The UW is firmly committed to ensuring that teaching assistants, research assistants and all Academic Student Employees (ASEs) are fairly compensated for that work. That is why five years ago we made a commitment to the shared goal of raising the median wages of teaching and tesearch assistants and other ASEs to be in alignment with their peers in the Global Challenge States and on par with the University of California system. Over the last five years, the base salary for ASEs was increased between 3 percent and 11.59 percent each year, for a compounded rate increase of 50.4 percent.
Presidential Blog
Understanding, preventing and responding to sexual harassment
I sent the following message to all University of Washington faculty and staff today and I think it’s worth sharing with our whole community. Sexual harassment has the potential to affect everyone and it’s an issue we can and must work together to prevent and address.
As the #MeToo movement has brought attention to the pervasive issue of sexual harassment in our culture, the University of Washington reaffirms our deep commitment to preventing and addressing sexual harassment in our community. Sexual harassment is devastating for victims, and too often, survivors do not get the support they need when they come forward. Our University is dedicated to fostering working and learning environments that are free from sexual harassment and all forms of sexual violence and discrimination.
Training resources:
In-person, unit-based training can now be scheduled through your Human Resources consultant
Monthly prevention of sexual harassment in-person training through Campus Staff Human Resources. Register here
Video training Addressing Sex Discrimination & Sexual Harassment for staff, faculty and other academic personnel
Bystander training to identify and interrupt instances of interpersonal violence, including sexual harassment and sexual violence is offered regularly on the Seattle campus and by request at other UW locations
We are all responsible for understanding what sexual harassment is, taking action to prevent it from occurring, and knowing how to respond if it does occur. Beginning May 1, 2018, all schools, colleges, campuses, divisions, departments, programs, and offices can request in-person, customized training through Human Resources. In addition to the training focused on staff responsibilities offered through POD, this customized training can now be scheduled on a by-unit basis and geared to any combination of staff and faculty. Contact your Human Resources consultant to schedule a training.
These sessions will expand on a new training video, produced by Human Resources, Academic Personnel, and Compliance Services, “Preventing Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in the Work Environment.” I expect every faculty and staff member to watch this training video. Look for additional training topics and resources to be made available this fall.
University policy also prohibits all employees from engaging in romantic relationships with students that create a conflict of interest or can be perceived to create a conflict of interest. It also prohibits exercising authority over a student with whom the employee has had a romantic relationship. Our policies also address potential conflicts of interest between employees. If you have questions or concerns regarding these policies, how “conflict of interest” is defined, or about developing a formal plan to manage a potential conflict, contact your supervisor, department chair or Human Resources or Academic Human Resources consultant.
The resources and trainings I’ve shared here are valuable, but we recognize that there is more work to be done. A Title IX workgroup is developing recommendations for enhanced education and outreach. Another group is addressing how to best assess our university climate on these issues, and a third is further clarifying employee responsibilities in preventing and responding to sexual violence and sexual harassment. The Title IX Steering Committee will be reviewing their recommendations in Autumn Quarter and the Faculty Senate will lead discussions about the significant role that faculty play in preventing and addressing sexual harassment. I look forward to sharing the results of this work with you.
If you have experienced or are aware of sexual harassment occurring at the UW, please inform your supervisor, department chair, unit administrator or Human Resources/AHR consultant, or call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233. You can also connect with a confidential advocate who will provide information about your rights and support resources. You may also reach out to Interim Title IX Coordinator Valery Richardson at titleix@uw.edu or 206-616-9713.
As a community devoted to public service and grounded in respect for the inherent dignity and worth of every person, we share a responsibility to ensure that sexual harassment is never tolerated here. We all have an obligation to live up to those ideals, and to support each other in fostering a safe and healthy place to work and learn.
100 amazing students, 100 amazing stories
This week, the 2018 Husky 100 were publicly revealed – 100 juniors, seniors and graduate students from our three campuses who have made the most of their Husky Experience in incredible ways.
Remembering the two halves to Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy
In 1968, as the nation mourned the loss of Martin Luther King Jr, the New York Times wrote that for many Black Americans, King was “the prophet of their crusade for racial equality,” while for Whites, he was a leader who “preserved the bridge of communication between races” through his steadfast commitment to non-violence. The undiminished power of his legacy is a testament to the strength of those two halves of his cause: a tireless quest for progress and an unyielding commitment to undertaking that quest peacefully.
Spring Address: The Purpose and Power of College in an Age of Skepticism
Today, I had the pleasure of addressing our community about a topic of great importance — to me and to all of us who believe in the power of higher education to advance equity, prosperity, health and understanding. I discussed the enormous value that colleges and universities deliver to students and the world at large. And I asked our faculty to consider how we can build a culture that celebrates public engagement and scholarship. Our University depends on public support and understanding — they are both who we serve and our partners. This is a conversation that I know is happening already and that I hope to continue having together.
You can read the full text here and find the slides that accompanied the address in PDF format or download them as Powerpoint slides.
Celebrating International Women’s Day by looking back and ahead
As we celebrate International Women’s Day this week, which also falls in National Women’s History Month, it’s a pleasure to reflect on the extraordinary women who blazed the trails we walk today, as well as those carving new paths and changing the world right now. And it’s a moment to ask how we can support and encourage the women who are just beginning to build their legacies, who will inherit and transform the future.
Transfer students’ success is crucial part of improving access
The University of Washington is working hard to streamline the process by which transfer students enroll at the UW and do more to meet the needs of these students once they arrive. Recently, I had the pleasure of sharing some of this work with a Presidential Roundtable for the American Talent Initiative. The ATI is a collaboration among a group of public and private universities to admit and graduate more low- and middle-income students to these top institutions, and the UW is proud to be a founding member. Our efforts to ease the transition for transfer students matters because community colleges are a crucial pipeline for low-income and underrepresented students seeking a four-year degree. And increasing access to higher education isn’t only about admitting and enrolling students – it’s also about making sure they graduate and have opportunities to make the most of their Husky Experience.
At ATI, I was proud to share some of our transfer students’ successes: On our Seattle campus, about 4,000 students, or 15 percent, are transfer students, as are nearly a quarter of students across all three campuses. At the UW, transfer students also graduate at equal or higher rates than students who enter as freshmen and transfer students are more diverse and more likely to be eligible for Pell grants.
It is a point of pride that our very own Washington State Community and Technical College system is a national leader, with 34 colleges across the state serving close to 400,000 Washingtonians. Here at the UW, we have the opportunity and responsibility as a public university to create the best possible conditions for the success of these students who seek to complete a four-year degree. In recent years, we’ve worked to foster a culture that integrates transfers and meets the needs they have that a freshman might not, and we’ve done so in partnership with our state’s community and technical colleges. We meet with community college leaders quarterly to understand what hurdles their students are facing in transferring to a four-year college. As a result, we have made changes, like notifying transfer applicants of admission in the spring instead of the summer so they have more time to make plans for housing and financial aid. We have made it easier for community college students to understand what courses to take to increase their chances of admission to the UW. We have also adjusted how we support transfer students after they enroll to help them focus on a major and get the leadership training and opportunities for job preparedness that are important to their success.
Our work in this area is ongoing and we still have more to learn and do, but I am excited to be part of a larger effort to ensure that students who get their start in community colleges have pathways to attaining a four-year degree – and all of the opportunities that a four-year degree confers. The UW is not alone in this mission as a broad range of universities, from Williams College to Harvard to Ohio State focus on increasing access to higher education for low income students. The culture change this represents is huge. And it’s an opportunity for higher education to come together and learn from each other in service of a goal we all share: increase access to education for the benefit of all our nation’s people.
DACA program remains in limbo, UW is committed to Dreamers
Today marks six months since the executive order to end the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was issued, which, at the time, was the deadline for the program to end. Despite popular support for protecting the Dreamers, there has been no legislative action yet from Congress to create a fix. However, the program continues to be in effect, based on the rulings of two U.S. district courts and last week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to fast-track cases related to DACA. This means the DACA-related cases will continue to work their way through the courts and for now, the program will remain in limbo.
Goodbye to a great alumnus and friend
Today, we mourn the passing of our alumnus and dedicated friend, Orin Smith `65. Orin was a visionary leader and passionate advocate in our community whose love for the University of Washington transformed so many lives. He will be remembered for his tremendous impact on this University as regent, campaign general chair, and member and chair of the UW Foundation Board, the UW Medicine Board and the Foster School Advisory Board.
With his wife, Janet, Orin seeded prosperity and opportunities for UW students across the University he loved. Together they established student fellowships and created a deanship in the Foster School and provided forward-looking support for stem cell research and facilities at UW Medicine and scholarships at the Evans School. Orin’s passion for education and our students will be felt for generations to come.
Orin’s commitment to serving others extended well beyond the University of Washington. He never forgot his roots in Chehalis, Washington, where he remained active in the community supporting projects like the Chehalis Foundation’s Student Achievement Initiative together with his brother Kevin. As Starbucks CEO, Orin advanced the notion that a company could – indeed should – champion and support values of equity, diversity and environmental stewardship. Through his extraordinary leadership Orin exemplified what it meant to be a graduate of this University.
Orin combined kindness and humility with a drive for changing the world. He inspired all those around him with his unyielding desire to do the most good. Our deepest sympathies are with Janet and the entire Smith family. Orin leaves the world a better, more educated, more sustainable and kinder place. He will be deeply missed, but his legacy at the UW and our community will be forever.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Kane Hall, Room 130 and you can read more about Orin’s extraordinary life and legacy here.
Encouraging our lawmakers to reauthorize the HEA
Right now, Congress is considering a number of different bills that would reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). The HEA was first enacted in 1965, and periodically reauthorized, to strengthen our nation’s colleges and universities and expand access to higher education for more Americans. The University of Washington strongly supports the reauthorization of the HEA, which is more vital than ever as more and more of our economy’s best jobs are requiring a four-year credential.
In support of reauthorization, including specific provisions that we believe will best serve the people of Washington and the nation, I have written to the Senate HELP Committee leadership as well as to all of the members of Washington’s Congressional delegation. In my letter, which you can read here, I encouraged our Senators and Representatives to help protect our students, our economy and our future in partnership with higher education.