Loyola University Chicago has been a leader in working for educational opportunity for Undocumented students, i.e., persons who were brought to the United States as children and were raised and educated in this country, but remain without a path to normalization of their immigration status. They are often said to be “Americans in every way but on paper.”
The Dreamer Committee is a university-wide standing committee that succeeds a major task force that reviewed Loyola’s progress in meeting the needs of these students. The task force found that Loyola University Chicago had become an emerging national leader in promoting equity for these students. Achievements included the Stritch School of Medicine becoming the first U.S. medical school to openly welcome DACA-eligible students (www.stritch.luc.edu/daca) and the incredible undergraduate effort that create the Magis Scholarship Fund for Undocumented students
from a self-imposed student activity fee. Such “firsts” have brought the university renown and highlighted the value all levels of the university place on social justice. However, progress was uneven across the schools of the university and sustained attention needed to be given to these issues. The collaboration of dedicated faculty, administrators, and students is needed to further opportunity for Undocumented students at Loyola and to seek systemic change in our nation’s immigration system through scholarship and advocacy.
Mission
The mission of the Dreamer Committee is to develop equitable policies and practices to promote educational opportunities and improve the lives of undocumented students at Loyola University Chicago. This will be achieved by through multidisciplinary collaboration, and the promotion of research, education, advocacy and service that is informed by the lives and experiences of undocumented students seeking higher education.
Mark Kuczewski |
What the Dreamer Committee will do: Policy, Scholarship, Education
As indicated in our mission statement, the admission and financial aid policies and practices of each school will be studied. Progress and successes will be noted and best practices shared across schools. Strategies for fundraising and funding students will be priorities for action. As noted, there is an urgency to the issue of funding for these students as they lack eligibility for federal student aid, a key element in the financial aid packages of many students.
The main work of a university is scholarly and educational. Thus the Committee will develop a network of support for the many faculty currently creating relevant scholarship. The Committee will foster collaboration among these scholars and promote their work. And, creative educational approaches and programming will be shared and new educational efforts will follow from this cross fertilization. This kind of inquiry and teaching that is in the service of the University’s Jesuit ideals of social justice and human dignity is central to the university’s self-understanding and strategic vision.
Loyola University Chicago believes in education that is transformative of the person. Those who participate in a Jesuit education are intellectually and personally formed such that they are aware of persons who are unjustly marginalized and this understanding results in action. The Dreamer Committee seeks to model this Ignatian dynamic within our university community and to promote justice for our immigrant neighbors within and beyond the walls of our campus.
Co-Chairs:
Bruce Boyer, JD
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Mark Kuczewski, PhD
The Fr. Michael I. English Professor of Medical Ethics
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
*The name of this working group, Dreamer Committee, is to convey the commitment to Undocumented students at Loyola who inspire, strive for more, and achieve excellence.The members of the Dreamer Committee welcome serving as allies and sources of information regarding university policies and opportunities for undocumented students. Students and applicants to Loyola University Chicago should feel free to contact any one of them via e-mail.
Committee Co-Chairs:
Bruce Boyer, School of Law, bboyer@luc.edu
Mark Kuczewski, Stritch School of Medicine, mkuczew@luc.edu
Committee Members:
Jennifer Boyle, Academic Affairs, jboyle5@luc.edu
Paula Camaya, SDMA, pcamaya@luc.edu
Michael Canaris, Institute of Pastoral Studies, mcanaris@luc.edu
Aurora Chang, School of Education, achang2@luc.edu
Alex Escobedo, MAGIS Scholarship, aescobedo@luc.edu
Kelsey Gerber, Financial Aid, kgerber1@luc.edu
Ruth Gomberg-Munoz, Department of Anthropology, rgombergmunoz@luc.edu
Philip Hale, Government Affairs, phale@luc.edu
Ezgi Ilhan, Student Government, eilhan@luc.edu
Eric Immel, Arrupe College, eimmel1@luc.edu
Kathryn Jackson, Career Development Center, kjackson9@luc.edu
Judith Jennrich, Acute Care Programs, jjennri@luc.edu
Katherine Kaufka-Walts, Center for Human Rights for Children, kkaufkawalts@luc.edu
Timothy Love, Student Life, tlove@luc.edu
Ronald Martin, Graduate & Professional Enrollment, rmarti17@luc.edu
Virginia McCarthy, SSOM Ministry, vmccarthy@luc.edu
Cristina Nunez, MAGIS Scholarship, cnunez@luc.edu
Sullibert Ramirez, MAGIS Scholarship, sramirez4@luc.edu
Isabel Reyes, Admissions Arrupe, mreyes15@luc.edu
William Rodriguez, Student Life, wrodriquez1@luc.edu
Julian Ruiz, Latin American Student Organization, jruiz12@luc.edu
Peter Sanchez, Political Science, psanche@luc.edu
Joseph Saucedo, Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, jsaucedo4@luc.edu
Maria Vidal De Haymes, Social Work, mvidal@luc.edu
Sean Whitten, Admissions, swhitten@luc.edu
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