January 2025 Newsletter

In this edition:

• President's Message
• Innovation Grant Applications
• JASPA Public Policy Update Webinar
• IgnatianQ 2025 @ Loyola Marymount University
• Reflection on the Hallmarks of Jesuit Education
• Save the Dates
   

President's Message

Dear JASPA Colleagues,

Happy New Year. With the turning of the calendar, some of us embrace resolutions -- small commitments to being or doing differently in the year ahead. Others take this time to reflect, looking back on what was while dreaming about what could be. I find myself drawn more to the latter.

There is a Ghanaian concept Sankofa that speaks perfectly to this posture of reflection and hope. Translated, it means "go back and get it," yet its deeper meaning invites us to learn from the past as we create a better future. Isn’t this what we strive to do every day as student affairs educators in Jesuit higher education? We guide our students in making meaning of their experiences and histories so they can move forward with hope, understanding, and purpose.

As this new year begins, we find ourselves especially called to move forward together with hope. Our hearts ache for the city of Los Angeles and the biblical levels of devastation that communities there are enduring. We are also mindful of the uncertainties and complexities that lie ahead with the new Administration. Amid this heartbreak and challenge, though, we are invited to lean into the Ignatian practice of imagination: to envision the possibility of a new and hopeful future, and to ready our hands to do the work needed to bring it to life.

When I checked in on our dear colleague Lane Bove, retired Senior Vice President for Student Affairs at LMU, she candidly voiced her sorrow over the destruction caused by the wildfires. But in nearly the same breath, she resolved to move forward with strength. She ended her message -- true to her ever-hopeful self -- with her characteristic reminder: “Avanti!” (Forward!)

At times, it may feel difficult to move forward -- both for us and for our students. Yet, in moments like these, the wisdom of Sankofa reminds us to turn to the lessons of those who came before us. History is full of individuals and communities who have faced profound challenges, only to rise once again with resilience and creativity, building brighter pathways for future generations. For our students, for our colleagues, and for all those who will follow the trails we are blazing, let us honor that legacy by moving forward together in solidarity and hope.

So, in the spirit of Lane Bove, and with courage renewed: Avanti!

In faith and partnership,

Michele

Michele C. Murray, Ph.D.
President, JASPA
Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission
College of the Holy Cross
 

Innovation Grant Applications

JAPSA Innovation Grant applications are open!

Each year, JASPA awards a limited number of grants for the purpose of applying current research to address pressing issues in Jesuit student affairs. While proposals for all projects and programs that address the goals and values of JASPA are welcome, special emphasis will be placed on those that are focused on efforts promoting diversity and inclusion. $10,000 will be available to fund these initiatives each year. 

Proposals will be accepted until all funding is dispersed however priority will be given to proposals received by April 7, 2025. Decisions will be made and communicated between May and June, and grants will be awarded in the new fiscal year. Applications are now open.

Please contact Patrick Rogers, chair of Innovation Grants, at progers@holycross.edu if you have any questions about the application. 

Are you interested in serving on the application review committee?

Each year a committee of JASPA membership will review and make funding recommendations to the JASPA Executive Board. The commitment of reviewing applications will be limited to a period of a few weeks during April and May. Please contact Patrick Rogers, Chair of the Innovation Grants, at progers@holycross.edu if you are interested in serving in this role.
 

JASPA Public Policy Update Webinar

JASPA Public Policy Update Webinar
February 6, 2025, 3:00pm EST (12:00pm PST)
Register for the webinar

Please join us for a public policy update featuring Jenny Smulson, Vice President of Government Relations at the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). This webinar will provide updates on any executive actions taken in the first weeks of the new presidential administration, address anticipated action that might impact our institutions in the weeks and months ahead, and speak to the work of the AJCU in this area and how student affairs professionals on Jesuit campuses might respond to policy changes.

IgnatianQ 2025 @ Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University will be hosting the annual AJCU IgnatianQ conference on April 3-6, 2025! The February 3 early bird deadline for registration and hotel block pricing is quickly approaching.

Hotel Registration

Our hotel registration block for IgnatianQ ends on February 3, 2025. You can register for accommodations through the IgnatianQ website. If you need more time to know how many rooms you need, you can register with these hotels past the early bird window date. However, the rate may not be same the same as currently advertised. We encourage everyone to stay at these locations as we will be providing transportation to and from the conference from these hotels.

Registering for the Conference

We have seen responses coming in and are excited to bring together so many members of the AJCU! Our early bird registration is also due on February 3. Registration during this early bird window is $65 a person. General Registration price begins on February 4 at $80 a person. You can register on the IgnatianQ website. 

Program Proposals

Proposal submissions are due on January 27 at 9:00am PST. You can submit a proposal on the IgnatianQ website. Your timely submission will allow us to make decisions on applications by February 1.

If you still need time to register though you know your institution is coming, please reach out with a ballpark number of how many delegates (staff, faculty, and students) will be attending. This can greatly help us with forecasting purchases for attendees. 

We're here and happy to answer any questions you might have and look forward to welcoming you to the Bluff in April!

IgnatianQ is an annually recurring AJCU conference that focuses on the intersections of faith, sexuality, and social justice in a Jesuit campus context. It provides a space for members of this traditionally marginalized community to come together, grow their faith, explore their personal relationship with God, and strengthen bonds with their peers. This will be LMU’s first time hosting IgnatianQ, and the third time this conference will be held on the West Coast. Information on registrations, accommodations, breakout session proposals, and more can be found at lmu.edu/ignatianq.
 

Reflection on the Hallmarks of Jesuit Education

Katie Steele, Associate Director of Community Engagement and Learning Initiatives at Seattle University, authored a piece for Talking Stick, the magazine of the Association of College and University Housing Officers–International (ACUHO-I). In “A Love for Here,” Steele writes about how the hallmarks of Jesuit education have influenced her professional journey.

Read the reflection article!
 

Save the Dates