Thursday's Budget News
Last month, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire told state agencies that across-the-board budget cuts for state agencies would be likely in response to the fall revenue forecast. That forecast was made...
View ArticleWSU Strategic Plan: Reviewed and Renewed
Washington State University has followed the path charted by the Strategic Plan for the last five years. It has guided our priorities, actions, and investments, and provided the framework for the plans...
View ArticleKeeping Agriculture Strong
In the fall, many Washingtonians visit orchards. Last week, I was one of them. My trip to Central Washington centered around the dedication of a new Washington State University tree fruit research...
View ArticleThe Wall Street Journal Survey
Next week, the WSU Pullman campus will host the Career Expo and College of Engineering and Architecture Technical Career Fair. Similar events are held regularly on our campuses to bring employers and...
View ArticlePerspectives
emElson S. Floyd, Ph.D. - 10/2/09 State of the University, 2009 First, I would like to express my thanks to all of you who took the time to attend, or to watch the video-stream of, the State of the...
View ArticleKeeping Our Campuses Safe
April's tragic shootings at Virginia Tech focused the attention of everyone in higher education on the issue of campus safety. While it is impossible to guarantee absolute protection on an open campus...
View ArticleUniversity District Forums
This Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Compton Union Building auditorium, I will attend the first of four public forums regarding our proposal for the University District. You can find a complete list...
View ArticlePullman, Washington State University's Hometown
Washington State University has an impact on every city where it has a campus. But clearly, it is in Pullman where that impact is felt most powerfully. As one of the smallest cities nationwide to host...
View ArticleA Call for Civility
Universities must be places where the free exchange of ideas is not just protected, but encouraged. At the same time, we do not want individuals on our campuses to feel threatened because of their...
View ArticleMoving Forward on Global Animal Health
In July 2007, in the first of these Perspectives columns, I discussed the strong foundation that had been built by my predecessors at Washington State University and highlighted the College of...
View ArticleCombined Fund Drive
In response to a steady stream of unsettling economic news, many consumers have reacted in an understandable way, curtailing spending either by choice or necessity. Meanwhile, the same economic forces...
View ArticleOne Community
Universities must be welcoming places. People with different beliefs and interests, people of different ethnicities and sexual orientations, people who grew up around here and people who grew up on the...
View ArticleSharing Budget Information
The continuing budget crisis at Washington State University poses a challenge for all of us. It is a challenge that we must deal with as collaborative partners, seeking the most equitable and...
View ArticleA Reputation for Research
The academic reputations of individual colleges and universities do not change much over time. The popular perceptions of the top research institutions 10 or 20 years ago are not all that different...
View ArticleProud Parents, Successful Students
Dad's Weekend is one of those special occasions on the Washington State University calendar, as we welcome dads (and more than a few moms) to our campus to re-connect with their sons and daughters and...
View ArticleMaking Access Work
This past weekend, Washington State University hosted the annual Children of Aztlan Sharing Higher Education (CASHE) conference, which brings promising Chicano/Latino students to our campus. The...
View ArticleNewWood, New Jobs
During my visit to Grays Harbor County last spring, I had the opportunity to tour an idled wood-based siding plant in Elma. New owners were working—with the help of WSU researchers—to transform the...
View ArticleThe Marketplace of Ideas
To fulfill its goals as an educational institution, a public research university must encourage the free exchange of ideas. Exposed to diverse viewpoints, our students learn and grow. That principle...
View ArticleRebuilding Our IT Infrastructure
When I took over the job of president of Washington State University in May 2007, I already knew one of the major challenges facing our institution — a pressing need to overhaul and upgrade our...
View ArticleA Year-Round Partnership
Apple Cup Week is the time when alumni, students, fans and the general public focus on the football rivalry between Washington State University and the University of Washington. It is an exciting...
View ArticleNative American Heritage Month
This month marks the 10-year anniversary of a significant event in the life of the university and its relationship with Native American tribes in the region. In November 1997, Washington State...
View ArticleUpcoming Budget Forum
In recent weeks, Provost and Executive Vice President Warwick M. Bayly and I have been meeting with academic deans to address the steps we must take in response to the continuing reductions in our...
View ArticleReport on College Reorganization
Several weeks ago, I asked Provost Robert Bates to appoint a committee of faculty to study the possible consolidation of the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Sciences, given the pending...
View ArticleRecognizing WSU Employees
Next week, our university will hold an event that I think takes on an added importance this year -- the Employee Recognition Reception. At 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 at the Compton Union Building Senior...
View ArticleChallenges and Promise
In the course of just over 48 hours last week, I saw first-hand both the great promise of this university and the great challenges that lie ahead. On Thursday, we held the kickoff events for the public...
View ArticleExcellence Across the University
During public forums, I am frequently asked about my vision and plans for Washington State University. In response, I usually cite the continued development of several programs that are excellent now...
View ArticleThe Legislature's Special Session
As many of you are aware, Gov. Christine Gregoire called a special session of the Washington Legislature last week to help address the projected $1.1 billion shortfall in state revenues. The session...
View ArticleForward Together
On Saturday, we celebrated fall commencement on our Pullman campus. The event has been a part of our academic calendar since 2001; now it is hard to imagine how we did without it. It seems to me that...
View ArticleNext Step On The Budget
I would like to provide the university community with an update on the process by which we will implement the cuts in our state allocation for this fiscal year. Earlier, we posted preliminary plans...
View ArticleAn Exhilarating Year
Just over a year ago, I came to Pullman to be approved by the Washington State University Board of Regents as the 10th president of our university. It has been a most exhilarating 12 months. First,...
View Article
