The University Planning Team is looking forward to defining Loyola’s future focusing on the enhancement of Jesuit values, reputation and retention. 

The UPT started working on its strategic plan in September 2008, however, “the idea of planning has been something that’s been going on in pieces well before Katrina,” said Provost Ed Kvet, vice president of academic affairs.

 Kvet said, “The overriding principle was not to neglect the past but to bring the best of that and try to move it in a broad sense but to keep it fairly simplistic.”

According to Kvet, the three categories the strategic plan focuses on are Jesuit values, reputation and retention. These come from the vision of Rev. Father Wildes, S.J., university president and have to be enhanced to the vision.

“Everything we do from a strategic planning stand point at the institution needs to be wrapped around the idea that we want to -enhance what is our mission and Jesuit values,” Kvet said.

The UPT is also working on ways to elevate reputation and stature. To measure Loyola’s progress on reputation, the committee is using U.S. News & World Report rankings as the model to follow.

“Reputation to us is really intertwined with the mission of what the institution is but how we measure gets a little tricky,” he said.

According to Kvet, reputation is how the university embraces Jesuit values and services. However, “reputation is not only what we do here but how others think of what we do,” he said. One way to gauge Loyola’s work efficiency, Kvet said, is by the percentage of alumni giving.

“It’s not so much the amount of money but logic says that if a high percent of your alumni give to your institution then that means they were satisfied, there was quality and that helps reputation,” he said.

As part of the strategic plan, the UPT is considering the creation of programs of distinction to elevate reputation. The goal is to receive national recognition for innovative programs.

The diversification to other communities is another way to gain reputation, Kvet said.

UPT plans to establish programs in foreign countries, joint programs with other universities and wants to establish technology enhanced programs.

“These are subcategories that will help elevate Loyola’s reputation,” Kvet said.

Although, UPT has established these plans to elevate reputation, it hasn’t yet discussed the parameters to choose the specific programs.  As the third broad category, UPT has set retention as an important way define Loyola’s future.

According to Kvet, retention is linked to the satisfaction Loyola provides to students.
“You came with some pre-conceived notion of what the program is going to be, if you stay that’s telling us that we have met whatever those expectations are,” he said.
The problem comes when other factors, such as financial difficulties or programs’ discomfort, influence whether or not students stay, Kvet said.

Kvet explained sometimes students attend Loyola for a particular major not for the university as a whole. 

“That’s the real trick for us because that affects the students sometimes, that they come looking for one thing and we can’t produce that one thing,” he said.

According to Kvet, the UPT has asked the constituencies to give specific recommendations for strategies that enhance Jesuit values, reputation and retention.  By the end of February all the potential strategies will have to come to the UPT.

“The hardest part of all of this is happening right now,” Kvet said. “To establish the plan and start the strategies.” UPT has until March to report the first draft of the strategic plan to the Board of Trustees.

After having the Board of Trustees’ input, Kvet said, he will bring the plan back to UPT and will adjust it if necessary.

In May, the UPT plans to present a complete strategic agenda with specific strategies, implementations, timelines and costs for the board meeting and their approval.

“Once you establish the planning, you keep track on how are you doing every year,” Kvet said. “We need to look every year to make sure that (the plan is) happening” otherwise “we need to change directions.”

Kvet said he doesn’t know how long this plan can take to implement.  “In the general thinking it probably can go as long as a 10 year plan,” he said.

Andrea Castillo can be reached at [email protected].