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August 12, 2022

GAINING MOMENTUM

Dear WesternU Family,

The month of July afforded ample opportunities to move major initiatives forward. With the help and cooperation of faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, community leaders, legislators, and partners, we were able to gain traction as we envision a vibrant and growing future for WesternU California and WesternU Oregon.

It was an honor and a privilege to celebrate with WesternU Oregon this past month. From white coat ceremonies to building relationships with donors and friends, July was a month of celebration for WesternU's CHS-Northwest and COMP-Northwest.

CHS-Northwest held white coat ceremonies for its inaugural Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2024 and the incoming Class of 2025 on Saturday, July 9. COMP-Northwest held its white coat ceremony for the Class of 2026 on July 29.

CHS-Northwest also held a Donor Dinner, ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house, celebrating its new home in Lebanon, Oregon and acknowledging the support of the community.

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS

WesternU Oregon

This past month, I had the pleasure to meet and engage with the visionary Dr. Jeff Heatherington, president of FamilyCare Health and president and CEO of The Heatherington Foundation for Innovation and Education in Health Care, who will donate 150 acres of Lebanon riverfront property to WesternU to expand COMP-Northwest and build a new behavioral health college. Dr. Heatherington and many others in the Pacific Northwest are passionate about improving the quality of health care in the region. It is our distinct honor to partner with them to see that vision become a reality.

WesternU California

We are in the early stages of exploring opportunities for growth and expansion in Pomona. Through community and public-private partnerships, WesternU can play the role of fueling the infrastructure that supports the entire region. 

CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

The 23-member University Council (UC) held its first meeting both in person and on Zoom this past month on the Pomona campus. The UC functions as a vibrant medium for collaborative, purposeful, and transparent discussion and input on University matters and includes representation from both Lebanon and Pomona.

As we mature as a University, it is critically important to diversify our revenue streams for the long-term sustainability of our wonderful legacy as humanistic health care educators and health care providers. One of my priorities is to build our capacity to offer more student scholarships for the purpose of lowering the amount of financial aid needed to obtain a degree from WesternU. To this end, we have entered a relationship with Marts & Lundy to explore the feasibility of a comprehensive capital campaign. The feasibility study will gauge the readiness of our internal staff and capacity and enthusiasm of our donors and other constituents for a successful campaign. The feasibility study will take approximately six months to complete.

TRANSPARENCY

An important aspect of shared governance is transparency in process and transparency in communication. Building upon July’s email regarding Organizing for Empowerment, we have established new Institutional Guidelines for appointing University-level Administrators. We have posted these new Institutional Guidelines on the Governance webpage:

• Appointments of University-level Administrators
• Acting or Interim Appointments of University-level Administrators

You may find previous President’s Newsletters posted on the President’s website.

ONGOING GRATITUDE

THANK YOU

As we come back together on our campuses this fall, we welcome the many new and returning students. We also welcome our esteemed faculty and staff – many of whom have been working on campus even through the pandemic to ensure a quality experience for our students and patients. At WesternU, we unite with a singular goal – to provide the highest quality education to our students and ensure that they are equipped with the WesternU ethos of excellence, inclusivity, flexibility, compassion, empathy, integrity, trust, and respect.

I look forward to seeing you on campus in Pomona and in Lebanon.

My very warmest wishes!

Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA

President

Office of the President

We inspire, in a humanistic tradition, health care professionals and biomedical knowledge that enhances and extends the quality of life in our communities.