Loyola Marymount University Recognized by California as a Black-Serving Institution

Provost Updates: BSI, Faculty Survey and Teaching Series

Feb. 9, 2026

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to Black History month.  

I would like to begin by sharing exciting news: as of Dec. 8, 2025, Loyola Marymount University has been recognized by California as a Black-Serving Institution. It is an incredible honor, and we accept it as a recognition of the many LMU students, staff, faculty, and alumni advocates and allies who have worked over the years to create an inclusive environment for our Black student community. This designation, alongside our classifications as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), advances LMU’s commitment to pursuing educational equality. Renewable every five years, the appellation holds us accountable to continued efforts to further the success of our Black students. In the months ahead, we will work with the campus community and colleagues to thoughtfully recognize and commemorate our BSI and AANAPISI designations.

The success of students is at the heart of another update I’d like to share. Last week, I offered to the Faculty Senate a draft proposal for the creation of a new Teaching Series within the term category of the Faculty Handbook. This proposal builds on prior faculty recommendations, introducing several additional benefits for term faculty hired into this series, including an added rank and the opportunity to teach an additional course each semester as part of one’s contract. The proposal also defines a standardized promotion review process, builds in opportunities to pursue professional development via course remission(s) in the seventh year, and establishes clear criteria for advancement from assistant professor of teaching to associate professor of teaching, and from associate professor of teaching to professor of teaching.

I would like to commend the Faculty Senate for its partnership and continued commitment to shared governance at the university. The senate has formed a committee to review the Teaching Series and provide feedback on the draft. I thank the committee in advance for their collaboration and expertise throughout this process. For your information, you can find the draft proposal of the promotion review process here and a summary of proposed Faculty Handbook changes here.

Last week, I shared a new organizational chart for the Office of the Provost in LMU This Week Express. The chart reflects recent changes within the leadership of the Provost’s Office and the Academic Affairs Division, including a reduction in the number of vice provosts and a redistribution of responsibilities. I want to thank the Provost’s Office team for stepping into new roles and responsibilities and for their continued dedication to supporting our faculty, students, and staff.

As provost, I want my actions and the actions of my team to be consistently guided by faculty perspectives and needs. I invite you to participate in a faculty survey designed to provide a clear snapshot of current faculty needs at LMU. Responses will inform the priorities of the Provost’s Office going forward. Participation is voluntary, and all responses will be anonymous. The survey will be administered by Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRDS), which will have sole access to the raw data. IRDS will share an aggregated, anonymized report with the provost and Faculty Senate. The survey will be open until Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.

Finally, I would like to remind you that the next Community Conversation will be held on Feb. 24 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in the Life Sciences Building Auditorium. RSVP for the event here. We will have a deep-dive discussion on the launch of the Mission Priority Examen (MPE) with Senior Vice President and Professor of English John Sebastian and Elizabeth Drummond, Marymount Institute Director and Associate Professor of History. We hope to see you there.

I appreciate everything you do to make LMU great.

With gratitude, 
Kathleen Weaver, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
Professor of Biology