Husky 509
Spreading the word
On September 22, UW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Stacey traveled to Spokane for a two-day visit focused on informing Eastern Washington friends, alumni and prospective students about the current Husky experience.
Stacey, professor of history, has served as dean since January 2013, after one year as interim dean, four years as the College’s divisional dean of arts and humanities and an earlier stint as divisional dean of the social sciences. Since joining the UW faculty in 1988, Stacey has held numerous administrative posts, including chairing the Department of History, serving on the Faculty Senate, heading the UW’s Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, and chairing the University Academic Council. Stacey’s scholarly work focuses on the history of Jews in medieval England. In 1997, he received the UW Distinguished Teaching Award. In addition to his other duties, Stacey has been a popular speaker at the UW Alumni Association’s lecture series.
Thursday saw Stacey deliver the key-note speech at the Spokane Rotary Club’s luncheon series. Stacey’s talk, entitled “Higher Education since 2008: Changes and Challenges,” focused on some of the ways in which the attitudes, interests and curricular choices of incoming college and university students have evolved since 2008.
New students are making decisions about the fields of study they are entering and in the courses they are choosing to take and not take that are not always fully informed. As Stacey reflected, whether rightly or wrongly made, these choices have important implications not only for colleges of arts and sciences across the country, but also for our understandings of the purposes of education in American life. Based on the standing ovation his talk received, audience members were receptive to the message.
The luncheon was immediately followed by time spent at UW’s Spokane Center meeting up with local alumni and staff.
On Friday, Dean Stacey visited Gonazaga Preparatory School, Lewis and Clark High School and University High School to meet with guidance counselors and students and answer questions about UW and the Husky experience. This year’s incoming class of 2020 includes 497 students representing nineteen Eastern Washington counties. With more visits like Dean Stacey’s, we hope to increase that number.
