Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the 2026–27 academic year.
It is my pleasure to serve as Chair of the Faculty Senate and represent colleagues across the University of Washington. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you. One of my goals this year is to bring the Senate into closer conversation with faculty and create more opportunities for their perspectives to shape our deliberations.
Our faculty community spans three campuses and brings together an extraordinary range of disciplines, roles, experiences, and viewpoints. We will not always see every issue in the same way, and I believe that diversity of thought strengthens university governance. I value the Senate as a welcoming place where we listen with respect, raise difficult questions openly, and find a path forward together.
Several broad priorities will guide my work this year: advancing conversations about sustainable faculty careers and pathways, particularly for non-tenure-track faculty; ensuring faculty perspectives inform state-level discussions affecting higher education; thoughtfully exploring developments in AI and innovation; and nurturing regional and global partnerships that create new possibilities for the University and the communities we serve.
I believe our work is most meaningful when it remains grounded in the University’s educational mission, a mission brought to life through our students. Students are at the heart of so much of what we do. The decisions we make through university governance can significantly shape their educational experiences. As we bring our faculty expertise to these decisions, I believe listening to and learning from students deepens our understanding of how those decisions shape their experiences.
I am also committed to effective governance processes. Much of the Senate’s substantive work begins in our Faculty Councils, committees, and task forces, where colleagues generously contribute their time, insight, and expertise to complex university issues. We can honor those contributions through focused direction, thoughtful discussion, genuine collaboration, and processes that help well-developed ideas move forward.
Transparency is essential to this work. I hope you will stay connected with your elected senators, learn about the issues our Faculty Councils are considering, and share your views with us. Throughout the year, we will report on work in progress to the Senate and the Senate Executive Committee and post those updates on the Faculty Senate website.
I begin this year with humility about what can be accomplished in a single term and deep appreciation for the colleagues who make this work possible. I believe that meaningful institutional change requires sustained effort, partnership, and time. Rather than promise specific outcomes, I offer my commitment to listen carefully, prepare thoughtfully, welcome questions, seek common ground, and give this responsibility my very best.
The Faculty Senate is strongest when faculty feel connected to its work and to one another. Whether you have years of governance experience or are engaging with the Senate for the first time, there is a place at the table for your voice, experience, and ideas. You might connect with your senator, share an idea with a Faculty Council, attend a meeting, or follow an issue that matters to you.
Thank you for the perspective, expertise, and care you bring to our shared work. Your participation makes our Faculty Senate community stronger.
I’ve also recorded a brief welcome message for our faculty and the broader UW community, available on YouTube.
I look forward to all we can accomplish in the year ahead. Have a wonderful academic year!
With appreciation for all you do,
Rania Y. Hussein
Chair, Faculty Senate
University of Washington