Dear Members of the Campus Community,

I am thrilled to share with you that Laura Behling, Ph.D. has accepted our invitation to serve as provost, and will join us on July 15.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

As a university community committed to social justice and inclusion, and founded by what is now The United Methodist Church, we are deeply concerned about the global church’s decision at its special 2019 General Conference to exclude the full participation of LGBTQ+ people in the life of the church. A strong statement denouncing this decision was made by the General Secretary earlier this week.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Over the previous academic year, Provost Kris Bartanen undertook with an exceptional level of care and professionalism the dual role of academic vice president and interim vice president for student affairs, helping to bring to fruition the new role of provost to better integrate Puget Sound’s curricular and co-curricular initiatives. I cannot thank her enough for the ways in which she is advancing our strategic planning process, supporting and inspiring our faculty, and championing the work we do on behalf of our students.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Early this morning a campus staff member discovered on a chalkboard in Wyatt Hall Room 311 hostile and inflammatory terminology targeted at African Americans and white people of lower socioeconomic status. The language has been removed and an investigation is underway by Security Services.

The use of such language is unacceptable and harms every member of this community. It creates a hostile space in the midst of an environment that should be safe, open, and accessible to all.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

The spring semester begins!

We have much ahead of us as a campus community in the coming months, including a visit by this spring’s distinguished Pierce lecturer Robert Gates, former U.S. secretary of defense; preparations for the Race and Pedagogy National Conference in the fall; a full slate of lectures, performances, exhibits, and athletic contests; and, of course, the significant work we are undertaking as a campus community to create and advance a forward-looking strategic plan for Puget Sound.

Dear Members of the Campus Community:

On November 13 and 14 University of Puget Sound will host the Washington Supreme Court in support of the Court’s and Puget Sound’s mutual interest in fostering civic engagement and interest in our state's legal system. We are honored to have the justices here and I hope you will be able to participate in one or more of the sessions that comprise the visit.

On Monday, November 13, members of the court will participate in classroom sessions and then engage in two panel discussions at Schneebeck Concert Hall:

Dear Members of the Faculty and Staff,

As I reported in February, our Board of Trustees approved a budget-neutral proposal to establish in-house legal counsel in recognition of our effort to most effectively and efficiently address the expanding complexities and breadth of legal matters we encounter in the current landscape of higher education. The person serving in this position will be an engaged partner and advisor as we navigate Puget Sound’s future, implement our strategic plan and embark on new initiatives, and proactively assess and manage risk and regulatory compliance.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

In my message to the campus community earlier this month, I reiterated the university’s commitment to support undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) students. I write today to elaborate upon that support.

Please be aware of the following actions:

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Moments ago, the White House announced a plan to rescind in six months the protections offered to some 800,000 people registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

This morning, I write to you to affirm in the strongest possible terms that the University of Puget Sound supports our DACA and undocumented students and will continue to do all we can—ethically, morally, and legally—to maintain that support.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Earlier today the U.S. Department of Education released revised guidelines relating to the procedures by which educational institutions investigate, adjudicate, and resolve allegations of sexual misconduct.