Weekly Update from the President

Dear Members of the Loyola Community,

In the past week I had the opportunity to visit alums, students, and families in Atlanta, Orlando, and Tampa. In these meetings I have run into several questions that I would like to address this week.

As you know, we will resume classes on St. Charles Avenue in January 2006. We are hard at work to prepare for this new beginning. To make this return to campus possible, we are working on everything from course offerings to housing for faculty, staff, and students. Students should watch the web page for academic information.

In my travels and town hall meetings I have had a number of questions about the area surrounding the university and city services. Many of these questions are legitimate, based on news reports, and I would like to address them. First, I want to reassure people that on campus we have had the restoration of basic services. Second I want to reassure people that there is drinkable water in the city. Third, hospitals have re-opened (e.g., Ochsner Clinic & Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Touro). The Walgreens and Sav-A-Center on Tchoupitoulas Street have re-opened as has the CVS Pharmacy on Prytania Street. Last Sunday Mass was celebrated in Holy Name of Jesus Church on campus. So, I want to reassure students and families that basic services are available and some level of normalcy is returning.

This week the Board of Trustees for the University will meet for our first regularly scheduled meeting of this academic year. Given the complications of travel and hotel space we decided to hold the meeting in Houston. The Board will not only review what has happened but it will move ahead on a strategic vision for the future of the University. The Board will review the strategic planning work that had been done in recent years in light of recent events.

I will continue my travels to visit alums and students. In the past two weeks I have visited six cities and this week I’ll visit Houston and Dallas.

Later this month we will move back to campus and reopen offices. This shift will take some time. The President’s office will move back to campus at the end of this month.

With prayers and best wishes,

Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D.

President

12 October 2005

Posted on October 5, 2005