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President Young meets with UW Tacoma students

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UW Tacoma students meet with UW President Michael Young. From left: Monika Delfierro, Sam Ross, UW President Michael Young, Shaquita Pressley, Alexa Brockamp.
UW Tacoma students meet with UW President Michael Young. From left: Monika Delfierro, Sam Ross, UW President Michael Young, Shaquita Pressley, Alexa Brockamp.

University of Washington President Michael Young participated in a roundtable discussion with UW Tacoma students last week.

Participants included UW Student Regent Kiana Scott, who served as moderator, and students representing a cross-section of the UW Tacoma student population: transfer, first-generation, non-traditional, undergraduate, graduate and many different degree programs.

The lively dialogue focused on two main ideas: the relationship between the three UW campuses and what about UW Tacoma makes the students proud. UW Tacoma students are proud of many things:

  • Student involvement works at UW Tacoma. Students see clear paths to getting involved in student leadership and in activities and groups that interest them.
  • Access to faculty is excellent and appreciated.
  • Opportunity for community engagement is valued and impressive.
  • Diversity of all types — race, age, economic background – is prioritized and enriching.
  • The focus on undergraduate education is strong and supported by access to academic resources important to first-generation students, such as the Teaching and Learning Center and Career Services.

One student summarized the pride of UW Tacoma in noting: “We are very proud of this campus and what makes us special.”

President Young with UWT Students
UW Tacoma students meet with UW President Michael Young. From left: Joyce Moore, Niko Akhiong, Timothy Sears, Punivalu Alafaio (in back), Monika Delfierro, Peter Pentescu, UW President Michael Young, Paula Fiddi, Alexa Brockamp, Elizabeth Jones, UW Student Regent Kiana Scott, Sam Ross, Shaquita Pressley, Savontai Collins, Guillermo Sandoval.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Dear Campus Colleagues,

Fifty years ago, in 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his courageous and inspiring efforts in leading the civil rights movement.

The Nobel committee honored Dr. King for his commitment to nonviolence in the pursuit of equality, inclusivity, and opportunity in the United States. In particular, they noted his leadership, from the Montgomery bus boycotts in 1955 through the U.S. Congress’s landmark Civil Rights Act in 1964.

But Dr. King and the thousands who marched ahead of and along with him, and the millions who shared his vision, well knew that we still had many miles to go. Violence, discrimination, inequality, and injustice in thousands of ways remained commonplace. Today, thankfully, much has changed for the better, but in 2014 there remains still a great deal of work to do.

As a public university, we have a central role in ensuring equality, inclusivity, and opportunity. Our leadership is paramount. A pillar of the University of Washington’s pathway forward is and must always be providing access and opportunity for all who are qualified, regardless of background or circumstance. To this I am wholly and resolutely committed.  But this is not simply my commitment; this must be our collective commitment.

Dr. King’s words from his Nobel acceptance speech inspire us today:

[I]n the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally. Every time I take a flight, I am always mindful of the many people who make a successful journey possible—the known pilots and the unknown ground crew. So you honor the dedicated pilots of our struggle who have sat at the controls as the freedom movement soared into orbit. You honor, once again, Chief Lutuli of South Africa, whose struggles with and for his people, are still met with the most brutal expression of man’s inhumanity to man. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jet flights to freedom could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never make the headline and their names will not appear in Who’s Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live—men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization—because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness’ sake.

As we honor Dr. King on the national holiday in his name on Monday, let us together commit anew to doing our part in creating a finer land, a better people, and a more noble civilization. This is our responsibility as members of one of the world’s great higher education communities.

Sincerely,

Michael K. Young

University Faculty Lecture, Feb. 6: Achieving Health for All in the 21st Century

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The Office of the President and the Office of the Provost invite UW faculty, students, staff and friends to attend the 38th Annual University Faculty Lecture:

Achieving Health for All in the 21st Century:
Globalization, growing inequality and creative responses

By Dr. Stephen S. Gloyd

Thursday, February 6, 2014
7 p.m. Kane Hall, Room 130

The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the Walker-Ames Room in Kane Hall.

About this lecture

Remarkable advances in global health have been achieved over the past three decades. Nevertheless, enormous gaps in health persist worldwide. Dr. Gloyd will provide evidence and share personal stories that illustrate both the positive impact of the advances—and the pervasive forces that continue to produce growing inequality between rich and poor. He will show that achieving health for all requires addressing rights, delivering justice and ensuring equity.

Dr. Stephen S. Gloyd

Professor, Departments of Global Health and Health Services

Founder and Senior Advisor, Health Alliance International

Stephen Gloyd

Stephen Gloyd, M.D., M.P.H., is a family practice physician who has been a UW faculty member since 1986. He has worked for more than 30 years in Africa, Latin America and Asia as a clinician, manager, researcher, teacher and policy advocate. Dr. Gloyd teaches
about the history, political economy and management of global health from a social justice perspective.

Dr. Gloyd is Associate Chair for Education and Curriculum in the UW’s Department of Global Health, where he directs the M.P.H. and Ph.D. programs. In 1987, he founded Health Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that has worked for decades in solidarity with the ministries of health of Mozambique, Cote d’Ivoire, Timor-Leste and Sudan to strengthen primary health care and to improve approaches to global health assistance.

Dr. Gloyd received his B.A. and M.P.H. from Harvard University and his M.D. from the University of Chicago. He completed his family medicine residency at the UW. His many awards include the American Public Health Association’s International Health mid-career
award, the UW Distinguished Teaching Award and the Edward K. Barsky Award for global health activism.

About the University Faculty Lecture

In conjunction with the Office of the Provost, members of the UW faculty choose one of their peers to deliver the University Faculty Lecture. This award honors faculty whose research, scholarship or art has been widely recognized by their peers and whose achievements have had a substantial impact on their profession and perhaps on society as a whole. Dr. Stephen Gloyd joins a distinguished roster of Nobel laureates, historians, artists, scientists and authors who have presented this series each year since 1976.

To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at least 10 days in advance at 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (FAX) or dso@uw.edu.

Statement from UW President Michael K. Young on the proposed boycott of Israeli universities

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As provost and president of the University of Washington, Ana Mari Cauce and I fully endorse the statement from the Association of American UnIversities (AAU), the 62 leading public and private universities in North America and of which the University of Washington is a member, opposing a proposed boycott by American higher education institutions of universities and their faculties in Israel. We believe such a boycott of academic institutions and their faculties has no place in higher education institutions founded on the premise of the free exchange of ideas. The AAU statement, issued by its executive committee Dec. 20, 2013, affirms that:

Any such boycott of academic institutions directly violates academic freedom, which is a fundamental principle of AAU universities and of American higher education in general. Academic freedom is the freedom of university faculty responsibly to produce and disseminate knowledge through research, teaching, and service, without undue constraint. It is a principle that should not be abridged by political considerations. American colleges and universities, as well as like institutions elsewhere, must stand as the first line of defense against attacks on academic freedom.

We are proud to align with the position enunciated by the AAU to oppose in any way any
constriction of the free flow and exchange of ideas among the world’s scholars, teachers,
scientists and intellectuals.

Ending the problem of sexual assault

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Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I am writing to address a matter of great and grave importance.

One of my hopes, as 2014 begins, is that this will be the year we collectively resolve to lead the way to ending the chronic and abhorrent problem of sexual assault on college campuses. While we can be grateful that the UW has historically been a very safe campus, we also know that any sexual assault does grievous harm to the victim and serious collateral damage to the rest of the community. I am convinced that the University of Washington can be a model for changing a nationwide culture that is perceived by some as tolerating this kind of interpersonal violence. And we should act now, without waiting for a specific incident to be the catalyst.

Some significant part of the responsibility to end sexual assault rests with the institution itself, and we are determined to succeed. We must have policies and resources in place that will help prevent sexual assault and ensure that we properly respond to all incidents. Last spring I commissioned a group of University academic personnel, staff, and students to come together as a Task Force on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response to review our current policies and practices, explore best practices from other institutions, develop any needed new practices, and propose an implementation plan. In October, the Task Force submitted a very thorough report with 18 prioritized recommendations. Provost Ana Mari Cauce and I have approved funding for the first set of steps, and there will be more information and increased visibility for these efforts in the coming months.

But University policies and procedures alone cannot stop sexual assault in our community. Each of us—each faculty member, staff member, and student—has a powerful role to play and a duty to act. If any of us—any of us—see a friend engaging in unsafe behavior, we must intervene. If a colleague shows an unwillingness to respect “no” when this message is delivered, we must speak up. And when any of us hear of an incident, we must support the victim and encourage him or her to make a report to authorities. These actions make an enormous difference.

Thank you for the many ways in which every one of us contributes to the health and wellbeing of the University of Washington community. Together, we must support one another. I formally request that each one of us reviews and then enacts the recommendations as part of our commitment to care for our community. Let us now join together to tackle the problem of sexual assault and show national leadership.

Sincerely,
Michael K. Young

Introducing the Whole U

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Dear Faculty and Staff:

There is no time like the New Year to reflect on our lives, make new goals and commit ourselves to personal growth. The University of Washington appreciates the importance of life-work balance, and I am excited to announce the launch of a new initiative for our
faculty and staff to support each of you toward that end.

The Whole U brings together campus resources and programs to help you make the most of all our community offers. From staying healthy and being active to volunteerism and engaging personal interests. The Whole U video provides an overview of this exciting new program.

I invite you to visit The Whole U website and watch your inbox for Whole U emails to find out about programming and events that encourage healthy lifestyles, personal growth, and engagement utilizing the many great resources found within the UW community.

Every day, faculty and staff contribute to our shared goals and mission. It is my hope the Whole U will connect each of you to the UW resources and experts that can enrich your lives and help you achieve your personal goals.

Best wishes to you and yours for a healthy, happy New Year,

Michael K. Young

Video: Huskies reflect on 2013

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Dear Members of the University of Washington Community:

Each and every year, Huskies in Seattle and around the globe make an impact—whether it is through research, volunteering, education, creative expression or countless other ways.

To reflect on 2013, we asked you—the University of Washington community—to share what made the year memorable, and it is clearer than ever from your responses that the people who are part of the UW are dedicated to making a difference.

I invite you to take a look back at the past year through the eyes of your fellow Huskies in our 2013 year-end video. I hope it will make you as grateful as I am to be part of such an amazing community.

Here’s to another great year ahead.

Warm regards,

Michael K. Young
President

President Young’s statement about Coach Sarkisian’s departure

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President Michael K. Young released this statement after USC announced it had hired Husky Coach Steve Sarkisian as its head football coach:

Steve Sarkisian has done a wonderful job in bringing our football program back to respectability and mentoring the young men in the program as they pursue their educations here at the UW. We thank him for his efforts. He has worked hard and with dedication to the program. There is more work to do, and it will be up to the next Husky football coach to do it. It is a fact of life in modern intercollegiate athletics that the competition for coaching talent is fierce, and this results in perhaps more movement in coaching positions than one might wish. This shoe dropping means we are now in the market and that will lead to other shoes dropping. It is the nature of the enterprise. We wish Steve well at USC and every success, except for one day a year.