In anticipation of his upcoming inauguration as the 25th president of Loyola University Maryland, Terrence Sawyer, J.D., shared his plans for Loyola’s future.
In a one-on-one interview with The Greyhound, he said, “I don’t view being the first non-Jesuit president as a burden, but more as a great responsibility to ensure that the values that have guided this University fundamentally remain intact.” Although Sawyer himself is not a Jesuit, he says he is well informed about Ignatius as well as the values and traditions of Loyola. Sawyer says he owes a debt of gratitude to Father Linnane, who took him on a retreat through Spain and Italy which followed Saint Ignatius’ life.
“We followed the steps of Saint Ignatius, starting where he was born in Spain, to where he had his conversion, and ultimately where he died [in Italy]. It was here that I knew that this job was more than just a job,” Sawyer said. “It felt more like a vocation than anything else, and only underscores what I believe is the importance of our work which is to ensure that Jesuit education continues to thrive in our society.”
President Sawyer has been in the Baltimore area for most of his adult life. He studied at the University of Maryland and even studied for the Bar Exam at Loyola’s own Notre Dame Library. Aside from being in the Baltimore area, President Sawyer has been at Loyola for almost 25 years now, yet he never imagined that his time here would lead to him becoming president. His relationship with Loyola started with a contract to help build the Ridley Athletic Complex.
“I thought it was going to be a simple project and that I would go back to legal work, but over the course of that time, I really fell in love with this institution,” Sawyer said. “I never thought I would be president, but I knew that this line of work is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
When asked about short-term goals for Loyola’s future, Sawyer said his first goal is to introduce himself to people internally and externally as the new president of Loyola and to get to know their hopes and aspirations for the university.
“The second thing I am working on is holding meetings with business leaders throughout the region in a spirit of partnership; how can we work on things that help both our institutions, whether it be a healthcare system, banks, manufacturers,” Sawyer said.
One of Sawyers first acts as president is to gain community input on a long term strategic plan for Loyola University. The university is hosting multiple sessions for students, faculty, and surrounding community members to weigh in. Sawyer says the goal of the plan is to create a shared vision.
“We wanted Loyola to know that we really will listen to the community at large and create a plan that is responsive to their hopes for Loyola as well,” Sawyer said.
Even though he has been working at Loyola for 25 years, he says he never anticipated becoming president and is continuing to learn more about his role every day on the job. He says working closely with Father Ridley, who hired him, and Father Linnane, the previous president, prepared and inspired him to do this kind of work.
Sawyer said, “What I also learned is that even though I was mentored by both, there is no way to simulate this job. You can imagine what it is like, but you cannot really know until you are in it.”
Classes will be canceled from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11 as Loyola will be hosting the Mass of Thanksgiving in Reitz Arena to mark the inauguration of the 25th president of Loyola.
Classes will also be canceled on Wednesday, Oct. 12th from 11:00 to 2:00 p.m. for the Inaugural Convocation for President Sawyer in the Reitz Arena. Directly after, there will be a luncheon on the quad. For the full schedule, visit Loyola’s official website.
Featured Image Courtesy of Loyola’s Office of the President
