Concerns for Higher Education/Research in New D.C. Administration Outlined by WSU Pharmacy Dean Pollack

Here is a thoughtful discussion from Dr. Gary Pollack, WSU Dean of the College of Pharmacy and HSSA Board Member. Dr. Pollack outlines concerns for higher education and research at the federal level in a new Administration. The article first appeared in the College's e-newsletter Cougar RX.

A new administration in Washington D.C. always brings uncertainty to higher education. Changes in policy, budgetary priorities, and politico-social philosophy can have profound effects on colleges and universities, especially public institutions with a significant research mission.

The current anxiety in higher education is more acute than most of us have experienced in our lifetimes. Within academic health sciences in particular, there are at least three key areas of concern:

• Vulnerability of the NIH budget given the administration’s stated goals directing priorities to other areas. Without associated reductions in entitlement programs, it is unclear how a congress previously committed to a balanced budget will approve these new expenditures without significant cuts in a variety of federal programs, including those that fund basic and applied research.
• “Fake science” may become institutionalized. The first indication of this potential trend is the recent alleged commission on “vaccine safety and scientific integrity” (suggesting that the integrity of the science that has demonstrated conclusively that vaccines are safe and effective will be under attack). A recent outbreak of mumps in Washington state, including a large cluster of cases in Spokane County, is a reminder of the critical importance that immunizations are to public health.
• Restrictions on immigration may have an impact on academic research. A significant plurality of students pursuing advanced degrees in the sciences at U.S. universities are from overseas. These international students are not displacing U.S. citizens from academic programs; there is simply an insufficient supply of domestic students who are interested in advanced training in the sciences, including biomedical and health sciences. The fear of losing the ability to enroll qualified international students in advanced degree-granting programs within the academy is real. The realization of that fear ultimately being a reduction in the science workforce with significant and persistent long-term costs to the economy.

Among these areas of concern, the debate continues as to which one is the most important and how each will impact the policy landscape surrounding higher education and research. In this environment of anxiety we need to keep several thoughts close to both heart and mind; thoughts which are part of the very fabric that our university community is comprised of and which, I believe, cannot be reiterated too much. At WSU we hold the following core values:

• We are committed to being a community that protects the free exchange of ideas while encouraging dialog that is constructive and civil.
• We embrace a worldview that recognizes and values the importance of domestic and global diversity, global interdependence, and sustainability.

Time will tell us what the final policy landscape will look like. In the meantime I know that the progress we have made as a college, university and community cannot be undone if we keep our core values close to heart and continue to collaborate on the solutions that will advance, promote and protect human health. This is the vision of our college’s land-grant heritage and tradition of service to society, and is why we strive every day for excellence in collaborative research and scholarship, and developing outstanding health care professionals and scientists.