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Westchester Academic Calendar Updates

February 20, 2024

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I am writing to share changes to the academic calendar that will impact academic year 24-25 and the subsequent academic years through 2030. In fall 2023, I assembled and charged a committee consisting of representatives from the Registrar’s Office, Faculty Senate, Human Resources, Student Affairs, Athletics, and members of the deans' offices from BCLA, CBA, CFA, SOE, SCSE, and SFTV, to review the academic calendar, address issues that may currently exist, and propose a new academic calendar that will better fit the needs of LMU faculty and students. Thanks to their conscientious work and the feedback of Faculty Senate, I can now share the academic calendars for Fall 2024 through academic year 2029-2030.

I share below some of the benefits of the new calendar:

  • Spring instruction will begin a week later, allowing students and faculty the opportunity to spend more time with their families, travel, conduct research, and prepare for the coming semester.
  • The Thursday and Friday before Commencement Weekend will always be reserved for graduation events such as Commencement Mass and affinity group ceremonies, allowing students and faculty to celebrate with friends and loved ones without overlapping with final exams.
  • The Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement ceremonies will no longer be held during the weekend that Mother’s Day is observed.
  • The Cesar Chavez and Juneteenth holidays will be celebrated on the days they fall, or on Friday when the holiday falls on Saturday and on Monday when it falls on Sunday.

I am optimistic that this new calendar will contribute to the improved well-being of our students and faculty, providing both with much-needed time to recharge between terms. I am grateful to the faculty and administrators who advocate for our student population when making decisions at this scale. I thank those who worked to make this change possible, including those faculty members who have urged me to extend the winter break since I arrived in 2017 and our committee, who provided the necessary feedback and insight to guide us to this decision.

Sincerely,

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