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President Young comments on passage of Real Hope Act

“Today’s action by the Washington Legislature was a vote of confidence in students and their importance to the future of our state,” University of Washington President Michael K. Young said of the Feb. 18 vote allowing high school graduates brought here illegally as children to be eligible for financial aid.

“It sends a strong message that an education should be available to absolutely everyone,” he said. “For years, our state has invested in these students’ success in our K-12 classrooms and in our communities. All students who work hard in school deserve an opportunity to go to college and have access to the financial resources to make it possible. Our Legislature has passed a bill that will have a transformative effect on our students, their families and their communities for many years to come.”

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dear Campus Colleagues,

Fifty years ago, in 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his courageous and inspiring efforts in leading the civil rights movement.

The Nobel committee honored Dr. King for his commitment to nonviolence in the pursuit of equality, inclusivity, and opportunity in the United States. In particular, they noted his leadership, from the Montgomery bus boycotts in 1955 through the U.S. Congress’s landmark Civil Rights Act in 1964.

But Dr. King and the thousands who marched ahead of and along with him, and the millions who shared his vision, well knew that we still had many miles to go. Violence, discrimination, inequality, and injustice in thousands of ways remained commonplace. Today, thankfully, much has changed for the better, but in 2014 there remains still a great deal of work to do.

As a public university, we have a central role in ensuring equality, inclusivity, and opportunity. Our leadership is paramount. A pillar of the University of Washington’s pathway forward is and must always be providing access and opportunity for all who are qualified, regardless of background or circumstance. To this I am wholly and resolutely committed.  But this is not simply my commitment; this must be our collective commitment.

Dr. King’s words from his Nobel acceptance speech inspire us today:

[I]n the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally. Every time I take a flight, I am always mindful of the many people who make a successful journey possible—the known pilots and the unknown ground crew. So you honor the dedicated pilots of our struggle who have sat at the controls as the freedom movement soared into orbit. You honor, once again, Chief Lutuli of South Africa, whose struggles with and for his people, are still met with the most brutal expression of man’s inhumanity to man. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jet flights to freedom could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never make the headline and their names will not appear in Who’s Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live—men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization—because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness’ sake.

As we honor Dr. King on the national holiday in his name on Monday, let us together commit anew to doing our part in creating a finer land, a better people, and a more noble civilization. This is our responsibility as members of one of the world’s great higher education communities.

Sincerely,

Michael K. Young

Statement from UW President Michael K. Young on the proposed boycott of Israeli universities

As provost and president of the University of Washington, Ana Mari Cauce and I fully endorse the statement from the Association of American UnIversities (AAU), the 62 leading public and private universities in North America and of which the University of Washington is a member, opposing a proposed boycott by American higher education institutions of universities and their faculties in Israel. We believe such a boycott of academic institutions and their faculties has no place in higher education institutions founded on the premise of the free exchange of ideas. The AAU statement, issued by its executive committee Dec. 20, 2013, affirms that:

Any such boycott of academic institutions directly violates academic freedom, which is a fundamental principle of AAU universities and of American higher education in general. Academic freedom is the freedom of university faculty responsibly to produce and disseminate knowledge through research, teaching, and service, without undue constraint. It is a principle that should not be abridged by political considerations. American colleges and universities, as well as like institutions elsewhere, must stand as the first line of defense against attacks on academic freedom.

We are proud to align with the position enunciated by the AAU to oppose in any way any
constriction of the free flow and exchange of ideas among the world’s scholars, teachers,
scientists and intellectuals.

Ending the problem of sexual assault

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I am writing to address a matter of great and grave importance.

One of my hopes, as 2014 begins, is that this will be the year we collectively resolve to lead the way to ending the chronic and abhorrent problem of sexual assault on college campuses. While we can be grateful that the UW has historically been a very safe campus, we also know that any sexual assault does grievous harm to the victim and serious collateral damage to the rest of the community. I am convinced that the University of Washington can be a model for changing a nationwide culture that is perceived by some as tolerating this kind of interpersonal violence. And we should act now, without waiting for a specific incident to be the catalyst.

Some significant part of the responsibility to end sexual assault rests with the institution itself, and we are determined to succeed. We must have policies and resources in place that will help prevent sexual assault and ensure that we properly respond to all incidents. Last spring I commissioned a group of University academic personnel, staff, and students to come together as a Task Force on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response to review our current policies and practices, explore best practices from other institutions, develop any needed new practices, and propose an implementation plan. In October, the Task Force submitted a very thorough report with 18 prioritized recommendations. Provost Ana Mari Cauce and I have approved funding for the first set of steps, and there will be more information and increased visibility for these efforts in the coming months.

But University policies and procedures alone cannot stop sexual assault in our community. Each of us—each faculty member, staff member, and student—has a powerful role to play and a duty to act. If any of us—any of us—see a friend engaging in unsafe behavior, we must intervene. If a colleague shows an unwillingness to respect “no” when this message is delivered, we must speak up. And when any of us hear of an incident, we must support the victim and encourage him or her to make a report to authorities. These actions make an enormous difference.

Thank you for the many ways in which every one of us contributes to the health and wellbeing of the University of Washington community. Together, we must support one another. I formally request that each one of us reviews and then enacts the recommendations as part of our commitment to care for our community. Let us now join together to tackle the problem of sexual assault and show national leadership.

Sincerely,
Michael K. Young

Introducing the Whole U

Dear Faculty and Staff:

There is no time like the New Year to reflect on our lives, make new goals and commit ourselves to personal growth. The University of Washington appreciates the importance of life-work balance, and I am excited to announce the launch of a new initiative for our
faculty and staff to support each of you toward that end.

The Whole U brings together campus resources and programs to help you make the most of all our community offers. From staying healthy and being active to volunteerism and engaging personal interests. The Whole U video provides an overview of this exciting new program.

I invite you to visit The Whole U website and watch your inbox for Whole U emails to find out about programming and events that encourage healthy lifestyles, personal growth, and engagement utilizing the many great resources found within the UW community.

Every day, faculty and staff contribute to our shared goals and mission. It is my hope the Whole U will connect each of you to the UW resources and experts that can enrich your lives and help you achieve your personal goals.

Best wishes to you and yours for a healthy, happy New Year,

Michael K. Young

Video: Huskies reflect on 2013

Dear Members of the University of Washington Community:

Each and every year, Huskies in Seattle and around the globe make an impact—whether it is through research, volunteering, education, creative expression or countless other ways.

To reflect on 2013, we asked you—the University of Washington community—to share what made the year memorable, and it is clearer than ever from your responses that the people who are part of the UW are dedicated to making a difference.

I invite you to take a look back at the past year through the eyes of your fellow Huskies in our 2013 year-end video. I hope it will make you as grateful as I am to be part of such an amazing community.

Here’s to another great year ahead.

Warm regards,

Michael K. Young
President

President Young’s statement about Coach Sarkisian’s departure

President Michael K. Young released this statement after USC announced it had hired Husky Coach Steve Sarkisian as its head football coach:

Steve Sarkisian has done a wonderful job in bringing our football program back to respectability and mentoring the young men in the program as they pursue their educations here at the UW. We thank him for his efforts. He has worked hard and with dedication to the program. There is more work to do, and it will be up to the next Husky football coach to do it. It is a fact of life in modern intercollegiate athletics that the competition for coaching talent is fierce, and this results in perhaps more movement in coaching positions than one might wish. This shoe dropping means we are now in the market and that will lead to other shoes dropping. It is the nature of the enterprise. We wish Steve well at USC and every success, except for one day a year.

President Young’s statement on the death of Don James

Don James was a larger-than-life figure for generations of Husky fans and all of us at the university are saddened by his death. Our hearts go out to his wife Carol and his family as we mourn his passing. He was a special kind of leader who generated immense loyalty and affection among his players and colleagues in the coaching community. He was a mentor and teacher par excellence, a great ambassador for the University of Washington and a man of the highest integrity. This university will miss him. He left an indelible impact on everything Husky.