ATUS’ John Farquhar to retire April 30 after 27 years of service to Western
John Farquhar, senior director for Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS) at WWU, will retire on April 30.
Farquhar joined Western in 1999 as the manager of Multimedia for ATUS. Over the last 27 years, John has led the implementation of numerous technology services and developments for the university. Early efforts included a homepage redesign for the university and the adoption and support of the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS). In 2003, he helped create the Student Technology Center, which has expanded its services multiple times over the years. Hosting student workshops and events, the Center has become an innovation incubator for access to new technologies such as 3D printing and Virtual Reality.
Beginning in 2012, Farquhar helped lead the creation of the Digital Media Center, expanding support for video production with a television studio for classroom instruction. In 2014, John was promoted into the position of assistant director for ATUS, then as director two years later. During these years, John led the university’s migration from the Blackboard LMS to Canvas.
Since joining Western, John has frequently provided guidance to projects funded through the Student Technology Fee. These efforts have included computer lab updates, student printing, and tech initiatives in all areas of the university, such as portable media gear for the loan pool, makerspace tools for the arts and engineering, as well as instrumentation for the sciences.
Always the innovator in the classroom and out, John has assisted on the implementation and evaluation of various instructional technologies, including Active Learning Classrooms, Open Educational Resources, Classroom Response Systems, Learning Badges, Social Media, Accessibility, and Digital Signage. He’s supported the Center for Instructional Innovation with their efforts to highlight excellent teaching methods with or without technology.
Farquhar’s career at Western came after receiving his doctorate from the University of Georgia, teaching at Penn State Harrisburg as an assistant professor, and leading a team of instructional designers for NovaNET Learning. He plans to stay in Bellingham and continue to enjoy the outdoors of the great northwest. If you’d like to stay in touch with John, please reach out to him with this form.. If you’d like to recognize John with a gift, please contribute to the Susan Brown Scholarship for Advancing Technology Education.
To share your farewell wishes with John, please consider adding a post to the digital card: