Communications
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Message from the President
Continuing to Fight for Racial Equity Together
October 20, 2020: Dear Loyolans, You have urged me to keep communications short and succinct when possible. However, this communication cannot be limited to bullet points or limited characters on a social media post. Our country’s history is full of examples of racial injustice, systemic racism, and missed opportunities. While some progress has been made, it is a sad truth that the Black community continues to be marginalized and dehumanized.
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Message from the President and Provost
Updates on the Anti-Racism Initiative
September 25, 2020: Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, The grand jury ruling in the death of Breonna Taylor earlier this week continues a pattern of painful imprint on the American soul. Hence, now more than ever, we must acknowledge the areas where Loyola University Chicago can deepen our commitment to racial justice. Loyola wants to grow and make a difference. We must thus first seek to understand with humility and openness those aspects within ourselves that unintentionally prevent us from fully attaining the virtues that we aspire to as people.
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Message from the Provost
Transitions in the Office of the Provost
September 21, 2020: Dear Loyola Community, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Robyn K. Mallett as associate provost for academic programs and planning. The appointment became effective September 1.
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Message from the Office of the President
Updates on the Anti-Racism Initiative
September 10, 2020: Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, The country continues to grapple with newer revelations of racial injustice. Recently, they have included the late-August shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to details surrounding the March arrest and death of Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York. These recent examples contribute to the pain of our nation as it wrestles with racism.
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The Astonishing Lessons from Online Learning
September 9, 2020: The change to a fall semester of online learning has many people across the country worried that the quality of higher education will be lower this semester. The main argument being advanced is that online learning is academically poorer than in-person learning. The switch to online learning is reigniting concerns about the value of higher education overall. In this communication, I address these concerns, mostly from the perspective of Loyola University Chicago.
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Message from the Office of the President
Supporting our Black Students and Advancing Loyola’s Anti-Racism Initiative
August 31, 2020: Dear Ramblers, This past weekend marked the poignant anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s inspirational “I Have a Dream” speech. Myriad protests and activities occurred across the country—including near or on our campus—in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Riah Milton, Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, and many others, as well as the shooting of...
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Dana Garbarski Appointed Director of Core Curriculum
August 26, 2020: I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dana Garbarski, PhD, as director of the University Core Curriculum. The University Core Curriculum is the heart of every Loyola University Chicago student's undergraduate experience. The Core is designed to provide breadth and depth to a student’s program of study no matter what their major. Accordingly, the Core introduces students to key concepts and modes of thought in a variety of intellectual endeavors.
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ICE Ruling: Loyola Supports Our Students through Legal and Legislative Action
July 13, 2020: We remain troubled by the disruptive guidelines announced July 6 by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. These guidelines would prohibit international students living in the United States from enrolling exclusively in online classes. Last week we outlined our commitment to providing continuing opportunities for international students. In parallel, we continue to pursue legal and legislative remedies to overturn these unfair rules and want to update you on some of those actions.
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Fall 2020 Plans
July 13, 2020: Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, our Loyola University Chicago community has shown strength and mutual support. As we announce our Fall 2020 plans, we want to thank you—for your ideas, challenges, creativity, faith, and resilience.
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At the Boundaries of Our Comfort Zone
July 10, 2020: We have received numerous messages from the Loyola University Chicago community since distributing our communication “Our Road towards Racial Justice.” Many messages are encouraging, but some are critical, expressing the feeling that our communication is just words and that nothing of importance will ever happen. We take these critical messages seriously and understand that the proof is in our actions. If the pavement of our road consists of only words, it is a road to nowhere. So, I want to apprise the community in more detail of recent efforts and future goals.
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New Office of Global and Community Engagement
Reflecting on my first one hundred days at Loyola University Chicago a few weeks ago, I wrote to you of my plans to restructure the Office of the Provost. On May 15, Rev. D. Scott Hendrickson, SJ, DPhil, began his role as Associate Provost for Global and Community Engagement.
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Sheila McMullan Appointed Executive Vice Provost
July 1, 2020: I am pleased to announce the appointment of Sheila McMullan as Executive Vice Provost, effective July 1. Sheila is a higher education leader who brings to Loyola great expertise and a deep understanding of the Jesuit educational mission. She has a wide range of experience serving faculty and students in strategic planning. Sheila has worked on collaboration in program development within and across disciplines, and in creation and administration of international programs.
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Virtual Commencement: August 8, 2020
I am pleased to share below the plans for our Virtual Commencement in August honoring the Class of 2020—our Sesquicentennial Class! In addition to our virtual celebration, we are planning to hold an in-person celebration in late spring 2021 if conditions allow. We will share more details in the coming months as they become available.
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Answering Your Additional Questions about Fall 2020
June 17, 2020: Last week, we sent you an email detailing some of our plans for courses in the fall semester, as well as a survey asking your preferences for online and on-campus classes. Nearly 62 percent of you submitted survey responses, which is an incredible response rate for an email survey. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey! Your feedback is very important to us as we fine-tune our course offerings for the fall. We also received many inquiries from you as a result of the email about fall semester.
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Our Road towards Racial Justice
June 16, 2020: Responding to President Jo Ann Rooney’s call for action, we recently sent a communication to the Loyola University Chicago community naming some immediate steps that we have taken to start addressing racism. Following that communication, we received hundreds of emails from students, parents, faculty, and staff asking for a comprehensive response. The voices represented in those emails were right on target.
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Fall 2020 Plans if Campus Reopens
June 10, 2020: It’s been a month since we completed what has been for all of us the most unusual and challenging semester of our lives. We hope your summer is going well, and we look forward to having you in class at Loyola University Chicago this fall. Today, we are writing to let you know about how we intend to meet the needs of our undergraduate students in Fall 2020.
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Building Bridges
June 2, 2020: In Minneapolis and in the rest of the nation, the smoke is beginning to lift. As it lifts, we see sickening images that are all too familiar to the American eye and that have continued to haunt us since the Colonial Era. We are not talking about images of bullets unleashed against protesters, ransacked stores, and edifices on fire. Instead, to our dismay, we see racism as almost undetectable for how ordinary it is, being so universal, so pervasive, and so entrenched. It inflicts agony, causing our hearts to ache.
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Peter J. Schraeder, PhD, Appointed Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
June 3, 2020: We are pleased to announce that Peter J. Schraeder, PhD, has been appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Loyola University Chicago, effective July 1, 2020.
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Appointment of Thomas Neitzke, S.J., Dean of Arrupe College
May 12, 2020: We are pleased to announce that Father Thomas Neitzke, S.J., has been appointed dean of Arrupe College at Loyola University Chicago, effective August 1, 2020.
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Sam J. Marzo, MD, Appointed Dean, Stritch School of Medicine
May 8, 2020: I am pleased to announce the appointment of Sam J. Marzo, MD, as dean of the Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM), effective immediately.
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Congratulations, Class of 2020!
May 4, 2020: Provost's video message to the Class of 2020.
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Message to faculty & staff
May 4, 2020: Provost's message to faculty and staff about the 2020 graduating class.
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Thank You, Ramblers
May 2, 2020: Dr. Rooney's & Provost Grzywacz's thank you message to all students and parents.
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Survey on Faculty Readiness for Online Classes
Given the global concern over the spread of coronavirus and its impact on communities, universities like our own all across the country are beginning to make preparations for the possibility of being unable to conduct in-person classes as a result of this significant public health concern.
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Preparedness for Possible Coronavirus-related Disruption of Classes
There is increasing awareness and sensitivity to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in the United States and around the world. At Loyola, we are monitoring the situation carefully, and making plans to ensure the health and safety of all our students, faculty, and staff wherever they are in the Chicago area and at international locations. We are also making plans to ensure the academic continuity of our programs.
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UPDATE 2/29: In response to evolving health concerns surrounding Coronavirus, Loyola has decided to repatriate students studying in Italy at the John Felice Rome Center
With our students' wellbeing at the forefront of our decision-making and the newest directive from the U.S. government, Loyola University Chicago has decided to repatriate students studying in Italy at the JFRC and is asking all JFRC and partner school students to return home by Wednesday, March 4. This decision coincides and aligns with a number of other U.S. universities and partner schools with programs in Rome.
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Invitation to Faculty Receptions hosted by the President and Provost
All faculty are invited to join Dr. Jo Ann Rooney and our new provost, Norberto Grzywacz, PhD, at a reception in February. The receptions will offer us an opportunity to socialize and enjoy camaraderie with colleagues, and for faculty across Loyola to meet Norberto Grzywacz, PhD. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served, and no RSVP is necessary.
Health Sciences Campus Tuesday, February 4 4:30-6 p.m. Stritch School of Medicine Atrium
Lake Shore Campus Wednesday, February 5 4:30-6 p.m. Information Commons, 4th Floor
Water Tower Campus Thursday, February 6 4:30-6 p.m. Lewis Towers, Beane Hall, 13th Floor
I hope that you will join me for one of these events and encourage you to invite a colleague to join you. -
Norberto Grzywacz, PhD, Appointed Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Loyola University
President Rooney announces the appointment of Norberto Grzywacz, PhD, as Loyola's new provost.
