

Third, our Jesuit mission and values are central to the work of this university, and I am excited to be part of the collective commitment to offer transformative experiences, promote access to education and provide students, faculty and staff from all backgrounds an opportunity to grow and flourish. To continue our commitment to the mission priorities of Saint Peter’s, it is my distinct pleasure to announce that Rev. James A. Miracky, S.J., has been appointed as vice president for mission integration and ministry.  Fr. Miracky, who will join the campus community later in the summer, comes to Saint Peter’s with a rich background in higher education and pastoral ministry. Currently serving as associate pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish in New York City, Fr. Miracky is past assistant provincial for higher education in the USA East Province, dean of the college of arts and sciences at Loyola University Maryland and associate dean for faculty development at the College of the Holy Cross, where he also served as chair and associate professor of English. Please join me in welcoming Fr. Miracky to the Saint Peter’s community.

As we settle into life in Jersey City, please know that my wife Sandra and I are deeply grateful and very excited to be members of Saint Peter’s community and look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Hubert Benitez, DDS, PhD

President