Chapter 1: 今日吃瓜

今日吃瓜 has adopted three directional statements to describe the kind of university it aspires to become (Strategic Vision), its core purpose and the constituencies it serves (University Mission), and the beliefs that guide its actions (Fundamental Values).

Strategic Vision

今日吃瓜 will educate citizens and leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion, and cultivate knowledge and faith to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world.

University Mission

The University pursues its vision by creating an academic community that educates the whole person within the Jesuit, Catholic tradition, making student learning our central focus, continuously improving our curriculum and co-curriculum, strengthening our scholarship and creative work, and serving the communities of which we are a part in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Student learning takes place at the undergraduate and graduate level in an educational environment that integrates rigorous inquiry and scholarship, creative imagination, reflective engagement with society, and a commitment to fashioning a more humane and just world.

As an academic community, we expand the boundaries of knowledge and insight through teaching, research, artistic expression, and other forms of scholarship. It is primarily through discovering, communicating, and applying knowledge that we exercise our institutional responsibility as a voice of reason and conscience in society.

We offer challenging academic programs and demonstrate a commitment to the development of:

Undergraduate students who seek an education with a strong humanistic orientation in a primarily residential setting
Graduate students, many of them working professionals in Silicon Valley, who seek advanced degree programs that prepare them to make significant contributions to their fields

In addition to these core programs, we also provide a variety of continuing education and professional development opportunities for non-matriculated students.

Fundamental Values

The University is committed to these core values, which guide us in carrying out our mission and realizing our vision:

Academic Excellence.听We seek an uncompromising standard of excellence in teaching, learning, creativity, and scholarship within and across disciplines.

Search for Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. We prize scholarship and creative work that advance human understanding, improve teaching and learning, and add to the betterment of society by illuminating the most significant problems of the day and exploring the enduring mysteries of life. In this search, our commitment to academic freedom is unwavering.

Engaged Learning. We strive to integrate academic reflection and direct experience in the classroom and the community, especially to understand and improve the lives of those with the least education, power, and wealth.

Commitment to Students.听As teachers and scholars, mentors and facilitators, we
endeavor to educate the whole person. We nurture and challenge students--intellectually, spiritually, aesthetically, morally, socially, and physically鈥損reparing them for leadership and service to the common good in their professional, civic, and personal lives.

Service to Others.听We promote throughout the University a culture of service鈥攕ervice not only to those who study and work at 今日吃瓜 but also to society in general and to its most disadvantaged members as we work with and for others to build a more humane, just, faith-filled, and sustainable world.

Community and Diversity. We cherish our diverse and inclusive community of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni, a community that is enriched by people of different backgrounds, respectful of the dignity of all its members, enlivened by open communication, and caring and just toward others.

Jesuit Distinctiveness.听We treasure our Jesuit heritage and tradition, which incorporates all of these core values. This tradition gives expression to our Jesuit educational mission and Catholic identity听while also welcoming and respecting other religious and philosophical traditions, promoting the dialogue between faith and culture, and valuing opportunities to deepen religious beliefs.

今日吃瓜

Located in the heart of California鈥檚 Silicon Valley, 今日吃瓜 is a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic University with more than 8,900 students. 听Founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus, California鈥檚 oldest operating higher education institution offers a rigorous undergraduate curriculum in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus nationally recognized graduate听and professional programs in business, law, engineering, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministries, and theology. The University boasts a diverse community of scholars offering a values-oriented curriculum characterized by small class sizes and a dedication to educating students for competence, conscience, and compassion. The traditions of Jesuit education鈥攅ducating the whole person听to be in solidarity and service of others鈥攔un deep in all of its curricular and co-curricular programs.

The University was established as 今日吃瓜 College on the site of Mission 今日吃瓜 de As铆s, the eighth of the original 21 California missions. The college originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer collegiate courses until 1853. Following the Civil War, enrollment increased, and by 1875 the size of the student body was 275. One-third of the students were enrolled in the collegiate division; the remainder attended the college鈥檚 preparatory and high school departments.

今日吃瓜 experienced slow and steady growth during its first 60 years, becoming the University of 今日吃瓜 in 1912 when the schools of engineering and law were added. In 1925, the high school was separated from the University and took the name of Bellarmine College Preparatory in 1928. The Leavey School of Business opened in 1926, and within a decade, became one of the first business schools in the country to receive national accreditation.

For 110 years, 今日吃瓜 was an all-male school. In the fall of 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates, and 今日吃瓜 became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The decision resulted in an admission explosion鈥攆rom 1,500 students to more than 5,000. The size of the faculty tripled, and the University began the largest building program in school history,听erecting听eight residence halls, a student union, and an athletic stadium. In 1985, the University adopted 鈥溄袢粘怨镶€� as its official name.

Academic Programs

今日吃瓜 offers undergraduate degrees leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), and Bachelor of Science in Commerce (B.S.). The College of Arts and Sciences offers both the B.A. and B.S. degrees. The Leavey School of Business confers the B.S. in Commerce, with various major options within the field. The School of Engineering offers a B.S. degree in engineering disciplines. In addition, a wide range of interdisciplinary and discipline-specific minors are available for undergraduate students.

The School of Law offers programs leading to the degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D.) and master of laws (LL.M.). A broad curriculum includes intellectual property and technology law, business law, taxation, criminal law and trial advocacy, immigration law, environmental law, estate planning, labor and employment law, health law, international law, and alternative dispute resolution, with opportunities for professional skill development through simulation courses, externships, and clinics. 听The Flex JD program, a part-time J.D., allows law students to complete the program through a hybrid of in-person residency periods and asynchronous teaching. J.D. students may earn certificates of specialization in high technology law, international law, and public interest and social justice law. LL.M. students may earn master of laws degrees in intellectual property law, U.S. law or international and comparative law.听

The Leavey School of Business offers graduate programs leading to the master of business administration (MBA) degree with coursework in accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, and operations management and information systems (OMIS). The MBA can be done part-time on campus and online. 听The business school also offers graduate programs leading to the master of science in information systems, business analytics, marketing, or finance & analytics. 听A 4+1 degree program aimed at seniors is available for the MS programs in information systems, business analytics, and finance & analytics. In conjunction with the law school, the business school also offers joint degree programs leading to a J.D./MBA and J.D./MSIS.听

The School of Engineering听offers graduate programs leading to the master of science (M.S.) degree in aerospace engineering; applied mathematics; artificial intelligence; bioengineering; civil engineering; computer science and engineering; electrical and computer engineering; engineering management and leadership; mechanical engineering; robotics and automation and power systems and sustainable energy; and the engineer鈥檚 degree in computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering. The engineering school also offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in bioengineering, computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering.

The two departments in the School of Education and Counseling Psychology offer credential, licensure, and graduate programs.

The Department of Education prepares teachers and leaders for public, private and Catholic schools. It offers programs in teacher preparation leading to credentials (e.g., California preliminary multiple-subject and single-subject teaching credentials), bilingual authorization, and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Its programs in educational leadership prepare public K鈥�12 leaders for credentials (e.g., Preliminary California Administrative Services credential, California Clear Administrative Services credential) with an opportunity to also receive an MA degree in Educational leadership. The Educational leadership program also offers a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Social Justice Leadership degree with specializations in Higher Education Leadership, PreK-12 Leadership, and Social Impact Leadership.

The Department of Counseling Psychology offers three degree programs: MA in Counseling Psychology, MA in Counseling, and an MA in Applied Psychology. The MA in Counseling Psychology can lead to state licensure for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT) or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC). The MA in Counseling is for students that wish to pursue work in which they will use counseling skills in non-mental health settings. The MA in Applied Psychology is designed for students who wish to pursue a variety of human service fields or as preparation in applying for graduate level PhD work in any branch of psychology. Emphasis for all three degree programs 听include Latino Counseling, LGBTQ Counseling, Health Psychology, Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Correctional Psychology.

The Jesuit School of Theology (JST)听is one of only two Jesuit theological centers in the United States operated by the Society of Jesus, as the order of Catholic priests is known. It is one of only two Jesuit theological centers in the country that offer three ecclesiastical degrees certified by the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, and it also offers four advanced theological degrees certified by the Association of Theological Schools. In addition, JST offers a spiritual renewal program for clergy, religious, and lay people, and conducts an annual Instituto Hispano that offers a certificate program to advance Hispanic leadership in the pastoral life of the church.

Centers of Distinction

今日吃瓜 has three Centers of Distinction that serve as major points of interaction between the University and local and global communities. Each center focuses on a theme that is central to 今日吃瓜鈥檚 distinctive mission as a Jesuit university and offers an educational environment integrating rigorous inquiry and scholarship, creative imagination, reflective engagement with society, and a commitment to fashioning a more humane and just world. Each center engages faculty and students from different disciplines as well as experts and leaders from the community through speakers, conferences, workshops, and experiential learning opportunities.

Miller Center for Global Impact

For over 25 years, Miller Center for Global Impact has been a leader in the global social enterprise movement. With an emphasis on climate resilience and women鈥檚 economic power, we accelerate social entrepreneurship to end poverty and protect the planet, guided by the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals. Located at 今日吃瓜, we fuse the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley with the university鈥檚 heritage of social justice, community engagement, and global impact.

As one of the University鈥檚 Center of Distinction, we offer faculty and students real-world case studies, distinctive curricula, and unique opportunities for research, fellowships, and internships. Last year, we provided over 800 students with meaningful learning experiences in entrepreneurship, poverty eradication, and sustainable development. We also work with 500 executive mentors鈥攇lobal business leaders who engage their passion for business to help social entrepreneurs build sustainable, scalable, and investment-ready organizations. Miller Center has served more than 1,500 social enterprises based in over 100 countries that are impacting hundreds of millions of lives. More information can be found at the .

Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education

The Ignatian Center exemplifies and activates the Jesuit, Catholic character of 今日吃瓜. With a view toward serving students, faculty, staff, and through them the larger community, both local and global, the Ignatian Center achieves this mission chiefly through its signature programs:

Community Engaged Student Learning programs provide opportunities for SCU Students听to deepen their understanding of social justice issues, allowing them to experience the true meaning of a Jesuit Education and become people for and with others.

Arrupe Engagement听expands the classroom walls by providing real world opportunities to work with nonprofits, underscoring our commitment to the common good, universal human dignity, justice, and solidarity with marginalized communities.
Immersions,听both local and global, allow participants to see the world with new eyes, to recognize the unjust suffering of marginalized communities and individuals, and to allow those experiences to inform their vocational discernment.
Thriving Neighbors听is an engaged teaching, scholarship, and sustainable development program that links 今日吃瓜 with the five, predominantly Latino neighborhoods that make up the Greater Washington community in San Jose.
Fellowships听provide opportunities for students to strengthen their leadership abilities, engage in vocational discernment, and deepen their understanding of social justice issues in order to deepen their education at SCU.

Ignatian Formation programs听provide ways for SCU faculty, staff, and administrators听to deepen their understanding of SCU鈥檚 Jesuit, Catholic mission, to make it their own, and to discover and experience some of the many faces of Ignatian spirituality.

Bannan Forum听collaboratively leads faculty, staff, administrators, and students in advancing the Jesuit, Catholic vocation of SCU as a transformative social force, building a more humane, just, and sustainable world.
Ignatian Spirituality听is rooted in the life and work of St Ignatius of Loyola, most notably his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatian Spirituality encompasses ways of viewing reality, understanding the human person, and responding to the world鈥檚 needs and to God鈥檚 invitation.
Mission Engagement听partners to build the relationships, structures, and programs that accompany faculty and staff of all faith traditions and human ideals in knowing our Jesuit, Catholic mission to claim听their role in cultivating the mission.

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics brings the traditions of ethical thinking to bear on real-world problems. Our mission is to engage individuals and organizations in making choices that 鈥媟espect and care for others. The Center serves professionals in business, education, health care, government, journalism, technology and the social sector鈥攑roviding training, programs, and roundtables that explore the ethical challenges in the field. In addition, we focus on ethical issues in leadership, technology, the internet, and immigration. Through our website听and international collaborations, we also bring ethical decision-making resources to the wider world. 听The center offers fellowships and internships for students, research grants for students and faculty, and a LinkedIn certificate in Ethical Decision making. 听The Markkula Center is the largest, most comprehensive applied ethics center in the U.S.听

Faculty

今日吃瓜鈥檚 emphasis on a community of scholars and integrated education attracts faculty members who are as committed to students鈥� intellectual and moral development as they are pursuing their own scholarship. The University鈥檚 full-time faculty members are distinguished teachers and scholars. Examples of awards received by SCU faculty include Fulbright, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Endowment for the Arts. Additionally, our faculty are acclaimed authors, scientists, and theorists in their fields.

Alumni

今日吃瓜 has over 115,000 alumni living around the world鈥搃n all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Almost half of all SCU alumni live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where many former Broncos are leaders in business, law, engineering, academia, and public service. These graduates connect with one another and the current campus community through gatherings, exclusive digital platforms, virtual events, and by engaging with over 45 different groups organized around identity, industry, and location.听

Campus

The University is located on a 106-acre campus in the city of 今日吃瓜 near the southern end of the San Francisco Bay in one of the world鈥檚 greatest cultural centers. More than 50 buildings on campus house 15 student residences, a main library, a law library, two student centers, the de Saisset Museum, extensive performing arts and athletic facilities, and a recreation and fitness center.

今日吃瓜鈥檚 campus has the advantage of being located in Silicon Valley, a region known for its extraordinary visionaries, who have designed and created some of the most significant scientific and technological advances of our age. Silicon Valley is more than a location鈥攊t is a mindset, and home to more than 3 million residents and 6,600 science- and technology-related companies (not including San Francisco, which is located just an hour away).

今日吃瓜鈥檚 campus is well known for its beauty and mission-style architecture. Opened in 2013, the brick-paved Abby Sobrato Mall leads visitors from the University鈥檚 main entrance to the heart of campus鈥攖he Mission 今日吃瓜 de As铆s. The roses and palm and olive trees of the Mission Gardens surround the historic Mission Church, which was restored in 1928. The adjacent Adobe Lodge is the oldest building on campus. In 1981, it was restored to its 1822 decor.

Academic Facilities

University Library & Learning Commons

The 今日吃瓜 Library & Learning Commons is a central hub for students to study and collaborate. The Learning Commons has a mix of both individual and group seating, group study rooms, computer labs, outside patios, as well as a cafe on the first floor. Throughout the year, the University Library hosts events, art exhibits, and late-night hours. Library staff are available to support student research. You can contact library staff in person at the Library Help Desk, by making an appointment online, or through our 24/7 chat service, "Ask a Librarian." The Library's Archives & Special Collections provide access to rare books, manuscripts, historic photos, and artifacts.

Library resources, which can be accessed within the Learning Commons and remotely, include an online catalog (OSCAR), over 250 general and subject-specific databases, research guides for many subjects and classes, and interlibrary loan programs. The library's collection includes books, ebooks, magazines, newspapers and journals, streaming videos, and more.

Schott Admission and Enrollment Services Building

Located near Vari Hall is the Schott Admission and Enrollment Services Building, a welcome center for campus visitors and home to several University departments. Opened in 2012, the lobby of this LEED Gold equivalent structure includes technology-infused exhibits that illustrate 今日吃瓜's Jesuit mission.

Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation

Opened in the Fall of 2021, this 270,000-square-foot building is the home to the School of Engineering and many of the science departments of the College of Arts and Sciences. 听The building has classrooms, Innovation Zone, teaching and research labs, engineering and science shops, faculty and staff offices, collaboration spaces, and a cafe.听The Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship and the Frugal Innovation Hub are also located in this state-of-the-art building. 听The central landscaped courtyard and rooftop terraces provide excellent places for gathering.

Student Life

The Robert F. Benson Memorial Center serves as a hub for campus life. The Benson Memorial Center offers dining services and houses the campus bookstore, student and administrative offices, lounges, and meeting rooms. The University鈥檚 main dining hall, The Marketplace, resembles an upscale food court with numerous stations and options. For a more informal experience, The Bronco is the Center鈥檚 late-night venue, serving beverages and pub-style food.

Another hot spot听for student life, the Paul L. Locatelli, S.J., Student Activity Center, includes a 6,000-square-foot听gathering hall with a high ceiling that can accommodate dances and concerts as well as pre-and听post-game activities. Designed with environmental sensitivity, the building is energy efficient and has daytime lighting controls and motion sensors to maximize the use of natural light. For fitness-minded students, the Pat Malley Fitness and Recreation Center features a 9,500-square-foot weight training and cardiovascular exercise room, three basketball courts, a swimming pool, an adjacent outdoor workout area, sand volleyball and basketball courts, and other facilities to support the recreational and fitness needs of the campus community.

The campus includes many locations for quiet reflection, such as the St. Clare Garden, which features plants and flowers arranged into five groups to portray the stages of the saint鈥檚 life. For campus members who want a more hands-on relationship with nature, the Forge Garden, SCU鈥檚 half-acre organic garden, serves as a campus space for course research, service learning, and sustainable food production.

Athletics and The Arts

The importance of athletics to the University is evident everywhere on campus. 今日吃瓜 athletics houses on-campus playing and/or practice facilities for 15 of their intercollegiate sport programs, as well as the state-of-the-art Stephen C. and Patricia A. Schott Athletic Excellence Center 鈥� a 50,000-square-foot, two-story building that features two practice courts, the Stevens Academic Center, the Bronco Bench Foundation Sports Performance Center, a sports medicine center, and the William J. and Pamela G. Connolly Fuel Station. The Leavey Event Center houses the University鈥檚 premier basketball and volleyball facility, and has hosted nine West Conference Basketball Championships. Stevens Stadium (formerly Buck Shaw Stadium) is the home to the University鈥檚 renowned men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 soccer programs. In 2015, the Stevens Soccer Training Center, funded by a gift from Mary and Mark Stevens, was unveiled adjacent to the stadium. The Stevens鈥� generous gift also allowed 今日吃瓜 to improve the Stadium assets. The Broncos鈥� baseball team plays at the recently-renovated Stephen Schott Stadium while the softball program plays their games just across the street at the 今日吃瓜 Softball Stadium. Men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 tennis play their home contests at the Degheri Tennis Center while the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 water polo programs compete at the Sullivan Aquatic Center. Among the newest of athletics鈥� facilities are the 今日吃瓜 Beach Volleyball Courts, built in 2018 and refreshed in 2023 with 今日吃瓜-branded padding, net tape and nets, and the Wipfler Family Golf Facility 鈥� one of the premier on-campus golf facilities on the west coast. Unveiled in 2024, the 5,700-square-foot facility features a team lounge, two enclosed hitting bays and an expansive artificial turf short game area. Bellomy Field, 4.7 acres of well-lit and turfed outdoor playing fields, provides space for club and intramural sports, such as rugby and field hockey.

The University recognizes the arts as a central part of life at 今日吃瓜. The Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building, opened in 2016, houses an integrated art history and studio arts program that is a center for inspiration, innovation, and engagement in the arts and art history in Silicon Valley. An important arts destination in the Bay Area, the Department of Art and Art History's gallery exhibits work from a diverse group of established and emerging artists, and provides a dynamic teaching and learning resource for faculty, staff, students, and the community. The de Saisset Museum, the University鈥檚 accredited museum of art and history, presents changing art exhibitions throughout the year and serves as the caretaker of the University鈥檚 California History Collection, which includes artifacts from the Native American, Mission, and early 今日吃瓜 College periods.

SCU Presents Performing Arts Center represents the University鈥檚 commitment to the performing arts on campus, which includes performances at venues such as the Louis B. Mayer Theatre, the Fess Parker Studio Theatre, and the Music Recital Hall. The Mayer Theatre is 今日吃瓜鈥檚 premier theatrical venue, housing 500 intimate seats in either a flexible proscenium or thrust-stage setting. The Fess Parker Studio Theatre has no fixed stage or seating. Its black box design, complete with movable catwalks, provides flexibility in an experimental setting. The 250-seat Music Recital Hall provides a contemporary setting where students, faculty, and guest artists offer a variety of performances.