The Office of the Provost LMU.edu
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The Office of the Provost LMU.edu
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Partnering for the Future

September 12, 2025

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

As communicated earlier today by Chair Paul Viviano and President Poon, the LMU Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to invoke the university’s religious exemption from the National Labor Relations Board’s jurisdiction. As a result, recognition of the bargaining units of non-tenure track and visiting faculty represented by SEIU has ended. As President Poon affirmed earlier today, this is a consequential decision for our community, and I recognize its impacts to our valued colleagues. My commitment to you is to provide clarity and transparency, and to turn the university’s commitments into actions that strengthen both the faculty experience and the mission we serve together.

I have a clear understanding of the core issues facing our non-tenure track and visiting faculty, including the concerns at stake—compensation, contracts, and institutional investment—and I know these concerns are central to our ability to support our students and advance our mission. I carry that clarity forward, working with colleagues across university leadership to make meaningful progress on these matters through a structure that is grounded in direct dialogue.

I am determined to turn these concerns into opportunities for lasting change. Our shared goal is for faculty to feel respected in their work, secure in their jobs, and recognized for the vital contributions they make to our students, who are at the heart of our mission, and to LMU. In partnership with the Faculty Senate and university leadership, I will focus on the progress we can make immediately, in the year ahead, and over the next three years to strengthen the faculty experience within the LMU community.

As President Poon outlined, LMU is making clear commitments to support our non-tenure track and visiting faculty. My role, working closely with the Faculty Senate and our colleagues, is to ensure these commitments are translated into concrete actions and carried forward with urgency. To that end, I want to share more detail on the progress already underway and the plans ahead, reflecting the priorities voiced by our non-tenure track and visiting faculty colleagues. These advances include:

Immediate Actions Underway

  • Compensation
    • Full-Time NTT (BCLA, CFA, SFTV): Market-based salary increases are now in effect, averaging 3.85%, with some individual increases up to 10%. Combined with merit and promotion increases, the average total increase is 7.8% this year.
    • Part-Time Lecturers and Senior Lecturers: Following a 3.5% increase in Spring 2025, an additional 2% increase took effect in August 2025, for a total of 5.5% this year. Part-time faculty who receive a promotion also receive an additional 10% salary increase.
    • Visiting Faculty: Returning eligible visiting faculty receive a 3.5% increase this year.
    • Transparency: Beginning Fall 2025, all new NTT faculty will receive a clear information sheet outlining periodic and promotion review schedules.
    • Professional Development: Increased travel funds, higher Delphi Award caps, expanded orientation, and ongoing development opportunities are being made available.

By the End of AY 2026

Working in partnership with the Faculty Senate and faculty colleagues, we will:

  • Expand promotion opportunities and clarify titles.
  • Clarify review processes and establish consistent review timelines.
  • Advance academic freedom protections and implement a shared workload model.
  • Increase regular touchpoints among faculty leaders to ensure aligned, timely decisions.

Three-Year Goals to Strengthen Stability and Predictability

Over the next three years, we will focus on expanding full-time positions, extending multi-year contracts, clarifying workload expectations, and improving scheduling to provide greater predictability for faculty.

Longer-Term Initiatives

We are exploring additional structural opportunities–such as a regular community hour–that will further foster connection and engagement across the university (to be developed with faculty input).

In the spirit of transparency, accountability, and ongoing dialogue and collaboration, we will track and report progress on these initiatives and invite ongoing feedback.

This is a pivotal moment for LMU, and I approach it with humility and urgency. My dedication to faculty success and well-being remains steadfast, and I will continue our conversations with openness, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to our students and to one another. These issues are complex and consequential, but I am confident that by engaging one another constructively, we will strengthen both our faculty community and LMU.

As Interim Provost, I am mindful of my responsibility—and the need for urgent change—to turn our commitments into meaningful action. By drawing on our shared values and strengths, I believe we can shape an LMU community that is stronger, more united, and better prepared for the future.

I welcome your feedback—in one-on-one meetings, in group discussions, and in the upcoming Community Conversations—as we navigate this moment together. Thank you for the dedication, talent, and care you bring to our students and to LMU every day. It is in that shared purpose that we will continue to move forward.

With gratitude,

Kat Weaver, Ph.D.
Interim Executive Vice President and Provost
Vice Provost for Faculty, Research, and Strategy