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Loyola University of Chicago Employees Retirement Plan (LUERP)
The Loyola University of Chicago Employees Retirement Plan operates as a corporate defined-benefit structure sponsored by Loyola University Chicago.
Loyola University of Chicago Employees Retirement Plan (LUERP)
The Loyola University of Chicago Employees Retirement Plan operates as a corporate defined-benefit structure sponsored by Loyola University Chicago. It provides retirement coverage not only for the university's own employees but also for workers at affiliated institutions including the Loyola University Medical Center, St. Ignatius College Preparatory, and the Jesuit Retreat League of Chicago. Janice Parks oversees plan administration in her dual role as VP of Human Resources, while CIO Katharine Wyatt manages the investment portfolio. The plan's investment strategy spans traditional and alternative asset classes. Public filings confirm allocations to registered investment companies, common and collective trusts, and pooled investment funds. The explicit inclusion of venture capital across multiple entries in the plan's strategy documentation indicates a deliberate commitment to private growth-stage exposure, a relatively aggressive posture for a medium-sized university-affiliated pension. The fund sources these exposures through external managers rather than direct investments, consistent with the operational scale of a plan without a large internal investment staff. Wyatt's external professional affiliations reinforce the plan's access to institutional investment networks. She serves on the executive committee of the CFA Society Chicago board and maintains membership in the Private Equity Women's Investor Network, a peer group for women allocating to private markets. The Chicago location provides proximity to a dense network of fund managers and allocators, though the plan has not publicly disclosed total assets under management or detailed portfolio composition beyond the required Form 5500 categories. The plan's most distinctive structural feature is its multi-employer configuration under a single university sponsor. Rather than operating separate retirement vehicles for each affiliated Jesuit institution, LUERP consolidates them into one pool, creating a larger asset base and reducing administrative fragmentation. This architecture differs from typical single-sponsor university pension plans and gives the investment office a broader mandate than the institution's name alone would suggest.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1949
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Chicago
Corporate office
Chicago, IL, United States
Principals
Katharine Wyatt, CFA
Chief Investment Officer
Janice Parks
Plan Administrator and Vice President of Human Resources
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who manages investment decisions at LUERP?
Katharine Wyatt, CFA serves as Chief Investment Officer and is responsible for the plan's asset allocation, manager selection, and investment policy. She is a CFA charterholder and sits on the executive committee of the CFA Society Chicago board. Janice Parks administers the plan as part of her broader VP of Human Resources duties at Loyola University Chicago.
Which employers participate in the LUERP plan?
The plan covers employees of four distinct Jesuit-affiliated entities: Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, St. Ignatius College Preparatory, and the Jesuit Retreat League of Chicago. This multi-employer structure under a single university sponsor is an unusual configuration that pools retirement assets across educational, healthcare, and religious organizations.
Does LUERP invest directly in venture capital or through fund managers?
The plan accesses venture capital through pooled investment funds and common trusts rather than making direct investments in individual startups. This is the standard approach for pension funds of this operational scale, relying on external managers to source, underwrite, and manage private market exposures. The plan's strategy documentation lists venture capital across multiple entries, suggesting commitments to several VC fund managers.
What asset classes does LUERP target?
Public filings indicate the plan allocates to a multi-asset portfolio including registered investment companies (mutual funds), common and collective trusts, pooled investment funds, and venture capital. The venture capital allocation is notable for a university-affiliated pension plan of this size and reflects a willingness to accept illiquidity in pursuit of higher long-term returns to fund the plan's liabilities.
Is the LUERP a single-employer plan?
No. Despite being sponsored by Loyola University Chicago, the plan functions as a multi-employer vehicle. It covers employees of the university itself plus three other Jesuit organizations: the Loyola University Medical Center, St. Ignatius College Preparatory, and the Jesuit Retreat League of Chicago. This structure creates a broader participant pool and larger asset base than a typical single-university plan.
Has LUERP disclosed its total assets under management?
No. The plan has not publicly disclosed a specific AUM figure. Like many private pension funds that are not subject to the same disclosure requirements as public plans, LUERP files annual Form 5500 reports with the Department of Labor, but the most recent available asset totals have not been confirmed through publicly accessible sources at the time of this profile.
How does LUERP's investment committee source fund managers?
CIO Katharine Wyatt's institutional affiliations provide the plan with direct access to manager-sourcing networks. Her board role with CFA Society Chicago connects her to the city's investment management community, and her membership in the Private Equity Women's Investor Network gives her access to a peer group of LP allocators who share due diligence and manager references for private market funds.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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