Dear Lions,
I am so happy to welcome you to Loyola Marymount University and have you in our wonderful Lion community!
On behalf of the Division of Student Affairs, we hope the transition to your academic and co-curricular endeavors has been smooth. Our team takes great pride and responsibility in working with you and your development as you progress through your LMU journey. Be on the lookout for essential communications in your Lion email from Student Affairs to you. Please read these communications carefully because they will include important updates for you.
Student Affairs and I are here to support you in your academic endeavors, service, and leadership development. We can’t wait to see how you will take everything you have learned here and go out and to “ignite a brighter world.” Our team takes great pride and responsibility in working with each of you, and our commitment to you is:
- Ensuring you have a best-in-class student experience;
- Supporting your health and well-being;
- Promoting your wellness through recreation and outdoor adventures;
- Creating a community focused on inclusive belonging;
- And preparing you to serve and have an impact on your community.
LMU is home to a distinguished faculty and a passionate community dedicated to advocacy and engagement. We recognize the importance of interacting with one another in constructive and respectful ways. In Student Affairs, our responsibility is to listen to you and work with you when the world feels challenging. There is power in our community and I want to empower each of you to be agents of change who can go out and create a brighter world for all of us to live in.
Know that being part of the LMU community is coming together and showing our LMU pride, here are a few of the programs our team has been working on:
- Student experience: The start of the new semester offers many events and ways to connect with your fellow Lions. Visit the Student EXP hub for all the ways to get involved at LMU, and visit LEO to find all of the upcoming events, especially during the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
- Health and well-being: Wellness Wednesday returns this week! One of LMU’s favorite programs returns on Regents Grass this Wednesday, Aug. 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Recreation and outdoor adventures: Campus Recreation will be hosting several programs this weekend to get you outside and off the bluff, including Bluff Yoga and Guided Tour and RecFest, which includes a beach volleyball tournament, sample fitness classes, a food truck, and giveaways.
- Inclusive belonging: The Office of Black Student Services (OBSS) is hosting Mbongi Week, a Black student welcome week through Friday, Aug. 30, including a D9 Edition Yard Show and an opportunity to meet our new OBSS director, Kwyn Townsend Riley. Our Chicano Latino Student Services office will kick off a monthlong Latinx Heritage Month celebration on Sept. 15
- Service and community impact: The Pam Rector Center for Service and Action offers several great opportunities for you to make an impact in our community. I especially encourage all first-year students to get involved in ServeLA, a program specifically designed for new students. Additionally, all students should keep an eye out for the upcoming Community Service Fair and the chance to apply for Alternative Breaks.
- Lion Pride Fridays: Join Student Affairs staff and me as we celebrate Lion Pride Fridays by sporting our favorite LMU gear! DM a photo to @drkawannalmu and @lmustudentexp showing off your Lion pride this Friday, Aug. 30, for a chance to win a prize pack.
I would love to meet you, get to know you, and hear your experiences. I urge you to lean in and learn about each other’s journeys. I hope you recognize that your unique experiences contribute to the collective narrative of the LMU community. Sign up for a Community Connection time slot to meet directly with me and share your story.
As we all look forward to Labor Day weekend, please remember to be a good neighbor and be mindful as you venture out into the neighborhood to be respectful. I look forward to meeting and welcoming you to the LMU community, seeing you at events, and creating a year full of Lion pride!
Go Lions!
Kawanna Leggett, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President for Student Affairs
Instagram: @drkawannalmu
X: @SVP_DrK
