Thank you for helping us build momentum. We’re grateful for your support of the School of Languages, Cultures, and Race.
Your gift to the Excellence Fund strengthens our academic programs, sparks bold new ideas, and opens doors for students, faculty, and staff to thrive. Thanks to your commitment, we’re not just moving forward, we’re gaining momentum. We’re advancing education, accelerating research, and enriching our community with purpose and energy.
Your belief in our mission keeps us going. You’re a vital part of the progress we’re making, and we’re excited to share a few highlights from the past year that reflect the impact of your support. There’s so much more ahead, and we look forward to keeping you connected to the incredible work you’re helping make possible.
With heartfelt appreciation,
GO COUGS!
- During this period, spending supported a variety of activities that helped strengthen programs, recognize contributions, and create welcoming environments. Meals and refreshments were provided during the school Fall semester retreat and the Winter Holiday celebration. These meetings and formal gatherings helped build community and encourage participation of faculty, staff, and graduate students. For the Fall semester retreat, we decided to rent a couple of rooms at the WSU Floyd Center as we thought that meeting at a different and beautiful place would add a special appeal to our gathering.
- Particularly significant was the SLCR Award Ceremony, held towards the end of the Spring semester 2025. In addition to the excellent catering service offered to our attendees –mostly, undergraduate students— prizes and awards were given to celebrate achievements and motivate continued involvement. I would like to highlight the medals given to all our outstanding students as well as the books purchased as prizes for the winners of the Spanish creative writing contest, an activity that we have successfully organized for five years in the row.
- Conference registration fees allowed SLCR members to attend professional events and gain new skills.
- Our Faculty-Led Field Trip that took place last academic year deserves a special mention. Four SLCR faculty took 34 undergraduate students to the Portland Art Museum (PAM) to see the Monet to Matisse: French Moderns and Pissarro to Picasso exhibits, the Whitman Mission/Tamastslikt Cultural Institute and Whitman College, and the Pepper Bridge winery where they were received by French winemaker Jean-François Pellet who gave a talk on the influence of France in the Walla Walla wine industry. We were able to cover travel costs such as lodging and museum tickets for all students attending this event. This trip supported learning, collaboration, and outreach efforts.
- Scholarships and fellowships were also awarded to students, helping them take part in educational opportunities and reducing financial barriers.