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Presidential Blog

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A great place to work, thanks to great people

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Dear Colleagues,

The University of Washington is a great place to work. Our faculty and staff bring tremendous knowledge, creative energy, a passion for discovery and a collaborative spirit across our classrooms, campuses and communities. Earlier this week, our collective passion for the UW was recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2014 Great Colleges to Work For Survey.

The UW was ranked among 71 four-year universities as a great place to work, most notably in two categories: tenure clarity and process, and job satisfaction. The survey reported that UW faculty and staff understand and actively pursue the requirements for professional growth, and are pleased with the autonomy and resources the UW provides.

This recognition is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between the Faculty Senate and the administration over the years to clarify and refine the tenure and promotion process. And with our Whole U initiative, the UW is inspiring employees to live healthier and more balanced lives. At our kickoff event in January, more than 1,000 of us participated in the world’s largest kettlebell workout, smashing a Guinness record. Thousands more have participated in Whole U programs focused on nutrition, exercise and personal growth.

Also paramount is our commitment to retention and to our retirees. In May, we honored 475 retirees, dedicated employees who collectively served the University for 10,276 years. And in the spring we launched our new UW Encore Initiative to facilitate opportunities for retirees to enrich the UW community with their valuable time and unique experience.

The Chronicle’s ranking is a satisfying affirmation of the talent at the UW, but more importantly it is a reflection of a campus community that values the needs and contributions of every individual. Day in and day out, we are proud to work alongside you, the UW’s world-class faculty and staff, who work tirelessly to serve our students and our communities. Thank you for your passion, vision and dedication to making the University of Washington a truly great place to work.

With gratitude,

Michael K Young signature

AMCSig200

Michael K. Young
President

Ana Mari Cauce
Provost & Executive Vice President

Strengthening the bond between the UW and Japan

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At the UW, we have been going about the business of learning about other parts of the world almost from the beginning of the university, and certainly from 1908, when 15 Japanese students helped found our International Students Club. Today, Japanese is the second-most studied language at the university and demand for the study of this country’s history, culture and language has never been stronger. This warms my heart more than ever as my affection for Japan has only deepened since I first traveled there more than four decades ago.

The UW’s long-standing partnerships with Japan extend to the Japan-America Society of the state of Washington, which hosted me at their annual meeting last month. The event was an opportunity to deepen the UW’s relationship with our Japanese friends and partners, and celebrate our mutual collaborations — past, present and future. The continued vitality and importance of the UW-Japan relationship are aided by the enterprising culture and global worldview we are fostering on campus. At the UW, we consider every student an international student; in today’s interconnected world, weaving a global perspective into all aspects of education is critical.

There is a strong link between the continued success of the UW and the vibrant Japanese community that surrounds us. Our fates are tied and our futures depend on our abilities to work together. In this vein, I am delighted and eager to continue this legacy of educational exchange between the UW and our Japanese friends and partners. Thank you to the Japan-America Society for your friendship and for helping to create these opportunities!