WSU Graduation Is Last For Sam Smith Under Smith, WSU Added Branch Campuses In Tri-Cities, Spokane And Vancouver

Washington State University President Sam Smith donned his midnight blue commencement robe one last time in Pullman on Saturday to usher nearly 3,000 students into a new phase of their lives.

In that sense, Smith graduated as well.

Smith retires this year after 15 years at WSU, having helped the university grow from a single, rural campus into a statewide school with branch campuses in the Tri-Cities, Spokane and Vancouver. More than one-third of all WSU graduates - since the first commencement in 1897 - have graduated during Smith’s long tenure.

“I’m almost wearing out my academic robe,” Smith said before commencement. “So it’s time.”

With Smith’s permission, Suzi Friedlander of Nespelem chose to give up her academic robe Saturday. Instead of a cap and gown, the 36-year-old member of the Colville Tribe wore traditional buckskin dress of the plateau women, decorated with intricate beadwork and an eagle feather given to her by her uncle.

“I wanted the children to be able to see how it goes full circle,” said Friedlander, who was receiving her master’s degree in speech and hearing sciences. “That you can succeed traditionally as well as academically.”

Priscilla Barajas wore a sash honoring her Filipino and Mexican backgrounds from the Chicano Latino and the Asian American student graduation ceremonies she attended. “I’ll miss the people, and the sunsets,” said Barajas, 22, who plans to pursue a career in social work.

Kareem Anderson, 22, of Phoenix, Ariz., has a career ahead of him, but not yet in his major, psychology.

A punter with WSU’s football team, Anderson signed on with the New England Patriots last week.

“I’m psyched,” said Anderson, who hopes to get his master’s degree during the off-season so he can work as a clinical psychologist.

It was the first year that WSU, because of this year’s large class, had to hold three commencements. Attorney General Christine Gregoire, WSU Regent Kenneth Alhadeff and astronaut John Fabian were featured speakers. In the largest College of Liberal Arts ceremony, Gregoire lauded Smith’s legacy. and urged graduates to involve themselves in public service and be tolerant of different ideas.

The answers to today’s problems don’t rest with government, but with families, churches, service clubs and volunteer organizations, said Gregoire, who is known nationally for her lead role in the government settlement with tobacco companies.

“Remember, your education also empowers you to make our communities and society stronger and healthier, and not just make yourself financially wealthier,” Gregoire said.

“Give to your community, and always respect and listen to other people - no matter how different they are from you - and you will improve your community, your job potential and most important of all, your personal satisfaction,” she said.

She coupled her call for tolerance with a warning about technology.

Today’s average consumers may wear more computing power on their wrists than existed in the world before 1961, Gregoire said, but technology also can create an ominous societal gap.

“Time spent surfing on the Web, shopping online, leaving voice mails, playing video games or pursuing other PC-based activities takes us out of contact with other people and removes us a little more from the human understanding that is so important today,” she said.

Three WSU faculty members were honored with the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Awards on Saturday. Associate Professor of English and Comparative American Cultures Shellie Fowler received the award for instruction; Director of Teaching and Education Student Services Christine Sodorff for public service; and physics professor Philip Marston for his research into physical acoustics.

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Barbara Doornink, a Pullman High School and WSU graduate, commissioned 21 ROTC graduates and presented Smith with the “Outstanding Civil Service Medal,” from the U.S. Department of the Army.

At last year’s commencement, Smith sat quietly on a stool, having met his goal to be back just months after surgery for prostate cancer.

Before a full house gathered in Beasley Coliseum, Smith thanked students, faculty, staff, alumni and others for support he and his wife, Pat, received over the years.

“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” he said.

If he was sentimental about his finale, it didn’t show. He smiled and enthusiastically shook the hands of several thousand students, who broke into the Cougars fight song as he left the floor at the ceremony’s end.

In Spokane on Friday, Smith told branch campus students they were higher education’s “new wave.”

Universities everywhere are changing how they do business, Smith said in an interview Friday morning. “People grumbled and said it would be expensive and wouldn’t work,” he said of his decision to pursue a branch campus system. “But I get a great deal of pleasure with how great it is working.”

WSU will grant 4,574 bachelor’s degrees, 786 master’s and 161 doctoral degrees this year. More than 1,000 of those will be from branches or extended degree programs - nearly 20 percent. Many graduates will head off to travel or start new jobs. The Smiths have something much less glamorous in mind.

“Our vacation,” Smith said, “is going to be privacy.”