Dear Colleagues,
I would like to express my gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve you as the Dean of the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture for the past ten years. These years have at times been difficult, but more often exhilarating, and our College has emerged as a key cornerstone of WSU, critical to our land grant mission, and a true jewel in the university’s crown.
The Voiland College has enjoyed unprecedented support from both the state legislature and from the university, resulting in significant growth in enrollments (up 65% since 2009, at both the undergraduate and PhD levels), unprecedented growth in research expenditures (up 75% since 2010), skyrocketing intellectual property development and licensing, and completion of a very successful Campaign, raising nearly $135 M and exceeding our Campaign goal of $125 M. In short, the College has never been more vibrant or productive, or important to the university, and all of your efforts, along with the past support from the state, the university, and our donors, are most appreciated.
With the untimely death of president Elson Floyd, the subsequent leadership changes, and the resulting change in emphasis and direction, I have decided that this is a good time for a new dean to lead the Voiland College going forward.
So I am letting you all know that I will be returning to my faculty position at the end of my current term, which is August 16, 2016.
I am very optimistic and excited about the future of our College. I look forward to watching our new faculty grow in their positions as their teaching, research and scholarship programs become established. I expect to see continued enrollment growth at all degree levels. Our research programs are critical to the priority Grand Challenges articulated by WSU, and to continued economic development in Washington state and beyond. And I am really excited about the new opportunities that greet our faculty as the Spokane Health Sciences campus and the College of Medicine become firmly established.
Thank you for your fantastic support and all of your hard work during these past ten years.
Go Cougs!
And Go VCEA!
Sincerely,
Candis Claiborn
Dean, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture