Recap of the May 2025 Board of Trustees Meeting

We are pleased to share some of the topics, highlights, and action items discussed at the most recent meeting of the St. John’s University Board of Trustees held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

Fall 2025 Enrollment Update
Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented information about academic programming, the current enrollment landscape, a Fall 2025 enrollment forecast, and ongoing enrollment strategies. Presently, undergraduate enrollment is trending well, as are housing deposits. Graduate and transfer enrollment are also trending upwards due to the implementation of new strategic marketing efforts and innovative recruitment strategies.

Dr. Moller presented a five-year “Distance Education Strategic Plan” to implement a resilient framework for a new approach to distance education at St. John’s. This plan will engineer a digital transformation on campus, providing a structure that supports the development, facilitation, and high-quality delivery of online degree programs. The plan’s goals include increasing awareness of the St. John’s brand as a destination for online education and deploying market-driven programs that generate significant enrollments and new revenue.

FY25 and FY26 Operating Budgets
Jankie Beharry, Interim Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer, provided an overview of the FY25 budget forecast and shared the proposed operating budget for FY26 (which begins on June 1, 2025), highlighting key revenue and expense assumptions. The FY25 budget forecast reflects a modest surplus achieved by mid-year budget adjustments, the ongoing strategic hiring freeze, and a one-time financial gain on the sale of the Bartilucci Center, anticipated to close by the end of the month. The Board discussed and accepted management’s recommendation to approve the University’s FY26 operating budget as presented.

Enrollment uncertainty continues to exist given the decreasing population of college-age students in the Northeast and intensified competition for students. Ongoing national and global economic uncertainties combined with the potential consequences of proposed legislative and regulatory reforms, changes to student aid, and government cuts make the private higher education sector increasingly challenging.

Advancement Update
Christian P. Vaupel, Ed.D., Senior Vice President for Advancement, presented an update on the launch of a groundbreaking $400 million comprehensive fundraising effort – the most extensive campaign in the 155-year history of the University – titled “HEARTS ON FIRE: The Campaign for St. John’s.” This fundraising/engagement effort has meaningful momentum, with $251.5 million raised as of May 1, 2025. The campaign is expected to conclude on May 31, 2028. Dr. Vaupel shared a summary of the campaign timeline and objectives. The public phase will include broad-based appeals for support as well as events, programs, and activities designed to engage larger numbers of people in the campaign.  

Chief Operating Officer Update
Joseph E. Oliva '91CBA, '94L, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, shared an update on the still unresolved House vs. NCAA settlement and its pending impact on collegiate athletics. Mr. Oliva presented a status update on the ongoing sale of the Staten Island Campus and new strategies for the Manhattan Campus.

Membership
The Board elected the following members for a three-year term on the Board of Trustees, effective May 15, 2025.

• Daniel J. Finnegan, '84CBA | Chairman, Board of Directors, StubHub
• Mary Jane Helenek '82P, '84GP, '87MBA | Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer – Provepharm, Inc.
• Deacon Frank L. Kurre '84CBA | Managing Director and Global Board Governance and CEO Program Leader - Protiviti, Inc.
• Michael E. Roemer, '84CBA | Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, Discover Financial Services
• James P. Walsh, '83CBA, '86MBA | Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Sugar Foods Corporation

The Board elected Michael McKay '91SVC, '94MBA, Founder and Managing Partner, Empire Consulting Group, for a three-year term on the Board of Governors, effective immediately.

Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held in September 2025.