Dear Members of the Campus Community,

The board recently concluded its winter 2022 meetings. We were deeply grateful to be back on campus in person and to be able to see all of the important work being done by students, faculty, and staff. As a microcosm of the worldwide events that have shaped the last few years for all of us, we recognize that the campus community has been through a lot since the trustees were last on campus in February of 2020. Our work during this series of meetings focused on the impacts of these events on the campus community, as well as your work, which pressed forward despite these challenges.

Trustees were fortunate to be able to spend time with campus community members in a variety of ways:

  • ASUPS Wine Night, where trustees were able to visit with graduating seniors and members of the ASUPS Cabinet.
  • A Celebration of Creative Inquiry, where trustees listened to excellent talks by Professor Nancy Bristow (History), Professor Peter Hodum (Biology and Environmental Policy and Decision Making), and Associate Professor Renee Simms (African American Studies), and explored an impressive display of recent faculty research, scholarship, and creative work.
  • Dinner with members of the Alumni Council Executive Committee, where trustees were able to meet with alumni leaders and hear about their good work on behalf of the institution.
  • Breakfast with faculty and staff senate leaders, and lunch with graduate and undergraduate students.

At its business meeting, the full board met and took action on several key items, including:

  • ASUPS Constitution and Bylaws. The Board approved proposed amendments to the ASUPS Constitution that were previously approved by the ASUPS Senate and by the student body during its Spring General Election, and also approved proposed amendments to the ASUPS Bylaws, that were previously approved by the ASUPS Senate.
  • Policy for the Reconsideration or Removal of Names from University Buildings or Spaces. The Board approved the proposed Policy for the Reconsideration or Removal of Names from University Buildings or Spaces, effective February 25, 2022. We want to acknowledge and recognize the thoughtful work of the Committee to Recommend Principles to Guide the Renaming of Buildings and Spaces, whose articulation and recommendation of institutional principles to guide requests for the reconsideration or removal of names formed the basis for this policy.
  • Budget for 2022-23. The Board approved the president’s budget recommendation for 2022-23. We are grateful to the work of the Budget Task Force in developing and recommending the key budget assumptions for 2022-23.

At its open session business meeting, the board heard an important and informative presentation about the current mental health challenges for students on college and university campuses from Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Sarah Comstock, Director of Counseling, Health & Wellness Services Dr. Kelly Brown, and Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodations Peggy Perno.  We also heard from ex-officio members: Faculty Senate Chair Robin Jacobson, Staff Senate Chair Sarah Johnson, Alumni Council President Ted Meriam ’05, and ASUPS President Kayden Diodati ’23.

As part of his report, Kayden introduced trustees to Nathan Sansone ’24, President-Elect, and Hannah Lillard ’23, Vice President-Elect, who will serve as the ASUPS leadership for 2022-23.  We appreciated being able to thank Kayden in person for his thoughtful and productive engagement with the board over the past year and we look forward to working with Nate and Hannah as well.

In closed session, we were pleased to support promotion and/or tenure of the following outstanding faculty members:

  • Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor: Mengjun Li (Asian Studies), Melvin Rouse, Jr. (Psychology)
  • Promotion to Professor: Gerard Morris (Music)

In addition to the work done in policy committees and our business meeting, trustees continued their work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism by participating in a workshop led by Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity Lorna Hernandez Jarvis focused on the board’s intercultural development, and how the board as a group will continue to grow and develop its intercultural competence.

More information about the trustees and our work in support of Puget Sound can be found on our website.

Thank you for your hospitality in welcoming us back to campus, and for your continued dedication to keeping the work of the university moving forward during turbulent times.

Sincerely,

Robert C. Pohlad P’07 | Chair of the Board of Trustees