Primary Contact:
Matthew McDermott 
mbedugnis@luc.edu  
617.778.3346

Loyola University Chicago Launches Student Success Initiative

Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe, nationally renowned educational leader, to give opening address

CHICAGO – September 5, 2023

Loyola University Chicago will launch a new student success initiative this fall. The Rambler Brotherhood Project, first unveiled in spring 2023, aims to improve the educational experience for all male students at a time when national enrollment and graduation rates in that population continue to decline. Through a host of mentorship, programmatic, and academic opportunities, the Rambler Brotherhood Project aims to instill a sense of resilience and belonging in all students–especially men, who are shown in research to increasingly fall through cracks in higher education.  

Keith M. Champagne, PhD, Loyola’s vice president for Student Development, is passionate about the program’s potential impact. “We are creating an excellent leadership pipeline of professional, educated young men who can succeed economically, socially, culturally, and politically–men who will help Chicago to become a better city and place.” 

Beyond what Loyola can provide to its students on campus or through the University’s 150,000-person strong alumni network, the Rambler Brotherhood Project will also be the first-ever Brother 2 Brother (B2B) chapter on the campus of a Jesuit, Catholic college or University. Brother 2 Brother is affiliated with SAAB (formerly known as Student African American Brotherhood), a national network of more than 300 chapters on middle school, high school, college and university campuses across 40 states.

Founded by Tyrone Bledsoe, PhD in 1990, B2B/SAAB provides a framework for educational institutions to build a sense of community excellence among their male students, and especially to support young men of color throughout their educational journey. 

“We’re so proud to bring this network to Loyola, and to foster more connections in the great city of Chicago,” said Bledsoe. “This is a natural partnership between SAAB and Loyola, as an institution founded on forming students who root themselves in a commitment to service and excellence.” 

Loyola hopes to serve as a hub in the Midwest for further B2B/SAAB networking and activities in the coming years. Alongside the chapter’s official launch in September, Bledsoe will be visiting campus to meet with chapter members and deliver an opening address on Tuesday, September 19 titled "Male Success: An Expectation Not an Anomaly" at 7 p.m. in the Lake Shore Campus’ McCormick Lounge, which is free and open to the public.

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About Loyola University Chicago  
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with nearly 17,500 students. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens), and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations including AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago.