Information Technology: Academic Media Services (AMS), Washington State University Vancouver; Campus Updates from the Chancellor, 2020-2026.

Information Technology (IT) and Academic Media Services (AMS) are closely tied services at WSU Vancouver. In 1995, IT was a part of Vancouver Information Services (VIS), which included Washington Higher Education Telecommunication Systems (WHETS) and the Library. WHETS was an integral service that provided cross-campus video communications that included long-distance education and teleconferencing between campuses. When VIS was restructured in 2009, WHETS gradually transitioned from older telecommunication systems to online streaming services under IT and became known as AMS.

Campus updates from the Chancellor were generally provided a couple of times a year, during the Fall and Spring semesters. In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chancellor provided more frequent updates on state guidelines, closures, and challenges endured by the campus community during this period. Following disruptions from COVID-19, the Chancellor provided further guidance and information about the budget and declining enrollment at WSU Vancouver. In 2024, WSU Vancouver’s Chancellor, Mel Netzhammer, announced his plans for retirement in 2025. In the summer of 2025, Dr. Sandra Haynes was appointed interim-Chancellor at WSU Vancouver and continued providing updates on fiscal and organizational transitions facing the WSU system in relation to political, societal, and technological changes. .