The university is developing a task force responsible for reviewing and integrating various aspects of Loyola, though some members of the faculty are skeptical about its necessity.

Faculty and staff met to discuss the issue at a town hall meeting Tuesday.

The task force will function similarly to the University Planning Team and the Standing Council for Academic Planning, which provides reason to question its significance, according to Mary Blue, associate professor of communications.

The administration said that there is a need for another such agency.

“For accreditation purposes, we have to integrate the strategic plans across all divisions to establish that we are all working in support of the mission of the university,” said Frank Scully, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The board will review academics, student life, facilities, finances and fundraising.

“The task force is charged with looking at the broad set of strategies in terms of how we pull all of those things together to support the academic mission of the university,” said Walter Harris, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

“It seems to me we have several university committees involved in planning,” said William Hammel, associate professor of communications. “I’d like to see them address the issues.”

Harris said the task force will not change the plans that have been laid by previous groups.

“People have put a lot of energy into developing those plans,” he said. “Some of them developed over a course of as much as four years ago.”

Harris reassured the faculty that the task force will only focus on the universities facets in a broad manner.

“The members of the committee are not charged to represent individual, personal, departmental or divisional interests,” Harris said. “There is a specific charge for it to look more broadly and universally at the university. It is not charged with developing detailed objective and operational plans.”

Harris said that the group will develop a brief 10-page proposal, which will look at broad

integrating strategies.

“Ultimately the document that is drafted will lead to a case statement that the president and the board of trustees will be able to use to embark upon a capital campaign to go out and find resources,” he said.

The members of the task force who are appointed represent the major divisions of the university – a point of contention for some faculty members.

“I would prefer to have those positions elected,” Hammel said.

Harris, however, assured that all future developments of the committee will have to go through existing committees.

Some faculty suggested incorporating provisions for physical and virtual learning spaces and more full-time tenure faculty.

Harris said that the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, expects a completed plan by the Board of Trustees by its first fall meeting.

Nicole Waivers can be reached at [email protected].