University administrators have the responsibility of running Loyola. They are expected to maintain Physical Plant and to distribute our collective resources appropriately in order to meet the basic needs of the students and faculty. Assuming that these fundamental responsibilities are met, administrators then also earn the privilege of promoting excellence for the students and the faculty.
Given Loyola’s recent history and current outlook for the future, perhaps it would be a good time to adopt a new campus mantra, particularly for administrators: “Actions speak louder than words.” Without the “acting justly” part, thinking critically is merely an exercise for the mind. Too often at Loyola, it’s assumed that a written plan or a spoken commitment is enough, that the administrators’ jobs are done and that some other little busy bees will actually meet the real and immediate needs of the campus community. Careful and thoughtful setting of priorities, consultation, effective action and monitoring of the response to those actions all seem to have fallen by the wayside.
In addition, massive resources seem to get redirected to new projects that leap onto the drawing board out of nowhere while unfinished projects, operating budgets and other standing orders for resources are overlooked or ignored. There are probably many other good examples, but few demonstrate my point more dramatically than the Choppin Wing.
Most of Loyola’s science majors spend two semesters in the specialized classrooms where general chemistry experiments are performed. Renovation of these first-floor science teaching labs in Monroe Hall began more than a decade ago. But the Choppin Wing, named in honor of illustrious alumnus Gregory Choppin, A’49, co-discoverer of Mendelevium, element 101 is only half finished. It was dedicated in 1999.
The south side of the project still consists of 1970s vintage fixtures including rusting, inadequate fume hoods and rotting wood cabinets. The “temporary” air handlers, installed after completion of Phase One, are either “on” or “off.” During hot weather, students and instructors either sweat enough to fog their safety goggles or they have to yell at each other in order to be heard over the clatter of the “temporary” air conditioning units. Condensation drips off the units dangerously near laptop computers and reaction vessels. In the winter, lab inhabitants have to choose between risking an acid hole in a favorite jacket or shivering because the heat doesn’t work either. It used to be warmer because of the steam that was used to heat organic reaction mixtures, but that was turned off to stop mushrooms from growing along the base boards.
In 1995, the Keck Foundation gave a prestigious, generous grant for the renovation. The Shell, Gheens and Schlieder Foundations also pitched in substantial sums to modernize those teaching facilities. The whole Benson family came to celebrate with Greg Choppin when Phase One was completed. But all of these donors, along with the students and faculty who spend so much time working and learning in that space, had faith that the second phase would be completed “soon.” Many alumni who heard that story as prospective students are now practicing physicians.
Money has been available to finish the project. The current overhaul of the Danna Center and the distribution of “one-time monies” of about $500,000 last spring and close to $1 million in early 2003 are just a few pieces of evidence to support that statement. We also have a nice new building on the Law School campus.
Distribution of resources on campus seems to have become a free-for-all. Clearly, for the Choppin Wing project, the problem predates Katrina, Pathways and the current administration. But currently, choices about which needs to meet seem to depend not upon systematic, careful, intelligent planning or consultation but upon whether or not a particular dean can get the attention and favor of the right upper administrator. The recently generated Munoz Master Plan (on reserve in the library) apparently exists because a former board member was willing to put something together for free.
Ladies and gentlemen of the upper administration, your actions really do speak louder than your words. We all expect you to act justly and in true service of the needs of our campus community. Our collective future depends on it.
