PULLMAN, WA – Washington State University President Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell wrapped up her statewide whistle-stop tour Tuesday with a return to the Pullman campus.

Cantwell spoke to a crowd from the Pullman and Global Campus communities inside the Terrell Library Atrium, followed by a reception.

During her remarks, Cantwell highlighted student safety as well as the university’s vision for the future and how it will protect academic freedom and freedom of speech as two critical issues she’ll be keying in on early in her presidency.

While the job of university president comes with significant challenges, particularly at this moment, Cantwell said she was driven to pursue the opportunity at WSU.

“I wanted this job because I believe it is the most important job to protect national security,” Cantwell said.

The university’s mission, she added, remains to educate the next generation of leaders. She asked those in attendance for grace, as well as their assistance in ensuring the university looks ahead to how it can continue to serve its students and build the best institution to meet their needs in the future.

Next fall, Cantwell plans to embark on a system-wide listening tour, giving members of the WSU community the opportunity to weigh in on the strengths of the university system as well as its most pressing challenges.

Cantwell’s tour of the WSU system kicked off last week on the Tri-Cities campus on April 2. The following day, she visited the Spokane campus, followed by a stop at WSU Everett on Friday. On Monday, Cantwell visited with faculty, staff and students on the Vancouver campus.

The goal of the tour, Cantwell told audience members, was to quickly be introduced to WSU’s campuses and communities as the spring semester nears its conclusion. Asked about what stood out from her stops on WSU’s other campuses, Cantwell cited the robust and modern infrastructure in place and the ability to continue to capitalize on these outstanding resources.

Next fall, Cantwell plans to embark on a system-wide listening tour, giving members of the WSU community the opportunity to weigh in on the strengths of the university system as well as its most pressing challenges. While those sessions will produce important data that’ll inform decision-making, Cantwell said there’s an enormous amount to do in the months ahead.