Congratulations to Samantha Schroedle and the WSU Children’s Center team! In early March, the center submitted materials demonstrating that it meets or exceeds the Early Achievers standards for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The WSU Children’s Center achieved a “5.” This is the highest rating, and one that is earned by approximately 0.5% of programs in the state. Early Achievers ratings are used by the Department of Human Development in the selection process for internship sites. Families use the rating to check the quality of programs. Centers use the standards and ratings to aim for very high-quality care and as a metric to share with families and others. Three years of hard assessment work and preparing for the achievement has paid off for the WSU Children’s Center!
Last Friday’s AMDT Fashion Show was a success! Our students had an opportunity to showcase their unique designs to a large audience, with several receiving awards for Best of Show, Dean’s Choice, and more. Congratulations also to the CAHNRS students who were recognized for their hard work at last Thursday’s student awards ceremony!
The focus on students continues this week. The Ignite Undergraduate Research Program is holding its banquet on Thursday evening. Please consider coming out to celebrate this talented group of future leaders. Members of the CAHNRS Advisory Council will attend because the council is in town for a Friday meeting. For me, Friday will wind down with the WSU Foundation’s Donor Recognition Celebration. I look forward to seeing some of our key partners and supporters.
We continue to monitor the latest developments across the country and the state. The capital budget proposals are generous to CAHNRS and hopefully will remain so in the final state budget. Market swings in the U.S. economy and the state general budget forecast remain a point of concern. It will take a bit of resilience and stamina, but we will get through this. Sunnier days are ahead.
I am disappointed that one of our CAHNRS dean finalists withdrew from consideration, but we know how these things go. It is their loss. With three more interviews scheduled, we are sure to find the perfect fit to lead CAHNRS into the future. I hope each candidate can avoid the “rain/sleet/snow/sun, all within an hour” pattern that Pullman experienced last week. A repeat of Saturday’s weather every day for the next 10 days would be just fine.