From the President – June 11, 2025

From the President – June 11, 2025

Dogged Determination

We are at the point in the academic calendar when we turn from dogged determination to get to the finish line to celebrations of all of our accomplishments.  (And I really mean dogged). 

I had the opportunity last week to say a few words to Union County GED graduates. I shared with them that I thought we had a lot in common. Our shared efforts revealed that we believe learning matters, credentials matter, and that progress is necessary to achieve success. I saw the same dogged determination in their eyes that I see often at our university this time of year. Yes, they were happy to be done. Yes, it was a struggle to get where they landed.  

That same day, I attended the Mountie Awards, a celebration of our student athletes and their accomplishments. (Think prom plus Golden Globes). Every time I spend time with large groups of our students – from artists to athletes – I  am humbled and honored by our role in advancing their success. It’s encouraging to see how much they’ve grown academically while also making strides in their sport.   

And again, on that same day, I met with Cabinet, the Provost, Faculty Senate (apologies for leaving early to go to the GED graduation), the VPFA, and others. By the end of the week I attended the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show (a first for me), celebrated the end of the year with classified staff, watched students release some stress by smashing cars, hosted our retirement reception, had a lovely coffee with a faculty member, met with a trustee, discussed local issues with County Commissioner Paul Anderes, and a ton of other meetings with folks at EOU. 

Amid this maelstrom of meetings, the proposed federal funding for higher education emerged, as this summary from AASCU indicates. This is a signal that EOU, like other institutions, will face significant challenges that we will have to manage together in the coming year. Please know that we are keeping a keen eye on these proposed changes and advocating for our students and each of you.  

As I turned to this week, we’ve moved more forcefully into celebration mode. Our commencement ceremony is just days away, and we have many other events to make our students feel special before their big moment.

I am truly excited for our graduates and their future. I am also very proud of us for making their success possible, amid our own challenges. I hope you will take a moment over this week to reflect on how you added to our success, because we couldn’t have done it without all of us!    

Go Mounties!

Sincerely,