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Dear Campus Community:

I write today to share good news about two critical campus initiatives that have been underway over the summer.

NWCCU Accreditation Reaffirmed
I am pleased to report that last week we received formal notification from our accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), informing us that our accreditation has been reaffirmed following the Spring 2025 Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness. This important accomplishment is the culmination of the dedicated efforts and collaboration of the many members of our campus community who contributed to this work throughout our seven-year accreditation review process.

As I shared in my message earlier this summer, the feedback we received from the commission has been quite positive, and included commendations for the highly collaborative and inclusive environment that defines Puget Sound, which was clearly evident in NWCCU’s interactions with our faculty, staff, students, and members of our Board of Trustees. I am grateful to Provost Andrew Kerkhoff, Dean of Faculty Affairs Amy Spivey, Director of Institutional Research Kevin Riordan, members of the Accreditation Review Committee, and our broader campus community for their many contributions in making this achievement possible.

Revised Final FY2025-26 Budget Approved
As you likely remember from the Board Chair's Report to the campus community in May, we committed to working meticulously through the summer on an updated budget that reflects the financial realities of a smaller-than-expected incoming class. Earlier this week, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees approved our revised final budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26, which offsets revenue decreases with expense savings and includes a modest increase in the draw from our quasi endowment for FY26 than planned within the total amount previously approved by the trustees.  

The FY26 budget allows us to maintain our core academic and operational commitments outlined in our Leadership for Changing World strategic plan, and enables us to continue to work towards the goals outlined in A Sound Future: Response, Recovery and Renewal and to achieving sustainable financial equilibrium.

Budget managers will have access to their revised budgets via PeopleSoft when they are posted by the end of the month.

I look forward to talking more about these topics and the path ahead at the President’s Welcome to Faculty and Staff on August 27. Thank you for your continued dedication to fostering a transformative educational environment where our students can thrive. 

With appreciation,

Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President