Catching Up With Cody: Charting a new direction
Dear Colleagues,
“Go forth and set the world on fire.” – St. Ignatius of Loyola
It’s hard to believe that we are about a month away from traditional classes beginning for the fall semester. We’re also a few days away from our patron saint Ignatius of Loyola’s feast day on July 31. Saint Ignatius formed a community of apostles who, though scattered over the globe, maintained union of mind and heart with their brothers. His Jesuits established schools and universities around the world, Regis University being one of the many hundreds.
As we carry on St. Ignatius’s mission, we are also tasked with some challenges as the world around us has changed locally and globally. What is clear is that the status quo cannot continue for us to grow and to serve students better, so we need to look ahead and imagine how to improve our important work. Re-imagining higher ed in the U.S. is happening across the nation and Regis will need to adapt to those changes as well.
Growth will be the priority as we continue the creation of our strategic framework. While many themes will likely emerge, we know that a couple of key areas of focus will be:
- Student Centricity
- Mission and transformative education
A strategic planning committee has been created who will help us guide this work.
We’ll be organized for success and making sure the following objectives help lead our resurgence:
- Reliable data improvements
- Improved efficiency in our operations
- Business plans for all colleges and departments
- Performance management
We’ll have more details about the strategic framework and our organizational plan in the coming weeks. We will relay an update on both, at our Aug. 16 town hall.
We also have some exciting news as our Board of Trustees leadership has changed. Bob Engel, who has faithfully served on the board for 15 years and as Chair for 6 years, will be handing the baton to current board member and Investment Committee Chair Derek Scarth. Derek will now serve as Chair of the board. Derek and I have had the opportunity to work together as trustees for the past 8 years and share the status of Alumni. We are extremely grateful for Bob’s years of service and his ongoing philanthropy and confidence in Regis University.
In addition, Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, outgoing president of Loyola University of Chicago, will serve as vice-chair, stepping in for Mike Reidy, who has served in the position for the past year and on the board for the past 3 years. We thank both Bob and Mike for their leadership and contributions.
Derek and Jo Ann have been valuable members to the Board of Trustees. I know I speak for all trustees when I say that we are thrilled they will be serving in an even larger capacity for us.
We know in a competitive landscape and the ever-changing industry of higher ed, we will need to establish a framework that sets Regis apart from others in order to grow and prosper. While we continue to chart a new direction, you should all know that the board supports the work we are doing and has confidence in our future. We collectively believe, we will be stronger as we move toward our 150th year.
Better together,
Cody Teets
Interim President/Trustee