Summer and Fall quarter were a whirlwind of activity as we welcomed President Robert J. Jones to Seattle and the UW, began introducing him to tribal, local, regional, state and federal leaders, and continued emphasizing the UW priorities with policymakers at all levels of government. Some highlights and updates are listed below.
2026 Washington State Legislative Session Outlook
The 2026 legislative session will begin on January 12 and run for 60 consecutive days. This year, Washington is projected to face another operating budget deficit. Given the challenging fiscal outlook for 2026, the UW has not submitted any new operating budget requests. Instead, the University will focus its advocacy efforts on mitigating potential budget cuts and their impact to the UW’s education, research, and public service missions. The full agenda is available on our State Relations Website.
Introducing President Jones to the U District
In October, President Robert J. Jones toured the Ave with Regional & Community Relations and U District Partnership (UDP) staff to learn more about the neighborhood and meet local business owners. He made stops at the University Bookstore, Shiga’s Imports, Sweet Alchemy and Boba Up.
Tribal Relations, President Jones Attend Annual ATNI Convention
This fall, the Office of Tribal Relations represented the UW at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) annual convention. ATNI is an Inter-Tribal nonprofit organization that represents and advocates for the 57-member Tribal governments and their elected leaders. On the opening day of the convention, President Jones joined to address Northwest Tribal leaders and ATNI members. During his remarks, he pledged to continue the UW’s strong commitment to collaboration with Washington Tribes and support for Indigenous students, faculty and staff.
Advocacy in D.C.
President Jones met with several members of Washington’s congressional delegation during a trip to our nation’s capital this October. In these meetings, he emphasized the challenges and opportunities facing the University. For more news and updates on federal issues, check out the Office of Federal Relations’ website.
Partners in Spokane
In September, President Jones visited Spokane to meet with students, faculty and UW leadership. He was joined by Gonzaga University President Katia Passerini for a tour of Regional Initiatives in Dental Education’s (RIDE) new training center. The center houses the expanding program, which is doubling the number of dental students from 32 to 64 and adding a second year of instruction in Spokane thanks to investment from the state legislature.
Welcome Kevin Chang
The Office of External Affairs is excited to announce that Kevin Chang has joined the University of Washington as Associate Director of State Relations. He succeeds Morgan Hickel, who was appointed Director of State Relations in September. Prior to the UW, Chang served as a senior advisor at the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., leading legislative efforts on education, health care, and social security policy. He is a graduate of the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in international studies.