Dear Incoming President Cole,

You haven’t been given an easy job, and we commend you for stepping up to the plate. We know there will be a lot of people in your ears, but we want to encourage you to remain steadfast in your goals as president of Loyola University. We would like to highlight the values that you have expressed as important, which we believe are particularly relevant to keep in mind in the upcoming weeks.

Communication

You discussed weekly or monthly emails that contain your vision and direction when you spoke with The Maroon, which we look forward to receiving. But more importantly, you spoke about the value of in person interaction, and we couldn’t agree more. We hope to see and get to know you, and in turn we hope you come to know us.

This semester, there was a strenuous battle for transparency due to circumstances that could have been resolved through proper communication from the administration. With what students say was an abrupt and unjust dismissal of a professor, the punishment of a student journalist for doing their job, and the delays in the construction of the new chapel, we look forward to seeing the changes you will bring.

Serving Students

You said to us the reason you work in higher education is because of your love for serving students. We are going to be honest and say we often do not feel like we are at the forefront of what Loyola cares about. As Loyola comes out of a period of financial hardship, we hope that we can regain the focus of the university on serving students. The time for cutting corners should come to an end.

There are several concerning signs at this university regarding where it puts its efforts, including the cutting of the arts degree, a lack of course offerings for certain majors and minors, and poor staff retention, even for beloved professors.

This involves prioritizing majors and course offerings that prioritize making a positive impact, rather than just generating profit. We want greater attention to be given to incorporating students’ viewpoints in the decision-making process at the administrative level. That includes getting opinions beyond the Student Government Association, which time and time again has proven to not accurately represent the student body.

Expanding on Our Uniqueness

You said that you see Loyola as a university and as a Jesuit institution to be unique. We couldn’t agree more. We are not Tulane. We are not UNO. We are not LSU. We are an institution that wants to create good humans, not just good students. The Jesuit mission is not something that should be taken for granted, or considered empty promises – and we are optimistic about your dedication to our mission.

Part of that mission is caring for the oppressed. Without a diverse faculty and staff and without programs to educate students on the issues facing certain communities, this university cannot effectively achieve that goal.

Justice is another integral value within the Jesuit mission. We have seen, as of late, many instances where justice was negated by actions on campus and by the administration. This has been a semester fraught with student issues with LUPD, Residential Life, and Sodexo.

You also discussed how low wages for faculty and staff not only harms our ability to get and maintain the best people in the classroom, but also goes against our value of justice and ensuring a good standard of living for Loyola’s employees.

As more professors speak out, and or leave, because of this issue, we hope to see real changes moving forward.

We are rooting for you

You have said to us that when others shy away from difficulty, you lean in. That is something we admire and hope stays with you as it will get difficult during your presidency.

As future alumni of Loyola University, we want to see this institution thrive and continue to uphold the values and mission that have shaped us during our time here.

We are often seen critiquing decisions or actions made by the university in our editorials, which may lead some to think we are against the university at The Maroon. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Everything we do is in service to this community through truthful and honest reporting. We root for this institution. We root for the administration. And we will be rooting for you.

Sincerely,
The Maroon
For a Greater Loyola