Messages from the President

Dear WWU Community,

I am very pleased to share the news that Dr. Jacqueline Hughes has accepted our offer to become Western’s first Chief Diversity Officer and Executive Director of the Office of Equity. 

Jacqueline will oversee the newly created Office of Equity, which brings together two complementary functions—compliance, and community education and development—and…

Dear WWU Community,

Yet again, we find ourselves mourning following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas yesterday.  My heart breaks for the families who have lost a loved one due to this senseless act of violence, and for all of us impacted by the many tragedies coming so close together.

Too many American lives have been…

Dear Western Community,

As you undoubtedly know, this weekend in a neighborhood supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., an 18-year-old gunman shot 13 people, killing 10 of them. Eleven of his victims were Black.  The gunman responsible for this latest mass shooting in America spent months meticulously planning his attack and posted a racist manifesto online, the content of which makes clear that…

Dear WWU Employees,  

In response to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus and to protect the health of the community, Gov. Jay Inslee yesterday reinstated a …

Dear WWU Community,

I would prefer not to be sending you more messages on COVID-19, but our actions are being continually informed by the recent increases in COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant. 

As you may know, …

Dear WWU Faculty & Staff,

As more employees make their way back to campus offices and as we prepare for a full campus this fall, I want to encourage you to read the summary of updated community health guidance on Western’s coronavirus information site.

As you likely know, many parts of the country including…

Dear WWU Community,

During the 2020-21 academic year, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, I appointed a Legacy Review Task Force to examine the history and significance of building and college names on Western’s Bellingham campus with a charge to reconcile the institution’s contemporary commitment to equity, inclusion and social…

Dear WWU Staff,

Recently, the President’s Cabinet met to review evolving guidance from Gov. Inslee for the safe reopening of the state’s college campuses now that COVID-19 hospitalization and infection rates are rapidly declining. As of this week, about 60% of people in Washington 12 years or older are fully vaccinated, and we’re encouraged by the steady increase in Western’s reported student and employee vaccination rates…

Over the course of the past year and throughout the public health crisis, Western’s faculty and staff have done an excellent job in delivering on the mission of the university and demonstrating incredible adaptability. I am appreciative of our employees’ commitment to our students and community. This particular communication pertains to compensation for professional staff.

As you’ll recall,…

Dear WWU Faculty & Staff,

In a year that has been unlike any other we have ever experienced, I am very grateful for how our students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters have responded. 

We managed the human, social and economic dimensions of the past year quite well and we delivered on our mission as best as we could…