By Jessamyn Reichmann Young
Over the past month, higher education has faced unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Student Government Association (SGA) president at Loyola University New Orleans, I’ve been in frequent contact with other SGA presidents across the nation to hear how their institutions are responding. Each GroupMe message or phone call reaffirms for me Loyola’s loyalty to its students and our future endeavors.
As most institutions have moved instruction online, canceled athletic seasons and have closed their campuses, it’s in the administrators, faculty, staff and students' response that ensure the quality of education continues. In the midst of this pandemic, institutions including Loyola University New Orleans have remained steadfast in upholding the Jesuit values and prioritizing the student experience.
When Loyola announced its decision to move online for the remainder of the academic year, students didn’t know what to expect, but the harsh realities soon set in. The pandemic magnified pre-existing hardships: International students were unable to return home due to closed borders and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds did not have proper Wi-Fi or devices at home. Prior to COVID-19, I had the responsibility as the SGA president to vocalize the concerns of the student body to the administration; during this pandemic my responsibility to ensure that students came out on top grew.
As I gathered the concerns of the students and worked to both address and redirect their concerns, I observed the non-traditional resources and effort provided by the Loyola community. While observing how other institutions responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, I came to understand the value-based system Loyola abides by. It’s a system not only concerned with the quality of education or internal operations but their commitment to service. Furthermore, Loyola has provided adequate resources, but again it’s the non-traditional ones that have become our defining factors.
Specifically, I’m talking about Loyola's faculty and its commitment to serve the needs of their students beyond classroom demands. During this pandemic faculty have gone above and beyond, including delivering a school desktop with the proper editing software needed by a student, reviewing resumes and altering capstone projects to guarantee their students’ success. I also point to the student body’s commitment to serve the community amid this pandemic. For instance, students paid forward their room and board reimbursements to Loyola’s General Relief Fund, donated their Wolf Bucks to stock the on-campus food pantry and took the initiative to give back through a communal campaign providing over 35,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to our heroes on the frontlines of the global pandemic. Most importantly, I want to acknowledge the administration's strong receptiveness to the students' concerns and willingness to properly address them. I believe an institution can only be as strong in the base as it’s on.
Members of the Class of 2020 from Loyola University New Orleans (above) gather for a photo in front of “Touchdown Jesus” during their first year of studies. Photo courtesy of Loyola University New Orleans.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has created a great deal of uncertainty, our unwavering commitment to service and each other has sustained us through this past month and will continue into the future. Loyola has proven it’s more than an institution but a community based in Jesuit values. Through these values and our commitment to service, we’re committing to the success of one another.
Jessamyn Reichmann Young is in the Loyola University New Orleans Class of 2020.
The cover photo is featured courtesy of Loyola University New Orleans.