Thread by @ewupresident

So, today will be almost my last day on this twitter account. Pretty soon the picture, the control, and the content will shift to the new President, Dr. McMahan. Before I go though, I wanted to take a moment and thank you all for listening to what I have had to say for the 🧵

past couple of years. I have really appreciated the interactions and the Twitter friends that I have made here. It is an interesting challenge and fantastic opportunity to speak on behalf of a university in 280 character bursts. I also want to thank you all for your support.

As a university and as a community, we have done things in the past two years that could not be done. We moved a university online in three weeks. We taught and learned and worked and cried and watched and hoped and yelled and struggled in our home offices and

our parents' living rooms – at least our daughter did – feeling alone and hurting. We learned to be proficient at Zoom and we learned to hate Zoom and the never ending shifting faces in boxes that reminded us of our disconnection.

But then we found a way to come back together - with all sorts of mandates and requirements - but it was joyful nonetheless. There have been very few easy days in the last two years but there have been days of deep meaning and great hope. All of it was possible because

we did it together. Even apart we shared a common pain but also a common hope. We pulled together from a safe social distance. We were #Eaglestrong in the real meaning of that phrase. I have been buoyed every day by the stories of support of one another and the successes we have

found in the midst of it all. Being a part of what we have done, being in this position during it all, has been an honor and a privilege that I will never forget. The true measure of my happiness with all that we have done will take place this Saturday.

After three years of all of this we are going to have an in-person commencement where I get to see you all and hand you your diploma and shake your hand and see your smiles. I will selfishly take every bit of joy that I can from that time and I hope that you do too.

I hope that those of you who have my number give me a call. We have a lot of catching up to do. And If you don’t have my number but see me out and about in Cheney or Spokane, please say Hi, I’d love to grab a cup of coffee or something and hear your story. #GoEags!