PULLMAN – Elson S. Floyd will assume his duties as Washington State University’s 10th president on May 21.
At the WSU Board of Regents meeting Friday, the board approved the official delegation of authority to the new president for that date. The regents also offered expressions of thanks and appreciation to President V. Lane Rawlins, who was attending his last meeting as president. Rawlins is retiring after serving as WSU’s president for seven years.
Rawlins was recognized for his service by representatives of various university groups throughout the meeting. The meeting culminated with the presentation of a resolution from the board. The resolution commended Rawlins for his “vision, strength and many years of dedicated service and contributions to Washington State University” and said he had “dedicated himself to the growth and development of higher education for the benefit of the citizens of the State of Washington.”
Rawlins described the work as a “labor of love.” He said, “It’s been a privilege to be here for these seven years. It has been almost no time at all.”
Rawlins praised the choice of his successor – “You have hired a good man to succeed me and he will give it all he’s got.” – and predicted a bright future for WSU.
“The energy and potential of this great institution are still largely untapped,” he said.
Rawlins’ tenure as president of WSU has seen significant increases in the number and academic quality of students attending the institution and growth in the university’s research expenditures, endowment and physical facilities.
Under Rawlins leadership, the Office of Undergraduate Education was created in 2004, which added momentum and support for new programs such as the President’s Teaching Academy, Freshman Focus and, recently, the Office of Undergraduate Research. More highly qualified students are choosing to attend WSU, reflected in freshman enrollments with improved grade point averages and college admissions test scores. The Regents Scholars Program has played a key role in that success. Since the program’s launch in 2001, WSU has rewarded more than 2,225 top Washington students for their academic achievements
WSU enrollment increased from 20,623 in the fall of 2000 to 23,428 in fall 2006. Research expenditures, funded largely through outside grants, have gone from $104 million in 2000 to $196 million in 2006. The university’s endowment, which stood at $184.6 million in fall 2000, is now past the $300 million mark.
Meanwhile, all of WSU’s campuses have seen major construction projects during Rawlins’ presidency.
In December, the board announced the selection of Floyd, following a nationwide search for Rawlins’ successor. At the time, Floyd was president of the University of Missouri system, a job he assumed in November 2002.
Floyd also served as president of Western Michigan University from 1999 to 2002, and held several administrative positions at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, including deanships in student affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences. Previously, he spent two years as executive director of the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board. From 1990 to 1993, he served as vice president for student services, vice president for administration and executive vice president at Eastern Washington University.
