Area Report for Board of Trustees

Core Theme 1: ACCESS, Reduce Barriers and close equity gaps to access for all community members;  Core Theme 2: STUDENT LEARNING, Increase educational success, collaborate to improve & Core Theme 2: STUDENT LEARNING, Increase educational success, collaborate to improve

• Global Programs team hosted a very successful International Education Week 2024 during the week of November 18^th.  Among the various workshops and activities, the Kenyan Student Experience, A Taste of Kenya, and Journey through Cambodia were showcased.  In addition, the Week also featured a couple workshops on the Vietnam War history to primarily prepare our faculty and staff participants for the upcoming Experiential Learning to Vietnam program.
• Our second study abroad program, Cultural Conservation through HOST to Indonesia, is beginning to take shape.  As part of the IDEAS grant (U.S. Department of State), three of our faculty (Justin Taillon, Ahmed Fahad, and Samad Chakour) will be visiting Jakarta, Indonesia in February 2025 to prepare for the study abroad student group.

Core Theme 3: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: Create a more inclusive working environment and a more valued, visible relationship with communities we serve

• Public Safety continues to provide free steering wheel locks to students, staff and community members. The office has provided 20 steering wheel locks in the last month to help provide defense against rising vehicle thefts in Washington State.
• As part of our on-going campus infrastructure planning, the Welcome Center Planning Committee (B-16), consisting of faculty and staff representatives, met on November 25^th to discuss the future Welcome Center potential locations and corresponding challenges. We are expecting the Welcome Center to be funded for construction beginning in the 2027-29 biennium.

Core Theme 4: CULTURE & CAPACITY: Promote a campus culture which fosters equity and inclusivity supporting employee growth and development, and institutional capacity for transformation

• Public Safety officers attended a day-long traffic control training course on November 19^th to receive their Washington State flagger certification. The course curriculum was customized to the campus environment with specialized training for directing traffic in roundabouts and parking lots. The training provided officers with the tools they need to direct traffic during high traffic hours, emergency evacuations and special events.
• Francesca Fender, Associate Director of Public Safety & Emergency Management, attended a three-day training for the Clery Act, a federal law focuses on the transparency of crimes that occur on campus. The training covered topics such as collecting crime statistics, identifying employees who are Campus Security Authorities, and preparing the Annual Security Report.
• It is my great pleasure to announce a new addition to the Purchasing Office. Mary Bickford joined our team as Procurement Specialist on October 16^th.  She had previously worked as a division administrative support staff within Academic Affairs.  In her role as Procurement Specialist, Mary will help to increase capacity, allowing for the more efficient and timely processing of purchase orders.
• It is also my great pleasure to announce the appointment of Mina Vo as Interim Global Program Manager.  Mina had previously worked as our HR Generalist.  In her new role, she is responsible for managing and supporting our various global education initiatives, including study abroad programs and international student outreach efforts, in collaboration with the International Student Programs.

Fiscal & Budget

Washington State budget forecast is projected to hit a $10 billion deficit over the next four years. On December 2^nd, Governor Inslee directed agencies under his authority to implement several cost-saving measures, including a hiring freeze.  His directive currently does not affect (apply to) institutions of higher learning.  However, OFM is advising for similar actions from higher education institutions and other independent agencies.

Report submitted by Vice President of Administrative Services, Dr. Michael Pham