Dear colleagues,
Each New Year invites us to pause and reflect — to take stock of where we have been and where we hope to go. I have been thinking about the tradition of making resolutions and how it reflects a simple but powerful belief: that the future can be shaped with intention, care and shared purpose. In this spirit, the New Year offers not only reflection, but also a renewed commitment to the values and priorities that anchor us.
I know that we all share the belief that public research universities like the University of Washington play a singular role in our society. We generate knowledge, nurture critical inquiry, serve patients and communities, and help people — especially our students — imagine new futures for themselves and the world.
This work depends on the creativity, dedication and generosity of our faculty and academic personnel, whose scholarship, teaching, mentorship and leadership enable us to deliver on our mission, and the thoughtful partnership of the leadership and membership of the Faculty Senate and its councils in shared governance, which strengthens our University. And it is made possible every day by the extraordinary talent and commitment of our staff, whose expertise, care and partnership sustain every dimension of the UW’s operations, services and community life.
As we begin this new year and new quarter, I am grateful for all that you contribute — and I am optimistic not because the challenges ahead are small, but because together we have the insight, skill and resolve to meet them.
With President Jones’ arrival last summer, our university has entered a moment of refocused energy and collective purpose. The strategic planning process now underway is one important way we are shaping our shared future — drawing on the wisdom and creativity of our community to strengthen the UW’s public mission and impact.
Alongside this work, faculty-led efforts such as revising promotion and tenure guidelines, refreshing our curriculum, advancing research resilience and transformation planning, and charting the future of doctoral education are helping us more fully align our structures, programs and supports with the values that define us and with the needs of the world today. This ongoing work demonstrates our belief that change is not something to fear — it is a catalyst to trust in our shared wisdom and our ability to chart the right course forward for ourselves and the people we serve.
Of course, the turning of the year does not erase the anxieties we may feel about the broader landscape — whether federal policy shifts, budget concerns, or the pressures on higher education more broadly. While we cannot control every external force, we do have agency in how we respond. By working collaboratively, engaging openly with one another and with the communities we serve, and drawing on the full breadth of our talents, we will continue to advance discovery, learning and public impact.
Next month’s Provost’s Town Hall will explore the vital role that public universities — and the UW in particular — play in this pivotal moment. I hope you will join me in person or online on Thursday, February 12. More details, including guest speakers, will follow soon. In the meantime, I welcome your questions and reflections through the online form or at provost@uw.edu.
As we move through 2026, I look forward to honoring the extraordinary contributions of our faculty, academic personnel and staff — and to continuing, together, the essential work that has long defined the University of Washington.
With appreciation and resolve,
Tricia