Regents OK medical college plan, Murrow reorganization

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State University Board of Regents today approved a faculty practice plan creating a non-profit entity to employ health care practitioners who hold adjunct faculty appointments in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine as well as a motion to create three new departments within the Murrow College of Communication.

In a regularly scheduled meeting in Seattle, the Regents approved a plan creating an organizational structure for the new medical college intended to allow for the recruitment and retention of the highest quality faculty to deliver clinical services while providing community-based clinical education to students.

The plan would create an independent 501(c)(3) to bill and collect all revenues for professional services and create a competitive, incentive-based compensation structure for faculty practitioners. WSU will enter into operating agreements with the new entity for the use of administrative and teaching services and the clinical service revenues will be used to support the operations of the College of Medicine.

The Regents also approved a recommendation to establish three departments within the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, reflecting changes to the college’s degree programs approved in an earlier Regent’s action. In that prior action, Regent’s approved replacing the Bachelor of Arts in Communications with three separate degrees – Strategic Communications, Communication in Society, and Journalism and Media Production. Today’s action by Regents creates three departments of the same names within the college.

In another action, the WSU Regents approved the selection of the recipient of the 2017 Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus/a Award from two finalists selected by The Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus/a Award Committee.

News media contact:

Robert Strenge, 509-335-3583, rstrenge@wsu.edu