Provost Updates 3.20

Provost Updates: Faculty Awards, Artificial Intelligence, and Compensation Updates

Mar. 20, 2026

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I am at a higher education conference this week and the theme is “Vocation: An Itinerary of Hope.” In the midst of so much chaos and uncertainty in higher education and our world, this conference is inviting me and the community of educators to practice hope – not just hope as potential and possibility – but as a virtue, a muscle, a habit, a discipline, and a vocation. Hope is an activity in the service of a thriving present and future, and it is one that I aim to practice on a weekly (and hopefully daily) basis.

This week, we are announcing the award recipients of the LMU faculty awards. Through their exemplary teaching, creative and scholarly work, and service, I am reminded of the multitude of ways our faculty are enacting practices of hope, connecting knowledge, intellectual virtues, and moral reflection to meaningful work for transformative social change. All of the faculty who applied for these awards showcased their contributions to the university, ones that extend far beyond the classroom, and which strengthen a meaningful, hope-filled world, advancing the formation of character, virtues, and values that are positive for the common good. It is with deep appreciation for the work of our awardees as well as the larger faculty body at LMU that I share these updates.

Faculty Recognitions and Awards 
I am pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Faculty Awards and to celebrate their exceptional contributions to our academic community. I encourage you to attend this year’s Annual Faculty Recognition and Awards Ceremony, Tuesday, April 7, at 2 p.m. in Hilton 100. In addition to the aforementioned awards, we will also honor the faculty who are retiring from LMU as well as those who have reached years-of-service milestones. It is a time to be in community together and honor the dedication, innovation, and leadership demonstrated by our faculty. Please RSVP by March 31 here. I look forward to celebrating together on April 7.  

Additionally, I am pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Faculty Internal Grants. These awards support innovative faculty scholarship, creative activity, and research that advance knowledge, enrich teaching, and contribute to the intellectual life of our university.  This year’s funded projects represent a wide range of disciplines and approaches, reflecting the depth of scholarship and creativity across our faculty community.

Artificial Intelligence and LMU
Last spring, I put together a task force of faculty and staff to consider AI – the ways it's being integrated into and impacting teaching, research, and general operations — and to make recommendations to me and faculty at-large for a uniquely LMU approach to the moment. The AI Task Force has completed its work and submitted recommendations to me.  The Task Force’s introduction suggests a framework for LMU’s approach to AI:

The rapid development and spread of AI compels us to draw upon our Ignatian capacity for principled and reflective adaptation. As AI reshapes teaching, research, and university life, it opens significant possibilities for creativity and human flourishing. AI also raises fundamental ethical, social, and educational questions that invite searching dialogue. Faithful to our Ignatian tradition of engaging contemporary challenges and opportunities, LMU seeks to approach AI through rigorous inquiry and dialogue across all disciplines.

Significantly, the Task Force’s first recommendation invites LMU to consider adopting guiding principles regarding the academic and scholarly use of AI. They propose five guiding principles: 1) centering humanity, 2) growth through challenge, 3) honesty and transparency, 4) responsibility, and 5) on-going discernment and adaptation. In addition to the guiding principles, the Task Force recommendations include proposals for academic leadership, a comprehensive review of curriculum, faculty development, and student support. You can read more about each guiding principle, as well as the other recommendations here.

I want to thank the AI Task Force for their extraordinary dedication and effort to engage in this significant conversation while grounding us in our mission and values.

Appointment of Special Assistant to the Provost for Artificial Intelligence
A key recommendation from the AI Task Force involves establishing academic leadership to help navigate AI-related issues. I am pleased to announce that Mairead Sullivan, professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and director of the University Core Curriculum, has been appointed special assistant to the provost for Artificial Intelligence. In this role, Professor  Sullivan will work with faculty, staff, students, and university leaders to help support LMU’s response to the rapidly evolving opportunities and challenges posed by AI. This work, led by Professor Sullivan, will support cross-campus dialogue, coordinate faculty development and resources related to AI, and help the university thoughtfully integrate emerging technologies into its academic mission.

LMU is well-positioned to advance its unique approach to AI. In 2025, Professor Sullivan received a significant grant award from the Mellon Foundation for a three-year initiative exploring the ethical and social justice implications of artificial intelligence through the lens of disability studies. Through the grant, Professor Sullivan aims to foster critical conversations about the role of AI in shaping a more just and inclusive society.  Additionally, LMU’s Core Curriculum plays a particularly important role in this work. At a moment when technological change is accelerating, the Core provides the intellectual foundation that distinguishes a Jesuit and Marymount education: the cultivation of ethical reflection, critical judgment, and discernment about how technology shapes human life. Professor Sullivan will help ensure that LMU’s engagement with AI remains grounded in the university’s mission and educational commitments while supporting faculty, staff, and students as they explore the possibilities of these emerging technologies.

Update on Compensation Initiative
We continue to advance our Multi-Year Compensation Initiative, which moves faculty and staff salaries toward the competitive range at the 75th percentile of market among our peer institutions.  Now in its third year, the initiative continues to support salary progress for both faculty (Tenure Track and Non-Tenure Track) as well as staff.  A key focus of the committee’s Year 3 work has been addressing salary compression among tenure track faculty, particularly in relation to time in rank. Eligible faculty will see market adjustments reflected in their new contracts. Additionally, part-time non-tenure track faculty AMI will be included in their new contracts. Human Resources leadership will work with the deans to attend meetings at the schools and colleges to present this year's recommendations.         

A Final Note
I am often moved by LMU alumni. They are innovating, creating, leading, changing lives, and making a difference. Just this past week, we saw Autumn Durald Arkapaw '02 and her historic win as the first woman to receive an Oscar for Best Cinematography for the film “Sinners.” Autumn is an alum of the LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts. Additionally, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” co-writers and LMU alumni Hannah McMechan ’18 and Danya Jimenez ’18, helped bring to life the remarkable film that took home both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. Hannah and Danya are alumni of the LMU School of Film and Television.

One true measure of a university is found in the lives of its students — and, ultimately, its alumni. The care you bring to your teaching, mentorship, and scholarship shapes not only what students know, but who they become. They carry forward the curiosity you spark, the values you model, and the confidence you help them build.  As provost, I’m honored to support faculty in this academic endeavor and the ways you advance knowledge and creativity for the common good. I feel gratitude for the many ways your work strengthens communities and serves the world.

With appreciation,

Kat