The Board of Trustees approved Loyola’s strategic plan after initially voicing some concerns about revamping the university in light of the nation’s economic instability.

In a closed retreat on March 12 and 13, each of Loyola’s vice presidents presented the first draft of its Strategic Plan, which will define the institution’s future, financially and academically. Edward Kvet, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said the Board of Trustees welcomed the plan and agreed with its direction.

“It was important for us to make sure that we were heading in the right direction because it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for us to pull a fully developed plan in May and find this isn’t the way (we) ought to go,” Kvet said.

According to the Rev. Ted Dziak, S.J., vice president of mission and ministry, the Board of Trustees is the entity in charge of making sure that Loyola continues its mission. It is in charge of evaluating the president as well as the rest of the administration. The board also manages Loyola’s finances.

The Board of Trustees brought up their concerns with the plan during the retreat.

According to the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, the board was concerned that the Strategic Plan looked too ambitious.

“I think in the back of their mind their question is, ‘Is this the right time for us to be growing?'” Kvet said.

However, Kvet said Loyola can keep moving forward. While other universities across the country are facing budgetary cuts, Loyola is not in the same place because it already went through this process after Hurricane Katrina.

“It is important for us to start to build back,” Kvet said.

After the approval of the Board of Trustees, the Strategic Plan still needs more crafting, Kvet said.

According to Kvet, the University Planning Team will continue to review and revise the Strategic Plan.

UPT will pass the Strategic Plan to the University Budget Committee so they can look at the budgets, program expenses and revenues, and also assess what resources must be brought in, he said.

“We are going to look at those areas where we need to make some adjustments,” Kvet said. “Whether we need to add classrooms, we need to add technology to classrooms, or do we need to look at adding facilities?”

Wildes said he wants bring a final draft to the board by May. The plan will be more detailed and it will include the finalized programs, timeline and budget.

“What we present in May is not necessarily everything,” Kvet said. “It will be an evolution plan, (and) if circumstances change we may have to make adjustments.”

Presentation and Feedback

The retreat was divided in two sessions.

According to Kvet the first day of the meeting focused on presenting the draft and its categories: mission, retention and reputation.

The off-campus meeting began with a reflection from four Loyola students on what it meant for them to be in a Jesuit university. Dziak chose mass communication junior Kayla August, finance junior Jonathan Rowan, political science senior Jennifer Rudolph and English senior Robert Tonnies based on their Jesuit experience at Loyola.

“I think Loyola is on a good track into the future, helping our retention, Jesuit values and service to students,” Rowan said.

As the evening approached, the administration presented the three broad categories of the plan, starting with Loyola’s mission.

Dziak, who was in charge of presenting this category, gave examples of programs, such as service learning and the creation of  a volunteering and public service center, to the board that could enhance Jesuit vales.

 “(This center) will try to pull together the various elements that do service — such  as Loyola University Community Action Program, co-curriculars, service learning — and, under one umbrella, help facilitate and support service,” Dziak said.

Salvadore Liberto, vice president for enrollment management, and Cissy Petty, vice president and associate provost of student affairs, presented Loyola’s current projection on enrollment and retention along with programs that could improve these issues.

According to Petty, the administration is expecting the enrollment of 750 freshman and 125 transfer students for next year.

“Our goal is to achieve an 82 percent retention rate in six years and an 86 percent retention rate in nine years,” Petty said.

 Petty said the improvement of programs such as advising, teaching, faculty mentoring, health and wellness offering, campus programming, among others will help the administration increase enrollment and retention rates.

“All of the programs are in developmental stages and are not final,” Petty sais.

Kvet ended the presentation with an analysis of Loyola’s academic reputation. Kvet said he addressed issues such as multidisciplinary cross-college programming, graduate education and undergraduate research as possible ways to improve Loyola’s reputation.

Cross-college programming, Kvet said, includes aspects of the common curriculum that the different colleges also offer. The music industry program has courses offered in the business and music colleges., he explained.

Regarding graduate programs, UPT hasn’t developed any specific programs, he said. UPT is rather focusing on possible ways to improve graduate education. (I’m not sure whether it is the already existent graduate programs)

The second day, members on the Board of Trustees voiced their reactions.

Kvet said the administration wanted to know if the board thought they were heading in the right direction or whether they saw possible challenges.

Ultimately, Kvet said, the board’s opinion towards the Strategic Plan was positive. The board believed the plan was taking the direction that would benefit the institution.

Andrea Castillo can be reached at [email protected].