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Operational Excellence

Timeline

Year 1: 2024-25

Step 1: Project Initiation and Change Management

Tasks

  • Establish Project Governance
  • Finalize Change Management and Communications Plans
  • Develop Preliminary Institutional Diagnostic
  • Scope and Define Focus Areas

Communication

  • Town Hall held on September 26, 2024, from 3-4pm in McGuire East
  • Huron invited community to submit confidential comments

Step 2: Advancing Institutional Resiliency
Tasks

  • Assess Institutional Positioning
  • Assess Resource Efficiency
  • Assess Operational Maturity

Communication

  • Community email from Co-Chairs providing update
  • Community can continue to submit comments

Step 3: Roadmap and Next Steps

Tasks

  • Working Group Offers Preliminary Prioritization of Draft Recommendations to Cabinet
  • Recommendations Aligned to Roadmap
  • Huron Presents Finalized Recommendations to the Working Group and Cabinet

Communications

  • President’s State of the University Address held on November 20, 2024, provides update on progress
  • Community can continue to submit comments

Step 4: Recommendations Research & Validation
Tasks

  • Research Recommendations and Validate with Subject Matter Experts (a Loyola employee with specialized knowledge in specific areas related to their day-to-day work)
  • If and Where Appropriate, Create Small Design Groups to Explore Feasibility of Recommendation
  • Create Report for Community Overviewing Most Promising Recommendations and Fiscal Impact

Communications

  • Community email from President Sawyer
  • March 2025 President's Town Hall
  • Recommendations Report released to the community

Step 5: Implementation

Tasks

  • Implementation Plans Drawn up for Selected Recommendations
  • Operational Excellence Implementation Plans Aligned with Division-level and University-level Strategic Plan Initiatives

Communications

  • Community email from President Sawyer
  • Division meetings lead by Vice Presidents discussing division-level recommendations and plans
Year 2: 2025-26

Timeline for Year 2

The work during year 2 will follow three steps. While we anticipate that some areas will take between now and May to work through the steps, others may be moved forward more quickly. As we are able, decisions will be announced to the community. 

Step 1: Work Group Evaluation

Based on work already done coming out of the March 2025 Operational Excellence report, seven work groups will further advance recommendations and cost savings related to:

  1. Technology
  2. Procurement, contracts, travel
  3. Organizational structures and supports
  4. Benefits and compensation
  5. Academic programs
  6. Endowment use
  7. New revenue and financial aid optimization

Step 2: Steering Committee and Leadership Review

Recommendations put forward by the work groups will be reviewed by the Steering Committee and Cabinet alongside consultation with Subject Matter Experts closest to the work. These groups will be asked to review all recommendations and ensure optimal alignment with our work and provide a more thorough review of potential cost savings. 

Step 3: Leadership Decisions

The Cabinet will review all recommendations and the specific analysis conducted by SMEs and provide their input to the President, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Provost for final implementation decisions.