A new era began with little fanfare last week as President Mark Emmert arrived on campus to take up his duties.
Among the activities scheduled for his first day in office was a reception for staff members who work in his home building, Gerberding Hall. Emmert shook hands with his new employees and talked about his pleasure at returning to his undergraduate institution (he earned his political science degree here in 1975).
鈥淭o get a chance to come back and lead your alma mater is dreamlike,鈥� he told the gathered crew. 鈥淚t just doesn鈥檛 happen very often, so I feel incredibly fortunate.鈥�
Emmert said that media types who had been calling him had routinely asked, 鈥淗ow are you going to lead a university in crisis?鈥� referring to challenges the UW has faced recently in athletics and in the medical school.
鈥淚 half expected to come to campus and find the buildings falling down and people jumping out of windows,鈥� the new president joked.
But he said he told reporters the 鈥渉eart and soul鈥� of the institution is sound and vibrant.
Emmert admitted that because he has been away so long, he鈥檒l have to learn about the University and the state all over again. Some of the events on his first week鈥檚 schedule included a Safeco Diversity Scholarship event at Safeco Field, a celebration for getting I-884 on the ballot, a GEAR-Up luncheon, a Board of Regents meeting, and the 100th anniversary celebration of the Friday Harbor Laboratories.
No doubt he鈥檒l spend many equally crowded weeks getting ready for fall quarter. As he told the Gerberding staff, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to work hard and we鈥檙e going to have a lot of fun.鈥�