After 25 years, Morris ends term of service

The letter "I" occurs four times in the title Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. But from the lips of Ernest Morris, Mr. VP himself, "we" is a much more likely pronoun to reach the ears of those listening to any talk of progress made within that office.

Morris has spent the past 25 years of his life serving at the UW, 23 of them as the Vice President for Student Affairs. To categorize his job as work wouldn't do it justice, he said, but to call it service hits the nail right on the head.

In an interview with The Daily in 1998, Morris said that he "came into this job with a service philosophy," and as his Sept. 30 departure date approaches, it is becoming clear how seriously he has taken his service. Even as he prepares to leave, the attitude remains unwavering.

"Without a doubt, we ought to do everything we can do to ensure students are treated like we would like to be treated," he said. "The student should leave [the UW] feeling that his feelings were heard. We are here to serve ... I can't think of any other reason to do what I do."

His services to the campus community have included the necessary facets of student life, including responsibility for Housing and Food Services and the Office of Student Financial Aid. The progress he spearheaded has included renovations to all campus eateries, leaving them superior in quality to those of many U.S. universities. The UW now has what Morris refers to as "first-class retail food services."

Morris' contributions to campus expand into events like Freshman Convocation, which was once a not-so-hip idea from the office of the vice president, but has evolved into a staple happening for incoming students and their families.

During Morris' term, the Intramural Activities Building (IMA) was "finally" remodeled with substantial additions.

A service called Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Information Service (SARIS) was implemented. Since 1994, SARIS has provided education and support for those affected by violence within relationships.

Morris said his greatest challenge has been the unavailability of needed resources. Sometimes, he said, lack of resources made it impossible to do as much as circumstances required. In these cases it became even more important to maintain important services while keeping fees affordable.

"But people do remarkable things when they care," he said.

Those who have worked with Morris over the years feel privileged to have done so. His retirement is a defeat for the UW, one said.

"This is quite a loss," said ASUW president Lee Dunbar. "[Dr. Morris] left a huge impact on this University. His attitude on serving students is something we don't have enough of."

"It's profound and something a lot of students will look back on and appreciate."

Before coming to the UW, Morris worked at the University of Illinois as the executive assistant to its chancellor, William Gerberding. When Gerberding came to the UW in 1979 to be president, it was only a year before Morris was called to Seattle to become Gerberding's executive assistant.

Two years later, Morris became the Vice President for Student Affairs for the UW.

In his words, the responsibility of holding a vice presidential position is to "ensure that various services for which the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs is responsible are delivered to students in a timely, accurate and appropriate time-sensitive manner."

Morris said the success of his work has resided in the "we" aspect he esteems in the office. In that respect, Morris feels that his time spent at UW has been well spent.

"I have been privileged watching hundreds or thousands of young adults become professionals and contribute to the wellbeing of the community," he said. "We all have a part to play in carrying out an institution like this. We prepare the next generation of leaders."

Morris said he hopes to see the "we" of this university go far beyond the reaches of his work in the coming years, maintaining accessibility to students from the working classes, continued growth in stature, and -- of course -- a continuance of service.

"It's a collective effort," he said.