EWU Executive Leadership Update

November updates from your Executive Leadership Team

President’s Update

Last week, I attended the annual AASCU President and Chancellor’s meeting and was able to have some great conversations with university leaders from across the nation. One key takeaway – we’re not alone in our challenges. We all know that universities everywhere are struggling with enrollment and budgets. But, I heard it over and over, the path forward must include a dedicated effort on collaboration and customer service. At EWU, we do this well, but there are opportunities for growth and breaking down silos that can hinder progress. As we close out 2024 and look ahead to 2025, let’s recommit to moving Eastern forward together. 

Following the AASCU meeting, I had a wonderful visit to Arizona to meet with alumni and proud EWU supporters at three events prior to the EWU vs NAU football game. Being able to share a few recent achievements and lay out our vision for the future with these groups was so encouraging. I’m filled with gratitude for all of our alumni and fans, near and far, who continue to support our university and our students. If you have the opportunity while at conferences, or simply with family and friends, be sure to share some of our stories and spread the Eagle spirit! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the annual fall recognition luncheon. The food was amazing (as always), and the room was packed with chatter and laughter as we celebrated each other and cheered on our colleagues. I hope you take a moment to read about the incredible achievements of our service award honorees Amy Laskowski and Amanda Stilwell HERE. And congratulations to our many service pin recipients who continue to make an impact at EWU!

Finally, don’t forget about President’s Zumba on Dec. 2 at noon in Gym 270! After the long weekend, let’s get moving together in a fun atmosphere. All ages, fitness level, and dancing skills are welcome!

Administrative Updates

Academic Affairs – Provost & Vice President Jonathan Anderson

Encouraging Registration and Advising: A simple, impactful way to assist students is to post a Canvas announcement this week reminding them to register for winter quarter. This gentle nudge can make a big difference for students who might feel uncertain about next steps or who may be facing barriers. Please consider including a message on Canvas such as:

• Have you registered for winter quarter? If not, please reach out to your faculty advisor or contact your professional advisor through Navigate. Need assistance with finances? Contact Financial Aid at finaid@ewu.edu or click the ‘raise hand’ feature on Navigate. 

Update on Complete College America: Since joining the Complete College America Accelerator, we’ve been actively collaborating with our peers to enhance educational outcomes for our students. Our partnership in this initiative provides us access to technical assistance provided by CCA and a national network of peer institutions. On Nov. 7, we hosted a full-day Sensemaking session with campus leaders to review and analyze data. The next steps will be to address barriers that hinder student success, improve time to degree, and close equity gaps.

Update on Dean search for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: The search for the new Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is nearing its conclusion, and we are grateful for the campus community’s engagement with our three finalists: Dr. Jillian Campana, Dr. Michelle DenBeste, and Dr. Ashley DeMoville. Thank you to everyone who participated in the open forums, stakeholder meetings, and other events. A special thanks to the search committee, chaired by Dr. Martha Raske, for their dedication and hard work in guiding this important process. 

Your feedback is crucial in helping us select the best candidate for this leadership role. Please take a moment to share your thoughts via the CAHSS Candidate Evaluation Link found in the InsideEWU story. The link will remain open until 5 pm, Monday, Dec. 2nd.

This year, Faculty Commons will prioritize two key areas: fostering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in the classroom, and enhancing student engagement. Offerings include multi-session workshops on transparent teaching, accessibility, and EDI, along with a book club launching in the winter quarter. We encourage you to take advantage of these valuable opportunities, available both in person and via Zoom, to further enrich your teaching practices and support our campus community.

Thank you to Caroline Dias and our Programs that Lead to University Success (PLUS) team who have been actively working to support our students’ academic success. They’ve worked with faculty to enhance academic support by adding drop-in tutoring and small group tutoring sessions, as well as embedding tutors into key courses. Recent efforts include study skills presentations, increased communication via EagleSync, and Canvas announcements to enhance student attendance in review and support sessions.

Please actively promote these resources to students:

• Drop-in tutoring is available – no appointment needed.
• Online tutoring is available for homework assistance anytime, including nights and weekends.  
• Small group tutoring is available. Please contact Brent Olinger, Retention Specialist, bolinger@ewu.edu
• The Student Emergency Fund is available to provide limited, one-time financial assistance for immediate and emergent needs.

EWU’s Professional & Continuing Education program (PCE) is collaborating with faculty across EWU colleges to develop and deliver flexible non-degree offerings. New PCE programs are being developed with the School of Education, the Family Resource and Training Center, Music Education, the Department of Design, and the School of Social Work. PCE is also working to partner with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington (OLLI-UW) to bring OLLI programming to eastern Washington. 

In 2025, PCE aims to launch a sponsored speaker series showcasing EWU faculty expertise and research. These initiatives reflect PCE’s commitment to workforce development and interdisciplinary collaboration. Contact PCE to join the speaker series, organize a conference, or create new programming!

The Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies Program and the WAGE Center are thrilled to welcome Jacob Johns as the 2025 Activist-in-Residence for winter quarter. Jacob Johns (Hopi and Akimel O’odham), an Indigenous activist and artist, will lead four interactive workshops in January and February 2025, covering topics such as Indigenous wisdom in climate policy, transforming trauma into resistance, and sustainable organizing models. He has worked with the US Climate Action Network and led a delegation of Indigenous representatives to the United Nations’ annual climate conference. Most recently, Johns participated in the COP 29 Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Office of Grant and Research Development (OGRD) will host “AI Tools for Research and Grant Writing: EWU Policies and Practical Techniques” on Dec. 9 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm (in person and via Zoom). Learn about EWU’s AI policies and tools like Google Gemini and Microsoft Co-pilot for grants and research. All departments are welcome! Please pre-register here. Information about all of our workshops may be found here. 

As part of OGRD’s NSF planning award called WANDER, you are invited to our third dialogue circle on Dec. 16th. This event will be heavily focused on gleaning feedback about experiences with OGRD, as well as desires for a stronger grants and research culture through a practice of dialogue. Click herefor more information and to pre-register by Dec. 11th at 4:00 pm.

To support students and graduates who would like to apply for Fulbright scholarships to complete graduate work or conduct research overseas, a collaborative effort between Dr. Viktoria Taroudaki, the Writers’ Center, and Global has resulted in a new process that will successfully lead students through the Fulbright application process. Dr. Taroudaki is EWU’s Fulbright Program Advisor. Students can find more information about the Fulbright Student program here.

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Student Civic Leadership Awards sponsored by the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good. These awards recognize outstanding student leaders at Washington Campus coalition member campuses for their work in civic engagement and social entrepreneurship. Last year, Mayra Velazquez, an EWU senior studying urban planning and economics, recently received the prestigious Governor’s Student Civic Leadership Award for her work with Latinos en Spokane, a nonprofit organization supporting Spokane County’s Latinx community. Any student graduating Fall 2024-Spring 2025 at a WACC member institution, including Eastern Washington University, is eligible.  EWU will select two winners who will go on to be considered for statewide recognition with a financial award of up to $1,000.  EWU nominations are due January 3rd, 2025. The nomination form can be found on the Provost’s website.

Congratulations!

Jessica Boyer, Senior Lecturer, recently presented at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) National Conference in Anaheim, California, accompanied by three EWU PRSSA executive board students. The students networked with industry leaders and plan to share their learnings in a workshop this fall.

Dr. Charlotte Milling, Assistant Professor of Biology, led five EWU undergraduate researchers to the Murdock College Science Research Conference on Nov. 8-9. Students, mentored by faculty, participated in networking, presentations, and a poster competition, where Jeff Schell won first place in Ecology/Evolution/Biodiversity for his research on invasive fish feeding behavior.

Congratulations to our School of Nursing for receiving approval from the Department of Health Board of Nursing for their new program application Phase III progress report. Thank you to Dr. Donna Bachand and our nursing faculty for their hard work.  

Congratulations to Angela Schwendiman, Senior Lecturer, on receiving funding support from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good for your project, the 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service Conference Workshop! Their $2,000 in support will be instrumental in ensuring that this important event next January is a success.

Dr. Margo Hill gave a MMIW presentation and moderated a panel discussion with U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bree Black Horse. This event highlighted efforts to promote justice and healing through the DOJ’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program.

Dr. Christi Harter, AVP PCE, has published “Empowering the Individual Through LERs” as part of her grant research work with SkillsFWD. This publication resides within The EvoLLLution® which is an online publication created by and for those who understand the challenges and opportunities in higher education. 

Dr. Anna Frost contributed to a foundational paper, “Centering Care in the Academic Research Enterprise,” which is the outcome of a NSF GRANTED-funded project she participated in this fall. This project developed research strategies to mitigate implicit bias and promote an ethos of care in the academic research enterprise. The paper includes strategies to implement care into the academy, including here at EWU. 

Congratulations to Drs. Sue Magyar, Christi Harter, and Jackie Coomes on securing a $30,000 grant from Ithaka S+R and Complete College America! Over the next year, they’ll work with a cohort to design holistic credit mobility systems, explore demand for student credentials, build campus support for adult learner programs, and align technology to attract students to EWU.

Congratulations to Drs. Sue Magyar and Kayleen Islam-Zwart on securing a $200,000 SEIU Healthcare Multi-Employer Training Fund grant! This project positions EWU as a hub for apprenticeship pathways to Bachelor’s degrees and transitions from Bachelor’s to Master’s programs, emphasizing experiential learning and workforce preparation.

Business & Finance – Vice President Mary Voves

In response to the University’s changing economic and business models, EWU has engaged Moss Adams to assist with the development of an efficient and effective budget model to help optimize resource allocation. The project remains on schedule with an anticipated completion date of June 2025. The new model for index 1 will include support from index 2 programs in an assessed based allocation model which is designed to support university infrastructure and programs. The project also includes a benchmarking study to help inform the resource allocation process for administrative services departments throughout the university.

Classroom Upgrade Project has launched! Proposals must be submitted and approved by the requesting college’s dean by Dec. 15. One million in capital funds have been set aside this year to address deferred maintenance and technology issues in our classrooms and teaching spaces. These funds are exclusively available for requests from academic departments, academic programs, and colleges. Only projects in teaching spaces are eligible, including classrooms and labs (FICM codes 110, 210, and 220). Proposals will be prioritized by the Space Planning Advisory Committee. It is likely that more requests will be received than we will be able to fulfill, but we hope to allocate additional funds in the next biennium to continue addressing these deferred maintenance needs.

Student Affairs – Vice President Lea Jarnagin

Student Engagement sends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been entering events into EagleSync and a special shoutout to those diligently checking students into their events. Your efforts are making a tangible impact! For the time period between Welcome Week and November 22, 2024, 1,971 unique students checked into at least one event on EagleSync.

This data highlights the incredible engagement happening across campus! Student Affairs is excited to collaborate with Institutional Effectiveness to analyze how these activities influence student retention. Together, we’re creating meaningful experiences that support student success—thank you for all you do! If you haven’t been using EagleSync and would like to learn more about the platform and its functionality, please contact Michelle Mowrey, Director of Student Engagement and the PUB at mmowrey1@ewu.edu

Eagle Entertainment will be hosting “Build-an-Eagle” in PUB 317/319 on Friday, Dec 6 from noon-3:00 pm. Students will be creating their own version of a stuffed Swoop. Students will be able to have hot chocolate, hot apple cider, all while watching one of the most loved holiday season movies, Elf. Only 150 Build-an-Eagle kits are available, which are free for students and $5 for Faculty and Staff.

On Nov. 7, Student Organizations and Leadership hosted student organization advisors for a Coffee and Advisor discussion. These sessions will be continuing monthly and at various times to meet the needs of our wide variety of organization advisors. Please plan to attend the next Coffee and Advisor discussion on Wednesday, Jan 15 from noon-1 pm in PUB 333. Attending these is a great way to join in community with other advisors and have an opportunity to get your questions about advising answered.

Reminder: The ASEWU Clubs and Organizations online training and is now available via EagleSync and is required for all ASEWU student organizations. Organization Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Treasurers have been assigned to complete the training in order for their organization to maintain recognition. Advisors should be able to see this training as well. For those who have been assigned the training, log in to EagleSync and click “My Activity” on the left-hand tool bar and then clicking “My Checklists.”

Student Organizations and Leadership will be hosting guest speaker Lorin Phillips in the PUB NCR at 3pm on Tuesday, Jan. 28 as she shares her empowering keynote “Fierce Confrontation.” Lorin will dig deep into the pitfalls surrounding communication and provide strategies to navigate a variety of everyday situations. Students will walk away with a toolbox of tactics to apply in any given conversation to challenge the process, team, and each other. This is our third EagLead, Leadership event for this academic year and all students, staff, and faculty are invited to attend. For more information, contact Chrystal Woodard at cwoodard4@ewu.edu.

The JLR Multicultural Center will be providing “UNDOCUALLY- Through the lens of an ally” training highlighting the challenges undocumented college students experience and how faculty/staff/student allies/advocates can utilize best practices to help undocumented students navigate college and universities. Registration is available on EagleSync for upcoming trainings on 11/26 2:00 p.m. PUB 209 and 1/30/2025 1:00 p.m. Location TBD.

Wins and Achievements in Student Affairs

Over 60 students attended Eagle Entertainment’s Paint & Sip with Pinot’s Palette in the PUB NCR. Attendees shared that “It was fun! I had a great time and Audrey was super funny and she made that event all the more fun! Hopefully you guys (Pinot’s Palette) come back again!”

Sorority and Fraternity Life, in conjunction with Eagles for Recovery hosted a Sip Smarter: Alcohol and Drug Awareness training on Friday, Nov 15 with over 40 students in attendance.

73 new Sorority and Fraternity members attended Hazing Prevention 101. As a reminder, as part of our comprehensive hazing education and reduction programming, all new members are required to attend a Hazing Prevention in person training or complete online training.

Coordinated by the Veteran’s Resource Center, in honor of Veterans Day, EWU highlighted two of our student veterans with an article and interview in InsideEWU; this along with the Veterans Display in the JFK Library and the Hometown Heroes EWU Football Game and Hockey Game on Nov. 16 help honor those who served.

ASEWU’s efforts to increase student voter registration and turnout were highlighted in InsideEWU HERE. Over 500 students, staff, faculty, and Cheney community members visited ASEWU’s Student Voting Hub, held Nov. 5, a record number of attendants at the annual event. 

The JLR Multicultural Center has had over 1,000 students visit/check into our physical space which is on pace to break the number of visitors we had from last academic year by at least 50%. This data shows the importance of providing space and opportunities for building community for our historically underrepresented students.

Student engagement via EagleSync has grown by 5.3% over the past year, now reaching 28.8% of the student population (excluding College in the High School students).

• EagleSync engagement among underserved minority students is even higher, reaching 29.7% of this group.
• Students who actively use EagleSync are 7% more likely to be retained, highlighting EagleSync’s positive impact on student retention.
• Anecdotally, students are actively using EagleSync as a go-to source for finding events. Housing staff report hearing students mention that EagleSync is their preferred tool for discovering campus activities.
• Students have shared that when they hear about events but don’t see them listed in EagleSync, they are not sure they are legitimate university sponsored events.

Please consider sharing your events in EagleSync. For more information on how to do this, contact Michelle Schultz Mowrey at mmowrey1@ewu.edu.

Welcome to Sam Auble, our Prevention and Recovery Center Coordinator in Counseling & Wellness Services! Sam will be coordinating activities for the Eagles for Recovery Lounge located in Showalter 118. For Fall 2024, all Recovery Meetings are being offered on Tuesdays, from 1-2pm in the Lounge. Beginning in January 2025, Sam will be offering training on substance use issues, including opioid overdose prevention.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Interim Senior Diversity Officer Kim Davis

We are asking for support in reminding students to take required training, including DEI and Anti-Racism training, by December 13. We would appreciate class announcements, Canvas messages, or any other method you can think of to encourage students to participate. Students received an email from our training partner, Get Inclusive, with the link to the required training. The training is self-paced and takes approximately 40-60 minutes to complete. We need students to complete the training by December 13, 2024.

Included in the training module are the following important areas:

• Identities and Inclusion
• Consent and Sexual Violence
• Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Hazing and Intimidation

We are currently accepting applications for our FREE Inclusive Leadership program at EWU which runs January through May 2025. This program is open to faculty, staff and students, and applications are due by Tuesday, Dec. 31.

In this program faculty, staff, and students will:

• Develop the values and competencies of an effective and inclusive leader
• Gain tools to overcome traditional stereotypes and roadblocks to obtaining leadership roles
• Expand their networks and enhance their leadership skills by connecting with a variety of leaders who are trailblazers in their fields or organizations
• Build relationships with other high potential future inclusive leaders

For more information, and to apply, please visit our Inclusive Leadershipwebsite. 

Doing the Work Begins in November: We are launching additional advanced workshops as part of the development program, “Doing the Work.” If faculty, administrators, and staff do six units (six hours) of advanced DEI workshops, reading, and/or programming within the academic year, they receive a placard for “Doing the Work,” as well as a recognition ceremony. There will be a new placard every year with a unique design, and they will receive an electronic badge that they can add to their signature lines. 

Please see our Doing the Work website for additional information. Questions about this program can be directed to Kim Davis at kdavis2@ewu.edu

University Advancement – Vice President Barb Richey

We’re excited to bring Eastern Washington University’s spirit to life in our community in a festive and impactful way! We’re partnering with the Cheney Giving Tree, a local organization dedicated to supporting families in need right here in our backyard. Together, we can spread holiday cheer while sharing our Eagle pride.

We launched our 2026 Alumni Adventures trip suggestions! Help us determine where to go in 2026: https://www.ewu.edu/alumni/2026feedbackform/.

We are converting our donor database from Millennium to Salesforce and continuing to work through processes and automations related to the conversion. Quarterly fund balance reports are not available due to the gift import process not being fully functional – our consultants are currently working on the issue and hope to have it resolved shortly. Our goal is Jan 1, 2025 for this to be fully launched.

Our annual audit was completed for FY2024. Eide Bailly conducted the annual audit of the financial statements for the EWU Foundation in September. Final report presented to the Finance/Audit Committee at the October 31, 2024 meeting.  Clean audit with no findings or recommendations.

Welcome Pam Scott, our new Director of Communications and Media Relations! Pam starts Monday, Dec. 16 and brings a wealth of knowledge from higher ed and corporate communications. 

Athletics – Athletic Director Tim Collins

Our department is committed to service.  We serve our student-athletes.  We serve our campus.  And we serve our community.  Even as we head into a busy holiday season, our commitment remains steadfast. 

We recently announced two community partnerships that create opportunities for those who LOVE the Eags, to give back to our campus and our community. 

Eagle fans attending Eastern Washington men’s and women’s basketball games will have the opportunity to help support the student body and the university this holiday season. Eastern Athletics is partnering with the EWU Food Pantry to help provide donations for students, staff, and faculty on campus. There are eight games from November to December where fans can donate items to the Food Pantry. 

• At each Eastern game, there will be designated collection boxes at the main entrance and student entrance of Reese Court where fans can drop off food.
• On non-game days, an EWU Food Pantry donation bin will be located at the entrance of the Physical Education Building.
• Fans who donate an item to EWU Food Pantry will receive a future BOGO ticket voucher.

The pantry was founded in 2019 and gives members of the EWU community in need of food and other household supplies for themselves and their families. Just last month, the Food Pantry served 1600 students grab-and-go items, such as canned foods, produce, snacks, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene products.

Additionally, we recently announced a partnership with the EWU Veterans Resource Center and Spokane Toys for Tots and will help expand the charity’s capacity to receive donations. EWU will be collecting donations at five men’s and women’s basketball games this season. 

• At each Eastern game, there will be designated collection boxes at the main entrance and student entrance of Reese Court where fans can drop off toys.
• On non-game days, a Toys for Tots box will be located at the entrance of the Physical Education Building. Donations can also be taken to the campus EWU Veterans Resource Center in Showalter Hall.
• Fans who donate an item to Toys for Tots will also receive a future BOGO ticket voucher. The deadline for Toys for Tots donations is December 16th.

Eagle Athletics in the News:

• EWU Unveils Salish Helmet Decal Ahead of Montana St Game, The Spokesman Review
• WSU, EWU Teams Face Off in Friendly Battle to Sell Tom’s Turkey Drive Bags, Krem 2
• Path to the pros? EWU receivers past and present praise Efton Chism III for skill set, work ethic, toughness, The Spokesman Review

Go Eags!

Leadership at EWU