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Presidential Blog

Category: Presidential messages

Welcome to another exciting year at the University of Washington

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Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Welcome to those of you who are here for the first time this fall, and welcome back to all who are returning for the start or continuation of the academic year. It is a very exciting time for all of us as we commence another episode of our extraordinary journey through higher education. It is in many ways the most intense learning experience of our lives, and I know we will all take full advantage and use it to explore new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of thinking. We also have an added measure of excitement as we celebrate the University’s 150th anniversary with a number of events held throughout the year. Please join us in marking this important milestone as we both celebrate the accomplishments of the past 150 years and look ahead to what the next 150 years will bring.

It is a new time for me, as well, having just arrived this summer and feeling in some ways like a freshman. There is still much for me to learn about the University, and I have spent the summer doing just that—meeting people, visiting programs, touring facilities and learning as much as I could about the University of Washington. I feel as if I have only scratched the surface, and I intend to explore it in more depth in the coming weeks and months. But what I have learned thus far is that as good as I believed the University was from its national reputation and from what I saw during the presidential search process, up close it is even more remarkable and great than I imagined. The faculty and students I have met are brilliant and impressive, the staff as accomplished and talented as I have seen at a university. My early impressions were further enhanced just this week with the announcement that Shwetak Patel, assistant professor of Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering, was chosen as a 2011 MacArthur Fellow in recognition of his cutting-edge work inventing low-cost, easy-to-deploy sensor systems to enable users to track household energy consumption and to make buildings more responsive to our needs. This prestigious honor is outstanding and well-deserved recognition of both the exceptional creativity Professor Patel has already displayed and the exciting promise of his achievements to come. I am sure the University community joins me in extending our heartiest congratulations to our latest “genius” faculty.

From everything I have seen so far, the UW’s reputation as one of the world’s great universities is extremely well-deserved. Indeed, Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s global rankings of the best universities in the world just ranked us as the 16th best university on the planet. Among our programs, medicine and pharmacy ranked No. 3, life sciences No. 5, mathematics No. 17, and computer science No. 20 in the entire world. One of my foremost goals as your president is to ensure that we continue to build on that extraordinary base.

This message is the first of what I intend to be periodic email communications in which I keep you informed about how we are doing and about pressing issues relating to higher education in our state and the nation. This first may be a little longer than others, so please ascribe it to my eagerness to tell you about some of things on my mind. I also will be communicating with you in other ways, such as the Annual Address to the University community, which this year will be on October 12. You will be receiving an email later this week with further details about the address.

Two characteristics I have observed about the University are its remarkable spirit of innovation and its penchant for approaching complex problems and inquiries in a multi-disciplinary and collaborative way—whether drawing on our rich faculty resources within the University or with our partners in industry and other nonprofit research organizations. From looking for solutions to environmental challenges to seeking new treatments in medicine, the cross-disciplinary collaborations I have learned about are exciting and impressive. Increasingly, more of the big problems facing us in the 21st century require this type of broad-spectrum approach to finding solutions, and we are exceptionally well-suited to take them on.

Moreover, increasingly, the discoveries from our laboratories are finding their way into the marketplace and improving our lives. We do a stunning amount of such research. Last year alone we secured $1.5 billion of extramural research support, building on our long track record as America’s top public university in attracting federal research funding. It is our opportunity and responsibility as a public research university to bring these findings to bear on various aspects of our lives, whether through new products and processes or new medicines and procedures. We are beginning to do this exceptionally well through our Center for Commercialization (C4C), which is taking a smart and innovative approach to moving our discoveries to the marketplace as well as giving students the opportunity to gain experience and learn how to make it happen. We hope to expand this activity considerably in the future and bring even more advances from our labs into our lives, as well as expand teaching and training opportunities for our great students. It is something public research universities must do, and we can be among the very best in this regard. It can lead to better trained students, new industries, new jobs and a better life for everyone.

However, we are all also cognizant, I am certain, of the economic shadows that have marked the past several years and their dire effects upon our University’s funding. Recent revenue projections from Olympia reveal that the worst is not yet over, and we will continue to face enormous economic challenges in the future. We have managed to weather the storm, watching our support from the state diminish while students have had to bear significant increases in tuition. As a short-term strategy, so far that has worked, but it is not a model that is sustainable for the long term. In my discussions this summer with legislators, the Governor and business leaders, I have discerned increasing support for higher education and understanding of the predicament in which we find ourselves and an eagerness to try to find a solution. I believe there is a growing sense that higher education is an investment in the future and that we must find a way to preserve our universities, to ensure stable, predictable revenue streams and to make higher education accessible to all qualified students. I have been heartened by these conversations and look forward to working with the business community and our elected leaders to find ways that enable the University to pursue its ambitions and remain an engine of prosperity for our state and our students.

And terrific students they are! The preliminary data regarding our entering freshman and graduate classes are extraordinary. When the final results are in, I will share more details with all of you, but even now it is clear that this is our most accomplished and perhaps most diverse class ever.

I have also been heartened by the enormous amount of support for the University that exists in our community and among our alumni. I have met already with numerous alumni and friends in Seattle and throughout the state, as well as in California and on the East Coast and elsewhere. I anticipated warmth, but I have been surprised in my first months by the exceptional depth of feeling and commitment on the part of all our supporters. That commitment was manifest in the results of this year’s fundraising efforts. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, at a time of considerable economic stress, our donors set a record in their giving to the University—$335 million. With that kind of support, the extraordinary efforts of our faculty and staff and the ever-increasing number of people who are eager to speak out on behalf of our University, I know we can transcend the current economic times and remain one of the world’s great universities. Indeed, as a close friend of mine always reminds me, despite our challenges, the best is yet to come.

Forgive me for going on so long in this message. I promise future ones will be briefer. I look forward to getting to know more and more of you and to serving as your president for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Michael K. Young's signature
Michael K. Young

Doug Wadden selected as Interim Provost

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Dear Members of the University of Washington Community:

I am very pleased to announce that Executive Vice Provost Doug Wadden has agreed to serve as Interim Provost while we conduct our search for a replacement for Provost Phyllis Wise. This appointment will be effective October 1.

Doug is highly qualified to assume this position, with leadership experience across a wide range of responsibilities that involve tuition, enrollment, budget implementation, academic and institutional planning, and campus-wide accreditation. He was appointed Executive Vice Provost in April 2008 and has been responsible for coordinating efforts, both internal and external, regarding higher education and inter-institutional policies. Currently, he is a member of the ABB Steering Committee and is leading the Provost’s assessment of the Office of Global Affairs.

In addition to serving as Chair of the Faculty Senate for 2003–2004, he has chaired numerous campus committees and panels (Council on Academic Standards; Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting; Tri-Campus Taskforce; Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Tuition, Access, Financial Aid, Enrollment and Admissions) and has been a member of the Advisory Council on Intercollegiate Athletics; the Faculty Council on Tri-Campus Policy and the Committee on the Organization of Colleges and Schools. Most recently, Doug chaired the Provost’s Search Advisory Committee on the Chancellorship of UW Tacoma.

A member of the faculty since 1970, Doug holds the Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed University Professorship and is a former program chair in the School of Art. He is an internationally recognized design consultant with extensive background in museum, institutional and corporate communications. He completed his graduate studies at Yale University, and in 1998, he was elected a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale in Zurich, Switzerland.

I am very grateful to Doug for assuming this important role at this critical time. I look forward to working with him and an exceptionally strong group of vice provosts, vice presidents and deans over the coming months to ensure that we can continue to move this great university forward.

Please join me in welcoming Doug into this new position.

Sincerely,

Michael K Young
Michael K. Young

Update on plans for provost search

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Dear Members of the University of Washington Community:

After extensive consultation with faculty, staff and administrators, as well as much deliberation, I have concluded — frankly, a bit contrary to my initial inclinations — that the best course for the University at this time is to conduct an internally focused search for a new Provost for the University of Washington.

We need a strong President–Provost leadership team in place now, not a year or two from now. The challenges we face — from the economy to access and diversity to capital improvements — require stable and innovative leadership sooner rather than later. Fortunately, we have that talent here already; many of our remarkable faculty have the knowledge and creativity needed to sustain and strengthen the University’s mission in research, teaching and public service. Indeed, conversations with higher education leaders around the country confirm the obvious: We are the institution to which everyone comes to find great academic leaders. And while I am new to the UW, I recognize the extraordinary creativity and leadership capacity that is already here and, as a new member of the community, I am eager to benefit from it.

With an accelerated internal search, I hope to name a new Provost by late autumn or early winter. This is a fast pace, I know, but I strongly believe we need to move ahead quickly. These are very challenging times in higher education, with equally great opportunities.

To that end, I have appointed Jerry Baldasty, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School and professor of Communication, as chair of the search committee I am now establishing. The committee draws widely from our University community and includes:

  • Vice Provost and Dean Jerry Baldasty, Graduate School, Chair
  • Professor E. Virginia Armbrust, Director, Oceanography, College of the Environment
  • Professor Susan J. Astley, Chair, Faculty Senate
  • Professor Roland E. “Pete” Dukes, Faculty Athletic Representative
  • Professor James W. Harrington, Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, UW Tacoma (effective Sept. 1, 2011)
  • Professor Dan Jaffe, Science and Technology Program, UW Bothell
  • Mr. Paul E. Jenny, Vice Provost, Planning and Budgeting
  • Professor Resat Kasaba, Jackson School of International Studies
  • Ms. Ruth Mahan, Chief Business Officer, UW Medicine
  • Mr. Conor McLean, ASUW President
  • Professor Charles E. Murry, Pathology & Bioengineering
  • Mr. Aaron Naumann, GPSS President
  • Professor Daniel T. Schwartz, Chair, Chemical Engineering
  • Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
  • Dean Lizabeth “Betsy” A. Wilson, University Libraries
  • Professor Kathleen Woodward, Director, Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities

The committee will spend the next few weeks getting organized, but its key work will begin only after everyone is back on campus in late September. We want to be certain that the entire UW community has an opportunity to be involved in this search. In particular, I have asked the committee to consult widely and deeply with the University community, both to identify potential candidates and to ensure that we have as comprehensive a discussion as possible regarding the nature of the Provost’s responsibilities and the characteristics we want in a Provost. I hope you all will take time during the coming months to participate in this process and provide us with the benefit of your advice and counsel to guarantee that we find the right person for this critically important position.

There will be a formal call for nominations, with a posting of the job description on September 19, and running for four weeks, until October 17. During the first month of fall quarter, search committee members will hold a series of meetings to solicit nominations as well as to seek the advice described above. Dean Baldasty will provide more detailed information about the search process in mid September.

Finally, for your information, an announcement regarding an Interim Provost will be forthcoming within a few days.

With best regards.

Sincerely,
Michael K Young

Michael K Young

Tuition-setting authority for Washington’s public colleges and universities

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Dear Members of the UW Community:

Today, the State Senate added its approval to yesterday’s passage in the House of Representatives of E2SHB 1795, granting Washington’s public colleges and universities the authority to establish their own tuition rates for all students the next several years. This is a landmark piece of bi-partisan legislation. The bill is on its way to the Governor’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.

The impetus for this important legislation, of course, was the state’s current economic climate and the withdrawal of state tax dollars from our budget. With the tireless help of many internal and external supporters, the Legislature recognized the need for our universities and colleges to be able to manage our way through tough times in order to meet the needs of our students, the citizens, and our state. We appreciate this expression of confidence by the Legislature to entrust to our Board of Regents the authority to establish tuition rates for all of our students.

This is a responsibility I can assure you we will not take lightly. We understand the financial pressures increasing tuition places upon students and their families. We also recognize the necessity to provide increased financial aid for low and middle income families who cannot afford to pay as much tuition. At the same time, we must enable our faculty to offer the kind of learning experience all UW students expect and deserve. It will take careful planning, consultation, and a fine balancing of interests, but I am confident we will produce a reasonable and fair plan to keep this University strong.

This Friday, May 13, I will be holding the second in a series of community conversations to help keep everyone up to date on the latest developments affecting our University. I will begin with an update on this legislation, followed by plenty of time for Q&A. The details for Friday’s meeting and for a third meeting next week are below.

I want to express the University’s thanks to the Legislature, especially those individual legislators who led the passage of this important piece of legislation. Our financial troubles are not behind us by any means. A lot of work remains to be done. But today, we gained a critical tool to be able to plan, manage, and navigate our way through these difficult times as we work toward an improved economy and brighter days.

Sincerely,

Image of Phyllis Wise's signature

Phyllis M. Wise
Interim President

Budget update from the president

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Dear Members of the UW Community:

This message is longer than usual and is filled with information about our ongoing budget discussions with legislators; with faculty, students and staff; and with external stakeholders. We clearly face enormous challenges. The most immediate impact will be felt by the time we decide on the UW FY12 budget, and the longer-term impact will be felt for many years. But our students continue to produce wonderful news; their accomplishments remind us why we come to work every day. If you want to read the good news about our students first, you can skip to that section by clicking here, and then come back to read about our budget challenges. The bottom line is we remain committed to figuring out how to provide access to a world-class education to students who want to come to the UW.

Last Tuesday (April 12), the Washington State Senate released its operating budget proposal for the 2011–13 biennium. So we now have proposals from the Governor, the House and the Senate. They had the unenviable task of writing balanced budgets as state revenues have continued to decline. Recognizing that deep cuts were in store, the Governor and legislators tried to mitigate the effects of reduced state appropriations with significant increases in tuition, as they did for the current biennium. The result is that while our state funding has decreased dramatically, our students and their families are paying much more.

We have seen a dramatic shift in recent years in who pays for higher education in our state. Twenty years ago, the state paid 80 percent of the cost of educating a student. Today, that percentage is less than 45 percent and heading downward. We recognize the impact this has on students and are very concerned about it. However, we also recognize that this shift is necessary if the University is to maintain access to and excellence in our programs. Through the unified efforts of many in the higher education community who have worked tirelessly to advocate in Olympia this session, the Governor and legislators understand that a combination of state support and tuition must cover the total cost of education: As state support erodes, tuition will increase to make up for the gap. The UW Office of Planning & Budgeting has prepared two briefs that provide a thorough analysis of the budget proposals from the House and the Senate, which you can read here (House) and here (Senate).

People across our UW community have invested enormous time, thought and energy into planning for the difficult budget decisions expected to be made. Provost Lidstrom has conducted an inclusive, strategic budget review process in which she has met with senior leadership as well as faculty and student leaders from our schools and colleges to discuss how to preserve and strengthen the quality of our academic mission in an environment of rapidly declining state funding. You can read her message about that process here. It has been a good process, and it will enable us to make smart decisions going forward, helping to ensure that we not only stay true to our mission in the short term, but that the University is well positioned to thrive in the 21st century.

Even with all of the strategic planning that has been done, however, it cannot eliminate the impacts of cuts in all of the budget proposals. Indeed, as many of you have already read and seen in the local media, in planning for next year’s freshman class, we made the painful decision to decrease our enrollment target for Washington residents by 150 students and replace them with nonresidents. This means that if we hit our targets, our freshman class will be 68 percent resident, compared with 73 percent last year. We also will continue to admit 30 percent of our undergraduates as community college transfers, so our overall undergraduate resident population will still exceed 80 percent. Contrary to some reports in the media, the nonresident students admitted are just as qualified as the resident students they are replacing. We felt forced to do this because with the historic loss of state funding, we needed to increase our revenue yield from nonresident students to help maintain excellence for all of our students.

There’s still much discussion and negotiation ahead in the state budget process. In the coming weeks, legislators from both chambers will be working to reach agreement on a budget, which will then be sent to the Governor for final approval. During this time, the UW will continue to have an active presence in Olympia as we work with our state leaders and our colleagues in higher education to find creative, sustainable solutions to our economic challenges. We hope in particular that before the session adjourns, the Legislature will enact a different model for funding the University.

To help keep everyone up to date on developments regarding our budget, I will be holding a series of community conversations at different venues across the Seattle campus. The format will be similar to the town hall meeting I held in March, but on a smaller, more informal scale. I will give a brief presentation on the latest information followed by Q&A. The details for three conversations are listed below. I invite you to attend as many as you would like, since the fluid times means that my updates will be different each week, and certainly the questions will be different. They will be recorded for later viewing on the Web if you cannot attend.

• Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Orin’s Place Café, Paccar Hall, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, May 13, 2011
Foege Auditorium, William H. Foege Genome Sciences Building, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Microsoft Atrium, Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.


On a brighter note, in the midst of these turbulent economic times, it has been wonderful and heartening to see our students continue to achieve at very high levels. Four of our undergraduates — Mark Bun, Ben Dulken, Jane Hung and Cameron Turtle — recently earned Goldwater Scholarships, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for students aspiring to be scientists, mathematicians and engineers. Among some of our other national awardees, Andrew Lewis was selected as a 2011 Truman Scholar based on his outstanding leadership potential and commitment to public service; Anshika Kumar was chosen for a Morris K. Udall Scholarship, which will help her pursue further education and research opportunities in environmental economics; and Byron Gray is one of only 20 students nationwide to receive a Beinecke Scholarship for graduate study in the arts, humanities and social sciences. A team of UW Computer Science & Engineering students recently took first place in the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. And I had the distinct pleasure of presenting the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Medals to Jennifer Kang, Gracie Ingermanson and Krysta Yousoufian, respectively.

I am so proud to see these and other UW students recognized for their talent and hard work. Likewise, I’m very proud of — but not surprised by — how deeply committed our University community continues to be to maintaining the excellence of the UW academic experience. Although the stress and strain of our ongoing funding challenges have been felt throughout our UW community, settling for mediocrity clearly is not an acceptable alternative to preserving quality for our faculty, staff and students who continue to show remarkable spirit, dedication and creativity. I know that these are difficult times for everyone, and I am greatly appreciative of all that you are doing in the face of our budget woes.

I will continue to keep you informed as the budget process moves along, and I hope you will be able join me at one or more of the community conversations.

Sincerely,

Image of Phyllis Wise's signature

Phyllis M. Wise
Interim President

Meeting the challenges of 2011

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Dear Members of the UW Community:

As the fall quarter draws to a close and a new year approaches, I want to thank all of you for your continuing commitment to the excellence of our University. We all know about the serious impacts the economic downturn has had on our state and our UW community, and the certainty of further budget reductions ahead makes our financial challenges even more daunting. Yet the work being done by people across our campuses is not only enabling us to weather these turbulent times — it’s helping us to strengthen our foundation for the future. In her recent message to the UW community, Interim Provost Mary Lidstrom provided an update on the progress of two initiatives designed to help us meet the needs of the present while preparing for the long term. I want to take this opportunity to let you know my thoughts as we move forward.

In my first two months serving as president, I have spent a great deal of time talking with many people both inside and outside the University about the urgent issues facing us all. These conversations have reinforced to me the extensive scope and depth of our interconnections with the communities around us. They touch us in so many ways, and we in turn touch them in countless others. There is no doubt that we are partners in a shared future.

In that vein, I am committed to working as closely as possible in the coming weeks and months with the governor, legislators and other leaders from the community, business and education to address our current economic challenges with solutions that will serve our state well into the future. Washington’s public universities are essential to those solutions and to the long-term health of our state, and maintaining their quality must be a priority. While we recognize that we have entered a new funding environment for higher education in terms of our relationship with the state, it in no way changes our role as a public university. We will continue providing Washington’s citizens with the very best learning opportunities, transforming their lives through experiences in the classroom and outside the classroom, through community and global experiences, through firsthand research and discovery, and through engagement in the broadest sense.

Within our UW community, it is clear that our ongoing funding challenges have tapped the time, energy and resourcefulness of every unit and every person on our three campuses. As I talk to people throughout the University, however, I can’t help but come away feeling heartened and optimistic. That’s because it is equally clear that the focus of our community remains exactly where it should be: on our students at all stages of their learning. They are the reason we are here. They are the reason everyone is working so hard to maintain the excellence of the learning experience. And they are the reason the state of Washington will be successful in the future. By continuing to keep our students at the center of all we do at the UW, I’m confident that our University and our state will be able to overcome our challenges and come out all the better for it.

In case you missed it, our year-end video features some of our students sharing in their own words what their 2010 UW experience meant to them and what their dreams are for the coming year. I hope you will take a few moments to watch this inspirational and enjoyable video — I promise you won’t regret it.

Best wishes as we say goodbye to 2010 and prepare for the challenges and excitement of 2011.

Sincerely,

Image of Phyllis Wise's signature

Phyllis M. Wise
Interim President

Update about Nov. 18 football game

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Dear Members of the UW Community:

As preparations for the November 18 football game against UCLA continue, some have questioned whether the disruption attendant to playing a game mid-week makes a statement about the University’s values (i.e., sports versus academics and research). While I certainly understand such a question, I want to restate that the core academic mission of the University is paramount and that we have approached this game by doing all we can to minimize the disruption to our academic and research programs, while recognizing that it cannot be eliminated entirely. The decision to play a mid-week game was made last April on the basis of the visibility a nationally televised game would bring to our University. Holding the game on a weekday actually costs the athletic department money since it must mitigate the impacts on our community. But it was thought the investment was worth the exposure for our programs.

Our University has not hosted a mid-week football game at Husky Stadium since 1939, so this has been a learning experience for us. We are finding out a great deal about what it takes to hold such a game. Any decisions about future football games that might be held on a weekday will be made only after wide consultation and with the benefit of all that we learn from this experience.

In the meantime, I want to tell you about some of the steps being taken to deal with parking on campus. The athletic department is chartering buses for 20,000 people who otherwise would drive to the game, and we have also negotiated to pay Metro to allow anyone with a UW ID to travel fare-free on Metro buses on November 18th.

With regard to those of you who have parking permits, most will be able to park in their regular spots on campus on November 18th. Some will be affected by the increased parking demand associated with the game, in particular those with permits for east campus. To help alleviate those impacts, 100 spaces have been allocated in the Central Parking Garage for faculty who are scheduled to teach afternoon classes and do not have the flexibility in their schedules to ride buses or use alternate means of transportation. The deans’ offices will be working to identify faculty in need of these spaces. In addition, there is some flexibility in the parking system to handle needs on a case by case basis, which may entail being assigned to a different parking lot for the day. Commuter Services has created a website as a central source for information about commuter options on November 18th, including a list of FAQs.

I apologize for the inconvenience this causes for many of you and hope that we can all work with those across campus who have been striving very hard to minimize the disruption to our University community. I greatly appreciate your cooperation and patience.

Sincerely,

Image of Phyllis Wise's signature

Phyllis M. Wise
Interim President

President Obama on campus Oct. 21

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Dear Members of the University Community:

As some may have heard by now, President Barack Obama will visit the University of Washington campus on Thursday, Oct. 21, at noon for a rally in support of U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. This is, of course, a political event and not a University-sponsored visit. The event will take place in Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Rental of the facility and other associated costs are being paid by the Senator’s campaign. Details about the event and how to register to attend are available at http://www.pattymurray.com/home.

Having the president of the United States on our campus, even briefly, is a distinct honor. His visit will bring with it a certain amount of disruption of normal activities. Traffic around the city and campus will be impacted, especially in the area of Montlake Boulevard and the Pavilion. Security will also be tight. As you plan your activities for that day, please take into account the impact of this event on our surrounding community. Detailed information regarding street or building closures, changes to transit routes or other changes will be provided as those decisions are made in the coming days.

All UW offices will remain open as regularly scheduled on the day of the event. Classes, exams and other instructional activities will be held as usual. Staff wishing to attend the event must do so on their own time. If doing so involves taking leave from work for a portion of the day, approved leave will need to be arranged with your supervisor.

Political events may be held on campus under rules governing the use of University facilities. Such events give our community a chance to experience the political process firsthand and to hear from candidates running for office. The policy may be found at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=478-136-030.

Sincerely,

Phyllis M. Wise
Interim President

Impacts of the home football game on Thursday, Nov. 18

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Dear Members of the UW Community:

On Thursday, Nov. 18, starting at 5 p.m., the University will play its final home football game of the season against UCLA in Husky Stadium. A mid-week game is highly unusual and results from the University accepting an invitation last April from ESPN to televise the contest to a national audience. We accepted the invitation, but only after careful consideration of the impacts on the University and our community. It will be very challenging to have 70,000 spectators in the afternoon fill Husky Stadium, in addition to the 70,000 people who populate our University every day. It will also be an opportunity for a national audience to view our University and our team.

A great deal of planning has gone into developing a transportation plan to minimize the impact of the game on the academic and clinical programs going on that day. Our goal is to bring as many spectators as possible to the stadium using buses and alternative means of transportation and to have them arrive several hours prior to game time, thus minimizing interference with normal rush-hour traffic. Post-game traffic will occur after rush-hour congestion has subsided. The greatest impacts will be on campus parking, particularly in east campus, and our transportation office has been working hard to absorb the additional parking demand.

As part of the planning for this event, we would like to ask students, faculty and staff to consider alternative means of transportation on November 18 and to consider alternative work schedules when possible to help reduce the campus’ use of parking spaces and possibly reduce the number of people coming to campus. You will be receiving more information from transportation services and human resources with suggested alternatives and options for helping to manage traffic and parking on Nov. 18.

No amount of planning will totally eliminate the congestion we expect and the inconvenience it may cause for many of you. We apologize for this and ask for your cooperation and patience. We can all help to minimize the disruption and contribute to making the day a successful one for our University community.

Sincerely,

Phyllis M. Wise
Interim President

Scott Woodward
Director of Athletics