It’s an ag dean’s dream. Washington State University’s Common Reading Program for the year has the entire campus and much of the state and nation talking about food and agriculture. What better way to highlight the cutting-edge science, research, teaching and outreach of Washington’s land-grant university and, at the same time, help to educate our […]
In the midst of all of the negative publicity around potential budget reductions, it is important to celebrate our successes and the outstanding work that goes on day in and day out in our college. April 2-3 was Mom’s Weekend on the Pullman campus, and no event is better at showcasing the tremendous quality and […]
Recent news concerning the state’s budget situation, and its impact on WSU, has not been encouraging. Several developments transpired last week, including a new preliminary state budget forecast, legislative testimony by WSU administrators, and the expected rumors and responses both within and outside WSU. Hopefully, this update will reduce some of the confusion and fill […]
Standing at the juncture of agriculture and higher education, I noted with interest the release of the Washington Department of Agriculture’s report on The Future of Farming, entitled “Washington Agriculture: Strategic Plan 2020 and Beyond.” The complete report, all 100 pages of it, is available here.
As you may know, the Washington State Senate requested that WSU provide an estimate of the impacts of a 12 and 18 percent budget reduction to the university’s 2009-11 biennial budget. Last Friday, every college turned in their scenarios of how they would meet 12 and 20 percent budget reductions. Non-academic units completed the same […]
I’m pleased to report that CAHNRS design majors continue to excel. DesignIntelligence recently released its 2009 list of best interior design schools and, for the first time, Washington State University’s graduate program in interior design, based at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute in Spokane, was ranked among the nation’s best. DesignIntelligence is a bimonthly journal for […]
As I am certain you are aware, more important budget news that could have significant implications for WSU and CAHNRS in the next biennium came out of the Legislature in Olympia late last week. In the interest of communicating as clearly and consistently as possible about how CAHNRS will approach the budget challenges ahead, I […]
Recent weeks have been filled with important budget news for the state, WSU, and CAHNRS. As I noted in my message to CAHNRS faculty and staff just before Thanksgiving, I will communicate as clearly and consistently as possible about how we as a college will approach the budget challenges ahead. Given recent news, it’s a […]
You’ve seen the headlines and the messages from President Floyd and our state officials. We find ourselves in one of the most difficult economic situations in our country’s history; in Washington State, we face an estimated $6 billion hole in the state budget for the next biennium. As an economist, I can tell you that […]
Recently, the organization Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) issued an analysis of the 2009 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, also known as the Farm Bill. The organization focuses on government waste of tax payers’ money, a laudable form of activism.