PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University President V. Lane Rawlins has announced the establishment of a Commission on Race and Ethnicity at the university and has called for nominations of faculty, students and staff to serve on it.
The commission will serve as a forum for communicating issues, ideas and proposals on minority affairs to the university president, provost, vice president for student affairs, vice provost for equity and diversity and other executive officers. Members will advise university administrators on matters related to the advancement of faculty, staff and students of color.
The commission will also help develop and implement programs and procedures to increase opportunities for professional and personal success of people of color at WSU. Commission members will hold public meetings on campus during the fall and spring semesters and provide feedback to the president, executive officers and the university community.
Eleven members will serve on the commission — two undergraduate students, two graduate or professional students, one administrative professional employee, one classified staff member, two faculty members, one dean, one representative of the Pullman business community and one representative of the Pullman school system.
Student members will serve one-year terms with the option of a second year. All other terms will be three years. The vice provost for equity and diversity and the vice president for student affairs will be ex officio members.
All WSU Pullman faculty, staff and students are eligible to serve. Similar groups are being established at WSU’s urban campuses and will report to the respective chancellors.
Faculty nominations, including self-nominations, can be sent to Tom Brigham, executive secretary of the Faculty Senate. Administrative professional nominations should be sent to Elissa Keim, A/P Council chair. Classified staff members may send nominations to Kathylu Szabo, president of Local 1066, Washington Federation of State Employees. Graduate and professional student nominations should be submitted to Lisa Williams, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association. Undergraduate representative nominations can be submitted to either Brian Chu, chair of the Council of Multicultural Student Presidents, or Jesse Aspuria, president of the Associated Students of WSU.
Nominations are due at the respective organizations by April 12, and candidate selections must be forwarded to the president by April 19.
