Officers from Loyola University Police Department and sheets of white paper prevented the public from both entering Mercy Hall’s LaSalle Street entrance and from seeing through its glass doors on the night of Sunday, Dec. 15.

On Dec. 15, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reported that Loyola employees were camped out in the halls of Mercy Hall in order to apply for the voluntary severance program starting Monday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 a.m., when the department of human resources opens. According to the article, “several have been camping out since Friday.”

On Oct. 24, 2013, The Maroon reported on the Board of Trustees’ approval of a voluntary severance program, which is expected to reduce the $7.5 million budget deficit for this academic year by $1.4 million.

The program is being offered to employees who are both over 55 years of age and have completed at least 10 years of full-time employment at Loyola as of Dec. 31, 2013, the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., said in an email to university employees following approval of the plan on Friday, Oct. 18.

The email also stated that, as of that day, 94 tenured faculty members, nine non-tenured faculty members and 82 staff members were eligible for the program.

On Dec. 10, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune said in an article that the university had increased the number of tenured faculty members able to participate in the voluntary severance program to 102, approved at the Thursday, Dec. 5 and Friday, Dec. 6 Board of Trustees meetings. The number of non-tenured faculty members and staff members allowed to participate remains unchanged.

According to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, each eligible person approved for the program will have from Monday, Dec. 16 until Wednesday, Dec. 18 to accept or decline the university’s offer.