Loyola University Chicago

Heartland-Delta:  The Purpose    

Heartland-Delta is a collaboration of the 12 Jesuit colleges & universities within the 5 Midwest and Delta provinces in the US.  This regional group developed from a commitment among the national network of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities to cultivate their common Jesuit identity.  Heartland-Delta recognizes that American Jesuit Higher Education today thrives on the dedication of lay people committed to the Jesuit educational mission.  The institutions within the Heartland-Delta network aim to foster the Ignatian spirituality and values that traditionally root Jesuit higher education, with a special concern for lay-Jesuit cooperation and mutual leadership.  

Two gatherings of the Heartland-Delta colleges and universities serve this goal:  Faculty Conversations, an annual gathering for small groups of faculty from the 12 colleges and universities to discuss a shared theme; and the Heartland-Delta plenary conference, a gathering every 3-4 years for delegations of faculty, staff & administrators (around 500) to explore an overarching issue of Jesuit education.

Heartland-Delta:  The History

A great transformation has taken place in US Jesuit higher education over the last century.  Until the 1940’s, Jesuit colleges and universities were smaller institutions staffed and led primarily by Jesuits.  Over the next 25 years, the schools typically grew, were served by fewer Jesuits, and drifted from a vision of shared identity & purpose.  By the late 70’s, initial efforts were begun to strengthen the connections within this nationwide learning community.  In 1989, a comprehensive gathering of the 28 schools, known as Assembly ’89, fostered this renewed commitment to a unified network of Jesuit institutions.  Assembly ’89 participants committed to developing regional follow-up meetings, and thus the Heartland-Delta collaboration began. 

In 1994, nine Midwest schools first met as the Heartland at Loyola University Chicago; in 1997, 11 schools assembled at Saint Louis University to continue the expanded collaboration.  By 2000, the group had grown to formally include the Delta region, and 12 schools gathered at Creighton University for Heartland-Delta III.  After meeting at Marquette University in 2004 to further the dialogue on Jesuit education, the Heartland-Delta Conference V will convene in 2007 at John Carroll University, with a focus on implementing the mission that these Jesuit schools have diligently crafted and articulated

Heartland-Delta:  The Members    

Return to Heartland-Delta Faculty Conversations Welcome. 

Heartland-Delta Faculty Conversations VIII Contact: Megan Barry
	Title / Responsibilities:	Faith & Justice Coordinator
	Department:	Office for Mission
	Office:	Suite 101 Mundelein Center Lakeshore Campus
	Phone:	(773) 508-8592
	E-mail:	mbarry1@luc.edu