I must begin by expressing how wonderful the past year has been for me as interim president. The opportunity to lead Seton Hall has been a dream come true. I could not have been so successful without the support of everyone at the University, including the regents and trustees, my administrative colleagues, the faculty, students and priest community, and especially you — the worldwide Seton Hall family of alumni and friends.
I share your excitement over the appointment of Monsignor Joseph Reilly ’87, S.T.L., Ph.D., as the University’s 22nd president, and look forward to working with him to elevate the institution we love.
No one knows better than Monsignor Reilly that Seton Hall has had a presence on the world stage since its earliest days. As far back as the 1860s, the University enrolled students from Spain, the Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, Colombia and other international locations. Welcoming students from around the world and sending our students to study in distant lands has been a continuous thread in Seton Hall’s tapestry of global engagement.
With nations, peoples and cultures growing ever closer, the time is right for our University to further advance its ideas and ideals across the globe. To that end, we have made great strides in recent years to enhance our international presence, sending more students abroad and attracting a diverse international student body. And we have set exciting and achievable goals for coming years.
Our vision is this: To be known nationwide as offering transformative international experiences for every student, and to be known worldwide for providing students from around the world with a personalized academic experience in a nurturing Catholic community.
We began shortly after the pandemic by relocating the Office of International Programs to new, more prominent quarters in Jubilee Hall to reflect its enhanced stature at the University. To that location we welcomed three new staff members who were charged with facilitating international visitors and study abroad opportunities for American students.
Our efforts are bearing fruit. In 2023, we hosted 232 international students, including 108 undergraduates and 128 graduate students. They hailed from more than 40 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, China, Nigeria and India. Also that year, 250 Seton Hall students traveled to more than 22 nations, including Italy, Ireland, Japan and Colombia.
And we are just getting started. With each successive year, our intellectual landscape will become more international and our thinking will grow more globalized. Seton Hall students will deepen their positive impact on the world, mirroring the values and aspirations of the University itself.
Our increased staffing and expanded outreach are advancing hand-in-hand with new programs. As just one example, we launched the Rome Connection program in 2023 that enables first-year students to explore the Eternal City while connecting to its rich history and culture. Led by their professors, 60 students visited sites linked to their studies and served the homeless in St. Peter’s Square.
Partnerships with international institutions are also growing. In 2021, Seton Hall joined the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), an organization of more than 200 Catholic institutions worldwide. Subsequently, we forged agreements with IFCU members in South Korea and Mexico, paving the way for student and faculty exchanges, and joint programs and research.
More recently, we partnered with Universita Cattaneo LIUC in Italy, Catholic University of Lyon in France and Liverpool Hope University in England to collaborate on research and expand opportunities for student exchanges and faculty-led study abroad trips. In addition, Seton Hall is pursuing experiential learning and summer programs with these universities.
Looking to the near future, we have set ambitious goals for our international engagement. By the end of next year, we expect to enroll at least 400 international students and send 375 or more of our students abroad. We will continue to enhance student support mechanisms to ensure our international visitors return home with an overwhelmingly positive impression of Seton Hall.
Student support is a key aspect of our vision for international expansion, as we have begun a program to grow foreign enrollment through student ambassadors. The Mendoza Global Ambassador Program empowers international students to increase our visibility in their countries. As Mendoza Ambassadors, they inform their communities about opportunities at Seton Hall and guide prospective students toward University resources.
The program is proving its worth. Ambassadors represent us in more than 20 nations in Asia, South America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, many of which have seen enrollment increases.
The coming years will usher in a new age of international engagement at Seton Hall. Visiting students will elevate our campus culture with their global perspective, help teach our students to welcome difference, and better prepare them to work and live in an increasingly connected world.
Meanwhile, our students who study abroad will experience an enriched Seton Hall education, one that fosters intercultural understanding, exposes them to a global context within their courses of study, and increases their employability after graduation.
No matter where you call home, I welcome your engagement in advancing Seton Hall’s international goals.
