RSVP for convocation Sept. 18

Opening Convocation for Western Washington University faculty and staff will take place Sept. 18 on campus.

A complimentary breakfast will be served from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Viking Commons. Reservations are requested by Sept. 16.

President Bruce Shepard's Convocation speech and the presentation of faculty and staff awards take place from 9:10 to 10:15 a.m. on the PAC Mainstage.

"I look forward to our joining together – all of us – at Opening Convocation," Shepard wrote in an email to the campus community in August. "We gather to kick off a new academic year – our 115th. While there is excellence to celebrate and other business to attend to, in the simple act of being together, I see great value. In so doing, we enjoy the company of colleagues and renew the commitments that bind us as a community and also as a calling critical to brighter futures for Washington and beyond."

In addition to serving as an annual kickoff to the school year, the event serves as an opportunity to honor the outstanding work of Western faculty and staff.

From 8 to 10:30 a.m., Western will pause normal operations and all offices will be closed, except in rare cases where staff are informed they must report to carry out their essential responsibilities. In lieu of shuttle service for off-campus employees, parking enforcement will be suspended in all lots from 7 to 11 a.m.