One Degree of Difference: EWU Looks to the Year Ahead

Eastern Washington University faculty and staff gathered Tuesday for the 2026 Convocation, beginning the new academic year with a challenge: What difference can one degree make?

At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212, it boils and produces steam — energy that can create movement. Vice President of People and Culture Cesar Portillo used that transformation to encourage employees to consider their own “one degree of difference,” whether it is one more conversation with a student, a new idea shared with a colleague, or an extra effort to solve a problem.

“One degree doesn’t sound overwhelming,” Portillo said. “But those moments, multiplied across an entire university, can create something powerful.”

This year’s Convocation also looked different. With President Shari McMahan undergoing treatment for cancer and working behind the scenes, members of the Executive Leadership Team took the stage together to share her vision and highlight progress across EWU’s Strategic Plan.

Throughout the morning, leaders outlined work underway across the plan’s four pillars: Student Success and Student Experience; Belonging; Investing in Our People and Places; and Regional Anchor and Impact.

Among the priorities for the year ahead are expanding applied learning within coursework, increasing participation in student support services, launching a student well-being program, aligning academic programs with regional workforce needs, strengthening community and alumni engagement, advancing sustainability, and improving faculty and staff recruitment and retention.

Several new initiatives will help move that work forward. Eastern will launch THRIVE, a campus-wide framework for student well-being, as well as the President’s Committee on AI to guide the university’s approach to emerging technology. With an eye on innovation, EWU is pursuing new enrollment strategies, including flexible degree options, pathways for service members at Fairchild Air Force Base, and centralized class scheduling.

The university is also continuing significant investments in its people and places. Construction will move forward on a new residence hall to replace Dryden Hall, with plans to welcome students in fall 2028. The modernized Science Building will reopen in October, while the ongoing consolidation of health programs in Spokane and return of additional programs to Cheney will further shape the university’s campuses.

Eastern’s identity as the Region’s Polytechnic remained central throughout Convocation. The university’s applied learning guarantee will ensure students have opportunities to put their education into practice before graduation, with faculty continuing to develop those experiences within curricula this year.

The morning also provided opportunities to celebrate the people behind Eastern’s progress. Employees were recognized for earning degrees and certificates, supporting the community during the Spokane Complex Fires, participating in the ASCEND leadership program, and receiving nominations for the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service.

Portillo closed by bringing the focus back to the role every employee plays in Eastern’s future. “Our strategic plan guides our work, but it’s the people of Eastern who do the work,” he said. “You show up every day and create an environment where our students learn, thrive, and grow.”

The challenge for the year ahead is simple: What will your one degree of difference be?