Brief History of the Loyola University Retiree Association (LUCRA)

Prior to 1999, professors emeriti had been involved in university affairs but not in an organized manner.  Beginning around 1999/2001, the inchoate idea of an Emeritus Faculty Caucus progressed fitfully toward a formal organization.  The Center for Faculty Professional Development (CFPD), established in 2004 by LUC president Fr. Garanzini, became a stepping-stone toward formal organizational status.   

The first emeriti newsletter was published in November 2005.  Among other items, it included information on a co-sponsored workshop held for future retirees as well as a listing of upcoming University events. Travel Tips listing several websites closed the newsletter.   

From 2008 to 2012, several faculty retirees explored with College of Arts and Sciences [CAS] deans, department chairs, and other faculty the best ways of starting an organization for Loyola retirees. In 2012, Jon Nilson, department of theology, and Nick Patricca, Department of Fine and Performing Arts, together formed the retiree association, and support was secured from the College of Arts and Sciences and the provost for the formation of the Loyola University Retiree Association (LUCRA), originally named the Loyola University Emeriti Caucus.   

From 2013 to 2018, the building blocks of our retiree organization were put into place.  At an AROHE (Association of Retiree Organizations in Higher Education) Conference in Atlanta, the LUC representative, in collaboration with representatives from Georgetown University, Boston College, and Santa Clara University, established the Consortium of retiree organizations of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities [AJCU].  From 2018 to 2020, LUCRA established budgetary procedures, developed relationships with the LUC administration, laid the foundation for committee structures, and made a major push to involve staff retirees. 

In 2020, Nick Patricca was elected chair of the AJCU Consortium of Retiree Associations.  The Consortium developed a core of close to 20 participating AJCU schools. Around this time, LUCRA developed an extensive committee network and an operational plan of retiree activities and programs, and supported Loyola Chiicago’s participation in AROHE and the AJCU Consortium. 

From 2021 to the present, LUCRA developed a Third Thursday Zoom program on new ideas, arranged a LUCRA website, and worked with various units of the university on retiree projects.  We continue to discover our strengths and limitations.  We continue to contribute to the mission of our university. We continue to participate in our scholarly fields of endeavor. We continue to work to make our communities just and vital.  We understand retirement professional activities to be another form of service and participation in life. 

 

*For a detailed history of LUCRA, refer to the Archive section of this website.