Mission and Vision
The mission of the William D. Ruckelshaus Center is to act as a neutral resource for collaborative problem solving in the State of Washington and Pacific Northwest. The Center provides expertise to improve the quality and availability of voluntary collaborative approaches for policy development and multi-party dispute resolution.
The Center is a joint effort of Washington’s two research universities and was developed in response to requests from community leaders. Building on the unique strengths of the two institutions, the Center is dedicated to assisting public, private, tribal, non-profit and other community leaders in their efforts to build consensus and resolve conflicts around difficult public policy issues. The Center also advances the teaching and research missions of the two universities by bringing real-world policy issues to the academic setting.
The Center is hosted at the University of Washington at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs and at Washington State University by WSU Extension. It is guided by an advisory board of prominent local, state and regional leaders representing a broad range of constituencies and geographic locations. The board is chaired by William Ruckelshaus.
The Center envisions a future in which governmental leaders, policy makers, stakeholders and citizens in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest routinely employ the tools of collaborative decision making to design, conduct and implement successful public policy processes.
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Updated on May 16, 2013
Announcements
Save the Date: 3rd Annual Chairman's Circle Luncheon
This year's luncheon will take place Friday, August 2nd and feature former Senator Alan Simpson discussing Myths and Misunderstandings of America's Fiscal Situation.
Click here for more information
Legislative Event
The Center co-sponsored (with the Governor’s Office, Secretary of State’s Office and others) a lunch event in Olympia on April 9 entitled “Perspectives on the Washington State Legislative Process.” WSU scholars released research highlights; former Secretary of State Sam Reed moderated a panel of past and present of legislators on improving the legislative process, civility and perception of state government. Click here to view the TVW broadcast.
Eldercare Workforce
The Center is partnering with the UW Health Policy Center to develop an understanding of the eldercare workforce capacity in Washington State. read more
Chehalis Flooding
Review the report on flood mitigation alternatives for the Chehalis Basin. read more
Fall 2012 eNews
The latest edition of the Ruckelshaus Center's eNews is now available.
read more.