Western Washington University

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Western Washington University
Motto Active minds changing lives.[1]
Established 24 February 1893
Type Public
Endowment US$26.8 million[2]
President Bruce Shepard
Provost Catherine A. Riordan
Academic staff 463
Admin. staff 1172[3]
Students 14,575
Undergraduates 13,396[4]
Postgraduates 1,179
Location Bellingham, Washington, United States of America
48°44′02″N 122°29′11″W / 48.733843°N 122.48647°W / 48.733843; -122.48647Coordinates: 48°44′02″N 122°29′11″W / 48.733843°N 122.48647°W / 48.733843; -122.48647
Campus Urban
215 acres (87 ha)
Former names New Whatcom Normal School
State Normal School at Whatcom
Washington State Normal School at Bellingham
Western Washington College of Education
Western Washington State College
Colors Blue & White         [5]
Athletics NCAA Division II
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Sports 15 Varsity Teams
Nickname Vikings
Mascot Victor E. Viking[6]
Website http://www.wwu.edu
Western Washington University Logo.png
Western Washington University is located in Washington (state)
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Western Washington University
Western Washington University, in Bellingham

Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.

Contents

[edit] History

Old Main

Western was established as the New Whatcom Normal School, a teachers' school for women, by Phoebe Judson in Lynden, Washington.[7] Eventually the school moved to Bellingham (then "New Whatcom"), and through the efforts of William R. Moultray and George Judson (Phoebe's son),[8] 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, Fairhaven College 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 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.

Today, WWU has a major presence in Bellingham's economy, and contributes significantly to the political, social, and artistic aspects of the city. With 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.

[edit] Campus

Fisher Fountain

WWU's scenic location in Bellingham, a rapidly-growing city of about 80,000 people, overlooks Bellingham Bay and many of Puget Sound’s 172 San Juan Islands. It was originally built on a peat bog, and due to this and the area's geography, the university has had to address problems from its buildings slowly sinking into the ground. 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.[9] 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.

[edit] Sculpture collection

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 30 works:

  1. "Rain Forest" (1959), by James FitzGerald
  2. "Totem" (1962), by Norman Warsinske
  3. "Wall Relief" (1962), by Norman Warsinske
  4. "Scepter" (1966), by Steve Tibbetts
  5. "Sky Viewing Sculpture" (1969), by Isamu Noguchi
  6. "Untitled Steam Work for Bellingham" (1971), by Robert Morris
  7. "Alphabeta Cube" (1972), by Fred Bassetti
  8. "The Man Who Used to Hunt Cougars for Bounty" (1972), by Richard Beyer
  9. "Log Ramps" (1974; 1987), by Lloyd Hamrol
  10. "For Handel" (1975), by Mark di Suvero
  11. "India" (1976), by Anthony Caro
  12. "Sasquatch" (1976), by Rod Pullar
  13. "Flank II" (1978), by Mia Westerlund Roosen
  14. "Garapata" (1978), by John Keppelman
  15. "Mindseye" (1978), by Mark di Suvero
  16. "Stone Enclosure: Rock Rings" (1978), by Nancy Holt
  17. "Curve / Diagonal" (1979), by Robert Maki
  18. "Normanno Column" (1980), by Beverly Pepper
  19. "Normanno Wedge" (1980), by Beverly Pepper
  20. "Wright's Triangle" (1980), by Richard Serra
  21. "Untitled Box" (1982), by Donald Judd
  22. "Bayview Station" (1987), by George Trakas
  23. "The Islands of the Rose Apple Tree Surrounded by the Oceans of the World for You, Oh My Darling" (1987), by Alice Aycock
  24. "Two-part Chairs, Right Angle Version (A Pair)" (1987), by Scott Burton
  25. "Untitled" (1989), by Ulrich Rückriem
  26. "Untitled" (1990), by Meg Webster
  27. "Manus" (1994), by Magdalena Abakanowicz
  28. "Feats of Strength" (1999), by Tom Otterness
  29. "Stadium Piece" (1999), by Bruce Nauman
  30. "Bigger Big Chair" (2006), by David Ireland

[edit] Academics

[edit] 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:

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

[edit] Accreditation

The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; National Association of Schools of Music[10]; National Recreation and Parks Association; American Speech and Hearing Association; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education[11]; Computing Sciences Accreditation Board; Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology[12]; American Chemical Society[13]; Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business[14]; and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs[15].

[edit] Honors

  • 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.[16]
  • 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.[17]

[edit] Rankings

In 2011, US News ranked Western Washington University number three for regional public universities (west) category,[18] while placing 21st overall in the west (both public and private).[19] Only two public schools are ranked among the top 25 master’s universities (west) category, "a region stretching from Texas to the Pacific."[20] The universities found in this ranking are schools that lack doctoral programs but still retain master's programs. It has a 72% acceptance rate. [21]

Western Washington University ranks sixth among the top medium-sized colleges and universities with alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2008.[22]

[edit] Notable degree programs

  • The Philosophical Gourmet Report mentions Western as having one of the nation's best philosophy departments among colleges and universities that only offer a B.A. in the discipline. Western was among only seven public universities so honored.[24]
  • BS in Industrial Technology, Vehicle Design at the Vehicle Research Institute. Western Washington University’s Vehicle Research Institute (VRI) strives to offer the best total car design curriculum in the world. The program focuses on complete vehicle design and fabrication with special emphasis on: power plants, including alternative fuels; transmissions; cats; chassis design; and component materials. [25]
  • The Center for Canadian American Studies at Western Washington University is one of only two U.S. Department of Education designated National Resource Centers for the study of Canada in the United States.[26]

[edit] Research institutes and laboratories

[edit] College of Business and Economics

  • Center for Economics and Business Research[27]
  • Center for Economic Education[28]
  • Center for Economic Vitality[29]
  • Center for Excellence in Management Education[30]
  • Center for International Business[31]
  • Small Business Development Center[32]

[edit] College of Humanities and Social Sciences

  • Border Policy Research Institute[33]
  • Center for Cross-Cultural Research[34]
  • Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment[35]
  • Center for Pacific Northwest Studies[36]
  • Center for Performance Excellence[37]
  • Critical Junctures Institute[38]
  • Demographics Research Laboratory
  • Institute for Literary Sciences
  • Karen W. Morse Institute of Leadership[39]

[edit] College of Science and Technology

  • Advanced Material Science and Engineering Center[40]
  • Internet Studies Center[41]
  • Vehicle Research Institute[42]

[edit] Huxley College of the Environment

  • Institute for Watershed Studies[43]
  • Institute for Spatial Information and Analysis[44]
  • Institute of Environmental Toxicology[45]
  • The Resilience Institute[46]
  • Shannon Point Marine Center[47]
  • Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association Environmental Science Research Site

[edit] Collaboration with other Universities

  • Center for Continuing Education and Rehabilitation[48] (with University of Washington)
  • Center for Education Data and Research[49] (with University of Washington)

[edit] Athletics

WWU Vikings

WWU is a NCAA Division II member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The university's mascot is a Viking, named Victor E. Viking, identical to the mascot of Portland State University.

The Vikings won the first three GNAC All-Sports Championships and placed 31st among 225 NCAA II schools in U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup standings in 2003-04. In January 2004, the women's basketball team became the 15th NCAA school to win 700 games. A total of 59 Vikings earned league all-star honors and 34 were GNAC academic all-stars in 2003-04. In the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the Vikings participated in football as a member the North Central Conference, as the GNAC discontinued the sport following the 2005 season. However, with the demise of the NCC on July 1, 2008, the GNAC re-started its football program in 2008 and the Vikings joined its five-team football division.

However, on January 9, 2009 the school announced it would be dropping its football program effective immediately, meaning that the 2008 year was the last year football will be played. The school finished the year at 6-5 and the program will finish with an overall record of 383-380-34 in 98 seasons starting in 1903.[50]

Western varsity squads have won a total of five national championships (Softball-1998, Women's Rowing 2005-2008), and the club Cycling team won a title in 2007.[51] With their women's rowing capturing the national title again in 2008, Western became the first school in NCAA history to 4-peat as national champions.[clarification needed][52]

Wade King Student Recreation Center

In 2007, the Viking volleyball team finished national runner-up in the NCAA tournament.[53] This was the best finish in school history, bettering a third place in the NAIA tournament in 1990.[54]

In 2007, the Men's Cross Country team finished 11th at nationals, well above their pre-nats ranking of 17th. The nationals squad included four redshirt freshman, and only two seniors, giving the Viking XC team a very promising future.

[edit] Varsity sports

Cross Country (Men's and Women's), Soccer (Men's and Women's), Volleyball (Women's), Golf (Men's and Women's), Basketball (Men's and Women's), Softball, Track & Field (Men's and Women's), Rowing (Women's)

[edit] Club sports

Lacrosse, baseball, men's crew, cross-country, cycling (road, mountain, track, cyclo-cross), equestrian (English and Western), fencing, ice hockey, Formula SAE Racing, Baja SAE Racing, judo, rugby, sailing, swimming, tennis, water polo, Northwest grappling, Water Ski Team, Ultimate.

[edit] Men's Hockey

The Men's Hockey team plays in the National Association of Intercollegiate Hockey (NAIH). The team was founded in 1980 and before joining the NAIH prior to the 2011-12 season were part of the American College Hockey Association (ACHA) from 1997 to 2010.

In the 2009-2010 season the WWU Vikings Hockey team finished with the best win percentage in the Nation with 22 wins, 1 loss, and 1 shootout loss.[55] Western Captain Jeff Bulger finished the season second overall in points with 97 in 22 games. First overall was Utah State's Brendan MacDonald, who had 105 points in 34 games (including post season points).[56]

The Vikings hockey team repeated this feat in the 2010-2011 season, recording the highest winning percentage in the nation among ACHA Division II schools with an overall record of 23 wins, 5 losses, and 1 shootout loss.[57] This season included victories over nationally ranked opponents San Jose State University (3), and the University of Washington (13).[58]

Notable Alumni of the Vikings Hockey team include: Mike Bahn - Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes [59]

[edit] Men's Lacrosse

The WWU Men's Lacrosse team competes in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL). Western has been considered one of the premier lacrosse club teams in the Northwest. In 2007 the Vikings made their first National Tournament appearance in Plano Texas. They ultimately lost to Harding University in the first round 13-10. The Vikings again made the tourney in 2010 losing to #5 Davenport University of Michigan in the first round 11-9. Western competes in the PNCLL Division 2 league with teams such as Western Oregon, Gonzaga, Pacific Lutheran, Whitman and Central Washington. The Vikings have qualified for the playoffs the last 7 seasons never winning the PNCLL title.

[edit] Waterskiing

The WWU Water Ski Team competed at the 31st Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Oct. 22-24, at Ironwood Ranch in Arvin, Calif.[60] Hosted by Cal Poly and sanctioned by USA Water Ski and the National Collegiate Water Ski Association, the competition included 12 teams in Division 1 and 10 teams in Division 2. The WWU Water Ski Team led the field after two events and managed to stay in 1st after their second event, slalom skiing. As the last day of competition started, Westerns team brought their 'A' game and managed to stay top three after the final event, trick skiing. The WWU Water Ski Team took 3rd place after multiple days of intense competition. Noted achievements are: Carl Skerlong, 5th place in Mens Division II jump with 121 ft; Aly Howisey, 4th Place Women's Division II jump with 64 ft.

Kenny O'Connell, alumni of WWU, recently donated $13 million to help fund a new Water Ski facility, the KOC Center. This facility, according to star skier Cameron Van Til, "will help us go the distance, if you know what I mean." O'Connell however, declined to comment when asked by the Hillsborough Times of whether or not he will be in attendance at any of the 2012 WWU competitions.

[edit] Fencing

Western hosts the only collegiate fencing organization in western Washington. Its team competes at the club level (there is no varsity fencing in the NCAA Northwest Region or any of the northwestern states). The other Washington colleges with fencing teams are Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, Washington State University, and Whitman College.

[edit] 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."[61] Within ASWWU, there are four main areas of focus: clubs, programs, facilities & services, and governance.

The AS aims to provide "funding, space and services" to students "uniting around common interests."[61] 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.[61]

[edit] Notable faculty

[edit] Honorary doctorates

[edit] Notable alumni

 This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability or notability policies. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources cited within this article showing they are notable and alumni or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (December 2010)

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Western Washington University Draft Self Expression Strategy
  2. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved February 15, 2010. 
  3. ^ State of Washington - 2009 Personnel Detail Report Western Washington University
  4. ^ 2009-10 Common Data Set
  5. ^ http://west.wwu.edu/atus/web/assets/graphicid.pdf
  6. ^ Western Washington Vikings Athletics - Western Washington University Official Athletic Site
  7. ^ Lynden Chamber of Commerce: Pioneer History[dead link]
  8. ^ 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. 
  9. ^ http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/campuslife.asp?listing=1023539&LTID=1&intbucketid=
  10. ^ http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/index.jsp?page=List_Accredited_Members&memberId=b2a264f1a8a3ba009a606026b8f2cddf
  11. ^ http://www.ncate.org/tabid/178/Default.aspx?ch=106&CO_ID=11760&state=wa
  12. ^ http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=356
  13. ^ http://www.chem.wwu.edu/dept/undergraduate/index.shtml
  14. ^ https://www.aacsb.net/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=AACSB&WebKey=CADEF77A-6573-49BB-9BA2-CE21EC93841E
  15. ^ http://www.cacrep.org/directory/directory.cfm?state=WA&degreeLevel=&program_type_id=&program_characteristic_prev=&keywords=&submitthis=
  16. ^ Office of Admissions, WWU
  17. ^ Honors Program, WWU
  18. ^ [1]
  19. ^ [2]
  20. ^ WWU News University Communications
  21. ^ [3]
  22. ^ Western Ranks Sixth for Peace Corps Volunteers
  23. ^ http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/econ/curriculumPhilEcon.asp; http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/ppec.shtml
  24. ^ http://news.wwu.edu/go/doc/1538/1256499/WWU-Named-Among-Best-Undergraduate-Philosophy-Programs-in-the-Country
  25. ^ http://vri.etec.wwu.edu/
  26. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/canam/index.shtml
  27. ^ http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/deptHome.asp?dept=CEBR
  28. ^ http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/deptHome.asp?dept=CEE
  29. ^ http://www.cevforbusiness.com/
  30. ^ http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/deptHome.asp?dept=CEME
  31. ^ http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/deptHome.asp?dept=CIB
  32. ^ http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/deptHome.asp?dept=SBDC
  33. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/bpri/
  34. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/culture/
  35. ^ http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/cii/default.asp
  36. ^ http://library.wwu.edu/cpnws
  37. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/cpe/home.htm
  38. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/cji/ResearchAffiliates.shtml
  39. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/morseleadership/
  40. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/amsec/
  41. ^ http://yorktown.cbe.wwu.edu/ISC/
  42. ^ http://vri.etec.wwu.edu/
  43. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/iws/
  44. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/huxley/spatial/
  45. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/toxicology/
  46. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/huxley/resilience/
  47. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/spmc/
  48. ^ http://www.ccer.org/
  49. ^ http://www.cedr.us/researchers_puma.html
  50. ^ Withers, Bud (January 9, 2009). "Western Washing University shuts down its football program after 98 seasons". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2008607131_western09.html. 
  51. ^ "WWU Cycling Wins National Championship Team Earns Top Spot in Division II National Collegiate Road Championship". Western Washington University. http://west.wwu.edu/ucomm_news/articles/1519.asp. Retrieved 2007-12-11. 
  52. ^ "State Colleges Report". The Seattle Times. May 30, 2007. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2003726940_colleges30.html. Retrieved 2007-12-11. 
  53. ^ "Concordia-St. Paul 3, Western Washington 1". NCAA. http://ncaasports.com/volleyball/womens/recaps/d2_1201_01633154/2007. Retrieved 2007-12-02. [dead link]
  54. ^ "WWU is NCAA II National Runner-up, loses to Concordia-St. Paul in title match". http://wwuvikings.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/recaps/120107aae.html. Retrieved 2007-12-02. 
  55. ^ American Collegiate Hockey Association Hockey Website Software By GOALLINE.ca
  56. ^ American Collegiate Hockey Association Hockey Website Software By GOALLINE.ca
  57. ^ [4]
  58. ^ [5]
  59. ^ http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=32918
  60. ^ 2009 Nationals
  61. ^ a b c "About the Associated Students". Western Washington University. http://as.wwu.edu/about/. Retrieved 2008-08-26. 
  62. ^ http://www.wwu.edu/provost/honorary/documents/LubchencoCitation.pdf
  63. ^ "IMDB". http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4060609. 
  64. ^ Diane de la Paz (December 20, 2004). "Boarding parties: Board-game boom gives families, friends face time, fun". The News Tribune. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:5DhcAQ09z3QJ:www.wonderchess.com/news/news_122004.htm+%22Board-game+boom+gives+families,+friends+face+time,+fun%22&cd=1&hl=fr&ct=clnk&gl=fr. 

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