Statements of institutional mission and core values establish a foundation for the strategic plan in enduring features of the institution's purpose and character. LMU's mission is grounded in the context of the Catholic intellectual tradition, Catholic social teaching, and Catholic higher education, as well as in the charisms of the Society of Jesus, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.
As a distinctively mission-centric and values-based organization, LMU's usage of these terms is a part of daily life; as a consequence, the plan's articulation of statements of mission and core values builds upon LMU's ongoing community dialogue about mission and values. These sections do not replace the three pillars of the university's mission statement, but instead incorporate and re-articulate the most salient features of that mission which motivate the new plan.
Institutional Mission
LMU's mission speaks to the foundational purpose of the institution's work: those ideals that authentically describe and motivate LMU as it exists today and into the future.
Loyola Marymount University embodies the richness of our Catholic, Ignatian, Jesuit and Marymount identity in dynamic conversation with the most challenging issues that face the world today. Our location in the vibrant city of Los Angeles offers diverse cultural, creative, and intellectual wealth and boundless opportunity for encounter and innovation. Through rigorous inquiry and relational engagement, we develop individuals whose reflection, reasoning, imagination, and discernment call forth action for positive change in the world. We continually strive for inclusive community and to advance our university mission:
- The encouragement of learning
- The education of the whole person
- The service of faith and promotion of justice.
Core Values
Core values are those attributes that constitute the essence of who LMU is as an organization and emerge from the lived reality of our efforts to embody the institutional mission. They are not the same as the full set of aspirational values the institution wishes to possess: rather, they are values that the institution exhibits in its everyday conduct, that distinguish the institution meaningfully from similar organizations, and that the institution's stakeholders believe should take priority in its most significant choices over other competing values, now and in the future.
Loyola Marymount University embraces the following core values as fundamental to our identity and living out our mission:
- Whole-Person Learning: Rooted in our Catholic, Ignatian, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions and their foundational commitment to the liberal arts, we recognize that educational excellence is multi-dimensional. We develop well-integrated individuals who exercise critical analysis, creative thinking, ethical reasoning, and compassionate discernment throughout their lives.
- Community Built on Relationships: We are a community of care that supports and contributes to the holistic well-being of each of its members. We affirm that our mission is best achieved in an environment of authentic concern for all persons, characterized by inclusion, solidarity, and respect for human dignity.
- Education for Action: Inspired by the call to a faith that does justice, we challenge ourselves as a community and as individuals to pursue the more universal good. We are thinkers and leaders driven to engage imaginatively the world's deepest needs and most urgent challenges.