Florida. Ferguson. Pasco. Wisconsin. Oklahoma. The list of places in the United States where issues of racism and discrimination are hitting the streets and the headlines is long and growing.

There are some who would have us look the other way or deny the root cause of the problem. But, as President Obama emphasized this past weekend in his speech at the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march in Selma, denying there is a problem has never been helpful. Tackling the hardest issues by acknowledging they exist and then freely and openly discussing them is one of the greatest strengths of our nation, he … » More …

Washington State University’s pursuit of an independently accredited medical school passed two major milestones in the past 36 hours. The Washington House of Representatives Monday night voted 81-17 to change a 1917 law limiting the delivery of medical education to the University of Washington. The Washington State Senate followed suit Tuesday morning with a 45 – 4 vote. The bills are identical, and one of them must be approved by the opposite chamber to be sent to the governor’s office.

What was most heartening about both votes was the passion and deep understanding of the importance of a second state-supported medical school in our state … » More …

Aligning our actions with the core values that we as an institution embrace – citizenship, civility, respect, safety, and security – is critical to our effectiveness as a teaching and learning enterprise. The Commission on Campus Climate, composed of Washington State University faculty, students, and staff, as well as members of the Pullman community, has provided a clear roadmap for fostering that alignment over the long haul.

I created the Commission to give shape to an institution-wide discourse regarding core values and to develop specific action steps to help improve the overall campus climate for every member of the campus community. Dr. A.G. Rud, Distinguished … » More …

Washington State University’s pursuit of an independently accredited medical school at its health sciences campus at Spokane moved closer to becoming reality Tuesday with critical votes in the Washington State Legislature.

The House Higher Education Committee approved House Bill 1559 with a strong “do pass” recommendation. The Washington State Senate Higher Education Committee followed suit in advancing Senate Bill 5487.

Both bills – one in the House and one in the Senate – propose changing a 1917 law limiting the delivery of medical education to the University of Washington. Their passage would clear the way for WSU to operate a medical school.

Both … » More …

Over the past several years, we have come to refer to the Washington State University student information system and the electronic gateway to a wide arrange of systems and services as “zzusis.”

That name originated during a naming contest held early in the student information system replacement project. At the time, it was a catchy way to refer to the new student-focused system. Over time, however, it has inaccurately evolved into the de facto name of WSU’s entire information portal, and that is creating confusion among students, faculty and staff.

In fact, the WSU portal is much more than the entry point to the student … » More …

Washington State University took another step forward in its pursuit of an independently accredited medical school at WSU Health Sciences Spokane today with the introduction of two bills in the Washington Legislature.

Both bills – one in the House and one in the Senate – propose changing a 1917 law limiting the delivery of medical education to the University of Washington. Their passage would clear the way for WSU to operate a medical school.

It is especially gratifying to see such a strong level of support for these bills from legislators throughout Washington. The House bill … » More …

The need for better access to health care in our state is well documented and is an issue we must address in every way possible. On Monday, Kadlec Regional Medical Center made a truly transformational investment that will help advance the health and well being of our state’s residents by increasing the research and teaching capacity of Washington State University’s nursing program.

Kadlec CEO Rand Wortman joined WSU Regent Lura Powell and WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor Keith Moo-Young to announce an $18 million endowment to create five new faculty positions in the Doctor of Nurse Practice program at WSU Tri-Cities. It is a remarkable and generous … » More …

It was late March 1890 when the fledgling Washington State Legislature established the state’s land-grant college – the institution that has grown into the Washington State University of today.

Seattle’s population was right around 43,000 at the time, and cable cars had just started running up and down Madison Street. Spokane was booming as a result of gold and silver strikes in the late 1800s and had become one of the largest and most important railroad hubs in the western United States. Pullman had only been incorporated as a city for four years, but its 200 residents fought hard to make their new community the … » More …

The library and CUB are full and the streets are beginning to empty on the Pullman campus, sure signs that finals week is underway. As the semester and the year draw to a close, I would like to thank each and every member of our Washington State University family for their hard work and support over the past year.

Overall, 2014 was a year of initiative and growth for our great institution. We made significant progress on several important fronts and launched one of the largest initiatives in our university’s history.

The Campaign for Washington State University continues to be an incredible success. We are … » More …

The face of Washington State University is much different today than it was seven years ago, and that is, in large part, due to the work and leadership of Dr. John Fraire, vice president for student affairs.

During his tenure, he focused on increasing access to higher education to first-generation and ethnically diverse students throughout our state and region. The success of those efforts has been reflected dramatically in our enrollment numbers; more than a third of our incoming freshmen have self-identified as students of color for the past several years. Our enrollment also has grown to an all-time high of nearly 28,700 this past … » More …