FROM: Jeff Hensler, Chair, Board of Trustees DATE: Friday February 20, 2026 RE: A Message from the Board of Trustees
Dear Central Washington University Faculty, Staff and Students,
The Board of Trustees would like to thank the members of our faculty for sharing their perspectives. A university functions at its highest level when all members can share their thoughts and have their voices heard; this includes all faculty, staff, and students. Today is an opportunity to make our already outstanding university even stronger. The Board has been listening carefully, and we have engaged in a series of deliberate discussions regarding the issues that have been raised. After thoughtful consideration, the Board will retain external expertise to help build trust in, among, and between the Board of Trustees, President Wohlpart, the administration, faculty, and staff. This will help improve our communication practices, establish shared expectations, and deliver shared accountability across the university community. To ensure that CWU remains the students-first university we all believe it should be, we are taking this important step as an intentional investment in our institutional health. Welcoming external expertise will complement the work being done by the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs Committee, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and the Provost’s Office to align shared governance practices across the university that will benefit everyone. Together, these efforts will create a structured space that will allow us to foster candid dialogue, rebuild confidence where needed, and come together around a shared vision for our future that is grounded in our students-first approach. At our core, CWU has always been about helping our students create successful futures for themselves, their families, and their communities. That shared core value holds true today, will hold true tomorrow, and will be here for generations to come. By continuing to collaborate and work toward this common vision, we are confident that we will continue to move forward together — and emerge stronger as a result.
Sincerely,
Jeff Hensler, Chair CWU Board of Trustees
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