WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 music 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:10.000 Good afternoon, everyone. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:15.000 How are you doing? Good. Well, thanks for coming out. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:18.000 It's my pleasure to talk with where we are as a community today. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:23.000 Have a theme of Powered by Place, 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:26.000 and I hope you'll see what I'm talking about 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:29.000 as I go through the talk today. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:31.000 We have a few people in attendance. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:35.000 I'd like to recognize Senator Deb Patterson is with us. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.000 Kathy Martin-Willis on behalf 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:43.000 of Paul Evans, representatives here. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:49.000 The Mayors of Independence in Monmouth, 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:52.000 John McArdle and Cec Koontz are here. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:00:61.000 Cec is also a Board of Trustee member and 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:05.000 so is Cas Wonsowicz who's also joining us. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:10.000 And my partner, Susan Cannata, 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:13.000 is here as well. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:18.000 If you remember, last year, my mother was here, 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.000 which was one of the great experiences of her life. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.000 She was very proud and happy to 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:26.000 be here and you all treat her so warmly. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:29.000 She could not be here, but I think she's able to watch it 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.000 online if we have it set up for her. 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:33.000 If not, we'll record it and let her watch it. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:37.000 So shout out to Margaret Peters. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.000 First I'd like to take a moment to 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:47.000 recognize that the place we are in today is 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:50.000 the traditional and contemporary homelands 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.000 of indigenous peoples and nations. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.000 I encourage you to spend time considering 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:57.000 these histories and connect them to your own. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:61.000 We are all physically tied to the land. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:05.000 The cells in our bodies are rejuvenated through sustenance that comes 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:07.000 from land and the water we are 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:10.000 mostly made of must be replenished daily. 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:13.000 A good friend of mine once told me that you must think of the body as 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:17.000 a river and how we manage the quality of that flow. 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:19.000 How we are mindful of our body and 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:23.000 our spirits affects how we are in the world. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.000 Poet Natalie Diaz has written this about rivers. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:31.000 as being all that we are. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:33.000 I am my body." 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:37.000 This thinking helps us disrespect water, 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.000 air, land in one another. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:44.000 The water is not external from our body, our self. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:48.000 My elder says, "Cut off your ear and you will live. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:50.000 Cut off your hand and you will live. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.000 Cut off your leg, 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:54.000 you can still live. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.000 Cut off our water, we will not live more than a week." 00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:60.000 The water we drink like the air we 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.000 breathe is not a part of our body, 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.000 but is our body. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.000 What we do to one to the body, 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:09.000 to the water we do to the other. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:13.000 Historically, this cycle of 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:15.000 understanding and existing was completely local. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.000 There was a tangible and very real connection 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.000 to land and community, 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.000 to sustainability and survivability. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:26.000 Through technological change, migration, 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:30.000 colonization, and shifting economic systems. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.000 Much of that literal tied to local landscape and 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:37.000 community as a source of life has shifted, 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:39.000 and we drink water from the French Alps 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.000 and we eat apricots, some turkey. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.000 We connect to each other across 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.000 digital platforms in video. 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.000 Many people travel further and 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:49.000 faster and more often than ever before. 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:51.000 We are digital creatures 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:53.000 flooded with images and information. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:58.000 We are TikTokers and Instagrammers at will, President. 00:03:59.000 --> 00:03:62.000 Some would argue we are more disconnected and 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.000 distracted than any humans in history, 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.000 losing our sense of community 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:09.000 and reliance on physical location. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:11.000 But at the same time, 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:14.000 we are still very connected to place. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:18.000 Western Oregon University is Powered by Place. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.000 We are in a rolling valley close to 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:23.000 rivers, mountains, and coastline. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:27.000 We are rural, yet close to the state capital. 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:30.000 Just last week, I heard from four different people 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.000 that commented how beautiful and special our physical campus is. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:36.000 Let's take a minute to applaud 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:39.000 our facility services team and 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:41.000 grounds crew who worked to make this campus beautiful. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:53.000 Someone recently said to me, 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:55.000 just see your campus, 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:58.000 lots and lots of students would choose to be there." 00:04:58.000 --> 00:04:61.000 Well, they are about to see us. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:04.000 We are moving in new directions with our marketing, 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.000 admissions, and communication strategies. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:09.000 We're tightening our branding and messaging, 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.000 placing us in a better position to 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:14.000 articulate what's unique about our place. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:17.000 Next week you will see a film crew on campus filming an episode of 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:19.000 the college tour that will stream on 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:23.000 national platforms including Amazon Prime. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:25.000 The episode will showcase our place, 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.000 but it will also speak to who we are, 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:32.000 and 10 of our students will talk about their experiences here. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:34.000 So who are we? 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:38.000 We know we are. 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:41.000 mean? What experiences 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:44.000 are unique to us as an institution? 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:46.000 Lots of schools are small. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.000 Lots of schools support students. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.000 So what sets us apart? 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:53.000 Let's take a look at some data points as we think about 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:57.000 who we are in this place at this time, 00:05:57.000 --> 00:05:59.000 in this community, as we 00:05:59.000 --> 00:05:62.000 consider our own river flowing among us. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:07.000 They've told me I can move around, so be ready. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:12.000 I'm going to pause on this slide 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:17.000 a little bit to give folks time to look at some of the data before I talk about it. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:31.000 Our institutional research team 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:33.000 has pulled together some great statistics. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:35.000 I know a lot of you are interested in 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:37.000 statistics when we think about who 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:41.000 we are as a community and what students attend here. 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:45.000 Notice that we have a lot of in-state students. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.000 We have a lot of students of color, 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:50.000 as well as students identifying as white. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:54.000 We have students who are Pell-eligible. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:58.000 We have a very high number of first-generation students, 00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:60.000 and we can also look at the makeup of the class, 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.000 and you can visibly see 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.000 the bubble that we're still experiencing where 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.000 we have high numbers of students at 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.000 a senior level and lower numbers as freshmen. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:14.000 Many people have asked, 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:19.000 what is our percentage of Latinx students? It's 22%. 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:22.000 But as you'll see later, it's actually a greater percentage 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:25.000 of undergraduates than 22%. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:29.000 Four years, six-year graduation rates. 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:33.000 I like to show this because we still have a lot of work to do on this front. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:36.000 I think we all know that we can do better on this. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:39.000 We're hovering around 30% on 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.000 our four-year graduation rate. 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:45.000 The six-year graduation rate is better, 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:47.000 but it's a little bit down from 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:49.000 the cohorts of last two years as well. 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:52.000 So we also thanks to do some of that, 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:56.000 I'm sure we could attribute to the things that happen during a global pandemic. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:59.000 Lots of fluctuations, things happen in different states, 00:07:59.000 --> 00:07:61.000 in different communities to affect a lot 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:03.000 of the statistics of those classes 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:05.000 coming out of high school and into college and how 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:09.000 they may be successful or not. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:12.000 This slide is the undergraduates fall 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:16.000 since this time, 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.000 and again, as you see the seniors, there were many, 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.000 many more than the freshmen, 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.000 and so that's one of 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.000 the issues we face on our enrollment, 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:27.000 is we're graduating more people than we perhaps have brought in in the past. 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.000 So we call that the bubbles, 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.000 sometimes it's flowing through our admissions. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:35.000 This slide is very 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:38.000 interesting to me because I showed you this last year, 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.000 those of you who were here, and it's really a good indication 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:44.000 of what's happened at Western, 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.000 but not just here at many other regional institutions 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:49.000 where enrollment has been declining, 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:52.000 but at the same time, expenses rise. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.000 We really saw that with inflation in 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:57.000 the last year-and-a-half to two years, 00:08:57.000 --> 00:08:59.000 lots of expenses have been rising. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:08:61.000 But what I really would like for you to think 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.000 about is at the end here, 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:09.000 this gray decline. Here we go. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:12.000 Doesn't matter. Look at the end of the gray line. 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.000 There is a decrease there, 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:18.000 and that decrease came from this community coming 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:21.000 together to reduce expenses last year, 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:23.000 and we saved over 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:26.000 by our on-campus efforts to do that. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:29.000 That is not the $5 million that we cut 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.000 from our operating base budget, 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.000 but those are savings that 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:35.000 were realized last fiscal year. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.000 Enrollment also declined. 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:39.000 We knew that going into last year, 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:42.000 but I'll say a little bit more later. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.000 But if we can start to see the gray line going 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:48.000 down or staying flat and the red line going up, 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.000 we have a better chance to go 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:54.000 back to what we see at the first part of that graph. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:57.000 So this is a good slide. 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:59.000 We need to spend some time looking at. 00:09:59.000 --> 00:09:61.000 Again, this is a projected number, 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:07.000 but look at our retention rate, 76%. 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:17.000 Yes. That is an amazing number. 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.000 That is a jump. If that holds, 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:21.000 this is a 6% jump, 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:23.000 and that means that 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:26.000 good things are happening here that we're working with students and keeping them 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:28.000 persistent and keeping them on track. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:32.000 They're coming back, and we expect them to take the full journey and graduate. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:34.000 But that kind of retention rate also 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:37.000 helps us not only because we want the students to succeed, 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:41.000 but also it helps us financially and be more sustainable. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.000 There's the enrollment that we don't like 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:47.000 to talk about overtime. 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:50.000 Again, I didn't want to put up any projected numbers, 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.000 and people asked me a lot, 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:54.000 like what does enrollment looking like? 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:57.000 Well, the answer is enrollment is really 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:60.000 trending in our direction that I think we 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:03.000 might be very happy to see, 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:05.000 but we're going to wait until 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.000 census to really fully embrace it. 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:11.000 But I feel like people have worked really hard to bring 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:15.000 in a freshman class and that coupled with a higher retention rate, 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:18.000 we could be in a position to see our enrollment flats, 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.000 which would be wonderful, or maybe even a little up for the first time in a decade. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:26.000 So we'll see. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:33.000 this slide is for 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.000 undergraduate students in fall of '22. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:38.000 If you noticed, these are 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.000 the iPads categories that we 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.000 use to turn in our data points 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:45.000 and Hispanic is 24 percent undergraduates 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:47.000 and we will get to 25 percent. 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:50.000 That's the first major step for being 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:53.000 a Hispanic serving institution through the federal designation system. 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:55.000 People have wondered about that statistic and I 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:58.000 wanted to share that with you as well. 00:11:59.000 --> 00:11:63.000 What are the takeaways? 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.000 First, we have 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:09.000 a very diverse student body that 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.000 is almost 25 percent Latino, 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.000 and 38 percent students of color. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:23.000 Though we're almost 80 percent in-state students, 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.000 we also draw students from many western states, 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:29.000 including Alaska and Hawaii. 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:31.000 If you put all that together, 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:33.000 the very lived experiences among 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:35.000 students at Western is amazing, 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:39.000 and for me, it's a beautiful thing. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:41.000 I think we're all privileged 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:46.000 those students 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.000 to the best of our ability, we must recognize that 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:51.000 their needs are complex and changing. 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:54.000 In 2019, this was pre-pandemic. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:57.000 I have a very clear memory of sharing this article when it 00:12:57.000 --> 00:12:61.000 came out with people at my previous institution talking about it, 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:03.000 The New York Times published an article titled, 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:06.000 I Was a Low-Income College Student, 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:11.000 Classes Weren't the Hard Part, by Anthony Jack. 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:14.000 He writes, even if they make it to 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.000 dorms on leafy green campuses, 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:18.000 disadvantaged students still live 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.000 in poverty's long shadow. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:23.000 They worry about those back home just as 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:26.000 much as those back home worry about them. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.000 The point he wants to make and he's drawing 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.000 from his own personal experiences, 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.000 is that institutions must start to 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:37.000 deliberately and carefully engage with 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.000 the experiences of their students and 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:42.000 use that knowledge to design better support systems. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.000 As he goes on to say, 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:48.000 It requires colleges and universities to question what they take for 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.000 granted about their students 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.000 and about the institutions themselves. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:56.000 To do this, they'll need more than an algorithm. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:60.000 What's needed is a deeply human touch. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.000 At Western Oregon University, 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:04.000 if we can excel at this type of 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.000 approach to students support then no institution can. 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:11.000 We're already well on the way and 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:14.000 employees here have been doing this good work for decades, 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.000 but we're ready to do more. 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.000 I challenge myself and all of you to lean 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:23.000 into what we can achieve for our students at Western. 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:25.000 The second takeaway from 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:30.000 this data is that we are dealing with our fiscal reality and sustainability in responsible ways. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:33.000 Last year, this community worked hard to 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:36.000 cut spending as a way to preserve more of our fund balance and give us 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:39.000 more time to make needed changes, 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:41.000 it's that gray graph I've talked about, 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:43.000 we will need to continue making 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:46.000 those types of choices during this fiscal year. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.000 We also see an increase in the retention rate and if the numbers hold 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:52.000 maybe a flat or 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.000 perhaps a slight increase in overall enrollment. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.000 As I said, if that happens, 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:60.000 it'll be the first time in a decade at Western. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:04.000 Let's take a minute to recognize the hard work put in by the admissions team, 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.000 the advising team, new student and family program team, 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:09.000 and many other employees on 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:11.000 this campus to make that stuff happen. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:26.000 Things are changing because of you. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:31.000 Everyone has an impact on enrollment. 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:33.000 You've heard me say that before. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:36.000 I'll say it again, students success is everyone's job, 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:41.000 so let's applaud for everybody who works to make our students successful. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:50.000 Last year, I closed by saying this. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:53.000 There's a fine line between concern and hope. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:55.000 Things will take time to turn around and 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:58.000 there'll be more frustrations and challenges, 00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:60.000 but he strength to reach our goals is here and 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:03.000 I feel it every day on this campus, 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:05.000 so I hope you are as hopeful as I am. 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.000 I hope that you see our struggles as 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:09.000 moments that teach us how to be better, 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.000 to see better, to do better. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.000 This is who we are, this is WOU and this is personal for me. 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:18.000 Let's start getting it done. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.000 That was what I ended with. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:23.000 It was an interesting moment because you didn't know me that well, 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:25.000 and I didn't know you that well. 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:27.000 Now it's a very different day. 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.000 I feel such a strength in the community. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:32.000 It really pushes me forward every time. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.000 I think about what we really can accomplish here. 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:37.000 But what did we get done last year? 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:40.000 Got a list of things I wanted to highlight. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:44.000 I want to emphasize the we as we go through this. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:49.000 None of this could have happened without teams of WOU employees coming 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.000 together and focusing on what we had to 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:54.000 do during difficult and stressful times. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.000 This is only a condensed list 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.000 of the things that we did together. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:61.000 We formed enrollment working groups 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:03.000 to better strategize, 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.000 admission to enrollment, student success and retention, 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:09.000 visibility and outreach, student feedback. 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:12.000 We improved website and social media presence 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:15.000 using new strategies and expanding advertising in the region. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:19.000 We engage software solutions such as Slate, Navigate, 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:23.000 and Ed sites to manage student communications, outreach and advising. 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.000 We launched the campus equity assessment process 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:29.000 and presented Phase 1 findings to the campus, 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.000 Phase 2 will be coming up very shortly. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:35.000 We implemented a new process to examine and revise 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:39.000 policies with an eye towards inclusivity and access. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.000 We formed an HSI advisory committee to guide 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.000 us as we seek Federal HSI designation. 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.000 We hosted the second annual HSI Summit, 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:51.000 which were the collaborative focus this time invitation 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.000 sent to leaders across the state. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:55.000 We joined presidents for 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:58.000 Latino students success through excellencia in education. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:17:62.000 We expanded the president's cabinet to include deans, 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.000 faculty, senate presidents, staff senate president and as we President. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:09.000 We hired a Title IX coordinator and implemented 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:12.000 required Title IX trainings for all of our employees. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:15.000 We work collaboratively, as I've mentioned, 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:18.000 to cut five million dollars from our base budget, 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.000 we adjusted our spending and 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:22.000 saved over three million dollars last year. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:26.000 We developed maps to 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:29.000 five years along with maps to fiscal sustainability, 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:31.000 which was a major part in helping us complete 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:35.000 our NWCCU re-accreditation process. 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.000 We work to tell the narrative of 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:40.000 Western and all the trues to the legislature and saw 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:43.000 a slight rise in the PUSF this year, 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:46.000 we launched both an internal and external newsletter 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:48.000 to better communicate with each other. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:51.000 We start a strategic planning process 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:53.000 focused on the following priorities. 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:56.000 Placing students at the center of everything we 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:59.000 do, centering equity, diversity, 00:18:59.000 --> 00:18:61.000 and inclusiveness, developing, 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:03.000 approving systems to better serve 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:05.000 the community and connecting with local, 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:07.000 state and regional needs. 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:11.000 Finally, we came together as a community to witness 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:16.000 the graduation of 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:24.000 It was a ceremony that for me was 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:27.000 a symbolic marker of coming out of the pandemic, 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:29.000 as well as a celebration of the power of 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:31.000 this place of being together, 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:33.000 and our lead off slide, 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:35.000 the students throwing their hats in 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:37.000 the air was a moment full of energy, 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:40.000 and happiness, and joy and connection 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.000 for all of the community in those students in particular. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:48.000 You all know, I believe a place is about the people. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:51.000 When people share their experiences about Western, 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:54.000 they most often talk about the people they connected with, 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:56.000 the individuals who've mentored them, 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:58.000 guide them, taught them, 00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:60.000 and supported their journeys. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:02.000 The strength of the people is why I 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:05.000 wanted to come here and here's why my passion for the success of 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.000 this institution grows every day. 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:10.000 Where will our collective passions for 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.000 Western take us this year? 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:15.000 How will the drive to see students succeed, 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:20.000 motivate all of us? We did some big things last year, some necessary thing, 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:23.000 some hard things, and we're not 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:27.000 done and in many ways we're just getting started. 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:30.000 Here are a few of the main goals I 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:34.000 think we will be focusing on for this academic year. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:39.000 We're going to continue our strategic planning process 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:43.000 as well underway under the leadership of Judy Silver, 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:46.000 people are coming together to give input to 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:48.000 evaluate the previous plan and to 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:51.000 push us into new directions so we can articulate really 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:53.000 what it is we want to do and who we 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:57.000 want to be as an institution. We're going to continue looking at our policies. 00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:60.000 Some of that will come out of the equity assessment process, 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:03.000 but other reviews or policies will come from 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:07.000 individuals who notice issues and problems so that we can address those. 00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:10.000 We're going to implement restructure strategies 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.000 to improve efficiencies and academic affairs, 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:15.000 provost coal is taking the information that 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:17.000 was developed out of the planning process 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:20.000 last time and is starting to think about 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:22.000 the implementation strategies to 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.000 improve academic affairs structurally. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.000 We're going to engage 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:28.000 our external constituents more often. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:32.000 You might wonder what I mean by that exactly. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:35.000 Last year, I had to put a lot of energy into 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:40.000 the campus on-campus in-person here, 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:42.000 and now I think we have a team of 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:45.000 people who are ready to lead and I need 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:47.000 to also put a lot of energy into making 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:51.000 sure that the State understands the power of this place. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.000 A good example of that was 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:55.000 the time I recently spent in Pendleton. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:57.000 People say why you get a Pendleton? 00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:59.000 Well, it was a time where I got to talk to 00:21:59.000 --> 00:21:62.000 the governor three times during that trip, 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:04.000 and talk to her about what I think Western's capable of 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:08.000 and how we're partner in doing great things in Oregon. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.000 It's a time to meet constituencies and alumni and have 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.000 conversations with the other presidents 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:15.000 about strategies for higher education. 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:17.000 Those are the types of things that I 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:20.000 need to do for this institution as well. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:22.000 We're going to strengthen our media footprint and 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:26.000 admission outreach using some new strategies. 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:28.000 Telling the stories is big, 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:32.000 I think you all know that. If you know anybody looking for colleges, 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:35.000 they talk about the things that they see in digital worlds, 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.000 and they're starting younger and younger to 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:40.000 notice institutions and to decide. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.000 I met a guy the other day and he said, 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:44.000 to go to Western." 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:46.000 I said, "She's senior, junior?" 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:48.000 He said, no, she's ten. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:51.000 Which is good to hear, 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:56.000 but she's already thinking about this institution. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:58.000 We want to improve our systems of 00:22:58.000 --> 00:22:60.000 students support and engagement back to 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:02.000 the point about being very deliberate 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.000 about who goes to school here, 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:07.000 what they need, what they've experienced, 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:09.000 and how we can adapt and change in 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:11.000 ways that help them be successful. 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.000 It's important to me, 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:15.000 particularly the first-generation students 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:17.000 as I am one myself. 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:20.000 Implemented recommendations from the equity assessment. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:22.000 The equity assessment, as you know, 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:24.000 is a hard process. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:28.000 It points to things that can be hurtful. 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:30.000 It points us in directions that 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.000 we know we need to address and it can 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:34.000 shatter our security blanket 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:37.000 of thinking that we do things is great. 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:40.000 We do do things great, but we don't always do everything great, 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:42.000 and that's just the way it is for human beings, 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:45.000 and so we have got to be honest 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:48.000 about that and that assessment is pushing us in those directions. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:52.000 One of the most, I guess, 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.000 reassuring things that happened to me was 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.000 when phase one of that assessment was presented to people, 00:23:57.000 --> 00:23:60.000 and some of it was negative about 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.000 how our students and our community experience things. 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:08.000 People were not defensive. They were hurt. 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:18.000 Sorry. I think if 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:20.000 they feel that way emotionally 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.000 Defensiveness is like, oh, 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:26.000 they just don't understand what I'm doing as great. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:30.000 But if you hurt a little bit, you know you can do better. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:33.000 I was so happy to see that reaction. 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:36.000 Then finally, well, there's two more things. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:38.000 We're going to improve our internal system 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:41.000 so we can work more effectively. We need to do things more efficiently, 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:43.000 whether that's through software 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:45.000 or our systems of planning. 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:48.000 We need to be able to move 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:50.000 more in an agile way as we're serving students. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.000 We have some things that are archaic and too slow. 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:56.000 We got to really think about where to invest in how, 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:58.000 and then we're going to build on our strong 00:24:58.000 --> 00:24:60.000 community and energy at Western, 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:03.000 because it's here all the time. You guys know it's here. 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:07.000 It's why you love it and your love for candidates who come here, 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:11.000 talk to me in my officer at dinner about you. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:16.000 They say things about our academic programs, 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:21.000 they say things about our buildings, but they mostly say the people I met are incredible. 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:23.000 The team here is awesome. 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:27.000 It's a testaments and things that you do so very well. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:31.000 Back to my original question. 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:33.000 What sets us apart? 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:35.000 First, let me begin with some specifics that I 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:38.000 think illustrate the answer to the question. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:40.000 Again, these are just a few moments to speak to 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.000 what so many of you do every day. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:48.000 Our HR team has lost initiatives to better engage with 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:52.000 employees across campus building, trust and community. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:54.000 Dynavox has created 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:56.000 financial literacy resources for students. 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:60.000 Rebecca child's work with student organizations to make 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:02.000 sure that they could get a peace pole 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:04.000 established on our campus. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:06.000 Jane Cameron Jensen works to ensure 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:08.000 dining operations meet the needs of our community. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:11.000 Crystal Rose makes sure every student who enters 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:13.000 the Student Health and Counseling Center 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:18.000 feel seen and heard. You all could just cheer whenever we want to, yeah. 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:23.000 Juan Amador makes sure the residence halls are 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.000 always clean and inviting for our students. 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:32.000 Andy Morning stepped up to help logistics for 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:36.000 alumni and donor events when we were short-staffed. 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:39.000 Sac Hammer Lee, this 00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:41.000 was in a lot of press and the students 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:43.000 and the outdoor climbing club helps save 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:45.000 a child's life who is injured during the fall. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:54.000 the men's and women's student athletes to 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:58.000 GNAC indoor track and field championships. 00:26:59.000 --> 00:26:63.000 Coach Kellen Walker led the student athletes to 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:08.000 both the regular season and the GNAC tournament baseball championships. 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:14.000 Our faculty produced over 90 publications 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:18.000 last year while delivering excellent courses. 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:24.000 It's not just that, they also engaged in 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:26.000 professional development and they got students 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:28.000 every day always looking for 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:30.000 new pedagogical solutions to 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:33.000 how they can better serve those students. They talk about it, we hear it. 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:36.000 Those classrooms are amazing. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:45.000 Henry Hughes won the 2023 Sherwin W. Howard Poetry Award. 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:51.000 Melanie Landon-Hays received the Outstanding Contribution 00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:54.000 to Public Awareness Award from AFT-Oregon. 00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:60.000 Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada received 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:03.000 the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:09.000 Jaime Marroqu'n received 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:13.000 the Stanford Humanities Center for External Faculty Fellowship. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:17.000 The WOU Chamber Choir performs 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:24.000 the Oregon State Capitol and many students, 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:27.000 trustees, faculty, and staff engaged in 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:32.000 true lobbying days coordinated by Ricardo Lujan Valerio. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:38.000 Those are just a few people. 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:40.000 Anytime you list people, you know you're leaving 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:43.000 people out because they do amazing things every day. 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:47.000 I'm well aware of that. These employees, along with so many others, 00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:51.000 illustrate the desire to engage with new ideas to break 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:55.000 new ground all while focusing on the students of Western. 00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:58.000 They feed the river in a good way. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:28:61.000 What sets us apart is the fact that we are 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:04.000 student focused at an institution 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:06.000 that believes in the power of diversity 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:10.000 to be a positive transformative force. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:14.000 Let me say it again. You believe in the power of 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:18.000 diversity to be a positive and transformative force. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:21.000 Diversity of ideas, diversity of 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:23.000 experience, diversity of body, 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:25.000 diversity of opinion, diversity of 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:27.000 identity, diversity of philosophy. 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:29.000 We know that an institution of 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:33.000 higher education provides opportunity for students. 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:35.000 It allows them access to 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:37.000 degrees that lead to career pathways, 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:40.000 but it is not only about career. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:43.000 A university is a place of learning. 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:46.000 Students don't come to Western simply to get jobs. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:48.000 They come here to learn things. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:56.000 The best learning environments in 00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:59.000 the world are the ones that encourage and hone 00:29:59.000 --> 00:29:62.000 critical thinking skills that demand innovative thinking, 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:04.000 that demonstrate collaboration, 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:07.000 that develop communication skills. 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:10.000 Because of our diversity, because of our commitment to being 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:12.000 open and inclusive as we educate, 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:14.000 this institution is poised to set 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:18.000 some new standards and to lead in innovative ways. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:20.000 I say that knowing we have much work to 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:23.000 do and I know we won't always get things right, 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:25.000 but that won't stop us from trying to 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:27.000 be better and to do better. 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:33.000 Again, we're powered by place and were run by people, 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:36.000 traveling a river we maintain together. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.000 We're going to be letting the whole world 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:41.000 know about that, believe me. 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:43.000 Recently, a big university that you might 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:46.000 be familiar with let us know 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:48.000 that they are a bit uncomfortable with 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:51.000 the emerging narrative that 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:54.000 the regionals are the places serving first-generation, 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:56.000 low-income, and students of 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:59.000 color a personalized service and community. 00:30:59.000 --> 00:30:62.000 Well, they can stay uncomfortable. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:13.000 We're going to be who we are. 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:16.000 We're going to tell our story to more people more often. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.000 We're going to work to improve how we 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:20.000 serve all of our students. 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:23.000 We're going to be proud of the work we do, 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:26.000 proud of each other, and proud of our graduates, 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:28.000 and those graduates will 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:31.000 continue to be the leaders in this state, 00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:33.000 in this region, in this country, 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:35.000 and in this world. 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:38.000 In community with kindness and respect, 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:55.000 we are WOU. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:05.000 Thanks. 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:07.000 We have some time for questions, and then after that, 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:09.000 we have a nice reception in 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:11.000 the Pacific room where we can mingle together, 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:14.000 have more questions, more conversation. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:17.000 I'll just open it up if there are any, 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:21.000 and we have Brittany and Evan have microphones. 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:24.000 It's important for us to use the microphone if you have a question so that 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:28.000 we can make sure people can hear it on recordings. 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:33.000 Or we can just start eating too. 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:47.000 Jackson, 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:54.000 standing between us and some refreshment. I don't know. 00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:61.000 As we go to enjoy our refreshments and drinks, 00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:04.000 please make sure that we thank the staff who worked very hard and was 00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:06.000 unable to attend this event so we 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:08.000 can celebrate together afterwards. 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:19.000 Please get them a round of applause. 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:21.000 Alright, thank you all for coming. 00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:24.000 As Dion say, where's my theme music? 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:26.000 I don't know if I have any, though. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:29.000 But please let's all 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:31.000 walk together over to the Pacific room and 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:33.000 join with each other and community and 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:35.000 kindness and friendship and 00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:38.000 talk about the good things to come. Thank you very much for being here. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:43.000 applause & music