Loyola University Maryland

Loyola University Maryland’s strategic plan includes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies that advocate left-of-center issues associated with race, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexuality, and age. ²

Background

Loyola University Maryland is a private Jesuit university that was founded in 1852 by Jesuit priest John Early, and it was the first school in the United States to be named after St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. ³

In 2002, Loyola University Maryland created its first diversity course requirement that later became a graduation requirement in 2010. In 2020, Loyola University Maryland reported concerns that its diversity courses and course requirement were insufficient to comply with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In response, it commissioned a Faculty Equity and Inclusion fellowship to draft a report for suggestions for DEI course requirements that led to the adoption of Diversity-Justice courses, expanding on DEI topics in the courses and expanding the graduation requirement to two courses. ⁴

In 2018, Loyola University Maryland founded its Pride Resource Room (PRR), an LGBT social club and study location inside of the school’s Andrew White Student Center. PRR also hosts Loyola’s Queer Library that contains LGBT-themed books. ⁵

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

President’s Advisory Council

Loyola University Maryland’s President’s Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion was created in 2017 to create DEI initiatives. It consists of administrators, faculty, and staff and reports to the president and the chief equity and inclusion officer. It creates recruitment, hiring, enrollment, retention, and business policies to align with the university’s DEI initiatives. The council also organizes DEI trainings and educational programs on campus and within the local community. ⁶

DEI Strategic Plan

In 2020, Loyola University Maryland adopted a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan, consisting of three goals, with each goal having its own initiatives, and it reports the initiatives were fully implemented by June 2023. ^{2 7}

The initiatives for the strategic plan’s first goal included creating DEI principles for the campus, engaging in equity audits for each university division, creating a plan to “measure DEI growth,” and creating a DEI professional development plan. ²

The initiatives for the second goal included creating “co-curricular planning” to “build inclusive cultures” and developing physical locations to host DEI programs. It also includes expanding the programming for Disability Support Services, the Pride Resource Room, and the Thrive Center for Student Services. ²

The third goal of the DEI strategic plan includes pursuing partnerships with local high schools and advocating public funding for ethnic minority owned businesses in Baltimore. ²

Under its DEI strategic plan, Loyola University Maryland created a bias reporting program, a mandatory anti-racism bystander training for first-year students, and anti-racism training and curriculum for its student government association. Loyola University Maryland also trains recruitment and hiring staff on how to comply with DEI initiatives in hiring practices. ⁷

DEI Audits

Loyola University Maryland’s equity audits review the diversity of student enrollment, faculty, staff, and administrators and the performance of minority groups. It then uses the audits to create policies to support the performance and increase the enrollment and hiring of ethnic minorities. ⁷

Course Graduation Requirement

Loyola University Maryland requires students to complete at least two “Diversity-Justice courses” for graduation. ⁸ The Diversity-Justice courses must be approved by the Diversity-Justice Requirement Committee where materials. The committee encourages all courses to incorporate Diversity-Justice learning aims and to apply for Diversity-Justice designation. ⁹

Diversity Advisory Board

Loyola University Maryland organizes an undergraduate Diversity Advisory Board (DAB) made up of students who advise the Office of Equity and Inclusion on DEI initiatives. DAB also promotes DEI initiatives amongst students and within student groups. ¹⁰

Anti-Israel Advocacy

In November 2024, Loyola University Maryland’s Bunting Peace and Justice Speaker Series hosted Combatants for Peace, an advocacy group consisting of Israelis and Palestinians. Combatants for Peace advocated an end to the 2023-2025 the Israel Hamas war while describing the overarching issue as an illegal “occupation” of disputed Palestinian territories by Israel. It also promotes ideas that Israel is committing an ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The event was promoted by Loyola University Maryland’s Office of Peace and Justice and advertised as an opportunity for attendees to understand the cause of the conflict. ¹¹

Leadership

Terrence Sawyer is the president of Loyola University Maryland. He also sits on the boards of the American Council on Education, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Catholic Charities, The Center Club, Greater Baltimore Committee, Loyola Blakefield, Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Scholarship Foundation, and the Maryland Independent Colleges and Universities Association. Sawyer began working for Loyola University Maryland as senior vice president. He has also worked as an attorney for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, practiced civil and criminal law in Baltimore City, and is a member of the Maryland State Bar. ¹²

Rodney L. Parker is the chief equity and inclusion officer for Loyola University Maryland. He previously worked as the director of African, Latino, Asian, and Native American services at Loyola University Maryland for over 14 years before becoming the assistant dean of undergraduate and graduate studies in 2019. From 2013 to 2016, Parker worked as Loyola University Maryland’s chairperson for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) conference on diversity and equity. ¹³ He has also worked as an executive pastor of the Protestant Carter Memorial Church of God in Christ since 2011. ¹⁴

Financials

In 2024, Loyola University Maryland reported $368 million in total revenue, including $239 million from tuition and fees, $56.2 million from food service and housing, $21.0 million in government grants, and $2.4 million from athletic programs. ¹⁵ It also reported $359 million in total expenses, including $142 million in financial assistance to 4,204 recipients. ^{16 17}

Loyola University Maryland also made $43.2 million in investments into Central America and the Caribbean, making up over 88 percent of the foreign activities and 12 percent of the total expenses reported on its 2024 tax return. ¹⁸ Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Loyola University Maryland Inc. 2024. Schedule F. [/note