Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton ranked fourth on a list of the 10 biggest earners among leaders of the nation’s 50 most-endowed universities, compiled through a survey conducted by The Daily, a tablet-based newspaper.

James McLeod, the vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, passed away Tuesday due to kidney failure, a complication of a two-year battle with cancer. McLeod, 67, has been a part of the Washington University community since 1974, and was named dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Washington University’s endowment started to recover from several years of loss by increasing nearly 10 percent last year. The gains by the University reflect a trend of increased endowment growth across U.S. universities. The endowment’s recovery is just one sign that the University’s financial situation is slowly improving.

On Jan. 24, Washington University released a new pledge in an effort to help students go green (formally called a “pledge for sustainability.”) Designed to encourage students and staff to consider their environmentally harmful decisions and make changes accordingly, the pledge calls for participants to reduce their carbon footprints. We commend this pledge, as we would any effort to promote responsible sustainability and reduce waste.

With Asian students comprising two-thirds of the University’s international population, it’s clear that the university has strong ties to the continent.
And thanks to the International Advisory Council for Asia, the administration is able to push for an even stronger relationship with eastern countries.

We know how incredibly overprogrammed this campus is. Conflicts between events are inevitable, and normally, we take that as a sign of a vibrant, engaged student body. We appreciate the multitude of options available to us and understand that sometimes we have to accept trade-offs as a result.

To the Washington University Community: I write to you on the eve of a very important day for Washington University and the St. Louis region, and I write to ask for your support. On Tuesday, April 6, registered voters in St. Louis County will have the opportunity to vote on Proposition A, a half-cent sales tax increase to support the operation and expansion of the Metro system.

Wash. U. Students for Proposition A, Green Action, the Performing Arts Department collaborated to organize an improvisational flash mob dance in front of the Danforth University Center. The dance was meant to raise awareness of the upcoming April 6 vote on Proposition A, which will support St. Louis public transit. The Chancellor was among the [...]

Cutbacks have occurred across campus since the endowment plunged with the markets. One place that was hit was the Washington University library system. In February, Chancellor Mark Wrighton sent a campus-wide e-mail regarding financial cutbacks that would take place in the coming year. After University-wide cuts in spending, libraries on campus have experienced reductions in staff and a streamlining of services.

Washington University’s endowment decline can be seen in visual form around the campus. Stalled or halted construction projects and pay freezes are among those things that have resulted from the endowment decline.