3/2/2026

Dear Members of the Campus Community:

I am following up on my previous messages to campus on December 10, 2025, and January 27, 2026, to provide an update on where we stand in the process of identifying an Interim Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity. As I shared previously, in light of my upcoming retirement effective July 1, 2027, I have suspended the search for our next Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity in order to allow Puget Sound’s 15th president the opportunity to guide this Cabinet-level search, and will instead appoint an Interim Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity who will serve a term of up to two years.

I am pleased to announce that we will welcome our first candidate for this role to campus on March 10. The candidate will meet with various campus constituents, including direct reports; select faculty, staff, and students; the President’s Cabinet; and with me. In addition, they will engage in an open forum for members of the campus community at 11:30 a.m. in the Tahoma Room in Thomas Hall, where the candidate will deliver a presentation and participate in a Q&A. We will provide an opportunity to provide feedback about each candidate via an online survey, which I will take into consideration in appointing a candidate to this role.

Campus Open Forum – Candidate 1
Tuesday, March 10
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tahoma Room, Thomas Hall

We will provide materials for the candidate 24-48 hours before their visit that you will be able to access using Puget Sound password-protected links. Please note that protecting the privacy of our candidates is a critical part of maintaining the integrity of this process and honoring where each candidate is in their professional journey. To protect the privacy of our candidates, please remember to hold the candidates’ names and materials in confidence. Additionally, please do not share or distribute any candidate materials.

I will continue to provide updates as this process progresses, and hope you will join me in providing a warm Puget Sound welcome to every candidate who visits our campus.

Sincerely,

Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President