April 7, 2009 -- Budget Update

Colleagues:

Just a brief note on what remains a very fluid budget situation.  Really, there are just two points I want to share:

First, please know that you are being heard.  Elected leaders are telling us that the advice, comments, and concerns coming from alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and leaders across the state are having an effect.

Just what the effect might turn out to be remains very unclear.  And, that leads to my second point.  Even as our elected officials are reporting the preliminary import of what you have been communicating, they even more vehemently stress “the need to keep the heat on us.”  They want that pressure.  Please do consider your continuing involvement.

Thanks to so many who are rallying around to protect our state`s investment in better futures -- you are having an impact.  But, as we have already seen this year, the picture can change over night.  So, I hesitated to even send a message hinting at progress for fear folks might relax a bit and not stay engaged in trying to shape better outcomes. 

The only way we will actually realize the progress possibly made to date is if we continue to fight as though the future of our State depends upon it.  It does.

Contact information for elected officials key to outcomes for higher education and Western Washington University can be found at Speak Out for Western.   

Legislators have told me that the concerns that resonate most strongly with them are:

1) the real costs to students because class shortages will delay their graduation,

2) reductions in access (Senate estimates 10,000 fewer students under their budget), and

3) problems for Washington`s competitiveness as the economy turns around because other states are not cutting higher education anything like what Washington is proposing. 

When and if you contact elected officials, please keep in mind that these are good people working in difficult times, dedicated public servants motivated, as are we, by trying to figure out what is best for our state.

I will remind you that state resources may not be used to influence legislation and this includes use of your wwu.edu email address.  (And, since several have asked:  please note, while I -- or you -- can share facts and ask others to be engaged, we cannot and I have not advocated any particular position when writing to you using a wwu.edu account.)

Thanks much for all you are doing,

Bruce