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• Mark A. Emmert
  President
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  Special Counsel to the President
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  Address: 301 Gerberding Hall
  Box 351230
  Seattle, WA 98195
  Phone: 206-543-5010
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Dear students, faculty and staff:

Over the weekend, the Legislature completed the unenviable task of writing and passing a biennial budget during the worst economic period in decades. Any budget that must bridge a biennial shortfall of $9 billion is bound to please no one and to result in serious consequences for the state.

For the University of Washington, the resulting budget decisions are dramatic. The bad news is that the Legislature decided to reduce state funding to the six public four-year college and universities more than any other sector in state government. The University of Washington received the highest percentage cut in all of higher education-26 percent. This is a stark and sobering number.

Read more

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

By now most of you have heard about the potential need to increase tuition because of the severe cuts in our state support. I am writing to clarify why this may need to happen and to explain the potential impacts.

Nobody, certainly not me, likes to raise tuition. We support a significant increase only because of the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves. The proposed cuts to higher education in our state are enormous, ranging from 23 percent in the Senate’s proposal to 31 percent in the House’s. Reductions of this magnitude would eliminate 10,000 student openings across higher education in the state, while at the same time significantly increasing the time it takes for students to receive their degrees. Instead of graduating on time, students would have to stay—and pay tuition for—an extra quarter or two to get the classes they need to graduate. Moreover, without some partial relief, these cuts would greatly diminish the quality of the educational experience at the UW. There would be larger classes, fewer courses offered, and fewer support services available to students, including advising.

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Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students:

All members of the University of Washington Bothell community are invited to join me on Tuesday, April 14, for a town hall meeting on the University’s current budget situation. This meeting is an opportunity to discuss where we are in the state budget process, the implications of pending budget cuts, and our priorities and strategies as we move into the next biennium.

The meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. and will include a question-and-answer session. For those of you unable to attend, you may submit your questions in advance.

• When: Tuesday, April 14, 2009
• Where: North Creek Events Center
• Time: 10:30 a.m.

I hope you will join me and participate in this important conversation.

Sincerely yours,
Mark A. Emmert
President

UW President Mark Emmert talks about the 2009 Legislative session and challenges the state and higher education face in this time of economic turmoil. Watch the video »

For nearly 30 years before returning to my home state, I took great pride in watching Washington emerge as a leader in technology, global trade and innovation. I often bragged about the way our state had jumped on the opportunities of the knowledge economy and about how progressive it was in providing its people with the chance to get ahead, especially through higher education, just as I had. I was an unabashed promoter of my home state’s ethos and culture of opportunity.

Fast-forward five years and I find it hard to recognize those same values and culture in the budget proposals in our state Legislature right now, especially regarding their treatment of higher education.

• Read the full column at SeattleTimes.com »