With a presidential and gubernatorial election coming this November, it’s pretty easy to lose track of how statewide initiative gathering is coming this summer.  But believe it or not, next Thursday July 3, is the deadline for turning in signatures for measures that proponents want to appear on the November 2008 ballot. So far, the… Read More

This story yesterday in the Everett Herald finally brings to light something that has been talked about off-the-record since the battle over the location of a possible new UW North Sound branch fizzled in a stalemate at the end of the 2008 legislative session. The Legion Memorial Golf Course in Everett is being discussed by lawmakers as a… Read More

This is a really great time of year if you’re someone like me who lives their professional life by the rhythms of the state legislature.  It’s mid-June, the weather is warm and the 2008 session seems like a distant memory.  Better still, most elected officials are preoccupied with their respective campaigns and the 2009 session… Read More

The June revenue forecast for Washington state was adopted in Olympia today and shows a projected decline of $167 million for the remainder of the current biennium and the upcoming biennium which begins July 1, 2009.  The change in the forecast is statistically less than one-half percent of total general fund tax collections. Dr. Steve… Read More

Here’s an announcement from the UW Provost’s office that will certainly be of interest to the business and economic development community in the Puget Sound and Washington State. Linden Rhoads, a veteran executive in the Seattle high tech community will become Vice Provost for UW Technology Transfer, effective August 14.  Ms. Rhoads co-founded or served… Read More

Here are a number of stories and issues that have caught my eye this week that should be of some interest to the UW. Massachusetts Upping the Life Sciences Ante Governor Deval Patrick has made regaining Massachusetts life sciences research prominence the cornerstone of his economic development agenda.  It appears at least one chamber of the General… Read More

Tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. in Olympia, the initial organizing meeting of the State Performance Agreement Committee will be held in Senate Hearing Room 3 of the John A. Cherberg Building.  The Committee was created by Engrossed House Bill 2641 (Jarrett) which was created to represent the state’s interests in developing and negotiating performance agreements… Read More

Lots and lots of national political news to read and digest, but not much political or higher education news to report in Washington State.  Candidate filings began this week, but no real surprises in any of the major contested races. I’m proud to announce that Steve Juarez, one of my oldest friends and a former… Read More

I’ve had Western Washington University on my mind a lot this past week. Spent the past weekend attending my son’s performance of Macbeth in the Miller Hall courtyard on the Western campus.  I guess you could call it a “post-apocalyptic” interpretation of the bard’s most violent play.  “Mad Max Beyond Inverness” would be a good alternative title.  Anyway, it was… Read More

I don’t know about you, but I’m a pretty devoted reader of The Onion — for my money, the most consistently funny news parody site on the web. Here’s an Onion news item from last fall that’s sure to excite the nation’s education community.  Indisputable proof of the value of education.  Enjoy! I’m off now for a… Read More