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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.

UW alum bequeaths $56.1 million to School of Law

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Earlier today, the UW School of Law was part of an extraordinary announcement about a gift that will benefit not only the University of Washington, but our entire region. As the University’s closest friends, we wanted you to be the first to hear that the late Jack Rupert MacDonald ’37, ’40 – a humble yet remarkable Husky who died in September after a life of public service on behalf of our nation’s veterans – bequeathed nearly $187 million to the three causes he cared about most: the UW School of Law, Seattle Children’s and the Salvation Army. The $56.1 million he designated to the School of Law, the largest gift in the school’s history and the UW’s largest bequest ever, will create, among other things, an endowed chair and support scholarships for law students and the programs that empower them to make positive change in the world.

In this week of Thanksgiving, the announcement of Mr. MacDonald’s transformative generosity is particularly poignant and meaningful. Yet, it’s his personal story that is truly remarkable. A 1940 graduate of the School of Law, Jack served in the South Pacific during World War II. He then worked for 30 years as an attorney for the Veterans Administration in Seattle, dedicating a career in public service to improving the lives of our veterans. Despite a large family inheritance, Jack was known for frugality: he clipped coupons and rode the bus. In his spare time, he focused on investing so his family trust could provide the biggest possible benefit to the charities that mattered most to him. Jack, who died at age 98, supported the School of Law for decades as a donor and volunteer, but he kept the size of his fortune and his generous intentions a secret to almost everyone. “The UW was good to me,” he once said. “I felt I owed them something as long as I was able.”

We are grateful to Jack for sharing the values of our university and our community, and for expressing them through such an extraordinary legacy at the School of Law. And we are extremely grateful to you, the University’s family, for your enduring support. You help make the UW a place where people choose to invest in the future.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Fondly,

Michael K. Young
President, University of Washington

Kellye Y. Testy
Dean and James W. Mifflin University Professor of Law, UW School of Law

Connie Kravas
Vice President, University Advancement
President, UW Foundation

President Young’s statement on the death of Don James

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Don James was a larger-than-life figure for generations of Husky fans and all of us at the university are saddened by his death. Our hearts go out to his wife Carol and his family as we mourn his passing. He was a special kind of leader who generated immense loyalty and affection among his players and colleagues in the coaching community. He was a mentor and teacher par excellence, a great ambassador for the University of Washington and a man of the highest integrity. This university will miss him. He left an indelible impact on everything Husky.

President Young: the UW’s future “looks very, very bright”

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Dear members of the University of Washington community:

Last June, right after our spectacular commencement ceremony on a scintillating day at CenturyLink Field, I boarded a bus with 35 new first- and second- year UW faculty from all three of our campuses and representing a wide array of disciplines for a week-long bus tour of the State of Washington. Known as the Faculty Field Tour, this trek acquainted faculty who are new to the UW with their newly adopted home state to orient them to its history, economy, geography and cultures and to give them a sense of where many of their students come from. It was my first time participating in such a trip, for which I got a very fancy baseball hat emblazoned with the words: “Faculty Field Tour.” Both the hat and the tour were exceptionally useful. I learned a great deal about the state I had not known before, but more importantly, I got a chance to spend time with our new faculty. And I can report to you that from this relatively small sampling, the future of the University looks very, very bright. They were a remarkable group of teachers and scholars, and I am proud that our students will be learning with them in the years to come.

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