If you have followed recent news from Collegeville and St. Joe, you’ll know that St. Ben’s and St. John’s are changing. At the end of 2021, we talked with transitional presidents Jim Mullen and Laurie Hamen about what the future of strong integration for CSB and SJU will entail.

Now, as the 2022 academic year starts for students, a leadership framework in which CSB and SJU now operate under two boards made up of common members, and the first joint President of the institutions, Brian Bruess, is in office.

This podcast has always looked toward the future. After all, its mission is to help us better understand and identify the complexity of asking what may be next. It is fitting that, while many listeners are asking themselves the question that this podcast poses multiple times a week about subjects like housing, relationships, finances, and jobs, St. Ben’s and St. John’s are asking themselves that same question. With a new President at the helm, and a focus on the integration of key pieces of the two schools, what is next for all those involved? Students, staff, alumni, and friends of the university alike. Perhaps more importantly, what is next for St. Ben’s and St. John’s on the national stage of progress in higher education and the development of well-rounded, talented, and good young men and women?

In order for these places to survive and thrive in a changing world where the question of “is college worth it?” is now likely asked more than “which college should I attend?”, how can St. Ben’s and St. John’s position themselves to thrive? What about the unique fabric of these schools, the students, and the alumni, that can ensure that we keep developing future leaders that are grounded in the Catholic, Benedictine, and Liberal Arts tradition while having an eye for opportunity and change?