Dear Parents:

I hope this message finds you well! It's a busy time on campus and I hope your sons and daughters are doing all they can to ensure a happy, healthy, and productive spring semester. And while I know our students are anxiously awaiting a chance to kick back and relax over Spring Break—many of them in tropical climes—it's important to encourage them to keep safety in mind and engage in responsible decision making. 

If your son or daughter is going home for Spring Break, take a moment to focus on how to stay healthy: get plenty of sleep, eat well, drink fluids, and avoid the spread of germs. Earlier this semester, a Loyola student was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. The student is recovering well at this time, but the situation provided an important reminder that our students—despite their youth—can still be at risk for serious health problems. Students who are feeling ill should not hesitate to seek out the resources of the campus health center.

Spring Break is also a great time to start—or continue—a conversation about firming up a summer job or internship. If your son or daughter is still searching, his or her first stop back on campus should be The Career Center. Another option: take a class or two through Loyola's Summer Sessions. Students who register by April 5 receive a 10 percent discount. 

I also hope you're planning to visit our campus this spring. There is much for parents and families to see and do at Loyola, from cheering on our defending National Champion men's lacrosse team to sitting in the front row at the BSA Fashion Show to hearing an address by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

As always, we welcome your insights and ideas about how we can improve the Loyola experience for all of our students as well as their families. Please feel free to contact me at vpstudentdev@loyola.edu with any questions, concerns, or recommendations.

Sincerely,

Sheilah Shaw Horton, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students