Update on Strategic Plan Process and New Role for Dean Goutham Menon
October 25, 2021
Dear Loyola Community,
As we achieve the midpoint of our fall semester, this is an exciting and opportune time to update you on our progress with Loyola University Chicago's Strategic Plan and next steps in working with University leaders to shape key performance indicators and prepare for the plan's effective implementation.
Loyola is embarking on what will be the most dynamic—and challenging—decade in higher education in our lifetimes. Accordingly, our Strategic Plan needs to constantly account for innovations in our sector and challenge us to embrace new opportunities. During the numerous listening sessions and forums that shaped the plan, our stakeholders across the University frequently asked how we will ensure the successful enactment of this “living” plan so that Loyola can respond nimbly to rapidly changing situations, leverage our distinct and unique Loyola experience, and make investments and allocate resources that will make the greatest impact over the next five years and beyond.
To achieve these goals, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Margaret Faut Callahan, CRNA, PhD, FNAP, FAAN, and I agreed on the importance of naming a new leader to oversee the Strategic Plan and ensure its ongoing integration across the University, while continuing to engage the entire Loyola community on major higher education trends and how we lean into supporting those growth opportunities for the benefit of our students, faculty, staff, and community.
Goutham M. Menon – Special Assistant to the President for Strategy Implementation
We are pleased to announce that Goutham M. Menon, PhD, MA, MBA, Dean of the School of Social Work, has agreed to take on the role of Special Assistant to the President for Strategy Implementation, reporting to me.
Dean Menon has been selected because of his ongoing involvement in the strategic planning process, passion for strategy and innovation, and commitment to the Jesuit mission of Loyola. His experience with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary academic work will be instrumental in helping us flesh out and implement these key areas of the Strategic Plan.
In this role, Dean Menon will collaborate with academic and administrative leaders to ensure the realization of Loyola’s Strategic Plan and will assist in developing and facilitating the processes leading to successful implementation across the University, including chairing and spearheading the work of the Implementation Steering Committee (ISC) and the Key Performance Committee (KPC) to supervise, execute, learn from, and continuously iterate the plan in the spirit of the Magis.
He will also serve as a liaison to Loyola’s Board of Trustees (BOT) on the Strategic Plan, provide targeted updates, and incorporate Board feedback into the plan’s implementation. In addition to these new responsibilities serving the entire University, he will continue to lead the School of Social Work as the dean.
Process, Timeline, and Enduring Values Leads
Since this past summer, the ISC Members and KPC Members have been meeting with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) to begin developing processes and establishing metrics to gauge plan progress. In addition, the KPC established working groups with faculty, staff, and students around Loyola’s six Enduring Values (EVs). These are being guided by the following leaders:
- Care for the whole person – Father Thomas Neitzke, SJ, EdD, Dean and Executive Director of Arrupe College
- Extraordinary academics and research – Meharvan (Sonny) Singh, PhD, Vice Provost for Research Services and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology
- Community-centered engagement – Philip Hale, Vice President for Civic Engagement
- Global connections and partnerships – Father D. Scott Hendrickson, S.J., DPhil, Associate Provost for Global and Community Engagement
- Operational excellence – Teresa M. Krafcisin, Senior Associate Vice President and Controller
- Care for our world – Nancy C. Tuchman, PhD, Dean of the School of Environmental Sustainability
Milestone Timeline
August
- ISC and KPC hold joint kick-off meeting
September
- KPC members created workgroups of students, faculty, and staff for each area who begin to develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
October
- KPC finalizes draft KPIs for ISC review
- KPI workshop for EV leads and OIE
November
- Draft KPIs are finalized for BOT Executive Committee review
- BOT Executive Committee provides feedback
- KPIs are finalized for BOT review
December
- BOT reviews and decides on KPIs
January
- KPIs presented along with the process and criteria for elevating and funding innovation and University priorities
The voices of thousands of Loyolans over the past two years—who care deeply about our mission and values and to making Loyola stronger—are reflected in our Strategic Plan. We are energized and buoyed by their commitment and confidence of our community as we press ahead.
My deep appreciation goes out to Provost Callahan, Dean Menon, and members of the ISC, KPC, and EVs working groups for moving forward on the significant undertaking of the Strategic Plan in this its implementation planning phase.
Even as we returned fully to in-person classes on our campuses this semester, and continue to navigate through the pandemic, we have made progress on the shaping of our Strategic Plan and remain on track for sharing our implementation plans and key performance metrics with the BOT in December. With the benefit of their expertise, review, and feedback, our plan will be further fortified and actionable as we continue to hold ourselves accountable for creating a robust and vibrant future for our next 150 years.
Sincerely,
Jo Ann Rooney, JD, LLM, EdD
President
October 25, 2021
Dear Loyola Community,
As we achieve the midpoint of our fall semester, this is an exciting and opportune time to update you on our progress with Loyola University Chicago's Strategic Plan and next steps in working with University leaders to shape key performance indicators and prepare for the plan's effective implementation.
Loyola is embarking on what will be the most dynamic—and challenging—decade in higher education in our lifetimes. Accordingly, our Strategic Plan needs to constantly account for innovations in our sector and challenge us to embrace new opportunities. During the numerous listening sessions and forums that shaped the plan, our stakeholders across the University frequently asked how we will ensure the successful enactment of this “living” plan so that Loyola can respond nimbly to rapidly changing situations, leverage our distinct and unique Loyola experience, and make investments and allocate resources that will make the greatest impact over the next five years and beyond.
To achieve these goals, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Margaret Faut Callahan, CRNA, PhD, FNAP, FAAN, and I agreed on the importance of naming a new leader to oversee the Strategic Plan and ensure its ongoing integration across the University, while continuing to engage the entire Loyola community on major higher education trends and how we lean into supporting those growth opportunities for the benefit of our students, faculty, staff, and community.
Goutham M. Menon – Special Assistant to the President for Strategy Implementation
We are pleased to announce that Goutham M. Menon, PhD, MA, MBA, Dean of the School of Social Work, has agreed to take on the role of Special Assistant to the President for Strategy Implementation, reporting to me.
Dean Menon has been selected because of his ongoing involvement in the strategic planning process, passion for strategy and innovation, and commitment to the Jesuit mission of Loyola. His experience with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary academic work will be instrumental in helping us flesh out and implement these key areas of the Strategic Plan.
In this role, Dean Menon will collaborate with academic and administrative leaders to ensure the realization of Loyola’s Strategic Plan and will assist in developing and facilitating the processes leading to successful implementation across the University, including chairing and spearheading the work of the Implementation Steering Committee (ISC) and the Key Performance Committee (KPC) to supervise, execute, learn from, and continuously iterate the plan in the spirit of the Magis.
He will also serve as a liaison to Loyola’s Board of Trustees (BOT) on the Strategic Plan, provide targeted updates, and incorporate Board feedback into the plan’s implementation. In addition to these new responsibilities serving the entire University, he will continue to lead the School of Social Work as the dean.
Process, Timeline, and Enduring Values Leads
Since this past summer, the ISC Members and KPC Members have been meeting with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) to begin developing processes and establishing metrics to gauge plan progress. In addition, the KPC established working groups with faculty, staff, and students around Loyola’s six Enduring Values (EVs). These are being guided by the following leaders:
- Care for the whole person – Father Thomas Neitzke, SJ, EdD, Dean and Executive Director of Arrupe College
- Extraordinary academics and research – Meharvan (Sonny) Singh, PhD, Vice Provost for Research Services and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology
- Community-centered engagement – Philip Hale, Vice President for Civic Engagement
- Global connections and partnerships – Father D. Scott Hendrickson, S.J., DPhil, Associate Provost for Global and Community Engagement
- Operational excellence – Teresa M. Krafcisin, Senior Associate Vice President and Controller
- Care for our world – Nancy C. Tuchman, PhD, Dean of the School of Environmental Sustainability
Milestone Timeline
August
- ISC and KPC hold joint kick-off meeting
September
- KPC members created workgroups of students, faculty, and staff for each area who begin to develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
October
- KPC finalizes draft KPIs for ISC review
- KPI workshop for EV leads and OIE
November
- Draft KPIs are finalized for BOT Executive Committee review
- BOT Executive Committee provides feedback
- KPIs are finalized for BOT review
December
- BOT reviews and decides on KPIs
January
- KPIs presented along with the process and criteria for elevating and funding innovation and University priorities
The voices of thousands of Loyolans over the past two years—who care deeply about our mission and values and to making Loyola stronger—are reflected in our Strategic Plan. We are energized and buoyed by their commitment and confidence of our community as we press ahead.
My deep appreciation goes out to Provost Callahan, Dean Menon, and members of the ISC, KPC, and EVs working groups for moving forward on the significant undertaking of the Strategic Plan in this its implementation planning phase.
Even as we returned fully to in-person classes on our campuses this semester, and continue to navigate through the pandemic, we have made progress on the shaping of our Strategic Plan and remain on track for sharing our implementation plans and key performance metrics with the BOT in December. With the benefit of their expertise, review, and feedback, our plan will be further fortified and actionable as we continue to hold ourselves accountable for creating a robust and vibrant future for our next 150 years.
Sincerely,
Jo Ann Rooney, JD, LLM, EdD
President