WSU health sciences transitioning to Spokane‑based administration

Aerial view of WSU Spokane campus.
WSU Health Sciences Spokane

SPOKANE, Wash. – Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane will transition to a new administrative structure, reflecting the growth of health sciences education at the university.

As part of this transition, WSU Spokane Chancellor Daryll DeWald will take on the added title of vice president of health sciences on July 1. At that time, the deans of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Nursing, and Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine will report directly to DeWald. As a transitional step, the deans will report jointly to Provost Daniel Bernardo and Chancellor DeWald starting Jan. 1. In the past, the deans have reported to the provost.

Also in 2019, WSU President Kirk Schulz, Bernardo and DeWald will meet regularly with Gary Pollack, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Joyce Griffin‑Sobel, dean of the College of Nursing; and John Tomkowiak, dean of the College of Medicine, to discuss opportunities for collaboration between the colleges, expanding research, fundraising strategies for health sciences, and the development of new programs.

Schulz will appoint a small transition team to address changes in policies, processes and authority accompanying the shift to Spokane‑based administration of the WSU health sciences campus.

“We will need to work out many academic and administrative details over the coming months,” Schulz said. “But as health sciences education and research at WSU continues to grow and evolve at an impressive rate, it is important that we adapt our management philosophy and operational practices. This process will help move health sciences programs forward.”

The three colleges at WSU Health Sciences Spokane are the only university colleges based outside of Pullman. The WSU College of Nursing was founded in Spokane 50 years ago, the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences completed a move to the campus in 2013, and the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine was established in 2015.

Fall 2018 enrollment at WSU Health Sciences Spokane is 1,677 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, with 646 faculty and staff.

Media contact:

  • Phil Weiler, vice president for marketing and communication, 509‑335‑4472, or phil.weiler@wsu.edu.

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