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Provost’s Office Leadership Update

March 7, 2024

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

In the summer of 2023, I initiated a project to evaluate the organizational structure of the Academic Affairs Division and the leadership team within the Provost’s Office. The goal of the process was to enable us to provide optimal support to advance LMU’s academic mission, increase capacity, efficiency, and collaboration, and to make adjustments to support a vibrant intellectual environment. As I began my second term as provost, I saw the need to reevaluate and adjust the structure of my area. The impetus for these changes was inspired by the growth of LMU's undergraduate population, the change in LMU Loyola Law School reporting to my office, our increased external visibility, and feedback I received from my 360 review in 2021.

In June of 2023, I engaged Nicki Nabasny, Ed.D., of Beleza Advisors to lead an assessment; based on her findings and my own discernment process, I have developed a new academic affairs leadership structure. The key goals of this restructuring are to clarify roles and portfolios, make graduate and undergraduate education equivalent in reporting structure, create a comprehensive team for assessment, data, and strategy, align groups that deliver similar or adjacent services to students, and, as previously mentioned, ensure that the organization is structured to achieve the priorities most critical to advancing our shared academic mission.

I share a simplified organizational chart that summarizes the new structure that will go into effect on June 1, 2024, along with context for some changes that will impact the existing reporting lines and function of certain areas:

  • My senior leadership team will include the vice provost for academic programs, vice provost for faculty, research and strategy, vice provost for academic administration, associate provost for financial planning and budgets, vice provost for Enrollment Management (EM), and the senior vice president for Student Affairs (SA). This group will meet with me and with the Deans Council regularly to advance university-wide priorities and goals, discuss emerging issues, and serve as a problem-solving resource.
  • This new structure further clarifies leadership roles with explicit portfolios and mandates. For example, the vice provost for academic programs will oversee undergraduate and graduate education, along with education abroad and fellowships. The vice provost for faculty, research, and strategy will be responsible for faculty affairs, grants and sponsored research conducted by faculty and staff, and a newly created strategy and assessment group that will include teams in EM and SA.
  • Groups engaged in similar or overlapping work will be aligned to better support the students they serve, with corresponding reporting lines for the following areas:
    • Academic Support Services will bring together the Academic Resource Center, the Katz Family Academic Skills program, and Disability Support Services, and include our continued partnership with Student-Athlete Academic Services
    • The Access and Participation group will bring together Ignacio Student Support Services, the McNair Scholars Program, the Office of Research and Creative Arts, and First To Go
    • Strategy, Data, and Assessment will bring together Strategic Initiatives, Institutional Research and Decision Support, and Educational Effectiveness & Assessment in a new partnership with resonant areas in SA and EM
  • I will establish and chair a Graduate Deans Council that will meet once a month to align all graduate education efforts and coordinate budget, recruitment, marketing, student support, and more.
  • With the LMU Loyola Law School now reporting directly to me, the important accessibility work of the Coelho Center will be relocated to the Westchester campus, with a physical space in University Hall opening later this spring.
  • The Center for Urban Resilience (CURes) will reside in the LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering and the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles will be located in the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, aligning their work and research with the colleges that most closely represent their scholarship.
  • With CURes and Study L.A. reporting up to their new home colleges and my greater understanding of the structure of service programs and community-based learning at the university, the Office of Global-Local Affairs will transition to the Office of International Programs and Partnerships to laser-focus on our goal of comprehensive internationalization.
  • The Marymount Institute for Faith, Culture, and the Arts will now report directly to the provost, honoring the profound legacy of the merger of Marymount College with Loyola University 50 years ago. This transformative academic partnership reshaped the trajectory of Loyola Marymount University and the landscape of Catholic education in Los Angeles. The Marymount Institute stands as a beacon of interdisciplinary exploration that fosters dialogue, creativity, and wonder. Its mission remains rooted in the rich traditions of Marymount College, ensuring that its profound impact endures within the heart of our university. This direct reporting solidifies our commitment to nurturing the institute's scholarly pursuits and cultural contributions, continuing its vital role in shaping the intellectual fabric and soul of our institution.

These and additional organizational reporting changes have been directly communicated to impacted individuals and groups. I am grateful for the feedback and collaboration that went into this process, and, in particular, I appreciate the input of the deans, my direct reports and other campus leaders, my colleagues on the Cabinet, and the president of the Faculty Senate who took time to share their perspectives with our consultant. I am also indebted to President Snyder, whose thought partnership made much of my discernment come alive.

Implementing these changes will require consideration and care to ensure a seamless transition. I am confident that with this new structure, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, and the many units that comprise Academic Affairs are well-positioned to lead LMU into the future.

Sincerely,

Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
Professor of Chemistry