Amazingly, we are down to just five weeks left in the fall semester! I hope the semester has been a good one for all of you as we approach more winter-like weather here in the Palouse and across our state.

One evening last week I was playing with First Dog Cayenne in the backyard when she ran over to some of the trees and started barking loudly. When I walked over to find out what was bothering her, I heard what sounded like a horse walking along our driveway.

As I drew closer, I was just a little surprised to see a man in a … » More …

I am delighted to share a significant moment in Washington State University’s 126-year history with you. Earlier today, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine received preliminary accreditation—a major milestone that keeps the college on track to enroll its inaugural class of students in August 2017.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the accrediting agency for MD-granting medical schools in the United States and Canada, communicated news of the preliminary accreditation to Dr. John Tomkowiak, M.D., the founding dean of the Floyd College of Medicine.

This achievement moves us one step closer to educating physicians who will practice in Washington’s underserved communities and making medical education … » More …

As we noted in a message emailed to the entire Washington State University community earlier this month, WSU cherishes freedom of expression on its campuses. In fact, protecting the free exchange of ideas while encouraging dialogue that is constructive, respectful, and civil is one of the University’s core values.

Similarly, we hold diversity and global citizenship as a core institutional value—it is a value essential for success in our globally interdependent world.

WSU also embraces its founding precepts as a land-grant institution of higher education: We are committed to providing all students with equal access to affordable higher education and to ensuring they are … » More …

(The message below was sent via email Oct. 4 to students at all WSU campuses.)

Over the last year, on campuses around the U.S., free speech has been at the center of an amazing number of discussions and actions. These types of activities form the bedrock of academic life—observation, analysis, critique, and debate.

There is so much richness in the dialogue that is occurring: conversations about safe spaces and free speech, debates about the appropriate ways to protest and dissent. It’s a great time to be part of the WSU community, engaging with these issues together.

Our core values

We also recognize that these conversations … » More …