Winter 2025 Quarterly Newsletter

From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

Since the beginning of 2025, we have been navigating an unprecedented level of uncertainty regarding federal government actions. A recent EAB webinar on managing this constantly shifting landscape suggested we should: avoid reacting to every news cycle, educate teams on requirements and remind legislators of the costs. I am doing my best to follow this advice, though it is challenging.

This newsletter includes a consolidated list of resources to help you stay informed about federal changes and access support (see below). Many of these resources are updated regularly. I have also included a federal executive order cheat sheet from EAB. Even with these tools, the amount of information can feel overwhelming, so please use what is most helpful to you during this uncertain time.

I also want to emphasize our unwavering commitment to our mission, vision and core values. In times of uncertainty, I turn to UW Bothell’s core values: Transformational Education, Engaged Scholarship and Inclusive Culture.

Our commitment to these values means prioritizing our faculty, librarians and academic staff. You are in the classrooms, advising sessions, labs, reading rooms and co-curricular events. You are doing the vital work that upholds our values and transforms students’ lives. You ensure that higher education continues to strengthen democracy. What you do matters, and our team is here to support you.

I am grateful to our deans and their leadership teams for their efforts to support faculty, staff and students. I also appreciate our associate vice chancellors and their teams as they respond to our community’s evolving needs. I continue to hear about the many ways faculty and staff support one another—thank you. I also want to acknowledge colleagues across campus who are hosting events, preparing critical materials, providing updates and taking many other thoughtful actions that allow us to continue our important work.

Finally, I recognize that, despite the university’s efforts, some individuals are experiencing personal and professional turmoil. Please feel free to contact me directly if you’d like to meet and discuss your situation. I am also holding drop-in Zoom sessions for faculty on March 13 and 17 from 3:30pm to 5:00pm. Please join if you have concerns you’d like to discuss. 真人线上娱乐 more we listen, the more we can do.

With gratitude,

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Cross-disciplinary
Connected Learning
Community Engagement

Resources for Uncertain Federal Landscape

UW Presidential Blog: Current messaging by our UW President.

Faculty Senate: Pen America workshop recording on academic freedom.

Provost Website: For federal policy updates.

UW Bothell Faculty Safety Website: Includes a variety of resources for safety issues in the workplace, classroom, online (doxing), etc.

Federal Research Updates: 真人线上娱乐 latest direction is to continue operating as normal. If you plan to travel on your award, you are authorized to purchase the least expensive non-restrictive (refundable) plane ticket that allows some recovery of funds if plans change.

Bothell Research Support: Faculty with federal grants or those thinking about applying for federal grants should continue to consult with?Cindy Shirley?at UW Bothell Office of Sponsored Research for guidance and support.

Immigration Actions on Campus: UWHR developed this?consolidated list.

International Scholars: Variety of general resources.

International Travel Registration: Employees on official UW travel abroad are strongly encouraged to register their travel which provides them with a variety of services.

UW International 真人线上娱乐 Services: 真人线上娱乐 director shared this recent message with information on resources for students.

UW Leadership Without Borders: Includes an ally directory with resources for DACA students.

Spotlight: Distinguished Staff Award Nominations

This tri-campus award recognizes individuals and teams that exemplify excellence in several categories. Several nominees came from the Division of Academic Affairs:

Nominated in the Collaboration individual category for making an outstanding achievement or providing ongoing excellence through effective collaboration:

• Liezel Hackett, Program Coordinator, School of STEM, Engineering and Math Division

Nominated in the Impact individual category for making significant and positive contributions to a team, department or campus or have helped a specific audience or community:

• Felicity Abeyta, Academic Counselor – Lead, Office of 真人线上娱乐 Academic Success: Advising, Hiring & Training
• Amy Couto, Associate Director of Academic Services, School of Educational Studies
• Rita Johnson, Administrator, School of Nursing & Health Studies

Nominated in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion individual category for contributing to building welcoming and respectful learning and working environments and/or whose work promotes access, opportunity and justice:

• Cinthya Vieyra, Academic Success Coach,?Office of 真人线上娱乐 Academic Success

Join us in congratulating all the nominees from UW Bothell.

Updates on Academic Affairs 2024/25 Goals

In the late summer edition of our quarterly newsletter, we listed the goals that our division will focus on this year. Here are updates for three of these goals that are not part of the individual unit updates:

A.?Complete search for the new dean in the School of STEM.?Congratulations, Dr. McLoud-Mann!

C. Develop a high functioning operations team for the Division of Academic Affairs.

真人线上娱乐 operations team focused on financial reporting and fiscal planning for central units in the division during the fall and winter quarters as well as developing a new summer revenue proposal and refining operational policies and procedures. In November 2024, Marketing and Communications Manager Sawyer Dedmon joined the team, bringing a focus on updating website content, design and accessibility, promoting events and strengthening relationships across the division and campus. Looking ahead, the team is reorganizing responsibilities to better support central units, collaborate with Institutional Planning and Budget (IPB) on the budget planning cycle, assist with onboarding the new Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) and explore opportunities for greater efficiency.

H. Clarify UW Bothell’s tri-campus role as part of preparation for the Northwestern Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) seven-year report and visit based on feedback during FY24’s mid-cycle report and visit.

UW Bothell’s role is becoming clearer. A tri-campus administrative leadership group now meets regularly to address key issues identified during the NWCCU mid-cycle visit in Spring 2024, with the goal of ensuring a successful NWCCU seven-year visit. 真人线上娱乐 main tri-campus priorities are aligning strategic plans, defining institution-wide learning outcomes and assessment, and evaluating academic advising systems. So far, the provost has appointed a task force to focus on learning outcomes and assessment, while the provost’s leadership team of chancellors, deans and vice provosts is working on strategic plan alignment. UW Bothell faculty serve on the task force, and the VCAA is a member of the tri-campus administrative leadership group.

I. Support the process that the president’s office is launching (with the Faculty Council on Tri-Campus Policy or FCTCP) to clarify the leadership structure for Bothell and Tacoma via official policies.

In December, the president’s office shared drafts of new and revised executive orders with the Faculty Council on Tri-campus Policy (FCTCP), the chancellors, and the vice chancellors at Tacoma and Bothell. 真人线上娱乐se drafts were then shared with deans, and the General Faculty Organization (GFO) facilitated discussions during its meetings. FCTCP requested that each school review the drafts and provide feedback through faculty councils and other internal processes. 真人线上娱乐 provost is also meeting with deans on each campus to discuss the drafts. FCTCP includes representatives from the GFO, Bothell faculty and the VCAA. Please provide feedback through these groups.

Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Council Updates

真人线上娱乐 Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Council (VLC), which is comprised of the campus deans and leadership of the central academic units, received updates and deliberated on the following matters:

• Federal Landscape and Changes
• UW Bothell Campaign Planning
• Summer Revenue
• Connected Learning Program Review
• Fundraising priorities
• Convocation
• Additional Compensation Policy Revisions
• Graduate 真人线上娱乐 Recruitment
• Charge of Buyout and Related Policies and Course Compensation Policy Committee
• Campus Level Curriculum
• Inclement weather and Campus Closures
• Gallup Engagement Survey
• Faculty Biography Webpages

Unit Updates

真人线上娱乐 Academic Success

真人线上娱乐 Office of 真人线上娱乐 Academic Success (OSAS) includes Academic Advising, the Academic Learning Commons (ALC), the UW Bothell STARS program, and campus support for curriculum and assessment, graduate studies, and EAB Navigate.

真人线上娱乐 2025-2026 academic year will focus on expanding and improving programs, collaborating with the campus to support student success and transitioning responsibilities to other units. Academic Advising is improving the undergraduate advising model for better student access and advisor career growth while strengthening communication and streamlining processes like transfer evaluations and major declarations. 真人线上娱乐 ALC is undergoing a full assessment, including faculty and staff focus groups, to guide leadership transition, establish a faculty council and expand the Peer Facilitator program. 真人线上娱乐 UW Bothell STARS program is expanding its second-year programming while welcoming a new cohort in summer 2025.

Additional initiatives include improving (reducing the time it takes) curriculum approval processes in partnership with CCAL and CCASC and expanding graduate student support with Enrollment Management and 真人线上娱乐 Affairs through events and resources. We’re also optimizing EAB Navigation360 by working with the 真人线上娱乐 Success Data Community to enhance training and best practices.

Faculty Success

真人线上娱乐 Office of Faculty Success (OFS) includes the Learning & Teaching Collaborative (LTC), the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR), and centralized support to help faculty navigate their careers.

Since its founding in Summer 2022, we have supported faculty professional development through promotion and tenure workshops, quarterly writing groups, awards for scholarship and teaching, and sponsorship of the NCFDD Faculty Success Program. In Summer 2024, we began a reorganization to integrate the Office of Sponsored Research and the Learning & Teaching Collaborative by July 2025. As part of this transition, OFS will assess all existing programs to ensure they effectively support faculty across all ranks and tracks.

真人线上娱乐 reorganization aims to enhance support for faculty research, scholarship, and creative practice; identify pedagogical challenges and develop targeted resources; and address professional development needs for teaching-track and part-time faculty. In the spring quarter, we will work with schools and the GFO to assess underutilized programs and realign resources to better meet faculty needs and institutional goals.

Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement

This past quarter marked a leadership change for the Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement (CoSEE) at UW Bothell with the?hiring of its inaugural director, Dr. Veronica Cassone McGowan. She will continue collaborating with the faculty oversight committee and community partners to advance a mission of fostering interdisciplinary and equity-focused, place-based learning and research opportunities for the campus and the region. We have seen significant growth with a new public engagement series and more UW Bothell course offerings at St. Edward State Park. In Fall 2024, we secured funding from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good to support four interns in socio-ecological research projects. Additional programming included the 101 Program Series, covering topics like salmon and pollinators and monthly Nature Walks in partnership with Washington State Parks.

Looking ahead, we are preparing for a second summer of the Environmental Careers Preparedness Program (EnCAP), which provides credited summer programming for local high school students. 真人线上娱乐 recently launched Backpacks Program offers place-based learning materials for families and educators. Other new initiatives include the Socio-Ecological Thriving Book Club, which combines reading discussions with local walks, and community courses such as “Designing for Equitable Outdoor Learning with Families and Communities” and “Broadening Green Careers.”

Office of Connected Learning

真人线上娱乐 results of the Office of Connected Learning external program review come at a pivotal time as the campus prepares for a new strategic planning process. 真人线上娱乐 final report notes that while experiential learning is a cornerstone of UW Bothell, its support relies heavily on informal networks and relationships. Although our staff play a key role, faculty and staff across campus also contribute to providing high-touch, impactful experiences for students. However, given the challenges faced by many students, particularly first-generation and working students, these opportunities need to be more accessible and organized so students can easily find them and understand their value.

真人线上娱乐 external review aligns with a similar external review of Career Services, with common themes across both including academic integration, expanding experiential learning opportunities and strengthening partnerships with community and industry organizations.

UW Bothell/Cascadia College Campus Library

Despite budget constraints, the UW Bothell/Cascadia College Campus Library is committed to delivering excellence in our core mission of providing inclusive, accessible spaces and services both physically and virtually. We continue to support the academic success of our community through information literacy instruction, research assistance and resource access. Recent assessment data highlights the library’s significant instructional impact and shows that in-person usage has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our building, we are excited to reimagine our first-floor space to enhance student and community engagement. We hope to conduct an inclusive, participatory redesign process, gathering input from students, faculty, staff and community members to create more flexible spaces for collaboration and events. Thanks to funding from the UW Bothell and Cascadia College 真人线上娱乐 Technology Fee (STF) committees, we’ve already implemented ten new study pods, which have been enthusiastically embraced by students.

Looking ahead, we’re exploring partnerships across both campuses to strengthen our role as a central hub for academic excellence. Additionally, our Community Reads program continues to bring together people from both campuses for lively and timely discussions.

Other

New Carnegie Classification: 真人线上娱乐 Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education (ACE) updated university classifications, introducing Research Colleges and Universities—a prestigious designation based solely on annual research funding. Unlike R1 and R2, it excludes research doctorates. UW Bothell earned this distinction, showcasing faculty excellence in research and student focus. External funding is just one piece of our impactful research. Congrats to our faculty! More classifications arrive in April—stay tuned!

New “E Designation” for Courses: UW Bothell has introduced the E designation for Community Engaged Learning (CEL) courses, recognizing hands-on, reflective experiences that connect students with community partners. While not a graduation requirement, it supports UW Bothell’s learning goals and Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. Overseen at the school level, the designation highlights courses that apply theory and skills for the public good. 真人线上娱乐 E designation will also appear on student transcripts, showcasing their engagement and impact.

Upcoming Faculty/Staff Deadlines & Opportunities

真人线上娱乐?Civic Health Initiative?has launched a new, public-facing website that describes new resources and connections between current programs. Proposals for?Teaching and Curriculum awards?($2,000) and?Research awards?($25,000) are available to faculty from Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma and are?both due May 1, 2025.

真人线上娱乐?UW Bothell Summer Reading Group?provides an opportunity for groups of 4–6 faculty to become immersed in shared scholarship or teaching areas of interest. Participating faculty will review and discuss scholarship during the funding term. Although the reading groups may lead to new collaborations or larger-scale projects, the focus of the groups is to catch up on new scholarship or practice in a shared area of interest. This group is open to all faculty and the?application deadline is April 14, 2025.

Please join us on Thursday, March 13 from 1:30pm – 3:00pm (via Zoom) for a presentation and discussion, Academic Freedom and Rights in a Moment of Danger, with labor attorney Dmitri Iglitzin. This presentation will focus on the current landscape of higher education and include topics such as academic freedom in teaching, research and speech, and the implications of executive orders related to science and research funding and federal grants, DEI initiatives, immigration and more. This presentation is co-sponsored by the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and Division of Academic Affairs. This event is open to all UW Bothell faculty, staff and librarians.?Please register here to attend?(NetID required).

真人线上娱乐 Digital Scholars Program is now accepting proposals for short-term, on-campus internships for Summer 2025. We invite staff from any program, school, or unit to submit student intern positions that are student-friendly, offering hands-on experience in digital skills through real-world projects. 真人线上娱乐y provide exposure to campus operations, networking opportunities, and insight into the university as a workplace. Internships will be funded through the program at no cost to the sponsoring partner. If interested, please fill out this short form. If you have questions, please email Chaise Jung ( chaisej@uw.edu).

Navigating difficult conversations is a vital skill—whether in the workplace or the classroom. Join the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) for an in-person session designed to help you build confidence, foster meaningful dialogue, and strengthen your DEI practice. Join the Staff Session on April 4, 2025 (9:00am – 12:00pm) to develop coaching strategies for navigating challenging workplace conversations. Faculty can attend the April 25, 2025, session (9:00am – 12:00pm) to learn techniques for fostering open and respectful classroom discussions, co-sponsored by ODEI and the Learning & Teaching Collaborative. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this interest form.

Join the Tri-Campus Community Engagement Professional Development Pilot for faculty and staff! Participate in interactive sessions on May 1 or 2, 2025 and earn a $100 stipend for attending and providing feedback. Sessions include Community Engagement Foundations (faculty or staff) and Fostering & Sustaining Relationships (open to faculty, staff, and community partners). Spots are filling fast—register now and share with others who may be interested! Learn more and sign up here.

Opportunities to Share with your 真人线上娱乐s

Join us for the Graduate Studies Open House on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. This event will showcase what UW Bothell offers to prospective graduate students, including programs and support services. Faculty are invited to display research and unique elements of their programs. Contact Sheneetra Wilson ( wilsons4@uw.edu) for more information.

Join the Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement (CoSEE) for Nature Walks on the last Saturday of every month through May 2025 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. A partnership between Washington State Parks and CoSEE, these walks engage community members in learning more about local ecology and connecting with the natural world. Contact Maddie Iem ( miem@uw.edu) for more information.

Join us May 13 – 15, 2025, for the annual 真人线上娱乐 Academic Showcase. 真人线上娱乐 真人线上娱乐 Academic Showcase is a campus-wide event celebrating student learning, research, collaborations, and networking. It highlights projects across all academic disciplines, giving students a platform to showcase their achievements and raise awareness on diverse topics. *Please note that the deadline for project submissions is March 21, 2025.

Upcoming Events & Critical Deadlines

• March 15-21, 2025: Winter finals week
• March 26, 2025: Winter quarter grades due
• March 31, 2025: Spring quarter begins
• June 7-13, 2025: Spring finals week
• June 18, 2025: Spring quarter grades due
• June 15, 2025: Commencement
• June 23, 2025: Summer quarter begins
• August 22, 2025: Summer quarter last day of instruction
• August 27, 2025: Summer quarter grades due