Office of the President

Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D.

Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D., became the first person to serve as president of both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University on July 1, 2022. He is responsible for leading two strong, respected Catholic, Benedictine, residential liberal arts institutions with distinct but supporting missions.

Bruess’ tenure as the inaugural president of Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s has been marked by a commitment to amplifying the unique Catholic and Benedictine identities of CSB and SJU while fostering a collaborative environment that benefits both campuses. He has led significant initiatives to integrate and strengthen both institutions, including organizational restructuring focused on student learning, revamping admissions and enrollment processes, and launching a strategic planning process. He also has overseen the implementation of the “Strong Integration” governance and organizational structure, unifying the two colleges under a shared vision, single leadership and common board of trustees while enhancing agility and responsiveness in addressing challenges facing higher education.

In addition to his role at CSB and SJU, Bruess serves on several boards, including the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC), the Minnesota Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB), the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC), and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). He also participates in the leadership of the Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities (ABCU).

Prior to Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s, Bruess served as the eighth president of St. Norbert College, a nationally renowned Catholic liberal arts school in De Pere, Wisconsin. He guided St. Norbert to record enrollments; visioned and implemented a campus-wide focus on student success and retention; launched an innovative strategic planning process; inspired new academic offerings and pathway partnerships for post-baccalaureate programs; introduced educational-centric financial management; developed a new fundraising campaign focused on student learning and doubling the college’s endowment; and guided the board of trustees toward more generative governance.

Earlier in his career, Bruess spent nearly 22 years at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, rising to serve with distinction as the executive vice president and chief operating officer. There, he was involved in achieving comprehensive accreditation and laudatory praise from two Higher Learning Commission self-studies and site visits (2003, 2013); unprecedented enrollment growth of 27%, including 17 consecutive years of record enrollment; establishing a collaborative, innovative approach to academic, student affairs, enrollment and financial innovation and planning; and designing and implementing a comprehensive academic program-prioritization process. He was honored with the 2017 Presidents’ Steward Award at the Minnesota Campus Compact’s Annual Summit and Award ceremony.

Bruess earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College and his master’s and doctoral degrees in college student personnel/research and evaluation from Ohio University.

He and his wife of more than 33 years, Carol Bruess, Ph.D., make their home at Renner House on the College of Saint Benedict campus. Carol serves as CSB and SJU scholar in residence for

relationships and dialogue and is professor emerita of communication. She is an active scholar of relationship communication, the author of five books with two more forthcoming, and a highly sought speaker with a popular TEDx-Minneapolis talk.

They have two children: Tony, a 2018 Stanford University graduate and tech entrepreneur living in New York; and Gracie, a 2022 graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, currently attending medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Brian and Carol are busy parenting four-legged George, a 99-pound Bernedoodle who serves as a therapy dog and supports CSB and SJU students.
 

About Saint John’s University

Saint John’s University students achieve excellent outcomes. Four-year completion rates at SJU significantly exceed averages for private and public colleges regionally and nationally. Fully 97% of graduates report that within a year of earning their degree, they are either employed, pursuing a graduate degree or in a full-time volunteer position. In 2021, for the third year in a row, Saint John’s was named the best college for employment placement in Minnesota by Zippia, a career website. Saint John’s is ranked #10 on the 2022 Money Magazine list of Best Colleges in the Midwest and is in the top 50 of Washington Monthly’s 2021 list of national liberal arts colleges. In 2022, SJU was once again ranked first for return on investment in Minnesota among private four-year colleges by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.