November 15, 2023
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
Last year I appointed José García-Moreno, professor of animation and director of the Academy of Catholic Thought and Imagination, as special assistant to the provost and the university's point person for faculty protection against threats to faculty academic freedom. Since then, José has been meeting with representatives from Human Resources, the Faculty Senate, the Center for Teaching Excellence, and other constituents on campus to do a deep dive into the resources and policies that exist at LMU to support and protect academic freedom and our faculty.
As shared in President Snyder’s convocation yesterday, a new resource from my office has recently been published about academic freedom and faculty protection. This resource is the outcome of José’s work to explore the needs of LMU faculty in responding to threats or harassment from internal and external parties. While not exhaustive, it is a first step to providing answers to frequently asked questions and unifying terms, definitions, and language for our campus community. It also serves as a convenient hub and living document to access resources unique to this area.
I invite you to explore the Faculty Protection website and continue to think about ways that LMU can further our support for faculty. I look forward to sharing progress updates with you on our important work together in protecting academic freedom at the university.
Sincerely,
Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
Professor of Chemistry
