During the Katrina semester when the University was closed, the administration began quietly to terminate several employees on campus, including staff, instructors, and tenure-track Assistant Professors.  In some cases, positions were completely eliminated (termed “reduction in force”).  All of this was done without any knowledge of what holds for the University for Spring 2006.

The Students, Faculty, and Staff of Loyola University New Orleans began classes on January 9, 2006.  The number of us returning to LUNO revealed our dedication to our institution:  89% of all Students (92% of full-time Students) returned, 100% full-time Faculty returned, 97% of part-time Faculty returned, 84% of full-time Staff returned, and 63% of part-time Staff returned.

The January 2006 numbers supported the general consensus and feeling on campus that, to paraphrase a Faculty member, the LUNO community was full of hope, good will, and ready to do whatever it will take to get the university going again.  Then, Pathways was forced upon all of us without any input from Students, Faculty, and Staff.  Eliminations of positions and terminations continue.  In many cases, the people who were terminated had no warning at all.  This section contains a summary of the positions lost, and note that the numbers are very incomplete since the numbers of staff such as computer technicians, electricians, etc., who have left have not been made public.  Among the terminations included Mr. John Sears, a long-time, honest, dedicated and professional administrator who provided vital statistics about the University, and Father Si Hendry, the Director of the Jesuit Center, who brought everyone together at the university. 

And thus, the administration squandered the hope and good will of the LUNO community.