President announces 'Western Way' recognition program

Western Today staff

January 10, 2014

In an email to campus Thursday, Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard announced the new Western Way program, which recognizes WWU employees for their work:

Dear Colleagues:

I am regularly amazed and inspired by the talent, commitment and dedication of the employees at Western, and the lengths to which you go to collaborate and serve our students and University community to accomplish our mission. While we celebrate outstanding achievement at our annual Employee Recognition Ceremony, we've all had experiences with colleagues who go above and beyond in ways that aren't recognized.

I am pleased to announce a simple new way for us to recognize each other for the great work done at Western every day: the Western Way Employee Recognition Program. Any time of year, you can recognize a Western employee who demonstrates excellence in serving our students, visitors to our campus, or colleagues, based on the characteristics that make us uniquely Western: inviting, engaging, distinctive, collaborative, and adventuresome. The online recognition process is designed to be quick and easy, and results directly in recognition for the deserving employee.

Western Way Honorees are recognized in three ways: on the online Western Way Wall of Acknowledgment, in the Western Today newsletter, and in a slideshow at the Employee Recognition Ceremony in April. Please see this link for more details about the program and the process: http://wwu.edu/westernway/.

This great idea developed organically through employee suggestions and leadership. I'd particularly like to thank the following individuals for their work in putting this program together:

  • Karen Stout, Faculty Senate immediate past president
  • Paul Mueller, PSO Past President
  • Mary Ann Armstrong, Classified Staff Representative
  • Doug Adelstein, Assistant Director of Human Resources
  • Barbara Sandoval, Assistant to the President
  • Steve Swan, Vice President of University Relations
  • Paul Dunn, Senior Executive Assistant to the President

We who are Western have so much to be proud of and much to celebrate. Thank you in advance for taking a couple minutes of your day this week, and in the future, to recognize someone you know who goes the extra mile to make Western such a special place to work and learn.

My best,
Bruce