Presidential Update: Latest Changes — Week of August 25, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

WSU is home to educators, researchers, innovators, community-builders, and leaders bound by a shared mission to provide accessible education and services in support of the public good. While we continue to modify the processes and structures supporting our people, we do so with this mission in mind.

Last Week

• Meehan and Bond named deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and WSU Libraries
  After undergoing comprehensive evaluations and receiving strong endorsements from the university community, Courtney Meehan will become dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Trevor Bond will become dean of WSU Libraries. The pair will transition from interim to permanent deans on Sept. 1.

This Week

• Promising increase in enrollment at Vancouver and Tri‑Cities campuses
  While we await final census numbers for this fall semester, I’m encouraged by the upticks we’re seeing in enrollment at the Tri‑Cities and Vancouver campuses. In his presentation at the Director+ Forum last week, Vice Provost Oba highlighted the outstanding efforts of faculty and staff whose commitment to recruitment and community engagement has played a key role in this positive trend.

Upcoming

• Loss of federal funds to affect SNAP‑Ed nutrition programs
  Beginning Oct. 1, federal funding for SNAP‑Ed will be discontinued, resulting in the closure of most nutrition education programs offered through WSU Extension. This change will significantly affect Extension personnel, community partners, and the more than 1.4 million Washington residents who benefited from SNAP‑Ed last year. Efforts are underway to preserve some resources and train partners to continue limited services, but the overall impact will be substantial.

As we settle into this semester, let’s continue to focus on the meaningful work ahead of us. The environment around higher education continues to shift, but our purpose does not. Our students, communities, and the state are relying on us to meet the moment — and to shape the future, starting now. Please know that we’ll continue to adapt our budgets, priorities, and structures accordingly.

Thank you for all that you do, and remember that we all have a role to play in charting the course for WSU moving forward.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth R. Cantwell
President, Washington State University