As the academic year comes to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind us all of some of the highlights of the past year as we have continued the physical and programmatic transformation of the university.

The grand opening of the Music Building was a highlight for all of us. Throughout the year, we've learned that it is not only a beautiful building, but also a technically sophisticated one. Performances by Taiko Drummers, the Seattle Symphony, Chanticleer, Seattle Women's Chorus, and our own student and faculty performers provided evidence of the outstanding acoustical properties of the Concert Hall. We have also watched progress on the SUB/REC. Scheduled for completion in two phases in winter and spring of 2006, it promises to serve as the center of student life on this campus for decades to come.

There have been exciting programmatic advances as well. The design and approval of the bachelor of applied science degree is a particularly noteworthy accomplishment for the university. This degree responds to the needs of employers for individuals who can bring the logic and most recent scientific findings of their disciplines to bear on emerging national and international problems and opportunities. Another noteworthy accomplishment is the adoption of long-needed principles and policies to guide interdisciplinary programs. The template that was developed promises to remove some historical obstacles to the health of interdisciplinary programs that already exist and to encourage faculty to initiate more of them.

Opportunities for intellectual and cultural stimulation seemed particularly robust this past year. We were treated to outstanding performances by performing artists in theatre, music, and dance. A number of units across campus have sponsored nationally known speakers, among them Carol Moseley Braun and Dr. William Perry. The recent work of Bob Hickey and his committee to initiate a "One Book, One Campus" project on campus is just another in a long string of events that indicate that the university is being transformed into a more vibrant intellectual community.

There's other evidence as well. As the provost and I have reviewed faculty files for promotion and tenure, we've been particularly impressed by the increased evidence of scholarly productivity and creative expression. It's very clear that many of our faculty are developing national reputations in their fields of study and, equally important, they are engaging their undergraduate and graduate students in these pursuits.

Students are making names for themselves too. Student achievements that have recently been celebrated at Board of Trustees' meetings include the following: Josh Schroeder, a music-business major at CWU, was the Washington State winner and took third place in the national John Lennon song-writing competition with his song "Picasso." Adam Nixon, a CWU Army ROTC cadet, is ranked number two in the nation out of 4,369 cadets from 272 schools across the nation. A team of CWU construction management students took top honors at this year's three-day Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) - Associated General Contractors (AGC) National Student Competition. Team members include Chad Webley, Clint Myers, Nick Lupo, Ken Keck, Kyle Smith, and Ryan Heathers. We've also had the good fortune to have a particularly wonderful group of student leaders this year. I want to especially mention the outstanding contributions of ASCWU president, Lucas Westcoat. He has proven to be a good listener, an articulate communicator, an advocate for students, an able politician, and a hard worker.

Speaking of our students, we once again this year enrolled our most academically prepared and diverse class. We are excited to learn that for the fourth straight year, we have more applications than we had the previous year and that our applications are considerably ahead of the competition. We are especially pleased that Central is much more frequently indicated as the first choice for many of our applicants. This means that we can continue to be more selective, admitting students who show great academic promise.

The legislative session brought us more successes than disappointments. We are particularly gratified that the legislature awarded salary increases to all employees for each year of the biennium. CWU also received 650 additional student FTEs, and the state is providing more dollars for these new FTEs than for existing ones. These additional enrollments make it possible for us to hire much-needed faculty and staff to relieve pressures in all divisions of the university.

Our centers are thriving. CWU-Des Moines officially opened its doors in spring quarter, and a grand opening is planned for fall. It is an outstanding educational facility with arguably the best view in the entire south Puget Sound. Those who know Dusty Brady, the long-serving administrative assistant at this center in its many locations, can imagine just how delighted she is with her new digs.

We continued to make progress on establishing a culture of diversity at Central Washington University. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with local Indian tribes and created a Native American Indian Advisory Council. To look at broader diversity issues, we also established the President's External Diversity Council. Last, we strengthened our nondiscrimination policy by extending protection on the basis of gender identity expression.

In sum, it's been a very good year at CWU. Challenges remain, of course, and there is sometimes a tendency to forget the hard budget times that we faced so recently in our past. But now we can be more optimistic about the future.

Best wishes to you all for a relaxing summer.

Jerilyn S. McIntyre
President

As the ombudsperson for CWU, I'm often asked, how does conflict begin -- how do we get so off-course with each other?

While there may be many reasons for conflict, one common type of conflict occurs when one person takes actions based on incorrect assumptions they've made about someone else's actions. What does this mean? Here's an example. When I see you talking quietly to a co-worker, it may be easy for me to assume that you're talking about me. This would especially be true if some of my past experiences with you were unpleasant or negative. Trouble often escalates from here - because I might then 'assume' that you have it in for me, you don't like me, or you're out to get me.

From here it is a small step for me to take 'action' based on the assumption I have just made. I might try to get back at you - to retaliate somehow. This cycle is called "The Ladder of Inference" and is outlined in Peter M. Senges' book, The Fifth Discipline.

It's particularly helpful when all of us can recognize when we are climbing the ladder - when we are about to take action based on unproven assumptions about a situation and to recognize that this action may, in fact, make the situation worse. If possible, we should "intervene" on our own behalf by doing what we can to validate our assumptions before we take action.

We may be surprised to learn that our co-workers were speaking quietly because they were discussing a confidential matter about a student or planning our surprise birthday party!

Donna Kramer
Ombudsperson

Dr. Mae C. Jemison will present the commencement address at CWU's 114th graduation ceremony Saturday, June 11. Jemison was a member of the crew aboard the space shuttle orbiter "Endeavour" on its September 1992 mission.

Now, founder and president of two technology companies, Jemison has also served as medical doctor, linguist, medical missionary in West Africa and television broadcaster.

More than 1,200 students are expected to participate in CWU's Ellensburg graduation ceremonies, scheduled for 10 a.m. at Tomlinson Stadium. A crowd of more than 7,000 is expected.

At the event, CWU will also present an honorary degree to Dr. Gretta Merwin, former Ellensburg School District superintendent. On Merwin's watch, a $28 million bond was passed, allowing for construction of the new Ellensburg High School. She retired in May.

Dr. Linda Clark-Santos, senior vice-president, talent and organizational capability at Washington Mutual, will be the keynote speaker at CWU's westside graduation ceremony Sunday, June 12, at 6:30 p.m. in Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

At Washington Mutual, Clark-Santos is responsible for leadership, diversity and university recruitment; organizational learning and development; talent management and succession planning; leadership and executive development; and human resources communication.

In addition, she served as dean of Continuing Education at Central. She also now is a member of the advisory board for the CWU College of Business.

More than 200 graduates from CWU-Lynnwood, CWU-Des Moines and CWU-Pierce County, along with friends and family members, will hear Clark-Santos' address and will be on hand as the university presents an honorary degree to former Rep. Jennifer Dunn.

Dunn served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005, representing Washington's 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of King and Pierce counties.

Daniel Herman, Central Washington University history professor, has been selected Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Scholar of the Year for 2004-05.

In announcing the choice, Dr. Barry Donahue, president of the CWU chapter of PKP, noted, "Professor Herman has been an extremely productive scholar and has the reputation among both students and peers as an excellent teacher."

Herman's recently published work "Hunting and the American Imagination" won a prize for best first history book from the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association.

Dr. Karen Blair, CWU history department chair, said, "I marvel at his consistent efforts at enquiry, whether he is grilling a guest speaker from out of town or dissecting a new book in his field. He is the perfect candidate for this honor."

The PKP honor society is the oldest and largest U.S. collegiate honor society, recognizing and promoting superior scholarship in all higher education academic disciplines. The CWU chapter was established in 1976.

Catherine Patchett has been selected as Central Washington University's 2005 Student Employee of the Year. Patchett, 22, was nominated by Jan Case, program assistant to the dean of the CWU college of education and professional studies (CEPS).

Patchett, a 2001 graduate of Vale (Oregon) High School, has excelled both on the job and in the classroom during the four years she has worked for CEPS. Patchett will graduate this spring summa cum laude, with a 3.925 grade point average (GPA), when she receives her bachelor's degree in business administration.

Her GPA is in the top 1 percent of the college of business, which also qualifies Patchett to be listed as a CWU President's Scholar. She will be honored for that achievement at the CWU Honors Convocation Friday, June 10, at 8 p.m. in McConnell Auditorium.

Natalie Kovalerchuk, lead analyst for the PeopleSoft human resources/payroll application, has been named the university's civil service "Employee of the Month" for April. During surprise ceremonies, Kovalerchuk received a certificate and $100 from the president's discretionary fund, through the CWU civil service employee recognition program.

Those nominating her noted:

• The very fact that CWU's payrolls have routinely been delivered on time and completely accurate attests to Natalie's exceptional ability and dedication to this job;
• Natalie has an amazing way of listening to what sounds like a complicated, impossible-to-understand report proposal or array of problems, and then cut through all the apparent complexity with a stunningly simple solution;
• Her obvious competence and knowledge inspires trust and confidence both in her and in her department; and
• Natalie represents the employee we would all like to be, a great asset to the university.

Initiated by the CWU civil service employee council, recognition goes to employees who foster a personalized environment that supports members of the university community as well as the mission of Central.

University students, faculty and staff, along with Ellensburg community members, are encouraged to make signed or anonymous nominations for employees of the month. Nomination forms are available from the CWU human resources office, employee council representatives and on-line at: www.cwu.edu/~hr/ec/index.html.

Five members from the geography and land studies department attended the annual meetings of the Association of American Geographers held in Denver, Colo., in April, where they presented the following research papers or posters:

• Tony ABBOTT - "Sheep Transhumance in the American Northwest":
• Nate CURRITT - "Simultaneous Visualization of Phylogenetic and Geographic Distances to Understand Fungal Pathogen Spread";
• Bob HICKEY - "Maps and Geography: 50 Years of Mapping in the Annals";
• Nancy HULTQUIST - "Painting the Town; Regional Legacy on the Sides of Buildings Promotes Tourism"; and
• Robert KUHLKEN - "Shootout at the Neotraditional Corral: New Urbanism in the New West."

In addition, the department's newest faculty member, Gina BLOODWORTH, from Penn State University, gave a presentation titled "The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: Practical Compromise to an Intractable Environmental Dispute." On the last day of the meetings, a freak spring blizzard closed the Denver airport and delayed some of the traveling party from getting back to Ellensburg.

A new book by Dan BECK, biological sciences, is being published by the University of California Press. Titled "Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards," it is due in bookstores this month. A noted authority on these animals, Beck's work is the first comprehensive treatment of the biology of them in nearly 50 years. More detailed information on the book is available at: http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10325.html

John CREECH, systems librarian, published a review of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Arctic theme page in the Internet Reviews column of the May issue of College and Research Libraries News.

Leigh FERNANDEZ, a CWU undergraduate psychology student, specializing in primate behavior and ecology, Megan MATHESON, psychology, and Stephanie FORBES, from the Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ), had a paper accepted for presentation at the International Conference on Environmental Enrichment. The conference will be held at Columbia University in New York in July and August. The paper is titled "The Effect of Scheduled versus Opportunistic Enrichment on Zoo Animals" and is based on research conducted by Fernandez during a WPZ internship last summer.

The work of Ovidio GIBERGA, ceramics, is featured in the May 2005 issue of "Ceramics Monthly Magazine," in an article titled "The Slip-Cast Object: an International Juried Exhibition." His s work will also appear in "The Figure in Clay," a book published by Lark Books, due in bookstores next fall.

Chenyang LI, philosophy, was selected as an "Outstanding Scholar" in the category of Chinese Philosophy in China's 2004 Yearbook of Humanities and Social Science, published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Charles REASONS, law and justice, gave an invited presentation entitled "Comparative Homicide: Canada and the United States" at Western Washington University on April 27. During the 2005-2006academic year he will be on professional leave researching homicide in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.

Donna STACK, art, is the winner of the 2005 National Juried Exhibition and award recipient of a solo exhibition at the Phoenix Gallery in New York City. The exhibition was juried by Trevor Smith, curator of the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York.

AN INVITATION TO ALL UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND STAFF

The university-initiated "World Wine Program" has been a great success. Because of that, the office of graduate studies, research, and continuing education, office of the president and the World Wine Program will host an end-of-year celebration on Wednesday, June 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Grupe Center.

Members of the campus community are invited for the opportunity to taste a variety of wines from around the world, along with stuffed mushrooms, various breads, fruits and cheese. A CWU World Wine Program wine glass will also be given as a gift to everyone who attends.

The cost is $10 per person and space is limited. Advance registration and pre-payment are required by calling x1504.

WELCOME HOME!

Mark Soelling, psychology, was called up with his National Guard unit last year to serve in Iraq. Following his tour of duty, he is now back in Tacoma and getting ready to resume teaching during summer quarter and full time again next fall, according to Warren Street, CWU psychology department chair.

Soelling served as a clinical psychologist with the 1908th Medical Detachment, Combat Stress Control Unit. He worked as part of a four-person team that went into the field to provide mental health screening and intervention, and "critical incident debriefings."

CWU EMPLOYEES

Civil Service new hires: Heidi Hanson, Information Technology Systems Specialist II, Information Technology Services; Eric Whitaker, Driver-Warehouse Worker, University Housing and New Student Programs; Kim Ostrowski, Office Assistant III, CWU-Moses Lake; Susan Cox, Program Assistant in the President's Resident, President; Kevin Camarillo, Food Service Manager A, Dining Services; Laura Reinstatler, Office Assistant II, Music; Christopher Canan, Food Service Supervisor I, Dining Services; Patricia Randall, Custodian, Conference and Retail Services.

Civil Service job changes: Crystal Buchholz, Office Assistant III, Admissions; Jason Berthon-Koch, Campus Police Sergeant, Public Safety and Police Services; Rhonda Schmidt, Secretary Senior, College of Arts and Humanities.

Exempt new hires: Sheryl Grunden, Associate Registrar, Registrar Services; David Garcia, Recruitment/Retention Specialist, Educational Opportunities Center.

To view current job openings at CWU, go to http://www.cwu.edu/~hr/jobs/index.html.

Wednesday, June 1
Music: Composer's Concert, 7 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall

Thursday, June 2
Concert: CWU Symphony Orchestra, 7 p.m., Music Building Concert Hall

Friday, June 3
Music: Jazz Nite I, 7 p.m., Music Building Concert Hall

Saturday, June 4
Concert: Freshman Brass Quintet, noon, Music Building Recital Hall
Voice Recital: Elizar Pagan, 2 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall
Concert: CWU Horn Studio, 4 p.m., Music Building Concert Hall
Voice Recital: Valerie Freese and Delayna Packard, 4 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall
Voice Recital: Shannon Ruiz, 6 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall
Concert: CWU Guitar Ensemble, 7 p.m., Music Building Concert Hall

Sunday, June 5
Trombone Recital: Ben O'Shea, 11 a.m., Music Building Recital Hall
Viola Recital: Rebecca Hindmarsh, 1 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall
Concert: Wind Ensemble "Sousa Program," 3 p.m., Music Building Concert Hall
Voice Recital: Elizabeth Christiansen, 5 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall
Piano Recital: Lauren Quock, 7 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall

Monday, June 6
Final exams begin
Concert: Prep Strings, 6:30 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall

Friday, June 10
End of spring quarter
Meeting: CWU Board of Trustees, 1 p.m., Barge 412
Concert: Prep Choir, 7 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall
Honors Convocation: 8 p.m., McConnell Auditorium

Saturday, June 11
Commencement: Ellensburg, 10 a.m., Tomlinson Field

Sunday, June 12
Commencement: Westside, 6:30 p.m., Benaroya Hall, Seattle

Friday, June 17
Clarinet Recital: Zachary Miller, 1 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall

Monday, June 20
Summer first and full sessions begin

Friday, June 24
Voice Recital: Megan Davenport, 7 p.m., Music Building Recital Hall

Monday, June 27
Summer six-week session begins

For other June 2005 calendar items, visit: http://www.cwu.edu/campuscalendar.html