Messina invites Loyola departments, offices, clubs and organizations to submit proposals for theme-wide event co-sponsorships.  Messina aims to co-sponsor 7-10 programs each semester to encourage first-year students (and all members of the Loyola Community) to take advantage of a variety of campus events while fostering intentional connections to their Messina course pairings and themes. The events should include a diversity of thought, opinion and presentation styles.  Additionally, events should promote active engagement with the material and opportunities for reflection – in and out of the classroom. 

Fall 2023 Co-Sponsored Event Submission Priority Deadline: June 23, 2023

Submit an Event Idea Online

Events eligible for Messina co-sponsorships should meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• The event enhances intellectual conversation and understanding of at least one of the Messina themes – The Good Life, Stories We Tell, Self and Other or The Visionary.
• The event connects to the topics and themes associated with the Common Text
• The event assists our first-time, first-year students with their transition to Loyola and Baltimore. 
• The event connects to the Messina Learning Outcomes.
• The event idea involves topics related to Ignatian Citizenship (service, peace and justice and/or civic engagement).  

When Messina agrees to co-sponsor an event, the partner departments/offices/organizations can ordinarily expect the following support: 

• Support marketing the event to Loyola and community groups through Loyola Today, the Messina website, the main Loyola events calendar, Messina weekly update e-mails, social media, digital signage and print signage. 
• Monetary support towards the costs associated with the event including (but not limited to) speaker/performance fees, Event Services set-up, travel, lodging and activities connected to the event/program.
• Messina presence at the event to assist with the event/program. 

When partnering with Messina, departments, offices and community organizations agree to: 

• Complete a Program Proposal Follow-Up Form 
• Consult Messina on the date, time and location of the event. The event should not conflict with other scheduled Messina co-sponsored events or annual campus-wide events (MLK Convocation, Humanities Symposium, Grand Seminar, Hanway Lecture, etc.)
• Maintain ongoing communication with the Messina office to determine marketing and coordinate logistics for the event/program. 
• Attend the event and assist with logistics before, during and after the event.
• Follow-up with the Messina office to assess the program.
• Help to facilitate a process to document student attendance. It is recommended that groups take advantage of the Bridge for publicizing and collecting attendance information.

Advanced notice of events is essential to Messina working groups’ planning for enrichment sessions. Students should know which events they are expected to attend when they receive their enrichment session syllabus/schedule during the first week of the semester. 

To facilitate the advanced planning of programs, Messina has set the following deadlines and co-sponsorship timeline for the upcoming academic year: 

Co-Sponsorship Ideas: 
Event ideas for the fall semester are due to the Messina Office no later than the end of June. Event ideas for the spring semester are due to the Messina Office no later than the last day of October.

Submit an Idea

Co-sponsored Event Confirmations: 
Fall events should be confirmed and shared with Messina faculty, mentors and Evergreens by early August. Spring events should be confirmed and shared with Messina faculty, mentors and Evergreens by early January.
   
Messina will reserve a modest budget to support events not selected as a Messina Theme-Wide event or for events proposed after the aforementioned deadlines.  While they will not be listed as a theme-wide event, we will promote the event to Messina classes and students through our weekly e-mail updates to Messina working groups. 

Please contact Messina at messina@loyola.edu or 410-617-2669 if you have questions about Messina co-sponsorship guidelines.