From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

Thank you—to my thoughtful and courageous leadership team as they guided our campus through multiple challenges with compassion. Thank you—to our committed faculty and staff who provided the necessary critique and accolades that kept us true to our mission. Thank you—to our GFO leaders, especially those who helped me early on to appreciate our unique campus culture. Thank you to my peers across the tri-campus who understand the joys and despairs of this role. Thank you—to our amazing students who inspire us to keep striving to do better for them. Finally, thank you—to our chancellor for your support.

All the best for a peaceful summer as we prepare for what’s ahead because what we do matters now and for the future.

With gratitude,

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Updates on 2024/25 VCAA Goals

Below is a summary of where we landed in terms of  overarching goals for the division during this past academic year. Each is listed below with a brief update.

• Complete the STEM dean search.
• Complete the build-out of the Office of Faculty Success.
  • A strategic reorganization brought the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) and the Learning and Teaching Collaborative (LTC) under the OFS umbrella to better support transformative pedagogy, scholarship, and creative practice across all schools and faculty career stages.
• Develop a high functioning operations team for the Division of Academic Affairs.
  • The operations team now supports the central units with financial reporting and planning and, by the end of summer, with all administrative functions.
• Support the launch of the recently authorized research center, the Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement.
• Complete a program review for the Office of Connected Learning.
• Co-sponsor (with the division of enrollment management & student affairs) a prioritization of the recommendations from the FY24 external review of the Office of Career Services.
  • Based on the two program reviews and an internal work group’s recommendation, Chancellor Esterberg recommended that the two offices, Career Services and Connected Learning, be merged by the end of the 2025-2026 academic year to address similar challenges and opportunities. The Vice Chancellors are developing a process to engage the campus in the implementation plan.
• Determine (with the division of enrollment management & student affairs) next steps based on a FY24 work group’s recommendations regarding the campus-wide structural needs to support graduate programs.
  • We contracted with EAB to strengthen the recruitment pipeline for all graduate programs currently offered.
  • Launched quarterly meetings of the graduate program coordinators and advisors.
  • Hosted the inaugural Open House on May 2 featuring a graduate student panel, a personal statement writing workshop, and a showcase of 56�Թ��� Bothell graduate programs. Launched the official Instagram page .
  • Brought an advanced hyflex classroom online in 56�Թ���1 spring quarter 2025. Similar upgrades in classrooms in Beardslee Building will soon start.
  • See below for information about improvements to the curricular approval process.
  • Shifted from the current pooled tuition model to a direct allocation model for graduate tuition. Each school will now receive their share of the total tuition collected from students in their graduate programs as part of overall improvements to the campus’ RCM funding model.
• Clarify 56�Թ��� Bothell’s tri-campus role for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accreditation seven-year report and visit based on feedback during FY24’s mid-cycle report and visit. In progress.
  • This work is led by the 56�Թ��� Provost’s office. 56�Թ��� is developing tri-campus learning outcomes that should be met by all 56�Թ��� students on all three campuses, along with the assessment framework, comprehensive student surveys, and so on. Several 56�Թ��� Bothell faculty members are on the and on another tri-campus group for assessing advising. The 56�Թ��� Bothell campus will need to think about how these tri-campus learning outcomes intersect with various learning goals that exist within schools and at the campus level.
• Support the process that the Office of the President is launching (with the Faculty Council on Tri-campus Policy) to clarify the leadership structure for 56�Թ��� Bothell and 56�Թ��� Tacoma via official policies.
  • New and revised executive orders should be in effect for FY26+ and will clarify administrative roles and responsibilities for Bothell and Tacoma within the 56�Թ��� tri-campus context.

The post Quarterly Newsletter: Spring 2025 appeared first on Academic Affairs.

From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

Since the beginning of 2025, we have been navigating an unprecedented level of uncertainty regarding federal government actions. A recent EAB webinar on managing this constantly shifting landscape suggested we should: avoid reacting to every news cycle, educate teams on requirements and remind legislators of the costs. I am doing my best to follow this advice, though it is challenging.

This newsletter includes a consolidated list of resources to help you stay informed about federal changes and access support (see below). Many of these resources are updated regularly. I have also included a federal executive order cheat sheet from EAB. Even with these tools, the amount of information can feel overwhelming, so please use what is most helpful to you during this uncertain time.

I also want to emphasize our unwavering commitment to our mission, vision and core values. In times of uncertainty, I turn to 56�Թ��� Bothell’s core values: Transformational Education, Engaged Scholarship and Inclusive Culture.

Our commitment to these values means prioritizing our faculty, librarians and academic staff. You are in the classrooms, advising sessions, labs, reading rooms and co-curricular events. You are doing the vital work that upholds our values and transforms students’ lives. You ensure that higher education continues to strengthen democracy. What you do matters, and our team is here to support you.

I am grateful to our deans and their leadership teams for their efforts to support faculty, staff and students. I also appreciate our associate vice chancellors and their teams as they respond to our community’s evolving needs. I continue to hear about the many ways faculty and staff support one another—thank you. I also want to acknowledge colleagues across campus who are hosting events, preparing critical materials, providing updates and taking many other thoughtful actions that allow us to continue our important work.

Finally, I recognize that, despite the university’s efforts, some individuals are experiencing personal and professional turmoil. Please feel free to contact me directly if you’d like to meet and discuss your situation. I am also holding drop-in Zoom sessions for faculty on March 13 and 17 from 3:30pm to 5:00pm. Please join if you have concerns you’d like to discuss. The more we listen, the more we can do.

With gratitude,

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Cross-disciplinary
Connected Learning
Community Engagement

Resources for Uncertain Federal Landscape

• : Current messaging by our 56�Թ��� President.
• : Pen America workshop recording on academic freedom.
• : For federal policy updates.
• 56�Թ��� Bothell Faculty Safety Website: Includes a variety of resources for safety issues in the workplace, classroom, online (doxing), etc.
• : The latest direction is to continue operating as normal. If you plan to travel on your award, you are authorized to purchase the least expensive non-restrictive (refundable) plane ticket that allows some recovery of funds if plans change.
• Bothell Research Support: Faculty with federal grants or those thinking about applying for federal grants should continue to consult with Cindy Shirley at 56�Թ��� Bothell Office of Sponsored Research for guidance and support.
• : 56�Թ���HR developed this consolidated list.
• : Variety of general resources.
• : Employees on official 56�Թ��� travel abroad are strongly encouraged to register their travel which provides them with a variety of services.
• : The director shared this recent message with information on resources for students.
• : Includes an ally directory with resources for DACA students.

The post Quarterly Newsletter: Winter 2025 appeared first on Academic Affairs.

From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

During the last month, I’ve been thinking about this quote more than usual. Yes, life throws you the unexpected, and of course resilience is something to be applauded, and resilience phrasing can be inspirational, and so on. But, for those who need to be resilient to deal with today and move towards tomorrow, it is exhausting — and that reality isn’t often discussed.

I offer this reflection recognizing that at any point in time, there will be members of our community who are uncertain about what lies ahead, what it means for them, how resilient they may need to be and how much more they can handle. Let’s acknowledge how exhausting that is even as we are grateful for the efforts of so many to support our community through the unexpected.

This newsletter includes key updates from this fall quarter regarding the Division of Academic Affairs. While our five schools are the core of our division, this newsletter focuses on central services that support our academic core. Main updates are organized by faculty and students along with other key highlights. As always, to share feedback with Academic Affairs on how we may better meet your needs, please fill out our .

I hope the upcoming winter break brings you restorative time in community with those who genuinely care about you and your reality as we approach 2025. Thank you for all you do for 56�Թ��� Bothell.

With gratitude,

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Cross-disciplinary
Connected Learning
Community Engagement

In Case You Missed It

Leadership Searches

• The search committee for the next Dean of  brought in three finalists to meet with the campus community in late October. An announcement on the appointment will be made shortly.
• We are close to finalizing our search for a senior research scientist to serve as the director for the Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement (CoSEE) for a five-year term. An email announcement will be sent out soon.

Late last spring, the  Faculty Senate approved legislation that expanded candidates’ rights in the promotion process and resulted in changes to   of the 56�Թ��� Faculty Code. Updated resources, including a timeline, can be found on the  .

The FY26 Annual Resource Planning  process has started. Starting this year, all 56�Թ��� campuses will align planning for academic year 2025-26 faculty hiring within the FY26 budget development process. There are some key upcoming dates to be mindful of, so please see the important dates section below for more details.

Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Council autumn quarter updates. The VLC, which is comprised of the campus deans and leadership of the central academic units, received updates and deliberated on the following matters:

• VLC purpose and team strengthening
• Summer session net revenue calculations and distributions
• Carnegie Community Engagement reclassification process
• 56�Թ��� Bothell International student recruitment pilot
• FY25 budgets, shortfalls, and prioritization process for the central academic units
• Fundraising goals for the central academic units
• 56�Թ��� changes regarding additional compensation for faculty (EO 59)
• Process changes for P&T based on the new Senate legislation
• Feedback to the provost on the tri-campus structure
• Feedback to the division on enrollment management on a merit aid proposal for graduate students
• Proposal from EAB to aid graduate program recruitment

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, almost 400 supporters of 56�Թ��� Bothell — including alumni, community members, champions and partners — came together at the Bellevue Westin for a special fundraising event: the  I 56�Թ��� Bothell Luncheon. The event was a celebration of our unique campus and the impact of our inspiring students. The central academic affairs units were proud to host two tables at the event, in addition to the many tables hosted by our schools.

The post Quarterly Newsletter: Autumn 2024 appeared first on Academic Affairs.

From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a terrific summer. For me, the summer meant a combination of fun, restorative health, terrific conversations with many of you, reflections and decisions.

As we begin this quarter, we are using this newsletter to provide a summary of the significant things that happened in the Division of Academic Affairs throughout the summer, along with a taste of what’s ahead. I also want to draw your attention to this video that Provost Serio created for 56�Թ��� students across the tri-campus. I hope you can share broadly. Look closely because there are many photos from our extraordinary campus.

As you now know, this will be my last year as your VCAA. As a first-generation college graduate, it’s been a privilege to serve our campus. For me, 17 years is a long time to be away from the primary reason why I pursued a Ph.D. — to teach and mentor students — and I cannot wait to return. I am grateful for your trust as we navigated a challenging higher education context across the last five years that included a pandemic, racially motivated violence, political surprises, leadership changes, enrollment changes, budget adventures and more. Through it all, my fondest memories will be those opportunities that allowed me to witness (in action) the dedication that many of our faculty, staff and administrators place on advancing student success and regional impact.

All the best for a successful autumn quarter.

With gratitude,

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Priorities for 2024-25

In addition to the priorities for all subunits within the Division of Academic Affairs — and recognizing the unexpected can happen — the VCAA’s priorities for this upcoming year are as follows:

1. Complete the STEM dean search.
2. Complete the build-out of the Office of Faculty Success.
3. Develop a high functioning operations team for the Division of Academic Affairs.
4. Support the launch of the recently authorized research center, the Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement, housed at the Environmental Education & Research Center at St. Edward State Park.
5. Complete a program review for the Office of Connected Learning.
6. Co-sponsor (with the division of enrollment management & student affairs) a prioritization of the recommendations from the FY24 external review of the Office of Career Services.
7. Determine (with the division of enrollment management & student affairs) next steps based on the FY24 committee’s recommendations regarding the campus-wide structural needs to support graduate programs.
8. Clarify 56�Թ��� Bothell’s tri-campus role for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accreditation seven-year report and visit based on feedback during FY24’s mid-cycle report and visit.
9. Support the process that the Office of the President is launching (with the Faculty Council on Tri-campus Policy) to clarify the leadership structure for 56�Թ��� Bothell and 56�Թ��� Tacoma via official policies.

The post Quarterly Newsletter: Summer 2024 appeared first on Academic Affairs.

From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

In our last e-newsletter for 2023-2024, I’ve highlighted where we landed in terms of our overarching goals for the division during this academic year. Each is listed below with a brief update. With the hard work of many faculty and staff in our division, along with our many campus partners, we accomplished a lot together. In addition, I am proud of all that our schools and offices across the division accomplished in their units this year. You remind me every day of how committed you are to our students, our campus, the region, and each other. Thank you!

1. Complete the undergraduate advising framework changes: We’ve made significant strides this year towards a new era of comprehensive advising for 56�Թ��� Bothell undergraduates. Our Academic Advising unit is eagerly anticipating its fully centralized launch on July 1st, with new assistant directors joining the team. We’re excited to provide holistic advising from our new 56�Թ���-1 location and pleased to announce Jessica Trenkamp as Assistant Director of Advising, Hiring & Training, and Nhi Tran as Assistant Director of Advising, First-Year and Pre-Major Liaison. This year we were able to create a career ladder for professional academic advisors, craft agreements with each school on advising work responsibilities, create a transition plan for current students, and begin an assessment plan for the new advising model. Many thanks to the staff and faculty on the Advising Advisory Council for their input and guidance on this work. In the autumn, look for a call for participation in a new student success leadership group to continue to support our work. 
2. Complete the creation of a major declaration/change process for undergraduate students: After two years of collaboration between the Division of Enrollment Management and academic affairs, and multiple faculty discussions, we’ve implemented a streamlined degree matriculation and change process. Students at 56�Թ��� Bothell can now declare their major more easily for programs with open enrollment or minimum requirement declarations. This simplification reduces administrative barriers and enables earlier matriculation.  to see which majors have adopted this equitable, accessible process, with more to come in the next year.
3. Revise the formula for faculty office space:���ճ�� Office Allocation Guidelines Work Group, comprised of faculty representatives and chaired by Brinda Sarathy, Professor and Dean of IAS, and Dr. Shauna Elbers Carlisle, Associate Professor at IAS and GFO past chair, was tasked with evaluating the faculty office space allocation process. The committee recommended maintaining the current allocation formula. Based on this advice, along with several follow-up conversations, the updated policy now reads as follows: Since the number of full-time faculty members typically exceeds the number of available faculty offices, the total number of offices assigned to each school will equal at least 90% of the combined total of tenure-track and teaching track faculty (regular appointment 100% FTE) in the school. From the pool of offices allotted to each school, the deans will assign individual faculty offices based on school policies and needs. 
4. Strengthen support for excellent and transformative pedagogy:���ճ�� Learning and Teaching Collaborative continues to grow and strengthen support for pedagogy on campus. Some of the current work includes promoting and developing inclusive learning environments and reimagining how we use digital technology and tools such as AI to support student learning and engagement. The team also continues to meet with faculty 1:1 working on topics such as Canvas design and support, trauma-informed teaching, teaching with AI, and active learning strategies in large enrollment courses. Additionally, in collaboration with the Office of Connected Learning, we are wrapping up year one of our inaugural High Impact Practice Faculty Fellowship, supporting Pre-Major students. With the L&T team transitioning to the Office of Faculty Success next academic year, we expect this support to be strengthened even more.
5. Strengthen support for research, scholarship, and creative practice:���ճ�� Office of Faculty Success’ portfolio expands next year to include support for faculty research, scholarship, and creative practice in addition to support for sponsored research.
6. Strengthen support and structures for faculty success at all career stages: After a two-year start up, the Office of Faculty Success’ portfolio will expand starting next academic year to meet the needs identified by our faculty of all ranks and tracks in numerous listening sessions. Congratulations to Dr. Wadiya Udell on their appointment as associate vice chancellor for faculty success!
7. Improve communications and engagement across the division: This is an area that did not get as much attention as we hoped, however we experimented with a few ideas that we will continue and expand on for next year. 
8. Maintain momentum for all students to meet the campus-wide community engagement undergraduate learning goal at graduation: We paused on this goal as the campus-wide effort to again get the Carnegie Foundation’s Classification for Community Engagement geared up. In the meantime, our assessment team is currently working with faculty to identify student sample assignments that focus on community engagement.
9. Revisit the undergraduate learning goals so that assessment is feasible and meaningful: In light of tri-campus discussions regarding the general education requirements, Campus Council on Assessment and Learning (CCAL) is also revisiting the remaining undergraduate learning goals. This will guide the work moving forward so that our campuswide assessment process is more meaningful.
10. Identify the campus-wide structural needs to support graduate programs: A campus-wide discussion on enhancing graduate student recruitment led to the formation of the Graduate Student Recruitment Workgroup in Winter 2024. Chaired by Dr. Tyson Marsh and supported by Sheneetra Wilson, Assistant Director of Graduate Studies, and Emily Christian, Dean of Enrollment Services, the group aims to address priority needs identified during a consultation meeting with Jim Black of SEM Works in November 2023. By the end of Spring quarter, the workgroup plans to present a prioritized list of implementation strategies and financial requests to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs. We will share widely.

As the quarter and the academic year ends, below are just a few of the many highlights about our faculty and staff. Thank you to everyone in the academic affairs division for working hard, engaging with challenging issues, and caring about each other and our amazing students. I hope we all find good ways to recharge this summer. As always, please fill out our , stop my office in 56�Թ���2–124B, or invite me to your space.

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Cross-disciplinary
Connected Learning
Community Engagement

The post Quarterly Newsletter: Spring 2024 appeared first on Academic Affairs.

From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

In our last e-newsletter, I used the word “care” when describing some examples of bright spots. Dr. Joan Tronto (Moral Boundaries: A Political Argument for an Ethic of Care. New York: Routledge, 1993) described four ethical elements of care — attentiveness (aware of need), responsibility (willing to respond), competence (have the skill), and responsiveness (recognize how care is received by others) — and that none of us can always care for ourselves; instead, we are interdependent and context really matters.

What does caring mean within our context at 56�Թ��� Bothell? As I read promotion dossers in January, I was struck by how many times our faculty described care as the driving factor for how they teach, explore, and serve. Then, at various listening sessions this quarter, faculty and staff repeatedly provided examples that demonstrated what care looks like (or perhaps what the lack of care looks like).

I also think about how I have been personally affected by care in reciprocal relationships with many of you. What would it mean if our interdependent campus community could expect each other (at all levels and across all titles) to be attentive to the needs of others, make it our responsibility to competently respond, always think about how we affect others by our actions, and adjust depending on a context that seems ever changing? I believe that at our core, this is who we are and who we want to be at 56�Թ��� Bothell — a caring community.

As the quarter ends, here are the key updates regarding the Division of Academic Affairs. As mentioned last quarter, our divisional e-newsletter typically focuses on those central services that support our schools. We grouped the main updates according to faculty success, student success, and other items that do not easily fit into these categories. I hope this information and organization is helpful. As always, please fill out our  or stop my office in 56�Թ���2–124B.

Hoping for a peaceful spring quarter,

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Spotlight: Recognizing Academic Affairs staff

Distinguished Partner Award and Distinguished Accomplishments Award

We are thrilled to announce the outstanding recipients of the Distinguished Partner Award (DPA) and Distinguished Accomplishments Award (DAA). These prestigious awards recognize exemplary performance and dedication to advancing our academic mission.

The Distinguished Partner Award (DPA) celebrates the exceptional collaboration and support from a 56�Թ��� Bothell staff member/team outside of our division. We are delighted to congratulate Kristen Labrecque, Natural Science & Pre-Health Professional Pathways Advisor, for their outstanding commitment to advancing our collective academic mission.

Equally deserving of recognition is the recipient of the Distinguished Accomplishments Award (DAA), which honors the remarkable contributions of a 56�Թ��� Bothell academic affairs staff member/team. This year, we proudly present this award to Nhi P. Tran, Assistant Director for Student Success and Initiatives, whose exceptional efforts greatly enhance our collective work.

Distinguished Staff Award

This award recognizes individuals and teams that exemplify excellence in several categories. The nominees were recognized at a reception last month. Several nominees came from the Division of Academic Affairs:

Individuals:

• Marisa DuBois, Director of Academic Services, School of Educational Studies
• Liezel Hackett, Program Coordinator, STEM – E&M
• Grace Ryan, Academic Administrative Specialist, School of STEM

Nominated as part of the Teaching@56�Թ��� website development team:

• Deborah Hathaway, Director of Learning and Teaching, Office of Student Success

Join us in congratulating 

The post Quarterly Newsletter: Winter 2024 appeared first on Academic Affairs.

From the Vice Chancellor

Dear Campus Community,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had the summer you wanted, and you are ready for the new academic year. As we begin this quarter, here is a summary of the significant things that happened in the division at the end of last academic year and throughout the summer planning period, along with a taste of what’s ahead. I hope this is helpful. All the best for a successful autumn quarter.

With gratitude for this amazing community,

Sharon A. Jones, Ph.D., VCAA

Cross-disciplinary
Connected Learning
Community Engagement

In Case You Missed It

Faculty Success

School of Business Leadership
Welcome Dr. Rajib Sanyal, who brings extensive academic leadership experience and a focus on student success and community engagement.

Advising Framework Work Groups
Work group reports are . Thanks to leads: Annie Gordon, Stephanie Le, Nhi Tran, Jessica Trenkamp. Feedback process nearing completion; implementation timeline, engagement opportunities TBA.

Cross-disciplinary Work Group
This group was charged with . Thank you to: Salwa Al-Noori, Stefanie Iverson Cabral, Hannah Mendro, John Naumann, Jose Rodriguez, Cindy Shirley, Wadiya Udell, Carrie Tzou.

New Faculty Orientation
Acting AVC of Faculty Success, Wadiya Udell, welcomed new faculty members at a revamped orientation program. They engaged with various units, including the library, academic technologies, diversity and inclusion, and more.

Learning & Teaching Collaborative
56�Թ��� Bothell’s Learning & Teaching Collaborative, led by Deborah Hathaway, is now fully staffed with two instructional support staff. .

Tri-campus Hub for Teaching
The new website provides instructors with easy, one-stop access to reliable information about teaching strategies, programs and workshops for in-person, hybrid and online courses.

Service Learning in Guatemala
Nursing & Health Studies students engaged in a study abroad program in Guatemala, delivering healthcare and education to remote villages, while contributing to the resurgence of such programs at the university.

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