Around 23 priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus make up the Jesuit community at Santa Clara. The Society of Jesus does not own the University. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of a diverse group of women and men, the majority of whom are laypersons.
Some Santa Clara Jesuits teach in the College of Arts and Sciences. Others serve in the University's administration, and Campus Ministry. The Jesuit commitment to intellectual, moral, and spiritual values continues to be an important influence in shaping the kind of university Santa Clara is and aspires to be.