A catalyst for change
By Karlee Van De Venter, Reporter
September 30, 2020
For over two years, construction has been underway for the new Catalyst Building on EWU’s Spokane campus. On September 17, the completed building was unveiled to the world through a live-streamed grand opening. It began with words from Scott Morris, chairman of Avista, the energy company involved in ...
Campus Changes 2020
By Emily Driskel, Reporter
September 30, 2020
This year, EWU’s campus looks different than the previous years. Last fall quarter, the campus mall was filled with booths for new students to check out the clubs and programs EWU had to offer. But for this fall, new precautions have been made to keep students safe on campus. EWU had to m...
President Cullinan resigns weeks after ‘vote of no confidence’
By Randle Kinswa, Co-managing Editor
August 4, 2020
EWU President Mary Cullinan, the first female president of the university, resigned after a Board of Trustees meeting earlier this morning. In her closing statement, Cullinan said she was, "... honored to serve as Eastern Washington University's first female president," and that, "EWU is a valuable...
EWU faculty senate approves in favor of the vote of no confidence
By Randle Kinswa, Co-Managing Editor
June 22, 2020
Earlier today the EWU Senate Faculty voted in favor of the vote of no confidence in President Mary Cullinan. The vote tally was 35-2, with four abstentions, and one absence. President Cullinan was upset with, yet respected the Senate Faculty's decision. She cited that the Senate Faculty had a right...
EWU president faces vote of no confidence
By Randle Kinswa, Co-managing Editor
June 21, 2020
The EWU faculty organization plans on holding a vote of no confidence on President Mary Cullinan at Monday's Faculty Senate meeting. In a memo sent out by members of the Faculty Senate leadership, up to 60% of full-time faculty rated Cullinan's performance in six of the seven areas as "lacking". The...
Jamie Neely, head of EWU journalism department and faculty adviser to The Easterner, set to retire
June 8, 2020
Editor’s Note: From co-managing editors Drew Lawson and Malati Powell After over 25 years as a professional journalist and 12 years as a full-time professor at EWU, The Easterner’s faculty adviser, Jamie Neely, is retiring. Neely, the head of the journalism department at EWU, was The Easterner’s faculty advis...
EWU to eliminate Office of Diversity and Inclusion, consolidate all ethnic departments
By Karlee Van De Venter, Reporter
June 8, 2020
Along with university-wide budget cuts, EWU’s Board of Trustees decided to eliminate the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and consolidate all ethnic departments. This was announced to all students and employees in an email from EWU president Mary Cullinan on March 6. The email outlined EWU’s plans for this ch...
Cheney businesses reopen during Phase 2
By Aaron Hutchinson, Reporter
June 8, 2020
Several Cheney-area businesses are back open during Phase 2 of Washington’s four-phase reopening plan. Phase 2 allows restaurants, hair/nail salons and retail stores to reopen with some restrictions. Restrictions include masks and heighten sanitary measures, as well as capacity limi...
West Plains Roasters continues to serve community
By Emily Driskel, Reporter
June 8, 2020
Before the pandemic caused the community to practice social distancing, West Plains Roasters in Cheney was able to seat many people in their lobby. Walking inside, people are seen chatting with friends while sipping their coffee. The past couple months have brought many changes for small businesses due ...
EWU leadership presents the financial impacts of COVID-19 to Board of Trustees
By Aaron Hutchinson, Reporter
June 6, 2020
EWU leadership is proposing sweeping changes to university finances and structure in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to presentations given to the Board of Trustees on May 29. Vice president for business and finance Mary Voves presented a revamped budget that included cuts or freezes t...
EWU choir sings to inspire, inform
By Karlee Van De Venter, Reporter
June 1, 2020
When EWU announced that spring quarter would be fully online, many departments were left questioning how they could make their student learning objectives work. The choir program was one of these departments, and professor Kristina Ploeger-Hekmatpanah had only two weeks to design an all-new approach t...
EWU waives SAT and ACT admissions requirement
By Karlee Van De Venter, Reporter
May 27, 2020
On May 18, EWU announced its switch to testing-optional admissions. This means incoming students will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores with their application. Previously, it was required of all students in order to be considered. Then, President Mary Cullinan announced a temporary ...
