BY QUIN WELCH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Bellarmine University named its newest president, Dr. Susan M. Donovan, on Feb. 21.
Donovan comes to Bellarmine after a nationwide search conducted by a university presidential search committee with the help of search firm Isaacson, Miller. The newest BU president said she is excited to get started in Louisville.
“Few institutions have made more progress than Bellarmine University in the last 25 years,” Donovan said. “I am delighted to lead Bellarmine, with an emphasis on strategic initiatives aimed at improving academic excellence, the student experience and our level of community engagement in Louisville and the region.”
Donovan said when researching Bellarmine, the university’s mission statement resonated with her.
“The mission (of Bellarmine) is so important,” Donovan said. “Educating the whole student: body, mind and spirit, is something I’ve spent my career on and something I really enjoy.”
In her 32 years at Loyola University Maryland, Donovan has served as executive vice president since 2011 and as acting president in 2015. Prior to that, she worked as vice president for student development, dean of students, dean of residence life and interim vice president for advancement.
Donovan will be no stranger to Bellarmine’s Catholic identity, as Loyola is a Jesuit institution. She said she is committed to the university’s religious ideals.
“Our mission calls us to be a shelter in the storm of indifference, a beacon of hope for justice, a path out of poverty and a companion to the disenfranchised people at the margins,” she said.
Anita Tien and Leslie McCarthy, both of Isaacson, Miller, contacted Donovan about the opening. Donovan said she first heard about the opening at Bellarmine from them.
“The search consultants contacted me and suggested that I look into Bellarmine. I had worked with them on a previous search. I started looking into it, and I was very grateful,” Donovan said.
Pat Mulloy, chairman of the Bellarmine board of trustees, said Donovan was a perfect fit at Bellarmine.
“Dr. Donovan was a key figure at Loyola during a period of transformational growth, much like our own, and the trustees know she will be an exceptional leader here at Bellarmine,” Mulloy said.
Even as an outsider, Donovan said she has grown to admire the work former BU president Dr. Joseph J. McGowan did during his time at Bellarmine. Although she hasn’t started working at Bellarmine, Donovan said she already has two goals in mind for when she takes office.
“We need to continue to move the institution forward. I think in these times, any institution that doesn’t move forward is going to slip behind,” Donovan said. “It’s critical that we do that. I think the second (goal) would be to continue the academic prominence. To have an institution that has great core academics and the liberal arts but also is nimble and flexible enough to serve the society in which we live is critical.”
Bellarmine students who attended Donovan’s introduction to the BU community at Frazier Hall on Feb. 22 said they were impressed with what they heard from the university’s newest president and what they heard about her.
“I thought her speech was very good,” junior Hunter O’Brien said. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about her, so I think she’s going to do a great job here. I think her speech kind of pushed that message forward that we’re working towards a good place.”
Sophomore Blaire Bischoff said Donovan seemed straightforward and qualified for the position of Bellarmine president.
“I think her intentions are very clear, that she just cares about the students. She also shows a great appreciation for the faculty, and it seems as though she’s already made relationships with people on our campus. Which is great she’s getting a head start,” Bischoff said.
O’Brien and Bischoff weren’t the only BU students impressed by the hiring of Donovan. SGA president Ryan Stevens said he thinks the hire makes a lot of sense.
“I think that Dr. Donovan is a great choice for Bellarmine. Her background at Loyola Maryland and her other institutions shows she worked closely with student organizations and student groups,” Stevens said. “As executive vice president, she clearly has the experience for it. But above all else from the work that I’ve seen, she has students’ hearts in mind. A lot of the activities, events and initiatives that she started involved student collaboration as well. And I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
Loyola president, Rev. Brian F. Linnane, said Donovan’s impact on Loyola will not be forgotten any time soon.
“She has, indeed, left her mark on Loyola, setting a gold standard for the service and care the University provides to students, deepening Loyola’s commitment to service in and beyond Baltimore, and inspiring our community to engage more fully in essential conversations around racial justice and equity,” Linnane said in a Loyola press release.
Donovan is the first woman appointed president at Bellarmine, something Donovan said she is happy to be.
“I was the first woman vice president many years ago (at Loyola). That is something that has followed me at different positions that I’ve held,” she said. “I think it’s time to break that glass ceiling, and I’m happy to be here. I’ve been embraced by everyone that I’ve met. It doesn’t seem to me as though the community is going to have a tough adjustment with that.”
Senior Lina De Legarreta said she’s excited the university decided to hire a woman as the school’s fourth president.
“I think it’s really cool that they decided to choose a woman. I think that’s very representative of how we’re trying to get to a more diverse campus,” De Legarreta said.
Donovan’s first day in office as Bellarmine president will be on July 1. Interim president Dr. Doris Tegart will finish the year as the school’s president.