At the beginning of the planning process, the President's Cabinet developed a framework for the planning process, which was presented to the Loyola Conference on January 30. Throughout Spring 2007, Fr. Linnane, the President's Cabinet, and the Deans discussed tentative goals and initiatives for the College and presented these to various constitencies on campus for feedback and suggestions. There were many positive responses to the goal and attributes and some suggestions for improvement, leading to a revised vision statement. What has emerged is the goal that Loyola will be and be recognized as the leading Catholic comprehensive university in the nation. In order to achieve this goal, five attributes have been identified that would provide evidence of success. These attributes, which overlap and support one another, are Jesuit, Catholic identity; sustained intellectual engagement; diversity; commitment to reflective political action; and enhanced resources. A 2007 Summer Task Force, comprised of a broad representation across campus, including faculty members, administrators, staff members, undergraduate and graduate student representatives, and members of the Board of Trustees met twice during the summer to discuss the emerging vision and provide feedback about possible initiatives. In October 2007, the Board of Trustees (BOT) held a retreat which focused around Strategic Planning, including the role of strategic planning at the university and the long history related to it. The majority of the BOT’s discussion was led by the Napa Group, the external consulting firm which the university hired for their experience and expertise in Jesuit higher education strategic planning. Many of the priorities suggested by the Board closely align with the attributes that have already been articulated, and there was a strong affirmation of the work that has already been completed as well as strong support for the emerging vision and key attributes. In addition to the work of the Expanded Loyola Conference, Fr. Linnane formed two working groups: a Living/Learning Communities working group and a Diversity working group. The Living/Learning Communities working group developed a proposal for a program of living/learning communities for all first-year students. They also created a PowerPoint illustrating the details of the program. The Diversity working group is developing a plan for conducting a diversity self-study, which will be dynamic as well as a learning process. Fr. Linnane has formed a Drafting Committee that has been preparing and editing each new version of the draft Plan. Throughout Spring 2008, the Loyola Conference considered drafts of the Plan and provided feedback during working meetings in January and February. In September 2008, the Loyola Conference discussed and voted to endorse the Plan. On October 8, 2008, the Board of Trustees approved the Plan. Last updated on October 27, 2008. |
|
