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When the presidents of Jesuit universities throughout the United States heard about the students left without schools due to the damage of Hurricane Katrina, a decision was made to open Jesuit schools to these individuals. The Phoenix spoke with Loyola University Chicago's president, Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., about welcoming students from areas distressed by Katrina and what changes can be expected at Loyola.
Phoenix: What role did being president of a Jesuit institution play in the decision to admit students?
Garanzini: It was only natural for the 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States to come together and open our doors to those students impacted by Hurricane Katrina. This is a clear example of how we authentically live out our Jesuit mission.
Phoenix: What other factors were considered when making the decision to allow affected students into LUC?
Garanzini: Once we found out New Orleans was completely devastated by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and that Loyola University New Orleans would be closed for the semester, we immediately opened our doors to these students.
Phoenix: Was making the decision a difficult one?
Garanzini: The decision to open our doors wasn't difficult at all. This is what you do when people are in need. There was never any doubt in our minds that this was the right decision.
You probably know that Loyola University Chicago went through very difficult financial times for nearly a decade. We survived because of the tremendous good will and support from our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends. Now that we have recovered, it's our responsibility to respond to this immense tragedy as best we can.
Phoenix: How will the newly admitted students affect the already established budget?
Garanzini: We believe the overall budget impact will be minimal and don't anticipate any areas of the budget being compromised.
Phoenix: What changes can students expect to see around Loyola due to the new students?
Garanzini: You will probably see anywhere from one to three new students in many of your classes. While all of our on-campus housing is now filled, we are still assisting students with off-campus housing and have had overwhelming support from alumni, faculty, staff, current students and the greater Chicagoland community willing to assist in accommodating these students.
Phoenix: What actions have been taken to make the new students feel welcome? Will there be or have there been any organized events to introduce the new students to others? Will they have special opportunities to talk with advisors and get support when needed?
Garanzini: Over Labor Day weekend, special hours were set up to welcome and admit these students. There were over 200 volunteers made up of faculty, staff and students who helped them get registered for classes, settled into housing and oriented to campus. For those students who came with nothing, we were able to secure such things as clothing, linens, textbooks, school supplies, etc. We also provided shopping trips to Target and Office Depot.
On Thursday, Sept. 8, thanks to a generous donation from Aramark, we sponsored a special meeting and dinner for all the new students. This will allow them to meet one another and hear about the various support services that have been established for them. We will have a variety of staff there to answer questions about such things as tuition, financial aid, housing, health insurance, wellness and counseling services, etc.
Phoenix: Is there any other information you would like to share on the subject?
Garanzini: I want to personally thank everyone who has worked so hard to get these new students enrolled and settled onto campus. The teamwork and generosity that have been exhibited over the past week have been absolutely phenomenal. Like I said earlier, there were over 200 staff, faculty and students who generously gave up their Labor Day weekend to help us out. This kind of sacrifice is much appreciated.
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