“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins; not through strength, but through perseverance.”
—H. Jackson Brown
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I always enjoy these opportunities to share with you about all the incredible things our faculty, staff, and students are doing here in UW Communication. It’s a privilege to sing the praises of colleagues who are conducting research on issues that matter—like the causes of political polarization, the dynamics of an ever-changing journalism industry, the complexities of communicating about public health and science, navigating the tricky terrain of our seemingly inevitable AI future, and more. I’m inspired by the compelling courses we teach and the brilliant students who take them.
It’s a pleasure to drop into your inbox a few times a year with what has been, thus far, a pretty consistent message—something akin to “In these dynamic times, UW Communication continues to thrive.” This issue of our alumni newsletter will be no different in that regard. Here, you’ll read about an alumna pursuing her dreams on a national stage. You’ll read about students in our Communication Leadership program who are gaining hands-on experience working with non-profits, startups, and university partners on real world communication strategies, and about our undergraduate journalism students heading to Olympia to cover the state legislative session. You’ll even be invited to hear from an internationally renowned scholar who will deliver our annual Scheidel Lecture next month. In short, this newsletter will be, like its predecessors, full of good news, as it should be.
But this is also time to be clear about the very real challenges we are facing here in Communication and at the University of Washington. Higher ed is not the only sector facing challenges, but the challenges we face are significant. Academic freedom and the mutually beneficial relationship between government and public universities is being questioned at the highest levels. Artificial intelligence tools accelerate faster than our ethical and pedagogical frameworks can keep up, changing how we understand the critical thinking skills at the core of a college education. UW, like many top universities, faces tough financial realities, such as changes in federal grant funding, student enrollments, cultural opinions about the value of a four-year university degree, and essential funding from the State Legislature.
We are feeling these political, technological, and economic changes here in Communication. To cite just one example—our MA and PhD program has shrunk considerably in recent years, down to one quarter of its size a decade ago. Not only does this limit opportunities for promising young scholars, it also changes the future state of our discipline and the breadth of courses we can offer our undergraduates. Graduate students are key to our scholarly community and mission. The University of Washington is one of the top public research universities in the world. We are incredibly proud of that and we are committed to continuing to deliver a rigorous, relevant, humane education to our students and state-of-the-art, grounded scholarship to our discipline and our community. We believe this is a mission worth fighting for.
Now is a time for perseverance. Here, at UW Communication, we are steadfast in our commitment to our campus, state, national, and global constituencies. We will continue to teach, research, and advocate. We will continue to offer excellent programming and opportunities for our students and our broader community. My colleagues and I are so grateful that you are a part of this vast network of friends and supporters who believe in the work we do.
If you are inclined, I invite you to speak up for higher education and for the University of Washington when the opportunity arises. Make sure your friends and neighbors know that the excellent research, education, and service UW provides is critical to a thriving Washington State. UW Communication—by training many of our region’s journalists and by promoting ethical, civic-minded communication practices—plays a critical role in ensuring an informed citizenry, a free press, and a robust democracy. We’re proud and grateful for your support of the work we do. We are committed to continuing this important work for decades to come. Thank you for being part of this important story.
In partnership,
Christine Harold
Professor and Chair