On June 20, after undergoing treatment in Pullman, Dr. Elson Floyd died due to complications with colon cancer. Being the 10th President of Washington State University, Dr. Floyd leaves behind a legacy that greatly developed WSU.
Dr. Floyd fought for the need to train more doctors and now, WSU will become Washington’s second college that offers a medical school. Additionally, this past year, Dr. Floyd began conversations with BC President Dr. Dave Rule about partnering the two institutions. Before his passing, the Memorandum of Understanding was drafted and signed, which initiates further discussions about the partnership.
WSU’s acting president, Dr. Daniel J. Bernardo, will be continuing the conversations with BC. Manager of Community and College Relations Evan Epstein said, “Dr. Bernardo has been an active participant in the BC-WSU conversations all-along, as it is our belief that Dr. Floyd’s passing will not interrupt our progress with regards to the BC-WSU conversations.”
In addition, Epstein noted, “The MOU outlines the proposed partnership as approved by both representatives from BC and WSU and as such, no one person makes unilateral decisions.” Therefore, ideas introduced and included in the memorandum by both Dr. Floyd and Dr. Rule cannot be removed without discussion from both schools.
“The timeline for the partnership discussion remains unchanged and there aren’t any discussions to make any changes to the MOU,” said Epstein.