For those of us who have attended the many meetings held by the University or our Colleges and Departments over the spring and/or followed WA ST news, the Town Hall held on Thursday, May 15 reiterated much of what we have recently heard:
- The cut to Higher Education in the state budget is currently listed as 1.8% (https://governmentrelations.wsu.edu/2025/04/28/legislature-reaches-operating-budget-agreement-adjourns/ ); that said, the budget is not yet signed by the Governor
- The potential loss of F&A to the WSU System, if our current negotiated amount is lowered to 15%, amounts to $24M
- Some grant awards have already been frozen ($21M) or terminated (28)
Some salient points, however, emerged from the presentation.
First, there are 42% newly elected legislators in our state. This means that a little less than half of our state legislators would potentially be new to the idea of F&A and its importance to the research mission of a Research 1 institution.
Second, despite the bad news we have been hearing about grant applications in the news, WSU is poised to end the fiscal year on June 30 over or at the same level as last year.
Third, loss in F&A revenue affects our campus and our students. Research Showcase, for example, which highlights the research and creative activities of our undergraduates and graduate students, is funded through these funds. Mini-grants students receive are, likewise, funded through F&A. This means that the hands-on learning that the public values in education depends, in part, on the money the university brings in with F&A.
Fourth, in response to questions about changes made to language in our public facing documents, Town Hall participants were reminded that WSU’s mission as the only land grant institution in the state is to ensure access and opportunity to all.
Anyone interested in talking further about the meeting is encouraged to reach out to me via WSU email.