Messages from the President

Dear Western Community,

In the midst of this pandemic, as we all struggle with loss and fear, we have seen the disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color and been confronted with the painful evidence of inequity which persists all around us. In the last weeks we have also seen racist violence end the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, and threaten the life of Christian Cooper. The multiplication of threats…

Dear Western Community,

I want to start by acknowledging the complexities in communication during this unprecedented time.   Since none of us has definitive solutions or timelines as we navigate this unfolding crisis, I know that my messages can trigger more questions than answers.  At the same time, I expect that most of you are looking for as much information as possible and an understanding of the decision-…

This message was sent to the Western Community as a WWU Campus Advisory on May 12, 2020

Dear WWU Community, 

I know that one of the biggest questions on the minds of student and their families, and faculty and staff alike, is will we return to face-to-face operations in fall quarter?  Needless to say, this involves a highly complex…

Dear Western Community,

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education released its long-awaited final regulations governing campus sexual assault under Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination at federally funded institutions.

The regulations will be the first Title IX guidance published by the Office of Civil Rights to go through a formal notice-and-comment process since…

(Watch a video of the 2018 Opening Convocation Ceremony.  President Randhawa's remarks begin at 24:30.)

Good morning and welcome to the start of Western’s 125th academic year.

I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the ancestral homelands of Indigenous Peoples who have lived in the Salish Sea basin and the North Cascades watershed from…

Dear Western Community:

Today we are announcing that all classes and instruction will be offered remotely throughout spring quarter on our main campus, and…

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…

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…

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.…

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…