Messages from the President

Message to Campus
Friday, March 13, 2020 - 12:21 pm

Dear Western Community,

Over the past few weeks, our regular work at the university has been totally overshadowed by COVID-19.  You have received several messages from me and Vice President Melynda Huskey, chair of Western’s Incident Command System Team.  The intent of my message today is to share with you our plans for the start of spring quarter 2020 and to summarize and remind you of the various actions we have taken over the past two weeks…

Continue reading Coronavirus Update and Plans for Spring Quarter
Message to Campus
Thursday, March 12, 2020 - 3:28 pm

Dear Campus Community,

In support of the efforts of the Whatcom County Health Department, the state of Washington, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Western Washington University is suspending all non-essential, out-of-state University travel effective immediately through May 31, 2020. This includes, but is not limited to, conferences and/or professional development opportunities. Essential travel is…

Continue reading Coronavirus update for March 12: Out-of-State Travel Suspended Immediately for WWU Employees
Message to Campus
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 - 10:15 pm

Dear Western Community,

As you likely know, the first positive case of COVID-19 in Whatcom County was reported this afternoon.  Consequently, Whatcom County has declared a public health emergency, and university leadership has decided that we will move to online classes at all Western locations, meaning that there will be no face-to-face classes as of 8 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11, through the end of the quarter on March 20.…

Continue reading Coronavirus update: Western moving to online classes through March 20
Message to Campus
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 - 11:02 am

Dear Western Community,

As you likely know, the spread of coronavirus continues to be a rapidly evolving situation.  There have been a few additional cases in King and Snohomish counties attributed to coronavirus disease, which you have likely heard about in the news by now.  I want to share with you our ongoing work to ensure that Western is prepared to deal with this issue.

Since my last communication on Monday we have developed a new website with…

Continue reading An Update on the Evolving Coronavirus Situation: March 4
Message to Campus
Monday, March 2, 2020 - 2:25 pm

Dear Campus Community,

I know that you have been concerned about coronavirus and its potential impact on the health of our community members.  In this message, I want to update you on the situation and the steps we are taking to address it.

I returned over the weekend from a trip to Pakistan, so I was closely following the coronavirus story in Asia. I also learned this morning that public health officials in Washington have announced a total of…

Continue reading Update on Western's preparations related to novel coronavirus
Message to Campus
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 - 12:20 pm

At Western, we are fortunate that our students, faculty and staff are committed to making a positive impact in the world, to living their values and seeing them reflected in the operations of the University.  Just as in our personal lives, determining which course of action to take as a community involves weighing the costs, benefits, and trade-offs among a complex and often competing set of priorities, values, practical considerations and limitations.  One of the areas of campus…

Continue reading Western's Food Service Options: Ways To Participate in Shaping the Future
Message to Campus
Wednesday, September 25, 2019 - 9:47 am

Dear Western Students,

Welcome to the 2019-2020 academic year!  I hope your first day of classes is off to a great start, and that you are as excited as I am by the opportunities that lie ahead this year to increase our understanding of each other, ourselves, and the world we share.

Supporting your successful journey through Western—from the first day you walk into the classroom, to the day you receive your diploma at graduation, and beyond—is our primary mission, and it…

Continue reading Welcome to the 2019-20 Academic Year!
Message to Campus
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 10:19 am

As we close the academic year, it is a time to celebrate our graduates, the most important contribution Western makes to our communities and our world.  It is also a time to be grateful – for the engaged students, faculty and staff that make Western such a special place.  And, it is a time to pause for reflection and learning from the year just passed.

Over the academic year, the campus community has engaged in important and difficult conversations, as students rightly…

Continue reading Year End Message to the Western Community: The Change Imperative
Message to Campus
Friday, December 7, 2018 - 12:19 pm

Dear Campus Community:

Earlier this week I sent a message about the sit-in at the President’s office conducted by over 200 students on Monday to raise critical concerns of students of color and students who hold intersecting marginalized identities.  In that message I mentioned that there would be a follow-up dialogue on Friday, but did not provide specifics, since those details were not yet…

Continue reading Student-Led Forum Today in Fraser Hall 102 from 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Message to Campus
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 - 11:50 am

Dear Western Campus Community:

Yesterday, approximately 200 students of color and other students of marginalized identities, along with their allies, conducted a sit-in for about six hours in the President’s office and the hallway of Old Main. Although I was in Seattle attending to other duties during the day, I joined them last night for about three hours of tough, but important, dialogue. 

Much of what these students said about their experiences at Western was heart-…

Continue reading Regarding Yesterday's Student Demonstration: I Hear You