32 Comments Add your own

• 1. Ann Wunderlin  |  January 11th, 2007 at 6:35 am

  As an analyst for the university for nearly 10 years, I have seen how important good information is in providing students with the best experience possible. I currently work in the Enterprise Data Warehouse group. Through the collection and dissemination of historic and current data across campus domains, our mission is to help the university better understand itself to make informed strategic decisions. The opportunity for discovery is enormous and I am excited for the potential this brings to the university.

• 2. Horacio de la Iglesia  |  January 11th, 2007 at 6:47 am

  It would be great to be able to have a printer-friendly version of the vision and statement of values, so we can post it in our labs/offices.
  Horacio

• 3. Monika Zier  |  January 11th, 2007 at 7:34 am

  Working in finance finding ways for, all UW Departments that do business with each other, all of our indifidual software programes to integrate with each other. Find a common field to share that will steamline and accuratly process financial data. The Finacial Desk Top created for Bar informtiontion is a good example.

• 4. Elizabeth Campbell  |  January 11th, 2007 at 8:08 am

  The vision thing is all well and good, but consistently the UW has failed to address the fact that in both its employee and student populations there is a fairly substantial “older” contingent of individuals. Their interests and needs remain unaddressed to this day. Their needs have been sacrificed to the altar of youth, as if this whole institution should upend itself and give approbation to every desire that the young could wish, or, that the administration could dream up to give them.

  I for one of disgusted and tired of this attitude, and as a student, I am demanding that the UW give resources to those that are so called “non-traditional” students, which would include an office level acknowledgement, much the same as “the office of minority affairs”, and a budgetary line item.

• 5. Travis Boyd  |  January 11th, 2007 at 9:24 am

  In response to the discovery theme of this forum, as a student at UW I have discovered the historical event of the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth to be the most influential event in the history of the world and in my life personally. He authoritively taught on how we ought to live, focusing on loving God and one another as our true “mission.” Also, I personally discovered that I’m simply unable to live up to the standard that Jesus set and continually fall short by loving myself over my heighbor at their expense. Lastly, I have discovered that the evidence is (surprisingly) overwhelmingly in favor of the bodily resurrection of Jesus which necessarily leads to a judgement of our lives according to Jesus’ teaching (which both you and I have fallen short of), which ultimately leads to our dependance on Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation of our souls.

• 6. Dewey Loyd  |  January 11th, 2007 at 9:39 am

  Discovery is that moment when our minds grasp an idea, concept, or the light just comes on. I’ve worked in this system for 20 years and have discovered that when you are around a individual when the light comes on it’s a rewarding part of our lives as students, teachers and humans in general. We thrive on discovery, that is why we are here.

• 7. Yecelica Valdivia  |  January 11th, 2007 at 9:55 am

  I think it interesting how “discovering” excludes people of color as well as other traditionally marginalized individuals. The vision statement exaggerates the so-called “diverse student body.” Also, “discovering” does not only take place within such fields as engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science, traditionally “hard” sciences but also within Women Studies, Anthropology, American Ethnic Studies. I don’t agree with the traditional view that the only “discovering” that can occur or that does occur on this campus are within the sciences.

  Although “Discovery is at the heart of the university,” it’s at the expense of connections with students and staff and faculty. Faculty are incredibly preoccupied with “discovering” and becoming tenured, we, the students, are left out in the process. Colleges and universities are supposed to encourage and breed new thought and knowledge. Faculty is preoccupied and so are students with work (to pay for college), wanting to graduate just so they can get their degree (because who really cares as long as you have this piece of paper?), and life. I’m straying a little but students’ lives factor into this as well.

  I think “discovering” is at this heart of this institution simply because it is a research center not because (and perhaps I’m making a deadly generalization) students are here to truly learn and becuase they want to but because society told them that their worth and future sucess lies in a diploma. But I’m not here for this reason…

• 8. Tony Chang  |  January 11th, 2007 at 10:31 am

  Discovery is the process which leads to self transformation and for many individuals discovery starts here at the University of Washington.

• 9. Maura O'Neill  |  January 11th, 2007 at 10:58 am

  Having returned to the UW mid-career to work on a PhD I am continually in awe of the breadth and depth of the discovery at the UW. I just wish the world outside of each department and outside of the academy had easier ways to learn and benefit from the cutting edge discoveries in all departments sooner.

• 10. Gordon Watts  |  January 11th, 2007 at 11:18 am

  Discovery, for me, is science. We know so little about the world around us — the matter that makes up the table, the chair, this computer, paper is only 5% of the universe as a whole. What is the other 95%? We have no idea! We’ll probably figure that out in the next 10-20 years. That discovery is exciting and I’m looking forward to UW being a full partner in that with the rest of the world’s scientific community.

• 11. Susan Matt  |  January 11th, 2007 at 11:28 am

  I am a firm believer in strategic planning, visioning, and sharing core values and mission statements with the UW community. While I think the words and superficial meanings of the vision and values are wonderful, I think the critical task that faces this university is assisting the students who might not be able to discover as easily as others. I have never needed this kind of help, but I know of several undergraduate students who are struggling in an environment that does not value the individual student and seems to expect everyone to be able to thrive in this large, impersonal atmosphere where students are numbers, lost in large classes where TAs are not interested in their success.

  Of my 4 children who attended the UW, only 1 has so far been able to navigate the bureaucracy and graduate. Two others transferred elsewhere and one is still struggling as a sophomore, perhaps for the last quarter.

  Bigger is not always better. Perhaps if we are inviting a “diverse” student body, we need to focus on making it possible for all of these students to succeed.

• 12. Nathan Dors  |  January 11th, 2007 at 12:16 pm

  I’d describe discovery as the movement of inspiration through doubt into action; it pursues questions like: can this be done? where does this idea go? does this route lead to greater awareness? Discovery spans scientific and artistic disciplines and builds on itself. We call it a process because, regrettably, the results aren’t guaranteed and we’d like something to show for our efforts.

  Discovery, in this expansive sense, was present in recent demo of a principal investigator at the UW logging in to the National Science Foundation’s “Fastlane” online grant system using local UW NetID log-in credentials. (Learn more here.) A minor discovery, perhaps, but one at the forefront of discoveries involving trust and “inter-federation” of online identities between higher education and government. And isn’t the forefront of discoveries, of all types, where we want the UW to be?

• 13. Phyllis Ying  |  January 11th, 2007 at 12:59 pm

  Discovery IS the heart of this university, not because we are youth-oriented, not because there are students attending classes, and most certainly not because we are a research institution. We are a community of individuals who are exist and interact with one another; in this situation lies a million possibilities for discovery each and every day.

  For me, discovery is the realization that one’s own perspective survives only within oneself; any experience that is broadening beyond your current state is an act of discovery. Thus, finding out about your own limitations and horizons is discovery, having a conversation is discovery, taking a walk in the in the medicinal herb garden is discovery. There is very little that does not fall under the category of discovery.

  Discovery is the driving force in our lives: we strive to understand one another, the world around us, and ourselves. We wake up each morning with the expectation that this new day will be utterly and completely different from all days that have existed, and all days that will ever exist. It contains the possibility of an infinite number of experiences, or, acts of discovery. To say that discovery is not the heart of this university, or any other institution or group for that matter, would be untrue.

• 14. Deborah Vickers  |  January 11th, 2007 at 2:42 pm

  I have discovered a number of things since I began at UW. I feel privileged to be a doctoral student in an institution which offers me so many diferent opportunities to learn from some of the best minds in the country. I could be happy just attending the multitude of workshops, seminars, and guest speakers, which I usually have to miss due to class conflicts. Classes are fascinating because of the diverse backgrounds and points of view offered by the students who I am proud to call my colleagues.

  I have discovered situations at UW that also present opportunities for further consideration, growth, and change. One of the goals of UW is a diverse campus. However, I have concerns that the student body seems to be more diverse than the faculty. I believe it is important for students of color to have faculty members of color with whom to work.and by whom they can be mentored. This is something that white people take for granted because we have always had this privilege. It is also important for white students to be taught by faculty of color as it allows us to understand the topics under study from different perspectives than we would receive from faculty who are speaking from positions of privilege and power. I won’t even begin to discuss the disproportionate number of tenured faculty of color and the lack of female faculty in many disciplines. This is a serious issue that must be given attention if UW is to offer a truly diverse experience for all students.

  I have also discovered that science is not just an empirical experience but also incorporates other ways of knowing and researching that are “discovered”, using feminist and critical theory in their project designs. Unfortunately, the message is passed on to students, both directly and indirectly, that empirical science is what matters most. - is the only true science. I agree that empirical research is very important yet our lives would be very different if the information we have received through other forms of research were suddenly lost to us. Only then would we realize how important are the contributions made by interpretive and action research designs. It saddens me to hear colleagues say that they want to get out of research because what they are interested in studying won’t be easily funded because it is not empirical in design. This is an archaic way of thinking about research and science and a school of UW’s caliber should be at the forefront in changing these archaic attitudes towards research in this country.

• 15. Scott Macklin  |  January 11th, 2007 at 4:14 pm

  I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Worlds Apart HeARTS Together project. This project brought together faculty, students and staff from the College of Education, Comparative History of Ideas (CHID) and the School of Social Work; teachers and students from Washington Middle School; community organizations, including: the Book-IT Repertory Theater Company, Bridges to Understanding, and the Amy Biehl Foundation; students from South Africa; and Desmond Tutu. The project joined eighth grade students from Washington Middle School with peers from Cape Town, South Africa for three weeks of intercultural dialogue, dramatization, writing, listening and performing arts. Desmond Tutu spoke to an all school assembly to kick off the project encouraging compassion and understanding as students began the work of engaging in dialogue around race and equity in their lives. Tutu told the students, “The world needs to know that we are different from each other NOT in order to live apart, but in order to live in a complimentary fashion together.�?

  You can watch a video of the project in action at:

  http://medea.educ.washington.edu/qtmedia/waht.mp4

• 16. Eric  |  January 11th, 2007 at 6:09 pm

  Well, there’s 5 minutes out of my life I’ll never get back.

  A few questions:
  1) How much is this costing and who is paying for it?

  2) These statements apply just as generally to any other Tier I Research University, and the “unique” UW assignations (integrity, diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation, respect)? I don’t think that word means what you think it means. I dare say that if one were to assert that UCLA lacked integrity, diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation, and respect, one might invite upon oneself a libel suit.

  3) Are these assertions even true, or are they actually goals?

  I fail to see how this process might affect my experience in the slightest. I’ve been here five years without a mission statement and I can’t say that I’ve missed having one. I still manage to innovate respectfully with excellently diverse collaborators, all with the utmost integrity. Why would I need a silly blurb on my letterhead to remind me to do so?

• 17. Samantha St. John  |  January 11th, 2007 at 9:22 pm

  I am a student at the University of Washington, but I attend the Bothell campus. I’m not sure if this forum is only for UW Seattle students, but I’m going to share my two cents anyway.

  First, I would like to bring to some people’s attention that the Bothell campus exists. I read an earlier posting that expresses someone’s concern about the UW’s large and impersonal atmosphere. I would like to be the first to say that UW offers a very personal learning atmosphere at its satellite campuses. At UW Bothell there are no T.A.’s, and the students receive a lot of personal attention from the professors due to the small class sizes. For those of you who like the UW, but dislike the large setting, make sure you take a look at UW Bothell or UW Tacoma before giving up on the UW all together.

  Now on to discovery. As a senior at UW Bothell, I have had a lot of time to take interesting courses and learn many great things in several different areas of discipline. My entire college experience has been all about discovery. I am so thankful to have had such a wonderful opportunity to attend such a great institution. As a student in the IAS program, I have had an opportunity to take courses that have stimulated my mind in ways that I had not thought possible. By taking courses that have challenged me in many ways, I have discovered that I can achieve success in several areas. This has led me to discover my true potential, and has pushed me to strive for excellence in everything that I do in life.

• 18. Beth Berner  |  January 12th, 2007 at 12:26 am

  One of the I discoveries I made during my years at the UW was that kindness still exists, and grab it where you can find it. All noble ideals of diversity and integrity and what all else pretty much remain simply that–noble ideals.

  I discovered that some scientists seemed capable of sacrificing their own flesh-and-blood for a hot new discovery. I discovered that intolerance is alive and kicking.

  I discovered the UW is not nearly as good a university as it thinks it is.

• 19. Brian Tyl  |  January 12th, 2007 at 5:48 am

  Discovery is continually challenging yourself to achieve your intellectually creative potential while ehancing others lives to reach their potential. The challenge for UW leadership is discovering who we are - our collective identity. Are we courageous enough to specifically define UW values and charge on a path to honor and reward those values OR are we destine to languish as intellectually isolated mircocosms hidden in offices and labs throughout the UW? In 10 years how do we “discover” success at UW, hopefully by the happiness and enrichment of the people who have shared their lives with UW. Although this happiness and enrichment cannot be measured like grant dollars or number of new buildings on campus, it is a palpable feeling that you and others will feel, one way or another, every day we step on campus.

• 20. John Nelson  |  January 12th, 2007 at 7:46 am

  Discovery stems from inquiry. Inquiry stems from free and open discussion. Free and open discussion stems from the lively debate and exchange of ideas. If the free and open discussion of ideas is subverted by “political correctness”, as it sometimes is, then “uniquely Washington” will have a negative connotation. The University should eschew dominance by liberal orthodoxy.

• 21. Wendy Condiotty  |  January 12th, 2007 at 8:53 am

  I have discovered for the first time in my work life that I am not really part of a team. I am just a lowly employee. For most of us Classified workers, our last raise amounted to $1.50. Actually, some employees were left with a negative “increase.”
  You seem to need every last penny I make. That is an indication of the highest and most insidious form of greed. You value me so little that it is an embarrassing reflection on you! This University can NEVER succeed with that kind of mentality!

• 22. Shiboney Dumo  |  January 12th, 2007 at 11:45 am

  Discovery - is the reason Science was invented. History tells us that most scientist, physicist, alchemist, psychologist and doctors was not equiped with the knowledge that we have now, but they discovered facinating things.
  Ideas is where discovery starts. It fuels a person to research, find out and develop a way to solve the problem. This is the reason why Newton made Calculus.
  For a student to discover, the lessons (science or not) should be taught using current technology not rediscovering “gravity” every quarter. I think this is a waste of money for the student and the school because this information is “dicoverable” if needed.
  For example Chemistry is easier to digest if we are taught the specs on the food we eat. Physics is easier if the lab was a collaborative project that applies what is learn every week.
  Math - is math, there is nothing to discover there but when applied to Physics or Chemistry, it become another ball game. It is not as simple as finding the unknown, but knowing which concepts to apply to find the unknown. There are technologies out there that are not being used because it is not taught. For example my calculator can do standard deviation without me trying to figure it out manually!
  Discovery has a broad meaning, but for the university I think it should be teaching the students new ideas and not so much the old.

• 23. Ryan Jense, MD  |  January 12th, 2007 at 11:50 am

  As a graduate of UW School of Medicine and more recently their Anesthesiology program, I have developed a great appeciation for the system’s dedication to excellence and intellectual growth. My experience as a student and educator has afforded me the opportunity to utilize a vast array of cutting-edge technologies, but more importantly to interact with a huge diversity of people from our local community and around the world.

  I want to believe that we are amidst an evolution of sorts - an evolution of consciousness - globally, as a country, and in our UW microenvirnoment. Through the help of technology and a large amount of human and financial resources, the world is becoming a smaller and smaller place. I believe that we are only beginning to realize our individual importance as a University, and the ways in which we can affect the global population in a positive way.

  Our evolving dedication to global humanity has begun to manifest itself in many ways throughout the campus. The undergraduate school has had several gatherings over this past year with its culmination when Dr. Paul Farmer addressed the campus on the importance of reaching out to those in need - even in the smallest of ways. Moreover, the School of Medicine has expanded its rural health mission to now reach globally through dedicated programs such as the International Health Opportunities Program (IHOP) and the International Medical Student Exchange (IMSE) program. Now, with the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the department of Global Health is beginning to spread its wings. Hopefully this will result in the rethinking of our residency programs, and eventually lead to a systemic dedication to global health on the residency and fellowship levels. We are all priveledged to be a part of the University of Washington at this time, and we should all look forward to seeing what we will acheive in the future.

• 24. Jenn Dougherty  |  January 16th, 2007 at 11:08 am

  I also agree it would be nice to have a pdf of the Values to post.

  Discovery is realizing that we are more effective in impacting society when we work together. This can be across disciplines, across cultures, across genders. Discovery is about stepping out of the subjective and into the common good.

• 25. Edwin Loftus  |  January 16th, 2007 at 1:33 pm

  I’m not sure what I’ve discovered at the UW. I have found that it spreads from the President’s office down, but fortunately, it seems to have become diluted by the time it reaches the lower ranks. I think that a part of the deep-rooted corruption beneath the facade of caring and enlightenment is the result of individuals that are in way beyond their depth. I’ve encountered administrative officers employing Machiavellian pragmatism without even knowing who Machiavelli was or what he actually advocated. I’ve seen the high offices of the University engage in lying and cover-ups. I’ve seen them condone and defend discriminatory policies without the least care for the human beings they were damaging and then every few months they come out with another of these “feel-good” campaigns. I suspect that the number of “feel-good” campaigns and socially responsible reminders to ‘treat each other with respect’ they put out is directly effected by the failure of too much of the administration to actually care about these issues other than in how it effects their own continued employment and material advancement.

  My pet peave is Administrative Policy Statement 46.3. It’s the discrimination complaint system for University employees. It allows an employee to make unlimited numbers of false accusations against their co-workers with no fear of limitation or consequences. In fact, having made a false complaint, an employee is then wrapped in a blanket of protection against retaliation in which they can get away with all of the minor to moderate infractions they can get away with. For three thousand years every developed culture in history has understood that if you set up a system for accusing others without a protection against abuse, it will lead to abuse of the system as the unscrupulous use it to strike out at their peers … over and over and over again.

  Whether you look into contemporary systems or ancient ones, you will have a hard time finding a complaint system that isn’t covered by such a protection, but here at the great and enlightened University of Washington they have DISCOVERED that such concerns are no longer necessary and by golly! no one’s going to tell these geniuses differently. Now there’s a discovery for you!

• 26. Marios Pavlides, Mathematician  |  January 17th, 2007 at 2:36 am

  Discovery, at the University Level, entails two mandatory components:

  1. Excellence in Research: whether that is in Medicine, the Arts, Economy, Technology, the Social and the Natural Sciences. The University of Washington is a large community of bright, nation–wide successful and established Academic body.

  2. Excellence in Teaching: The role of Mentor and Teacher is the highest role of respect and responsibility an Instructor holds under our University. Discovery and Progress in the way we live can only continue in years to come if we are able to give the best to our students; inspire them and motivate them to love the Science we teach. It is our responsibility to stick to Equal Opportunity, Ethics and Scholarly Integrity: Values that make an Educational Institution proud, concrete and a Paradigm in our society.

  “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.'’ ~Mark Van Doren

  I would like to humbly thank Provost Wise for making this Forum available to us — The University of Washington community.

• 27. Steve Lajoie  |  January 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 pm

  I’ve attended a number of universities, and by far the University of Washington is the most beautiful, the friendliest, the most ethical, and has the most competent instructors of any I’ve ever attended. I love being on campus, it has such an exciting atmosphere! While other institutions have left me scratching my head on certain subjects, there has been “discovery” here, or rather, enlightenment. While other institutions had instances I’ve observed were students were treated badly with no recourse, here students seem to have so much opportunity for recourse that the grievance system can and has been abused. Where other institutions humiliate students, the UW welcomes and values students – perhaps too much so!

  I don’t understand the post about the UW lacking diversity. I let it slip that I am a registered member of a Native American tribe, and I’ve been bombarded with opportunities and outreach, so much so I’ve been embarrassed by the special attention just because of ‘race’. My observation is that the UW accommodates diversity to a fault. As a non-traditional older student who has seen my half century mark come and go, I’d like to say that I have never been treated any different than a student of traditional age.

  I love the UW. I could be a student here until I die.

• 28. Mehmet Sarikaya  |  February 6th, 2007 at 1:59 am

  When the universities were started many centuries ago, they not only meant as institutions for learning natural sciences and arts, but also for bringing these human endeavors to the general public, in ways that could be understood by any lay person. After teaching 22 years and doing state-of-the art research at the UW, what satifies me most is giving a lecture at a local Rotary Club or a high school, and receiving incredibly smart and meaningful questions. This, more than anything, keeps me going and makes me to learn and do more.

• 29. Suzanne Reeve  |  February 6th, 2007 at 4:40 pm

  I don’t know that I have specific comments to add to the “discovery” or “being public” threads, but want to say I think that the use of streaming video, e-mail alerts to all students, and the availability of an open discussion board are great ideas for getting feedback and starting conversation about important issues on campus. Good ideas!

• 30. Christine Ingebritsen  |  February 7th, 2007 at 11:29 am

  Discovery is uncovering a landmark paper, “On the Influence of Carbonic Acid in the Air upon the Temperature of the Ground” presented in 1896 by Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius on greenhouse effects. And learning this from a UW colleague in Atmospheric Sciences…

  Research quarters foster discovery and scholarship.

• 31. Karen Dvornich  |  February 8th, 2007 at 3:28 pm

  My first discovery at the UW in 1991 was that scientists didn’t know as much as I thought they did about our fish, wildlife, plants, and insects, and biodiversity in general.

  My second discovery was that there was a wealth of knowledge outside the university walls that was waiting to be accessed, yet ignored because public data did not have the rigor of expert data. Imagine the discussions among scientists when 4th grade students and their “adopted” farmers proved them wrong in their assumptions that the Short-horned lizard did not exist in farm lands.
  (http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/projects/index.html)

  Imagine these 4th grade students presenting at scientific conferences explaining their research and using technological tools “too advanced” for elementary students.

  Discovery is more than going into a classroom or a nature center or to a county’s Open Space planning session to educate the public and planners about new research at the UW. It is also asking the public for help in applying our research so they can discover how exciting it can be to learn how to monitor nature in their own backyards or for a county designated biodiversity area.

• 32. Helen Powell  |  June 1st, 2007 at 7:26 am

  Discovery is important to the University community, but I would like to point out that when discovery is mentioned, the conversation refers to “faculty and students” and leaves out the important reference to contributions, innovations, and discoveries made by staff members. To feel fully included in the mission and values of the University I would like to see staff included when innovations are mentioned.

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