FAQs

Loyola has undertaken this initiative because our institution is at a critical inflection point that requires transformational change in how we operate. We have had an ongoing structural budget deficit for years, which means we have had to make and will continue to make difficult decisions to remain a healthy, viable institution.

Contributing Factors:

• A shift in demographics; there are fewer students.
• There is an expectation for financial aid which has put pressure on higher education.
• Confidence in the value of higher education has decreased - Americans only have 35% confidence in higher education.

The intended outcome of Operational Excellence is to reduce the structural deficit by FY 2028 and build a budget with sustainable savings by FY 2029. 

• A cross section of faculty, staff, administrators as well as subject matter experts have been engaged in this effort to ensure the entire Loyola community was well represented as we worked toward fulfilling operational goals.

• Specific names of those involved are available under the Process heading of the Operational Excellence website.

Transparency and communication are essential components of the success of this initiative. We will post updates at key milestones on the Operational Excellence website for the community to follow our progress. Additionally, we have and will continue to send email announcements, hold Town Halls, and communicate through management to remain transparent with the community about updates. 

• Operational Excellence is a two-year intense initiative, with the goals of advancing our institutional positioning, increasing resource efficiency, growing operational maturity, and strengthening financial resiliency.
• The charge for this two-year initiative was to identify recommendations to resolve our financial deficit, make key decisions regarding each recommendation, and create clear implementation plans that will move the university toward greater sustainability.
• The timeline for each year is available on the Operational Excellence website under the Process heading.
• The President will host another Town Hall on May 21st, 2026 to give an update to the community on final recommendations that will enable us to achieve our goals.
• Implementations of strategies will be dynamic in nature; some will take effect immediately or continue until each work group’s recommendations are implemented.
• Training and support will continue to be provided as we navigate these operational changes. 

• Cheryl Moore-Thomas, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president, and Kristy Michel, vice president for administration and finance oversaw this process. The President’s Cabinet was closely involved in reviewing initial findings, determining key experts who should be involved in the subsequent work groups, and making informed decisions based on each work group’s recommendations.
• In Year 1, we utilized a small subset of the Budget Committee to work with an external partner to identify 20 critical areas that advanced our four goals.
• In Year 2, we launched 7 work groups made up of community members and tasked with researching, reviewing, and implementing, targeted actions related to the work done in year 1 to increase our budget margins.
• Specific names of work group members are available on the Operational Excellence website under the Process section.

The Operational Excellence initiative is an essential component of how we implement our strategic plan, Together We Rise, which calls for the institution to engage in operational and digital transformation and highlights operational excellence as one of our guiding commitments. This work will help us realize our desire to foster a culture of change and operational excellence across the University. By identifying opportunities for growth, as well as key enhancements to the way we operate, we will become a more resource-efficient, operationally mature, and financially resilient institution that has the necessary resources to execute our strategic initiatives.

• Each work group researched and developed recommendations and policies to address their financial goals.
• The Steering Committee heard a presentation from the work group co-chairs and reviewed written recommendations. They then voted on whether to send forward to the Cabinet or not. For those that were sent forward, the recommendations remained unchanged, and the Steering Committee submitted comments addressing pros and cons of the recommendations for Cabinet consideration.
• The Cabinet then heard a presentation from the work group co-chairs and reviewed the forwarded recommendations from the work group and comments from the Steering Committee. They then determined if further changes needed to be made.
• Where appropriate, these recommendations were then taken through appropriate governance channels for engagement and input.
• Finally, the President, with input from the co-chairs, finalized decisions on all recommendations.

• The work group findings and recommendations were based on internal data compared with higher education best practices.
• Each work group gathered data from numerous resources including, but not limited to, the Huron report, Office of People and Culture data, other institutions benchmarking metrics and policies, financial data from Loyola’s spending trends, and national student demographic data. This data helped the work groups form their final recommendations. 

Technology

• The technology work group will review actions taken toward the implementation of Operational Excellence recommendation 7 – consolidate and streamline technology – as well as look at additional recommendations for cost savings such as: reviewing outsourcing options, exploring shared services, and evaluating the use of student workers for Help Center support.
• Cost Saving Goal: $1,500,000
• Lead Co-Chair and Cabinet Rep: Rob Smith
• Faculty Co-Chair: Jon Malis
• Admin/Staff Co-Chair: Brendan Sweeney

Procurement, Contracts, and Travel

• The procurement, contracts, and travel work group will review actions taken toward the implementation of Operational Excellence recommendation 6 – assess our procurement policy – as well as look at additional recommendations for cost savings such as: reviewing policies and process improvements around contracts, review updated P-card guidance, review recommended new policies governing travel.
• Cost Savings: $1,000,000
• Lead Co-Chair: Nancy Wright
• Faculty Co-Chair: Brant Matthews
• Admin/Staff Co-Chair and Cabinet Rep: Kristen McGuire

Organizational Assessment

• The organizational assessment work group will review actions taken toward the implementation of Operational Excellence recommendation 13 – conduct a comprehensive organizational assessment – as well as look at additional recommendations for cost savings such as: reviewing duplicative services and recommend decentralized or centralized models for service provision, outsourcing of specific functions, and vacant position reviews.
• Cost Savings: $5,500,000
• Lead Co-Chair and Cabinet Rep: Stephanie Coldren
• Faculty Co-Chair: Ravi Srinivasan
• Admin/Staff Co-Chair: Mike Mansfield

Compensation and Benefits

• The compensation and benefits work group will review actions taken toward the implementation of Operational Excellence recommendation 4 – refine our approach to compensation and benefits, specifically evaluating recommendations for 403(b) contributions, health care cost changes, use of staff stipends, etc.
• Cost Savings Goal: $3,000,000
• Chair of Compensation and Benefits Committee: Kristi Yowell

Academic Programs 

• The academic programs work group will review actions taken toward the implementation of Operational Excellence recommendation 16 – Conduct Comprehensive Academic and Co-Curricular Program Reviews, providing feedback and insights into ways to optimize our academic and co-curricular programs.
• Cost Savings and/or Revenue Generation Goal: $2,000,000
• Lead Co-Chair and Cabinet Rep: Frank Golom
• Faculty Co-Chair: Jill Snodgrass
• Admin/Staff Co-Chair: Afra Hersi

Endowment Policy

• The endowment policy work group will review actions taken toward the implementation of Operational Excellence recommendation 9 – Clarify Endowment Policy, providing feedback on the draft endowment policy as well as related issues of endowment disbursement percentages.
• Budget Relief Goal: $3,000,000
• Lead Co-Chair: Jill Hecklinger
• Faculty Co-Chair: Martha Taylor
• Admin/Staff Co-Chair and Cabinet Rep: Stephanie Brizee

New Revenue and Financial Aid Optimization

• The new revenue and financial aid optimization work group will review recommendations from operational excellence related to ways to enhance revenue as well as to optimize our financial aid strategy.
• Cost Savings/Revenue Generation Goal: $2,000,000
• Lead Co-Chair and Cabinet Rep: Mary Ann Scully
• Faculty Co-Chair: Mike Tangrea
• Admin/Staff Co-Chair: Jennifer Louden

 

• We understand that organizational changes, especially those that affect roles and teams, can feel unsettling and personal. This decision was not made lightly.
• The restructuring reflects a need to better align our organization with evolving priorities, financial realities, and the long-term sustainability of our university. After careful evaluation, we determined that changes to our structure were necessary to ensure we can continue to operate effectively and responsibly in the future.
• We recognize the impact this has on individuals and teams, and we are deeply grateful for the contributions of everyone affected. Supporting employees through this transition remains a priority, and we are committed to treating all impacted colleagues with respect, care, and transparency.

• We recognize that changes to roles or responsibilities can raise important questions about expectations, support, and fairness. Our goal is to make this transition as clear and manageable as possible.
• If your role has changed as a result of the restructuring, we are committed to supporting you through the transition. This may include training, guidance, and time to adjust to new or expanded responsibilities.
• We also understand that transitions take time. Expectations will be adjusted during an initial transition period to allow space for learning and adaptation, and managers will work closely with employees to provide clarity, feedback, and support throughout this process.
• If you have questions or concerns about your specific situation, please contact your manager or the Office of People and Culture so we can address them thoughtfully and transparently.