Student Experience Archives

Confetti is the final moment of joy as degrees are conferred.

Academic & Intellectual Life, Athletics & School Spirit, Beyond the Bluff, Community & Culture, University News

Preparing for Joy

Reading Time: 7 minutesCommencement Weekend transforms LMU into something extraordinary: part family celebration, part spiritual ritual, part large-scale logistical ballet. This year marks the first time all three commencement ceremonies on the Westchester campus will take place in a single weekend, bringing thousands of graduates, families, volunteers, faculty, and staff together on the bluff. Behind the scenes are 18,770 chairs, 16,000 cookies, countless moving parts, and months of preparation, all in service of one thing: joy.

Published on: May 16, 2026

Tags: Academic Excellence, Commencement, Intellectual Life, Student Experience

Beyond the Bluff, Civic Engagement & Partnerships, Community & Culture

How LMU’s Story Travels

Reading Time: 6 minutesAt the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, LMU meets people long before they ever apply—often in small moments that quietly shape what comes next. Storytelling, at its best, isn’t promotion; it’s how a university’s mission becomes real through the lives of its students, faculty, and alumni. When it’s done well, it doesn’t just inform—it stays with you, and eventually, it gets carried forward.

Tags: Community & Culture, Festival of Books, Higher Education Leadership, Intellectual Life, Los Angeles, Storytelling, Student Experience

Published on: April 18, 2026

Academic & Intellectual Life, Beyond the Bluff, Community & Culture

Keep the Signal Human: Why KXLU and Fundrazor Matter More Than Ever

Reading Time: 13 minutesKXLU is more than a radio station—it’s a student-run cultural institution, a tastemaker with global reach, and one of LMU’s most human forms of learning, where people—not algorithms—still shape what we hear and how we connect.

Tags: Community & Culture, Higher Education Leadership, Intellectual Life, KXLU, Los Angeles, Student Experience, Teaching & Learning

Published on: April 10, 2026

Community & Culture

Holy Season Reflections

Reading Time: 7 minutesAt LMU, Holy Week offers more than a moment of observance—it reveals something essential about how we form students, lead with purpose, and live out our mission together. In this reflection, I connect the lessons of Holy Thursday and Farmworkers Day to the daily work of service, formation, and community-building across our campus. From Sacred Heart Chapel to our interfaith community, this piece highlights the often unseen work of our Division of Mission and the ways in which students—when they choose—can engage deeply with questions of meaning, faith, and responsibility.

Tags: Community & Culture, Higher Education Leadership, Intellectual Life, MISSION, Student Experience

Published on: April 2, 2026

The Final Straw: Guess What Finally Broke the UH Escalators?

Facilities & Infrastructure, Facilities Management, University News

Up, Down, and Stuck in Between

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe University Hall escalator project is entering its most visible phase, with demolition beginning March 29 and running through Commencement. This update explains what to expect during construction, why progress will look different over the summer, and how similar infrastructure challenges are playing out at LMU Loyola Law School. It’s a look at how complex systems get fixed—and a reminder that how we use them matters, too.

Tags: Accessibility, Loyola Law School, Operational Excellence, Stewardship, Student Experience, Transparency

Published on: March 27, 2026

Facilities & Infrastructure, Facilities Management, University News

The New Lair: Worth the Wait

Reading Time: 6 minutesRenovating the Lair means a temporary shift to outdoor dining—but also a major step toward a brighter, more flexible, and more social campus hub. Serving up to 3,000 meals a day, the Lair sits at the heart of student life, and this reimagining is designed to better reflect how students gather, connect, and dine today. The transition may be a little inconvenient, but what’s coming next will be well worth the wait.

Tags: Community & Culture, Food, Lair, Operational Excellence, Stewardship, Student Experience, Transparency

Published on: March 17, 2026

Academic & Intellectual Life, Beyond the Bluff, Community & Culture, University Leadership

New York, New Doors for Lions

Reading Time: 7 minutesNYC Career Trek and CBA Centennial: Three days across New York where students stepped into boardrooms, newsrooms, and rehearsal halls—and where Lions open doors for the next Lion walking through.

Tags: Academic Excellence, Alumni Engagement, Business for Good, CBA 100, Community & Culture, Higher Education Leadership, Hope Made Here, Strategic Partnerships, Student Experience

Published on: March 13, 2026

Facilities & Infrastructure, Facilities Management

Spring Break: The Campus Doesn’t Take One.

Reading Time: 9 minutesWhen campus gets quiet, everything happens. A look at the behind-the-scenes work keeping LMU running—trees, doors, letters, and all.

Tags: Access & Inclusion, Facilities Management, Infrastructure Planning, Operational Excellence, Stewardship, Student Experience

Published on: February 28, 2026

Community & Culture

Built for Care. Ready for the Future.

Reading Time: 6 minutesLMU’s Children’s Center has cared for our youngest Lions for more than 20 years. Now it’s time to reinvest—so this special place can keep serving families well for years to come.

Tags: Community & Culture, LMUCC, MISSION, Stewardship, Student Experience, Transparency, University Leadership

Published on: February 19, 2026

Academic & Intellectual Life, Beyond the Bluff, Civic Engagement & Partnerships, University Leadership

Know the Power of You

Reading Time: 5 minutesEarlier this week, we had the privilege of welcoming Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi P ’92 to LMU for a conversation with our students, an event hosted by the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts and centered on the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States and the importance of civic engagement.

Tags: Civic Engagement, Community & Culture, Higher Education Leadership, Los Angeles, MISSION, Student Experience

Published on: February 12, 2026

Team LMU at 2026 LA Chamber Inaugural Dinner with CEO Maria Salinas, LMU Regent Raul Salinas, University Ambassador and First Spouse Cathy Irwin, the LMU External Relations Team and LMU Students

Beyond the Bluff, Civic Engagement & Partnerships

LMU Lions at the 2026 L.A. Area Chamber Inaugural Dinner

Reading Time: 6 minutesAt the L.A. Area Chamber Inaugural Dinner, LMU joined regional leaders to celebrate civic impact, business leadership, and partnership. Hosting our table with students underscored why we show up: to connect education to the city we serve and give LMU Lions access to moments that shape their futures.

Tags: Business for Good, Civic Engagement, LA Chamber, Strategic Partnerships, Student Experience

Published on: February 6, 2026