This message is being sent to all staff, faculty and academic personnel across the University of Washington.
Dear colleagues,
Each autumn, I go through a ritual of events that is deeply meaningful to me. I have the honor of welcoming many people to new roles: new faculty, who are beginning or entering a next stage of their careers; new students, who are embarking on their education; new chairs, academic leaders, and our student Regent, who have chosen to serve our community; the chair of the Faculty Senate and the presidents of GPSS and ASUW at Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma, who are invaluable partners in advancing academic excellence; and special for this year, President Robert J. Jones, who brings a deep commitment to public education, access, and discovery.
And today, I also extend a warm welcome back to each of you, as we begin the academic year together.
This ritual always builds my excitement for the coming year. But this year, the meaning is a bit more expansive for me — I see this beginning as an inspirational symbol of the choice that each one of us has made, and continues to make, to be a part of this great university and to share the commitment to build the University of Washington that only we can create together.
We are the current stewards of a 164-year legacy of excellence that reflects adjustments — big and small — that the UW has chosen to make to meet the opportunities and challenges of the day. No matter what we face in the coming year, I have every confidence that we will find the right path for us to continue this legacy because I believe in the people who make up the UW.
Now, more than ever, the UW and higher education more broadly need the best of us all. And if we are to be our best in this volatile landscape, I believe we can find inspiration in what led us to first choose the UW — our trust in one another to uphold this community together.
We share the privilege of defining the UW of today for ourselves. We shouldn’t cede that gift by allowing the diverse viewpoints that we bring to the issues we are navigating to divide us. They are key to finding solutions that will support our UW because our history has proven that we do our best work together.
On Sunday, I had the opportunity to take part in a fun version of this concept with our new students, who gathered in Husky Stadium following New Student Convocation. Led by our amazing staff in First Year Programs in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, thousands of students were asked to organize themselves first by the month and then the day of their birth (I found 11 students who share my birthday — many, many years removed). These groups of students formed circles and were asked to cross the open space based on various characteristics such as oldest or youngest sibling. As they did, they introduced themselves to someone new. It was a stunning display of individuality and connection all at once that magically culminated into their organization into a W.
This event made me think about the importance of intentionality in creating the community that supports us all. In that spirit, I share a few habits that have kept me grounded in uncertain times and invite you to join me in practicing them this year:
- Solutions through communication: We have the good fortune to be a part of a university defined by comprehensive excellence across a broad array of disciplines. In a changing landscape, our opportunities and challenges are unlikely to be uniform, and we all have an important role in surfacing our vantage points. Let’s choose to share our perspectives in ways that facilitate understanding and problem-solving and share a commitment to working on the behalf of the whole, not just our individual interests.
- Curiosity before criticism: The complement to sharing our own perspectives is seeking out the perspectives of others to draw on our collective talent. Let’s ask what information we may be missing from one another before interpreting a complex situation.
- Act within our spheres of control: Strengthening our university requires advances at all levels. Let’s each focus our energy on where we can most make a difference — and elevate issues beyond our control to those best placed to intervene.
- Make space to connect: The contributions that we make to the mission of this university are expansive and profoundly uplifting. In the past few months alone, I have attended a presentation about the Simonyi Telescope, now operating with breathtaking impact in the Rubin Observatory, and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time; a beach walk with graduate students conducting research at Friday Harbor Labs; the Woven in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving exhibit at the Burke Museum; a Husky softball game (a win against Wisconsin!); and a gathering at the UW Club, sponsored by the UW Alumni Association, with live jazz complements of our own School of Music. At each, I’ve made connections with the people who are sharing their talents and others, like me, who were there in admiration. Let’s celebrate the breadth and depth of all the University has to offer — and why it matters — with one another.
Edward Everett Hale, among others, once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” They must have had the UW in mind; this place empowers each of us to be the best that we can be. That’s a tremendous asset to have, as we define our own future together.
Thank you for all that you do to advance the mission of the University of Washington. I wish you a productive and rewarding academic year, together.
PS: As President Jones and I announced last week, we are embarking on a University-wide strategic planning process to set our shared priorities for the next several years. If you have not done so already, please share your thoughts through this survey. Your voices, perspectives and ideas are essential to charting our path.