By Robert Frank

WSU President V. Lane Rawlins told faculty and staff during a statewide "President’s Dialogue" on Tuesday, June 5, that Legislative funding for WSU looks relatively solid at this time.

Based on budget proposals by the House and Senate, he said, "we know the ballpark" we’re going to land in. "It isn’t what we asked for, but we will make some progress."

The Legislature just entered its second special session on June 4.

"The future of WSU won’t be determined in Olympia," Rawlins said, "but by those (faculty and staff) in Pullman, Vancouver, Spokane, the Tri-Cities" and throughout the state.

"We never get everything we ask for . . . but we need to understand that the ball’s in our court and we’re not going to take on a victim status."

He said he believes the university ultimately may come out with a "net increase" in its overall budget. And it appears that salary increases for faculty may at least be equal to those funded for K-12 -- approximately 3.7 percent.

He also encouraged people to remember that in many states across the nation -- especially in the Midwest and East Coast -- higher education is facing "deep cuts." So, WSU could gain on its peers in many states this year.

Mission, Strategic Plan
Rawlins emphasized that the major focus of the university is providing the highest quality instruction and research possible. To that end, he pointed to the university’s new integrated marketing campaign theme: "World Class. Face-to-Face."

The strategic plan for the university, he said, is continuing to be developed with tentative plans for a campus-wide review in the fall and publishing in January.

The process is "dynamic" and will never be fully complete. He noted that the strategic plan should not be thought of as a "road map," showing every turn and challenge in the path. Instead, it is more like a "compass" that gives us direction as we move ahead.

One of the major challenges in accomplishing our goals is internal communication, he said. "We need to learn to believe in ourselves more" and recognize the multitude of good things we are doing university-wide. Within our own departments, we know we are very good, but when we look outside our department it becomes more of a "we-vs.-they" perspective.

Growth and Enrollment
Cliff Moore, associate director of Extended University Services, posed a question regarding the role of distance learning in generating enrollment and in the university’s overall future plans.

Rawlins noted that WSU is recognized nationally as a "true leader and innovator" in distance learning. It is a "vital part" of the university system and an area in which the university would like to continue to grow, he said, just as we want to grow in other academic programs on campus and on other branch campuses.

Enrollment levels and growth are important, Rawlins said, but not at the expense of academic quality. Rawlins criticized the current state system which links financial support to enrollment. Higher education should have the ability to choose not to grow in size, or to limit its growth, in order to focus on academic quality, he said.

State legislators are resistant to changing the current system, because it gives them a way to measure what they’ve done, i.e. "We gave you X number of FTEs during this session."

Higher-Level Students
Jessica Cassleman, assistant dean of the Honors College, asked whether the new integrated marketing goal to attract more students with high grade points was directly related to the Honors College.

Rawlins noted that the Honors College was certainly a jewel in WSU’s crown, but assured her that the university doesn’t expect the Honors College to be the "right place" or the primary tool for recruiting or absorbing all new top-level students.

He pointed to the university’s reputation as a tier-one research university, its nationally recognized excellence in veterinary medicine, agriculture, pharmacy, physics, management information systems (MIS), as well as its high level of computer connectivity. In addition, he pointed to the new Teaching and Learning Building, which will offer opportunities in information technology.

End of First Year
The search for a new provost is continuing, he noted, and there is hope that final candidates will visit campus this summer and a decision can be made. (People interested in participating in this process who are off campus will be able to see the candidate's interviews via a live internet connection using video streaming.)

Rawlins said that June 8 marks the end of his first year at WSU and that he was pleased with the progress that has been made and the strategic goals that are developing.

"Our destiny is in our hands," he said. "There currently is a divisiveness, a ‘we vs. they’ attitude that we’ve reinforced in the past. We’re working hard to break that down . . . We need to pull in the same direction," or we won’t reach our goals.

Click to view archived video of President's Dialogue.