Thanks to everyone who sent notes last week. I recognize the information came as a surprise. It is a surprise to me, too, though in a much different way. You will continue to hear from me weekly, and I suspect you will see no changes in the upcoming months. We have worked hard to establish a programmatic vision, develop a strategic plan, document CAHNRS practices, assemble a CAHNRS Advisory Council, establish a Finance Advisory Committee, collect and communicate program impacts, and plan for the future. These measures will serve the new dean well. We have much to do between now and the new dean’s arrival.
The associate deans and I spent last Friday with our new faculty. It is another strong group with fascinating backgrounds. The mix was about half career track and half tenure track faculty. What I found of particular interest is that none of the new faculty in attendance were new to the university. One completed several degrees at WSU, then left for a bit; one grew up in the Spokane area and, while perhaps not a former student or previous employee, knew WSU quite well. The rest have been in other positions at WSU for some time. Hopefully the familiarity with the institution and/or area enables an easy transition into these new roles.
Travel resumes for me next week. Having missed the July Department of Natural Resources board meeting and with no meeting in August, it has been a while since the group convened to discuss timber sales and the sustainable harvest calculation. I suspect next week’s meeting might run the entirety of the scheduled time.
Plans are shaping up nicely for the Common Ground screening, panel discussion, and program showcase on Sept. 26. We are particularly excited to partner with practitioners and the WSDA for a panel discussion that follows the film. Thanks to Brandon Schrand, Jim Smith, Chad Kruger, Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, and Deirdre LaHue for their efforts in pulling this together! I hope we see many faculty and students at the events. Course instructors can arrange for participating students to secure extra credit for attendance.
Congratulations to Jean Dodson Peterson, who was named a Future 40 Tastemaker by Wine Enthusiast! After helping our new students settle in, I suspect many of our faculty and staff will be ready for a long weekend relaxing with wine or another beverage.
I am eager to see how our 10-day enrollment numbers look. I hope everyone carves out some time to enjoy the official end of summer!