Board of Regents names Elizabeth Cantwell WSU’s 12th president, approves contract terms

The Washington State Board of Regents voted Feb. 6, 2025 to appoint Dr. Elizabeth Cantwell as the university’s twelfth president, effective April 1, 2025, and approved the employment contract the board negotiated with the candidate.

Chair Lisa K. Schauer, chair of the Board of Regents, said the board had delegated authority to her to extend an offer after executive-session interviews and that negotiations with the chosen candidate, identified in earlier proceedings as Candidate B, were concluded successfully. “Beginning on April 1, the new president will take office,” Schauer said.

The approved contract establishes a term from April 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030, with a possible extension. The annual base salary in the contract is $735,000. The contract requires the president to “perform faithfully and to the best of their ability” duties associated with leading a public land-grant research-intensive university and identifies duties that track the leadership profile gathered from campus input, including advancing research, education and extension; stewarding financial resources; and promoting student success.

The contract also includes these provisions: a clause allowing unpaid furloughs for a maximum of 60 days per fiscal year as part of systemwide budget reductions; residence in the Ida Lou Anderson House on the Pullman campus through Dec. 31, 2025 (after which the board and president will assess system office location and residence); and, following completion of faculty tenure processes in the faculty manual, an appointment with tenure and the rank of full professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture.

Chair Schauer said the board is drafting key performance indicators and will work with the president-elect to set measurable one-year goals tied to strategic imperatives; incentive compensation in the contract is tied to meeting or exceeding those goals. Regent Howard Wright asked for clarification about the meaning of “meets or exceeds” for incentive compensation; Schauer and other regents said the board intends to define “meets” as the duties listed in the contract and “exceeds” as the agreed KPIs.

The board also approved a restated employment agreement for President Kirk H. Schulz, amending his appointment to conclude on March 31, 2025, and stated that Schulz will continue as a senior adviser to the president during the transition. Chair Schauer and others publicly thanked Schulz for his service, noting accomplishments including launching the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and increases in philanthropic support.

Chair Schauer noted compliance with state law limiting faculty and student regent participation in matters related to hiring, discipline or tenure of specific faculty members, citing RCW 28B.30.100; the faculty and student regents were present for interviews but did not participate in the vote.

Dr. Cantwell, who currently leads Utah State University’s system, addressed the meeting after the vote and said she was “absolutely thrilled” and “humbled” to take the role. She outlined priorities including centering the land-grant mission and strengthening research and student success.

The motions to appoint the president-elect and to approve the restated agreement for President Schulz were made and seconded and approved by voice vote in open session; the transcript records the motion and that the motion passed but does not contain a roll-call tally of individual votes.