ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Board of Trustees Extends President Joyner's Contract
The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ (ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½) Board of Trustees has approved an extension to the contract of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ President Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D. Dr. Joyner became the 20th president of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in 2017.
"The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to offer Dr. Joyner a contract extension to June 2023, which she has accepted," said Board Chairman Timothy G. Trahey '82. "She has demonstrated a deep commitment to our Mercy mission, academic excellence and student success. During her time at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Dr. Joyner has positioned the University for a brighter future -- academically, financially and strategically -- and she has worked tirelessly with faculty and staff to strengthen the position of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in an increasingly competitive higher education space."
Selected accomplishments of the University community during her tenure include:
- Enrolling the largest first-year class in the 173-year history of the University and improving the first-to-second year retention rate by more than two points
- Creating an Integrated Planning and Budgeting Committee (IPBC) to link planning, budgeting and assessment
- Introducing more than a dozen new academic offerings
- Expanding high-impact practices such as student-faculty collaborative research to enhance student engagement and learning, support faculty scholarship, recognize excellence in teaching and scholarship, and add to the intellectual vitality of campus
- Securing continued Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation
- Strengthening the financial position of the University in terms of cash from operations, summer revenue, and debt reduction
- Securing the largest National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ history at nearly $1.5M for promoting success in STEM
- Implementing a campus-wide Service Excellence Program aligned with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ core values
- Participating in the Illinois Equity in Attainment (ILEA) initiative to eliminate achievement gaps in college degree completion by racial and socioeconomic groups
- Restructuring University Advancement and improving fundraising performance
- Hiring and/or retaining capable senior leadership
- Launching a comprehensive, strategic planning process led by faculty and staff and dedicated to creating an institution that is mission-focused, student-centered, performance-based, and financially sustainable
"We are heirs to a proud and noble legacy and I remain honored to be a part of this special learning community," said ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ President Joyner. "I am grateful for the confidence the Board has shown in my leadership, and I am exceedingly thankful for the many contributions of our dedicated faculty and staff. I look forward to our continuing work ahead to ensure that talented students continue to be educated for competence, character, compassion, and career success in our rich, Mercy tradition."