TWO NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE WSU BOARD OF REGENTS
William Marler, a Seattle attorney, and Robert Fukai, vice president of the Washington Water Power Company in Spokane, were appointed this week by Gov. Gary Locke to the Washington State University Board of Regents. The announcement by the governor has been anticipated for weeks. The governor appears to have tried to retain the geographic representation on the WSU board. Fukai replaces another Spokane resident, attorney Scott Lukins. Marler, replaces another Puget Sound resident, John Ellis of the Seattle Mariners. The appointments of Marler and Fukai were part of a series of appointments to higher education positions this week that were generally drawn from leaders in business and law. WSU is pleased that the governor selected regents with close ties to the university. Fukai, who is a director on the Spokane School District board, has been a member of the WSU Foundation Board and the WSU Spokane Advisory Council. Marler, who recently received the Distinguished Achievement Award from WSU's College of Liberal Arts, holds three WSU degrees. The new regents will begin serving their six-year terms immediately. The Senate Higher Education Committee is expected to hold hearings on their confirmation in the upcoming legislative session.
Among other appointments by Locke this week:
Bob Craves, of Redmond, a senior vice president of Costco Wholesale and Seattle University board member, has been named chairman of the state Higher Education Coordinating Board. He replaces Richard Sonstelie, who resigned.
Ann Ramsay-Jenkins, who serves on the University of Washington Medical Center board, was also appointed to the board.
William Gates, Sr., who led unsuccessful efforts in the Legislature this year to enhance public funding of research at WSU and UW, has been named to the UW Board of Regents. Gates is the father of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Gordon Budke, the owner of a Spokane consulting firm and the president of the MOMENTUM organization, was named to the EWU Board of Trustees. Mark Mays, the president of the Washington State Psychological Association, was also named to the EWU Board.
SPOKANE-AREA PROGRAMS LIKELY TO BE FOCUS OF THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION
There is increasing interest among legislators in reshaping public higher education programs in the Spokane area and it appears likely that will be discussed in the 1998 Legislative session beginning in January. WSU is hopeful the discussion will lead to authority to deliver more programs to the Spokane area that have been identified as community needs. WSU's mission in Spokane has been limited, and is defined by the Spokane Joint Center for Higher Education, a board created by the Legislature to end "turf wars" between higher education institutions. Unlike other branch campuses, WSU Spokane is housed in leased space and is generally limited to delivering graduate and professional degrees. The scope of programs for WSU Vancouver and WSU Tri-Cities, where WSU provides many other undergraduate degrees, are determined by the state Higher Education Coordinating Board. Gov. Gary Locke indicated in his press conference this week that he has also been following the issue, and he indicated he will have some comments on it in the coming days.
Senator Proposes WSU/EWU Merger: Senate Ways and Means Chairman Jim West, R-Spokane, was among the first legislators to begin community discussions about Spokane higher education programs. Last month, he wrote a letter to WSU and Eastern Washington University urging them to consider consolidating administration to provide public higher education to the Spokane region. West said a single four-year public institution could "facilitate and simplify partnerships" with other institutions in Spokane, define a unique residential mission for the Cheney campus, allow Spokane to benefit from WSU's national reputation, and eliminate the need for the "burdensome process of acquiring the Joint Center approval to offer higher education programs" in Spokane. EWU's Board of Trustees has thus far declined to take part in any merger discussions. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Huff, R-Gig Harbor, has indicated that he will wait for a recommendation from West on the Spokane issue before determining the best course to proceed.
State Sen. Gene Prince, R-Thornton, whose district includes both EWU's Cheney Campus and WSU's Pullman campus, sharply criticized the West merger proposal. Prince says a merger could doom the Cheney campus. But Prince and West agree that there should be reforms to the way higher education programs are delivered to the Spokane urban area.
WSU Reaction: WSU's position is that it stands ready to increase the service to the Spokane area but can only consider a changing roll there if requested by the Governor, the Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Legislature.
