WUPD Captain and Bureau Commander Dave Goodwin will take over as interim chief.
Danforth, who passed away on Sept. 16, 2020, at the age of 94, was remembered as one of the most influential administrators in the University’s history.
Wrighton was Washington University’s highest-paid employee during the year ending in June 2020, reporting over $2.8 million in compensation according to the University’s form 990, and will take a sabbatical while leading GWU, Washington University announced in The Source Friday afternoon.
The announcement ushers in the start of a school year that will look more like pre-pandemic college, with predominantly in-person classes and no plans for surveillance testing.
The move comes as St. Louis city and county became some of the first local governments in the nation to bring back mask mandates for indoor public spaces.
The University’s vaccination requirement comes after 112 colleges and universities have required the vaccine for students in the fall, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Abdul-Jabbar, who has been a prominent advocate for racial and social justice since his playing days, will record a speech before commencement that will be broadcast on large screens at Francis Olympic Field and streamed to graduates who will not be at the in-person ceremony.
“Overall, we are cautiously optimistic that fall will feel a lot more ‘normal’ than what we have experienced during the current academic year,” Chancellor Martin and Provost Wendland wrote in an email to the student body.
The plan will focus on five main principles: inclusion, diversity, equity and access, global perspective, stewardship, community impact and academic distinction.
During the address, which was broadcast live on YouTube, Martin described some highlights of the Washington University experience in 2020, in the face of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stay up to date with everything happening as Washington University returns to campus.
Subscribe