Purce, Sherman honored by Senate

lespurce
Evergreen President Purce stands far right for recognition by the Senate with wife Jane Sherman standing to his immediate left.

The state Senate this morning approved a resolution honoring the distinguished career of retiring Evergreen State College President Thomas L. “Les” Purce, a former vice president at WSU. Also recognized was his wife Dr. Jane Sherman, WSU’s retiring vice provost for academic policy and evaluation.

Having served as president of Evergreen since 2000, Dr. Purce will retire this August as an “exemplar of a public servant in higher education, with his twenty-six year career in Washington state,” Senate Resolution 8650 reads.

Regarded as a top public liberal arts and sciences institution, Dr. Purce’s leadership has propelled Evergreen to national recognition. Evergreen has emerged as a leader in reducing the length of time and cost required to earn a bachelor’s degree, and enriching educational experiences by exceeding benchmark measures of the National Survey of Student Engagement.

Prior to his leadership as president of Evergreen, Dr. Purce served as vice president of extended university affairs and dean of extended academic programs at WSU, and had a career in the state of Idaho that spanned 15 years in both public and private sectors.

As a vice provost at WSU and associate director for academic policy at the Council of Presidents, Dr. Sherman has led efforts to build and maintain Washington’s nationally recognized system of student transfer and articulation. Dr. Sherman will retire from a respected career in Washington higher education leadership this year as well.

Video of this morning’s proceedings on SR 8650 can be viewed below.