GO COUGS! We are now officially in-person.

For the first time since March 2020, classes at Washington State University took place in physical classrooms with an instructor up front teaching material and students in desks absorbing the content.

Classes were in-person at our five physical campuses today, including at WSU Tri-Cities.

How long has it really been? I wasn’t even working for WSU the last time in-person classes were held. But the 18 months of remote learning is now all in the past and it is full steam ahead. Well, kind of—I am not that naïve. I know the Delta variant has the potential to cause disruptions so I am keeping those ramifications in the back of my mind. To be honest, though, I am staying positive and hoping for an entire academic year of faculty engaging students on our beautiful campuses across the state.

The absence of students on campus was an especially tough pill to swallow at WSU Pullman. To see a full campus was awesome.

Alright, let me slow down a bit. There really isn’t a reason tonight to look too far down the road, or, for that matter, rewind through the past year and a half. Instead, I think it is important to just savor today. Seniors and juniors got to return to their beloved campuses, second year students finally got a taste of the college experience after their freshman year was virtual, and new students got to enjoy something they might have questioned would even be possible a year ago at this time. Today was big.

Our future healthcare professionals returned to WSU Spokane today.

I would like to wish all WSU students a fantastic semester. They deserve this. I feel fortunate to be part of the Cougar family and feel the excitement that is clearly evident. Let’s take this one day at a time and hope for the best. Don’t Blink.