Dear faculty and staff,
I hope you had a restful winter break.
As many of you may have seen in the update from President Cantwell, WSU is starting the new year with the anticipation of further significant reductions as outlined in the proposed state budget. While this news is not what we had hoped for, we are actively engaged with our academic deans and chancellors to develop budgets and prepare for our annual budget hearings that will be held in March.
As promised in my end‑of‑year message, I’m writing to share an update on a few key initiatives the Provost’s Office will be prioritizing this spring. I’ve asked my team to keep their attention on three core goals: enhancing and modernizing the student experience, strengthening our support and recognition of faculty, and increasing our operational efficiencies.
- Revisioning of General Education at WSU: Nearly every undergraduate student at WSU participates in our general education curriculum (UCORE). Now nearly 15 years old, UCORE is not fully addressing the needs of today’s students. Led by Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Achievement Bill Davis, and Associate Director for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Professor Kara Whitman, the recently established General Education Visioning Committee is launching a three-year process to modernize our general education curriculum.
- Engagement with the National Institute for Student Success (NISS): Over the fall semester, WSU dove fully in on its engagement with NISS. Considered the nation’s leader in establishing student success initiatives, NISS spent the fall working with the steering committee, Institutional Research, and university community stakeholders to gather and evaluate data about WSU’s student success efforts. This engagement will continue through the spring semester, and by the close of the academic year, NISS will provide WSU with a comprehensive playbook of actionable items to implement.
- Codification of a Faculty Workload Policy: Over the last year, the Provost’s Office, in partnership with Faculty Senate, and through the leadership of the Workload Policy Task Force, has been working diligently to establish WSU’s first workload policy for faculty. The policy is designed to promote transparency and equity in faculty workloads, highlight important university work that often goes unseen, and acknowledge the context of faculty contributions while clearly defining how effort and performance meet or exceed expectations across different faculty roles. The systemwide faculty workload policy has been added to the Faculty Manual, and all departments have unit-specific policies that support the systemwide standard.
- Partnership with ACUE in Support of Faculty Teaching: WSU was recently selected as one of three institutions to participate in the Leadership Success Factors for Student Achievement through the Effective Teaching Initiative through The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH). This partnership allows 120 WSU faculty to gain a nationally recognized Certification in Effective Teaching, while staying ahead of the curve on the latest teaching trends and learning evidence-based practices that enhance student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and support academic growth for all learners—all of which align with our institutional priorities.
- Revamping the Leadership Structure at WSU Spokane: Our community-based health sciences enterprise is unique—and irreplaceable. I have had the distinct pleasure of working closely with our three health sciences deans over the past semester on how we can grow our health sciences programs in a way that meets our land-grant mission, improves operational efficiencies, and increases external partnerships. Yesterday, I shared a message with WSU Spokane outlining the new leadership structure for our flagship health sciences campus that ensures its ongoing integration within the broader WSU system.
Reflecting on the past year, I continue to be inspired by how deeply our institution lives out its land‑grant mission. WSU’s presence in every corner of Washington means our work truly matters. And, as we head into Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. week, it is important to remember our shared commitment to support our communities. I look forward to joining you virtually at the events next week.
Thank you for your dedication and impactful contributions to WSU.
Best regards,
Chris
T. Chris Riley-Tillman
Provost and Executive Vice President