Faculty Senate has been actively meeting with faculty who shared their concerns regarding a number of issues related to WSU mission, titling, and communication language. This morning we clarified in a meeting with the President and Provost that WSU’s existing policies related to signatures, including Zoom titles and pronouns, is consistent with current practice. We requested and the President agreed, to send out and share the following message:
Dear Colleagues,
We hope this email finds you well. There have been several questions over the last several days regarding email signatures. As such, we want to provide the following clarification and ask that you share the same with your respective faculty and staff.
As indicated on our brand.wsu.edu website, email signatures present another opportunity to create positive impressions about WSU with our target audiences. To foster additional brand recognition in every email you send, please include an official email signature in your communications. A sample can be downloaded here. Signatures (including Zoom names and titles) are customizable and can include other information, such as pronouns or a website. Crimson or gray typeface is acceptable.
Additionally, colleagues are welcome to utilize a land acknowledgment within their email signatures. WSU has and will continue to acknowledge that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native peoples, who have lived in this region from time immemorial. The University expresses its deepest respect for and gratitude towards these original and current caretakers of the region. As an academic community, we acknowledge our responsibility to establish and maintain relationships with these tribes and Native peoples, in support of tribal sovereignty and the inclusion of their voices in teaching, research, and programming.
Washington State University established the Office of Tribal Relations and Native American Programs to guide us in our relationship with tribes and service to Native American students and communities. We also pledge that these relationships will consist of mutual trust, respect, and reciprocity. Additional information and the acknowledgement of America’s First Peoples can be reviewed at WSU Land Acknowledgement.
Our thanks to those who submitted the questions. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to our continued engagement over the summer.
Best regards,
Betsy and Chris
We look forward to regular Senate updates from the President and she indicated that monthly and if feasible bimonthly attendance at Senate meetings will be added to our agenda. Additionally, in the interest of staying in communication throughout the summer we have posted our three summer steering meetings on our website along with the Zoom links for open attendance and invited the Provost and President to attend as possible. We look forward to continued engagement and updates.
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