Western Washington University

Western Washington University
Former names
  • Northwest Normal School
  • New Whatcom Normal School
  • State Normal School at Whatcom
  • Washington State Normal School at Bellingham
  • Western Washington College of Education
  • Western Washington State College
Motto Active Minds Changing Lives[1][2][3]
Type Public
Established February 24, 1893
Endowment US$57.1 million[4]
President Bruce Shepard[5]
Provost Brent Carbajal[6]
Academic staff
 928 (Oct. 2014)
Administrative staff
 1,388 (Oct. 2014)
Students 15,060 (2014) [7][7]
Undergraduates 14,407 (2014)[7]
Postgraduates 653 (2014)[7]
Location Bellingham, Washington, US
48°44′02″N 122°29′10″W / 48.734°N 122.486°W / 48.734; -122.486Coordinates: 48°44′02″N 122°29′10″W / 48.734°N 122.486°W / 48.734; -122.486
Campus Urban
215 acres (87 ha)
Colors Western Blue, Bay Blue and White
            [8]
Athletics NCAA Division II
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Sports 15 Varsity Teams
Nickname Vikings
Mascot Victor E. Viking[9]
Website www.wwu.edu
Western Washington University
Western Washington University, in Bellingham

Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is one of six public universities in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham, and is the northernmost university in the contiguous United States. WWU was founded as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School in 1893, succeeding a private school of teaching for women.

WWU offers a variety of bachelor's and master's degrees. In 2014, there were 15,060 students, 14,407 of whom were undergraduate students, and 764 faculty. Its athletic teams are known as the Vikings and the school colors are Western blue, bay blue, and white.

History

Old Main

Western was established as the Northwest Normal School, a teachers' school for women, by Phoebe Judson in Lynden, Washington, in 1886.[10] Eventually the school moved to Bellingham (then "New Whatcom"), and through the efforts of William R. Moultray and George Judson (Phoebe's son),[11] Governor John McGraw signed legislation establishing the New Whatcom Normal School on February 24, 1893. The first official class entered in 1899, composed of 88 students.

The institution that is now Western Washington University has since undergone several name changes. In 1901, the school's name was changed to State Normal School at Whatcom to reflect New Whatcom's name change. Again, in 1904, the name was changed to Washington State Normal School at Bellingham when the townships of Whatcom and Fairhaven joined, and again in 1937, to Western Washington College of Education when it became a 4-year college. Twenty-four years later it became Western Washington State College and finally, in 1977, the institution gained university status.

The 1960s was a period of especially rapid growth for Western, as its enrollment increased from 3,000 students to over 10,000 during the decade. Also during this time, the Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies was founded (1967), with non-traditional education methods that would serve as a model for The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Two years later, the Huxley College of the Environment, the nation's first dedicated environmental science college, was founded, continuing Western's trend toward "cluster" colleges. That same year, on a spring afternoon, students gained headlines by blocking Interstate 5 to protest the Vietnam War.

Since this period, the College of Arts and Sciences was founded (1973) and divided into the College of Humanities & Social Sciences and the College of Sciences & Technology (2003); the College of Fine and Performing Arts was formed from several art departments (1975); and the College of Business and Economics was established (1976). During the 1999–2000 school year, Western celebrated its centennial anniversary.

Today, WWU has a student body that currently consists of over 14,000 students. The university is the third largest in Washington after Washington State University at about 26,000 students and the University of Washington at about 43,000 students both undergraduate and graduate.

Campus

Fisher Fountain

WWU is located in Bellingham, a city of about 80,000 people, overlooking Bellingham Bay and many of the San Juan Islands. The university is 90 miles (140 km) north of Seattle, 55 miles (89 km) south of Vancouver, British Columbia, and an hour’s drive from 10,778-foot (3,285 m) Mount Baker. The university is located close to Interstate 5.

Wilson Library

The campus is 215 acres (87 ha), including the 38-acre (15 ha) Sehome Arboretum, operated jointly with the city of Bellingham. Campus facilities include an electronic music studio, an air pollution lab, a motor vehicle research lab, a marine research lab, a wind tunnel, an electron microscope, and a neutron generator lab.[12] Western's Vehicle Research Institute has led Automobile Magazine to describe Western as "very possibly the best school in the country for total car design." Western also has off-campus facilities at Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes, Washington; Lakewood, a 15-acre (6.1 ha) student-university facility at nearby Lake Whatcom; and Whatcom County property used for environmental and aquatic analyses.

Academics

Academic organization

Western offers bachelor's degrees and the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Business Administration, Master of Professional Accounting, and Master of Music. The university is composed of the following colleges and their respective programs:

Chemistry Building
Parks Hall, Home of the College of Business and Economics

Accreditation

The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; National Association of Schools of Music;[13] National Recreation and Parks Association; American Speech and Hearing Association; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education;[14] Computing Sciences Accreditation Board; Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology;[15] American Chemical Society;[16] Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business;[17] and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.[18]

Honors

The undergraduate honors program offers merit scholarships worth up to $5,000. These scholarships are awarded to successful applicants to the honors program. No separate application is necessary.[19] High-achieving freshmen from colleges in other western states can enroll at Western at a reduced tuition level that is equivalent to a $30,000 four-year scholarship.[20]

Rankings

In 2013, US News ranked Western Washington University as the top public master's granting university in the Pacific Northwest,[21] while placing 21st overall in the West (both public and private).[22] Western was one of only two public schools ranked among the top 25 Master’s-Granting Universities (West) category. The universities found in this ranking are schools that lack doctoral programs but still retain master's programs. It has a 72% acceptance rate.[23]

Western Washington University ranked first among the top medium-sized colleges and universities with alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2013 and 2014.[24]

Notable degree programs

Research institutes and laboratories

College of Business and Economics

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

College of Science and Engineering

Huxley College of the Environment

Multi-College

Collaboration with other Universities

Athletics

WWU has been an official member of NCAA Division II since September 1998. In 2011–12, approximately 350 students are participating in 15 varsity sports at Western, six for men and nine for women. In 2010–11, WWU placed seventh among 310 NCAA Division II schools in the Sports Director’s Cup national all-sports standings, the second-highest finish in school history. The Vikings were sixth in 2009–10 and 10th in 2008–09. WWU has had eight straight Top 50 finishes and been among the Top 100 in each of its first 13 seasons as a NCAA II member.

In 2010–11, Western won its third straight and seventh overall Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Sports championship, taking league titles in volleyball, men’s golf and women’s golf, and the regular-season crown in women’s basketball. The Vikings, who won the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference championship, placed second in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s outdoor track, men’s indoor track and softball.

Varsity sports

The Viking field varsity teams in the following sports:

Out-of-state and foreign students

9% of WWU’s students are out- of-state. Only 1% are international students, while 7% of Washington state students are foreign. On December 1, 2014, the Seattle Times reported that WWU’s president, Bruce Shepard, with six other faculty and staff members visited seven Chinese universities to promote partnerships and collaborations. [53]

Associated Students of Western Washington University (ASWWU)

The Associated Students of Western Washington University (ASWWU) is "an organization designed and run by Western students, the Associated Students (AS) seeks to ensure a fulfilling college and academic experience for all university students through the many services, facilities and programs it offers."[54] Within ASWWU, there are five main areas of focus: clubs, activities, programs, facilities & services, and governance.

The AS aims to provide "funding, space and services" to students "uniting around common interests."[54] The AS staff assist student development of clubs and provide advising, "continuity, referral and record keeping" throughout the entire process. Currently there are over two hundred student clubs in the following categories: Arts and Music, Cultural, Political, Special Interest, Gaming, Social Issues, Departmental, Limited Membership, Service, Religious, and Recreational.[54]

Public sculpture collection

Scepter (1966) by Steve Tibbetts

WWU's prized collection of outdoor and indoor public art sculptures is a major presence on its campus. The collection, funded by the Washington State Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and private donations, includes 36 works:[55] Founded in 1960,[56] the collection includes large-scale works by James FitzGerald, Isamu Noguchi, Robert Morris, Mark di Suvero, Anthony Caro, Nancy Holt, Beverly Pepper, Richard Serra, Donald Judd and Bruce Nauman, among others.

People

Notable faculty

Honorary doctorates

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Home". Wwu.edu. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Active Minds Changing Lives Decision Package proposal" (PDF). Wwu.edu. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ "2013 Calendar Lettersize" (PDF). News.wwu.edu. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  4. ↑ As of December 31st, 2013. "Western Stands for Washington Campaign Brochure" (PDF). Western Washington University Foundation. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  5. ↑ Riot police break up party in Wash. college town, (October 13, 2013)
  6. ↑ WWU names new provost, VP for Academic Affairs, (June 3, 2013)
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Diversity: Diversity Statistics". Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Western Washington University". WWU Office of Communications and Marketing. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ "WWUVIKINGS.COM - The Western Washington University Official Athletic Site - Athletics". Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Lynden Chamber of Commerce - Lynden, Washington". Lynden Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  11. ↑ Judson, Phoebe Goodell (1984) [1925]. A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home: A Book of Personal Memoirs. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. p. 289. ISBN 0-8032-2563-6.
  12. ↑ "Page Not Found - The Princeton Review". Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Accredited Institutional Members". Nasm.arts-accredit.org. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  14. ↑ "NCATE Accredited Institution". Ncate.org. January 1, 1954. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Accredited Programs details". Main.abet.org. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Chemistry Department at Western Washington University". Chem.wwu.edu. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  17. ↑ "AACSB List of Member Schools by Country". Aacsb.net. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs – Directory". Cacrep.org. January 1, 1980. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  19. ↑ Honors Program, WWU
  20. ↑ "Freshman Out-of-State Scholarships". Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Top Public Schools | Rankings | Top Regional Universities (West) | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Western Washington University | Overall Rankings | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  23. ↑ "Western Washington | Western Washington University | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  24. ↑ "WWWU again ranked No. 1 by Peace Corps". News.wwu.edu. February 11, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Politics/Philosophy/Economics, BA". Wwu.edu. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Introducing our courses – University of Oxford". Admissions.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  27. ↑ "WWU Named Among Best Undergraduate Philosophy Programs in the Country". News.wwu.edu. December 13, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  28. 1 2 "Wwu Vri". Vri.etec.wwu.edu. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  29. ↑ "Canadian-American Studies Center". Wwu.edu. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  30. ↑ "CEBR". Cbe.wwu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  31. ↑ "CEFE". Cbe.wwu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  32. ↑ "CEME". Cbe.wwu.edu. February 1, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  33. ↑ "CIB". Cbe.wwu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  34. 1 2 "SBDC". Cbe.wwu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Border Policy Research Institute". Wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  36. ↑ "Associates of the Center for Cross-Cultural Research, www.wwu.edu/~culture". Wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  37. ↑ "CPNWS – Home | Western Libraries @ Western Washington University". Library.wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  38. ↑ "CPE – home". Wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  39. ↑ "Critical Junctures Institute: Research Affiliates". Wwu.edu. July 25, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Morse Institute for Leadership: Home". Wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  41. ↑ "AMSEC: Homepage". Wwu.edu. May 31, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  42. ↑ "Internet Studies Center – Internet Studies Center ISC WWU". Yorktown.cbe.wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  43. ↑ "Institute of Watershed Studies". Wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  44. ↑ "Spatial Institute Home". Wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  45. ↑ "Institute of Environmental Toxicology: Home". Wwu.edu. January 20, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  46. ↑ "The Resilience Institute". Wwu.edu. October 24, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  47. ↑ "Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment". Pandora.cii.wwu.edu. July 11, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  48. ↑ "Shannon Point Marine Center – Welcome". Wwu.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  49. ↑ "WWU Neuroscience: Home". Wwu.edu. July 17, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  50. ↑ "Institure for Energy Studies". Wwu.edu. November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  51. ↑ "Center for Continuing Education in Rehabilitation (CCER)| University of Washington". CCER. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  52. ↑ "Mike Puma". Center for Education Data & Research.
  53. ↑ "WWU president goes to China, Mongolia to boost school profile". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  54. 1 2 3 "About the Associated Students". Western Washington University. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  55. ↑ About the WWU Outdoor Sculpture Collection.
    The WWU campus map has a list of sculptures.
  56. ↑ http://www.wwu.edu/provost/honorary/documents/LubchencoCitation.pdf
  57. ↑ "Western Washington University Awards Honorary Doctorate to Author and Columnist Timothy Egan". News.wwu.edu. March 6, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  58. ↑ "Holocaust survivor Noemi Ban to receive honorary doctorate at WWU commencement". Bellinghamherald.com. March 20, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  59. ↑ Ravulur, Nandita (October 12, 1997). "Game Boys". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  60. ↑ "Western Washington University". StateUniversity.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  61. ↑ "Ryan Couture UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014.
  62. ↑ "Before they're gone | WINDOW – The magazine for WWU". Windowmagazine.org. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  63. ↑ "IMDB".
  64. ↑ "Oscar Nominee TJ Martin to Host Screening of 'Undefeated' at WWU March 1". News.wwu.edu. February 14, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  65. ↑ Kam WilliamsSpecial to the AFRO (February 9, 2012). "Oscar-Nominated Director Weighs-In on His Heartwarming Documentary | The Afro-American Newspapers | Your Community. Your History. Your News". Afro.com. Retrieved August 20, 2012.

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