issue. Athletics was a big topic as well since it is considered the front door of the university. AI and the variance of what institutions are doing in this area were another hot topic. Dr. Cochran attended the Board Professional Conference as well and received a lot of information on campus and meeting experiences, the student trustee experience, and how to better prepare new trustees. She also attended some fascinating sessions focused on presidents and their issues and best practices. High Impact Practices Presentation Professor Andrea Eklund and students presented on Designing Futures: High-Impact Learning in Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising. Professor Eklund began by giving her background. She was a First Gen student. She worked in industry before coming to teach at CWU. She has been at CWU for 18 years and teaches 13 different courses each academic year that are all project-based hands-on. Mariana Benitez and Angel Frias-Solorio, two students in the program, presented with Professor Eklund. The Annual Fashion Show aligns with the strategic plan’s unifying value of student success by building pathways from classroom to career, by increasing engagement through high impact experiences, and by supporting retention through hands-on, applied learning. It also aligns with the core value of engagement through industry partnerships and alumni engagement and cross-college collaboration. The mission of the Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising department is to educate the next generation of leaders by preparing graduates who are creative, socially responsible, and professionally knowledgeable in the broad spectrum of the apparel industry. The program is hands-on and career focused. It combines creativity with business, fashion, and technology. It is built on high impact practices and provides signature experience with the Annual Fashion Show. The program includes experiential learning and field trips. Students in the program are exposed to industry during the Northwest Field Experience Course, where they spend three days in Seattle touring industry companies. They also attend Bellevue Fashion Week and go on field trips to Los Angeles and New York where they get real world context, networking, and career clarity. The program also offers practicums, internships, and professional level projects that emphasize presentation, critiques, integration, and development. The Annual Fashion Show is a unique cross-college collaboration. The event is not a simulation. It is a real, public, high-stakes event. Students apply classroom learning directly with creative skills, technical skills, and communication and teamwork. This event is one of the most comprehensive interdisciplinary learning experiences on campus. Students get real world experience in marketing, media relations, branding, fundraising, and leadership. In addition, they get real world experience in live production, technical execution, and event coordination. They design and construct an original collection and apply industry techniques from concept to final product. They are required to manage timelines, fittings, and production, as well as creating professional portfolio ready work. The impact of the Fashion Line Development course includes unique, hands-on, high impact experiences, a strong sense of community and collaboration, peer support throughout an intensive process, personal and professional growth, and lifelong connections and networks. Campaign Update Trustee Jenkins began talking about the Campaign Leadership Committee. Ralph Conner and Lisa Conquergood Co-Chair the committee. The committee is represented by the Board of Trustees, CWU Foundation, CWU Alumni Association, University Leadership, and University Advancement staff. The committee provides oversight in monitoring progress and strategy, engaging prospective donors, and advocating for the campaign. VP Elstone explained that the campaign is organized around opportunity, experience, and impact. Goals of the campaign include strengthening connections with alumni, donors, campus, and the broader community, generating support for the three key pillars, growing the endowment, and enhancing program offerings and boosting CWU’s statewide profile. We will announce
15 Board of Trustees Minutes May 21-22, 2026
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