Mar. 26, 2019
A Message From President James L. Gaudino
The recent death of Ryan Thompson, a Kittitas County Sheriff’s Deputy, is a tragedy for the entire community. This loss strikes even closer to home because Ryan was also an alumnus of Central Washington University and a former officer in the university’s police department.
As a result, Deputy Thompson’s death may also have an impact on some of our students. Should a student reach out to you to express concerns, please encourage the student to seek help; University Counseling Services are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for both scheduled appointments or drop-in consultations. Additionally, the Counseling Center hosts drop-in consultations with a counselor, every Wednesday until the end of the quarter from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Music 104 and in Psych 448 on Tuesdays from 12 noon to 2 p.m. starting April 2. Additional resources can be found at: https://www.cwu.edu/public-affairs/ryan-thompson-memorial-resources.
At the request of Kittitas County, we are hosting a public memorial celebration of Deputy Thompson’s life at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 28 in the Nicholson Pavilion on campus. This event, which we are doing for the community, may bring as many as 3,000 people to campus, including members of local and regional law enforcement, so be aware that some parking areas and several streets on and around campus will be closed prior to and following the event.
Dean Nicholson Boulevard will be closed to traffic all day Thursday as will the parking lot south of Nicholson Pavilion (Q-14), the Brooks Library parking lot (P-8), and the parking lot (S-10) north of the Psychology Building. Because of these closures, please use alternative routes and parking sites on Thursday. For more information go to: https://www.cwu.edu/public-affairs/ryan-thompson-memorial-faqs.
I thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.
James L. Gaudino
President
Central Washington University