Values were in order. They agreed that it was, and the entire Board was also supportive of this work. The next phase of the work was to convene equity and belonging leaders, some of whom were included in the first group but then also others such as Mal Stewman, Director of the Diversity and Equity Center, and Sigrid Davison, Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusivity, as well as Shared Governance Leaders – Peter Klosterman, faculty senate; Malik Cantu, ASCWU President; Laura Brant-Hoefer, Chair of the Exempt Employees Association; Josie Rollins, Chair of the Classified Employees Council; Erin Craig, chair elect of the Academic Department Chairs Association; and Rachel Kirk, Deans Council. The group again read and studied and reflected and developed a short list of possible revisions to our Vision, Mission, and Values. These revisions were shared out to the university community through our shared governance leadership, and the feedback they received was discussed on April 18. They narrowed the revisions down and recommended what is included in the packet for approval. Remember that statements like this – and like our Shared Governance document – are living documents that must adjust to changing student and societal needs. Without that kind of flexibility, CWU may become irrelevant. The proposed revision to the Vision statement replaces “equity and belonging” with “access and opportunity.” During committee conversations, Malik Cantu made a profound statement, which several people have repeated: He stated that the opportunities CWU has provided are what have connected him to the community and made him feel like he belongs. Without those opportunities, he may not have remained a Wildcat. Rather than using terminology that might be polarizing, the group heard a desire to focus statements on the underlying actions that make a real difference. For example, the retention project that was implemented, which did not have a specific DEI focus, offered all students opportunities to be more engaged and connected; the results of that project demonstrate that we can improve the success of all students and, at the same time, close achievement gaps for vulnerable populations. The committee only recommended updating one of the values statements, to change the language from “ecologically healthy and socially just world” to “ecologically and socially responsible world.” This was the only adjustment made. If the Board chooses to approve the new Vision, Mission, and Values, there is work to do as a university community. CWU Retention Project President Wohlpart then gave an update on CWU’s retention project which was conducted Fall 2024. The project was driven by data provided by Institutional Effectiveness on a weekly basis.
8 Board of Trustees Minutes May 15-16, 2025
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