When Loyola’s probation status is reevaluated later this fall, President Tania Tetlow said she expects the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to be pleased with Loyola’s balanced budget and smarter spending decisions.

“I am very happy to tell you that, while we are not out of the woods, that we are making progress and we are getting there.” said Tetlow. “We have a little ways to go before we have the kind of margins we need.”

On July 17, Tetlow held a summer town hall to give faculty, staff and students an update on Loyola’s financial situation, enrollment and retention numbers, and staff changes going into the fall semester.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will visit Loyola on Oct. 15 this year to reevaluate the university’s probation status. The accreditation team will look at a report of Loyola’s audited financials and a report on how the school is doing. A decision on Loyola’s probation status will be announced by December of 2019.

“We are slowly but surely getting there, so hang in there, because I think that we’re starting to build the momentum.” said Tetlow. “Students like coming when they feel like there’s a real buzz around campus, that as we start building this momentum, it will only get faster and faster.”

Tetlow said that because of the way that the university’s debt is structured, the debt goes up $1 million every year. She explained it could be restructured, but if not, Loyola will have to find a way to cover that additional expense in revenue.

“I really literally think there is no waste at Loyola University.” said Tetlow. “We have done such an extraordinary job in painful ways and difficult ways to make sure that we don’t waste a penny of the student tuition dollars that they entrust us with.”

With regards to enrollment, the incoming freshman class stands at 860 prospective students as of July 17. This puts the total number of enrolled undergraduate students at 2,883, the highest number since fall 2013.

The university is also undergoing a few administrative changes. Carol Markowitz will replace Paul Pastorek as the university’s chief operating officer and senior vice president of finance and Dr. Maria Calzada wil step down from her role as Interim Provost to return to her role as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The search for a new provost will begin this school year and the university will also begin interviewing for a new director of continuing education on July 18.

Other new staff members were welcomed at the town hall such as Rev. Justin Daffron, S.J., vice president of mission and successor to Rev. Ted Dziak, S.J.. Dr. Michael L. Capella, the new dean of the college of business, and Sarah Kelly, the new senior vice president for enrollment management, were also introduced.

Multiple faculty members at the town hall expressed concern over WFF Facility Services, the custodial and grounds services company that Loyola contracts, changing the hours for staff members. Now, many of these staff members will finish their shift at 12:30 a.m., and there is a safety concern for these staff members leaving campus so late. One faculty member even expressed a liability concern that with less janitorial staff working throughout the day, spills and messes could be left unattended.

Tetlow responded by saying that she’s heard many of these concerns, but WFF is a company that Loyola contracts, so they ultimately have the final say in how these issues are resolved.