FAQs

The workgroup is comprised of 18 faculty. Each degree-granting unit has a faculty representative (the College of Arts & Sciences has three: one from humanities; one from social sciences; one from natural/applied sciences). There are also representatives from Faculty Council, the Board of Undergraduate Studies, and the Graduate Studies Coordinating Board. The Provost selected these names from nominations given to him from the head of each unit. 

All academic programs at LUC are included on the list for review. This includes all undergraduate minors, undergraduate majors, graduate certificates, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees. Dual or accelerated degrees are not being reviewed as distinct programs. 

We do not yet know what criteria we will use to assess programs. As one of their first major tasks, the faculty workgroup will establish these criteria. 

Yes, the workgroup is also working to establish different types of programs. This means that undergraduate minors likely will be assessed in a different manner than undergraduate majors and in a different manner than research doctorates and so on. It is important that our assessment criteria consider these differences. 

The workgroup will consider the quantitative and qualitative data in a wholistic manner for each program. They will spend January and February deliberating on the best ways to weigh the data and applying those insights to each program under consideration. 

Based on the assessment criteria for that particular program, all programs will be categorized into one of three groups: (a) continue as is, (b) modify, and (c) sunset. The workgroup will present the data and their recommendations to the Provost, who will modify the categorizations, as needed. 

Yes, all deans will have the ability to submit an appeal for programs designated for modification or sunset. 

By the end of February, the faculty workgroup will establish what exactly will be included in the appeal. It will likely involve the program providing any additional data or additional context for their program that would demonstrate that it has high potential to thrive in the coming years. The appeal will be made directly to the Provost. 

Designing the appeals processes is another task of the faculty workgroup. They will work on this early in the spring semester. 

All programs selected for sunset after any relevant appeals process, will be fully taught out. Any student enrolled in a program will have the opportunity to complete it. 

Most faculty teach across multiple programs, so most affected faculty would likely be able to shift their teaching and other workload into other programs with which they are already associated and for which there is a clear instructional demand. If a faculty’s area is impacted so that this isn’t possible, we will work to move them into other units within the university for which they are qualified to teach, and for which there is clear instructional demand. 

Programs designated for modification will be given a summary of comments from the workgroup and the Provost as to what challenges and opportunities were identified. However, because the program knows the discipline and the curriculum best, any modifications will need to come from the program itself. The Provost’s office will make Fr. Michael Rozier, SJ, available as a resource throughout the modification process. The program will submit a proposal to the Provost by November 2026. The specific nature of these proposals is still being worked out. If the proposal is approved, the program will begin its modifications. If the proposal is not approved, the program will be sunset. 

The Provost does not have any specific targets in mind. He does not have a number of programs to sunset. He does not have a target amount of money to be saved. Nevertheless, it is expected that programs will be sunset and that the resulting savings in time, effort and financial resources can be redeployed to maintain the strength of our remaining programs. 

Higher ed is facing considerable pressures, particularly related to enrollment. The demographic shift means that starting next year there are many fewer students starting college as freshmen. The changes in federal financial aid mean that many students and families are going to be far more price-sensitive. Public confidence in higher education is also at an historic low. There are many other factors creating pressure and all together they mean we need to be very strategic with our use of limited resources. Although Loyola is currently in a position of strength and is not reacting to any acute financial crisis, we believe it’s better to face the realities of higher education and proactively ensure every program we offer is as strong as the students who in enroll in them deserve. We cannot do this if we keep spreading ourselves too thin.