University of Washington
- See Washington (disambiguation) for other uses.
| File:University of Washington Seal.png | |
| Motto | Lux sit (Latin for "Let there be light")[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1862 |
| Endowment | $2 billion USD |
| President | Mark Emmert |
| Undergraduates | 30,790 |
| Postgraduates | 12,117 |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Urban 643 acres (2.8 km²) |
| Sports | Huskies |
| Colors | Purple and gold |
| Website | washington.edu |
| University of Washington signature | |
The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Also known as Washington and locally as The U or UW (usually pronounced "U-Dub"), it is the largest university in the Northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The UW maintains three locations, with its flagship campus in Seattle's University District and branch campuses in Tacoma and Bothell. Its operating budget for fiscal year 2005 was $3.1 billion USD.[2] The university is known as a Public Ivy, an American term for state-funded institutions of higher learning considered to have excellent academics.
Academics and research
In 2005, the University of Washington research budget was $996 million USD[2], the fifth largest among all universities in the United States.[3] UW is the largest recipient of federal research funding among public universities and second among all public and private universities in the United States, a position that the university has held each year since 1974.[4] The university is an elected member of the Association of American Universities.
As of the 2006-07 autumn term, the university has 40,216 students.[5] In 2005, the average high school GPA of incoming freshmen was 3.69, and the average SAT score was 1198. Transfer students must have a minimum 2.5 GPA.[6] About 33% of all undergraduates are members of ethnic minority groups.[7]
Among the faculty, there are six Nobel laureates (another 3 among UW alumni), 50 members in the National Academy of Sciences, 13 members in the National Academy of Engineering, 41 members in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, and 47 members in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Overall, the faculty is ranked 4th among public institutions with National Academy members and 5th in national faculty awards.[3] Additionally, the UW faculty has six MacArthur Fellows, 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, seven Gairdner Foundation International Award winners, four Lasker Award winners, 11 MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) Award winners and 19 PECASE (Presidential Early Career Awards in Science and Engineering) holders.[4]
The University of Washington library system is among the largest academic libraries in the United States, with holdings of more than 6.5 million volumes and 7.5 million microforms. The Association of Research Libraries ranked the UW library system between the top 5th and 15th in various categories.[8]
UW is also the host university of ResearchChannel program, the only TV channel in the United States dedicated solely for the dissemination of research from academic institutions and research organizations.[9] Current participation of ResearchChannel includes 36 universities, 15 research organizations, 2 corporate research centers and many other affiliates.[10] UW also disseminates knowledge through its proprietary UWTV channel and online.[11]
To promote equal academic opportunity, especially for people of low income, UW launched Husky Promise in 2006. Families of income up to 65 percent of state median income or 235 percent of federal poverty level are eligible. With this, up to 30 percent of undergraduate students may be eligible. The cut-off income level that UW set is the highest in the nation, making top quality education available to more people. UW President, Mark Emmert, simply said that being "elitist is not in our DNA". [12] [13]
Rankings
Many of the UW's programs are ranked in the top ten by U.S. News and World Report including #1 rankings for both the UW School of Medicine (primary care) and nursing school[1][2]. UW is also ranked 7th along with Stanford for medical research [3].
In addition, its graduate program in social work is ranked 3rd by U.S. News and World Report along with Columbia University, the University of Chicago and the University of California-Berkeley[4]. The UW also boasts 3rd ranked graduate programs in both audiology and speech-language pathology,[14][15] and a 3rd ranked specialist program in the fine art of ceramics [5]. The UW's bioengineering department was ranked 4th and the computer science program ranked 7th. The specialist field of nuclear physics also ranked 2nd in the country [6].
The graduate school of education was also ranked 11th in the nation [7] while the school of engineering tied for 21st alongside Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University [8] in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. The undergraduate and graduate business schools ranked 18th and 29th, respectively. The UW School of Law has consistently ranked 27th out of a field of 180 ABA accredited law schools. The UW also holds a #1 specialist ranking for its graduate program in law librarianship[9].
The University of Washington was rated as the 17th best university in the world by the 2006 edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities[16]; a ranking also used by The Economist. Newsweek ranked UW 22nd in the world in their 2006 "Top 100 Global Universities"[17] survey (ranked 5th among public research universities). A private review by the National Opinion Research Center, and published in the Washington Monthly[18], ranked the university 15th in the United States.
The Webometrics[19] ranking of world universities, which is based on the web-presence of the university, ranked UW 6th among all world universities. The G-Factor G-Factor International University Ranking (2006) International University Ranking methodology, which indicates an extensive and objective peer review of a university through its website, ranked UW 7th in the world.
In the 2007 rankings of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News and World Report, the UW ranked in Tier 1 of national universities[10] and 11th among all American public universities.[20] The Top American Research Universities report from the University of Florida ranked UW 11th overall and 3rd among public institutions.[3]
UW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship was ranked 5th best in the country by Entrepreneur magazine.[21] The UW Executive MBA is ranked 3rd of its kind by The Economist.[22]
An objective ranking of Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index by Academic Analytics ranks University of Washington #1 in research productivity in many important disciplines: Business Administration, Genetics, Fisheries Science and Management, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Science and Medicinal Pharmacy and Zoology. UW is #2 in Anatomy, Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography, Nutrition, Epidemiology and Forestry. UW is in the top ten for 20 other major disciplines. The variables used in the ranking are faculty publications, citations, research grants and awards.[23][24][25] UW has a total of 6 number 1 rankings for various disciplines. Out of the 354 institutions studied, only one school has more #1 rankings than UW and only two other schools have as many.
University of Washington ranks #1 in Peace Corps volunteers in 2007 and #3 throughout the years. Peace Corps is a voluntary-based organizations in which students from various universities in US help other countries in non-profit activities. [26][27]
History
The city of Seattle was one of several settlements in the mid to late 19th century vying for primacy in the newly formed Washington Territory. In 1854, territorial governor Isaac Stevens recommended the establishment of a university in Washington. Several prominent Seattle-area residents, chief among them Methodist preacher Daniel Bagley, saw the siting of this University as a chance to add to the city's prestige. They were able to convince early founder of Seattle and member of the territorial legislature Arthur A. Denny of the importance of Seattle winning the school. The legislature initially chartered two universities, one in Seattle and one in Lewis County, but later repealed its decision in favor of a single university in Lewis County, provided locally donated land could be found. When no site emerged, the legislature, encouraged by Denny, relocated the university to Seattle in 1858.
In 1861, scouting began for an appropriate 10 acre (40,000 m²) site in Seattle to serve as the campus for a new university. Denny, along with fellow pioneers Edward Lander and Charlie Terry, donated a site on "Denny's Knoll" in downtown Seattle. This tract was bounded by 4th and 6th Avenues on the east and west and Union and Seneca Streets on the north and south.
The UW opened officially on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The following year, the legislature passed articles formally incorporating the University and establishing a Board of Regents. The school struggled initially, closing three times: in 1863 for lack of students, and again in 1867 and 1876 due to shortage of funds. But by the time Washington entered the Union in 1889, both Seattle and the University had grown substantially. Enrollment had increased from an initial 30 students to nearly 300, and the relative isolation of the campus had given way to encroaching development. A special legislative committee headed by UW graduate Edmond Meany was created for the purpose of finding a new campus better able to serve the growing student population. The committee selected a site on Union Bay northeast of downtown, and the legislature appropriated funds for its purchase and subsequent construction.
The University relocated from downtown to the new campus in 1895, moving into the newly built Denny Hall. The regents tried and failed to sell the old campus, and eventually settled on leasing the area. The University still owns what is now called the Metropolitan Tract. In the heart of the city, it is among the most valuable pieces of real estate in Seattle and generates millions of dollars in revenue annually.
The original Territorial University building was torn down in 1908 and its former site currently houses the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The sole surviving remnants of the UW's first building are four 24-foot, white, hand-fluted cedar, Ionic columns. They were salvaged by Edmond S. Meany--one of the University's first graduates and the former head of the history department. Meany and his colleague, Dean Herbert T. Condon, dubbed each of the columns "Loyalty," "Industry," "Faith" and "Efficiency," or "LIFE." The columns now stand in the Sylvan Grove Theater. [11]
![[11]](http://archives.thedaily.washington.edu/2000/110100/N8.lag.Sylvan.Theatre.jpg){kind=link}
Organizers of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition eyed the still largely undeveloped campus as a prime setting for their world's fair. They came to an agreement with the Board of Regents that allowed them to use the campus grounds for the exposition. In exchange, the University would be able to take advantage of the development of the campus for the fair after its conclusion. This included a detailed site plan and several buildings. The plan for the A-Y-P Exposition prepared by John Charles Olmsted was later incorporated into the overall campus master plan and permanently affected the layout of the campus.
Both World Wars brought the military to the campus, with certain facilities temporarily loaned to the federal government. The subsequent post-war periods were times of dramatic growth for the University. The period between the wars saw significant expansion on the upper campus. Construction of the liberal arts quadrangle, known to students as "The Quad," began in 1916 and continued in stages until 1939. The first two wings of Suzzallo Library, considered the architectural centerpiece of the University, were built in 1926 and 1935, respectively. Further growth came with the end of World War II and passage of the G.I. Bill. Among the most important developments of this period was the opening of the medical school in 1946. It would eventually grow into the University of Washington Medical Center, now ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top ten hospitals in the United States.
In the early 1950s, the University of Washington Police Department was established. It currently has jurisdiction over the University of Washington campus and University-owned housing, except for the Radford Court apartments in Sand Point.
The 1960s and 1970s are known as the "golden age" of the university due to the tremendous growth in students, facilities, operating budget and prestige under the leadership of Charles Odegaard from 1958 to 1973. Enrollment at the UW more than doubled--from around 16,000 to 34,000--as the baby boom generation came of age. As was the case at many American universities, this era was marked by high levels of student activism, with much of the unrest focused around opposition to the Vietnam War. Odegaard instituted a vision of building a "community of scholars" and convinced the state of Washington legislatures to increase their investments towards the university. Additionally, Washington senators, Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson used their political clout to funnel federal research monies to the University of Washington and to this day, UW is among the top recipients of federal research funds in the United States. The results included an operating budget increase of $37 million USD in 1958, to over $400 million USD in 1973, and 35 new buildings that doubled the floor space of the university.
The University opened branch campuses in Bothell and Tacoma in 1990. Initially, these campuses offered curricula for students seeking bachelor's degrees who have already completed two years of higher education, but both schools will transition to four year universities accepting its first freshman class in the fall of 2006. Both campuses offer master's degree programs as well.
Organization
The current president of the University of Washington is Dr. Mark Emmert, the former chancellor of LSU. Emmert, a 1975 graduate, took office as the University's 30th president on June 14, 2004.
The University is governed by ten regents, one of whom is a student. Its most notable current regent is likely William H. Gates, Sr., father of Bill Gates. The undergraduate student government is the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) and the graduate student government is the Graduate & Professional Student Senate (GPSS).
The University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, themselves organized into various colleges and schools:
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Campus setting and architecture
The University of Washington, Seattle campus is situated on the shores of Union and Portage Bays, with views of the Cascade Range to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Its most popular views are from Suzzallo Library, which has a vista of Mount Rainier to the southeast, the Quad and its Yoshino cherry trees that bloom spectacularly each spring to the north, and Red Square spreading out in front of it to the west. There is consistently a live Web camera aimed at Red Square and other areas of the campus.
The main campus is bounded on the west by 15th Avenue N.E., on the north by N.E. 45th Street, on the east by Montlake Boulevard N.E., and on the south by N.E. Pacific Street. East Campus stretches east of Montlake Boulevard to Laurelhurst and is largely taken up by wetlands and sports fields. South Campus occupies the land between Pacific Street and the Lake Washington Ship Canal which used to be a golf course and is given over to the health sciences, oceanography, fisheries, and the University of Washington Medical Center. West Campus is less of a separate entity than the others, many of its facilities being on city streets, and stretches between 15th Avenue and Interstate 5 from the Ship Canal to N.E. 41st Street. University Way, known locally as "The Ave", lies nearby and is a focus for much student life at the university.
The oldest building on campus is Denny Hall. Built in 1895 in the French Renaissance style, it was named in honor of Seattle pioneers Arthur A. and Mary Denny. It served as the core of the University for many years. The Theodore Jacobsen Observatory, the on campus observatory situated just north of Denny Hall, was built from the left over material used in the construction of Denny Hall. Although it is rarely used today, the observatory is the second oldest building on campus. After other structures were erected near Denny Hall with apparently little overall planning, the Board of Regents determined that a master plan was needed. Early plans, including a preliminary proposal by John Charles Olmsted, stepson of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, had little impact.
Instead, it was the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition that defined much of the campus' future layout. The exposition plan, also designed by John C. Olmsted, defined the University's major axis on the lower campus. Oriented to the southeast, it provides the University with its primary vista of Mount Rainier on clear days. Most of the University's science and engineering buildings line this axis.
After the exposition, the Board of Regents sought a master plan that would unite the newly developed lower campus with the original buildings of the upper campus including Denny Hall. Rejecting a further proposal from Olmsted, the regents instead turned to local architects Carl F. Gould and Charles H. Bebb. Their proposal was accepted, and came to be called the Regents' Plan. It specified a northeast-southwest axis on upper campus around which would be centered the University's liberal arts departments. This axis joins the lower campus axis laid down during the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition at an open space left behind after a large temporary structure built for the fair was torn down. This space was later paved with a distinctive red brick and has come to be known as Red Square. Some of the buildings from the exposition were kept by the university and have been retrofitted over the years since. One of these is Architecture Hall.
Bebb and Gould's plan also called for all future construction to adhere to a Collegiate Gothic style. This style is best exemplified on the University campus by the early wings of Suzzallo Library, the University's central library.
New construction in the 1960s saw a deviation from the Collegiate Gothic style as specified in the Regents' Plan. Business facilities on the upper campus, science and engineering structures on lower campus, and a new wing of Suzzallo Library, were all built in a modernist style, as was a unique, glass-walled building housing an experimental nuclear reactor. The reactor opened in 1961; a small radiation leak in 1972 resulted only in a temporary shutdown, but security concerns eventually led to it being decommissioned. As of 2005 it is in the process of being dismantled.
An apparent attempt to harmonize future development with the Regents' Plan can be seen in the University's most recent construction, including the 1990 Kenneth Allen wing of the central library and a new generation of medical, science and engineering buildings. Significant funding came from Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates, who have strong family connections to the university but did not attend UW. Mary Gates Hall opened in May 2000, and in September 2003, the UW law school relocated to the $74 million USD William H. Gates Hall on the northwest corner of campus, and the $90 million USD UW Medical Center surgery pavilion opened for operation. The $72 million USD Paul Allen computer science and engineering building opened in October 2003. In March 2006, the $150 million USD William H. Foege bioengineering and genome sciences building was dedicated by Bill Gates and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter.
In September 2006, President Emmert announced that the University had finalized the purchase of the neighboring 22-story Safeco Plaza (a University District landmark) as well as several adjacent buildings for the sum of $130 million. At present, plans are being finalized to relocate UW administration and support services to the complex, leaving the main campus (one block away) for teaching and research.
Most of the streets and major walkways on campus are named after the state's counties. Major exceptions are Memorial Way and George Washington Lane. Memorial Way is named in honor of members of the UW community who died in World War I and also features a flagpole engraved at its base with the members of the UW community who died in World War II.
Other attractions on campus include the Henry Art Gallery and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The Washington Park Arboretum, south of main campus across Union Bay, is run by the university, though owned by the city of Seattle. The Warren g magnuson health sciences building is also an interesting attraction. The building, at 5,740,200 square feet, is the second largest office building in the United States.
Athletics and traditions
UW students, sports teams, and alumni are called Washington Huskies, and often referred to metonymically as "Montlake," due to the campus's location on Montlake Boulevard N.E. [12] (It should be noticed that the traditional bounds of the Montlake neighborhood do not extend north of the Montlake Cut to encompass the campus.) The husky was selected as the school mascot by student committee in 1922. It replaced the "Sun Dodger," an abstract reference to the local weather that was quickly dropped in favor of something more tangible. The costumed "Harry the Husky" performs at sporting and special events, and a live Alaskan Malamute, currently named Spirit, has traditionally led the UW football team onto the field at the start of games. The school colors of purple and gold were adopted in 1892 by student vote. The choice was purportedly inspired by the first stanza of Lord Byron's The Destruction of Sennacherib:
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
The sports teams participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I-A and in the Pacific Ten Conference. Among its facilities on campus are Husky Stadium (football and track & field), the Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (basketball and volleyball), Husky ballpark (baseball), Husky Softball Stadium, the Nordstrom Tennis Center, Dempsey Indoor (Indoor track & field, football) and the Conibear Shellhouse (rowing). The golf team plays at the Washington National Golf Club and the swimming team calls the Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center and the Husky pool home.
The University football team is traditionally competitive, having won a share of the national championship in the 1991 season, to go along with eight Rose Bowl victories and an Orange Bowl title. From 1907 to 1917, Washington football teams were unbeaten in 63 consecutive games, an NCAA record. Tailgating by boat has been a Husky Stadium tradition since 1920 when the stadium was first built on the shores of Lake Washington. The Apple Cup game is an annual game against cross-state rival Washington State University that was first contested in 1900 with UW leading the all-time series, 64 wins to 29 losses and 6 ties. Tyrone Willingham is the current head football coach.
The men's basketball team has been moderately successful though recently, the team has enjoyed a resurgence under coach Lorenzo Romar. With Romar as head coach, the team has been to three straight NCAA tournaments, consecutive top 16 (sweet sixteen) appearances, and secured a #1 seed in 2005. On December 23, 2005, the men's basketball team notched their 800th victory in Hec Edmundson Pavilion, the most wins for any NCAA team in its current arena. In fall of 2007, Matt Heneghan will be enrolling at the University of Washington and is not on athletic-scholarship. He does expect though to give point guards Justin Dentmon and Vennoy Overton a run for their money for a starting job. Heneghan says, "they better watch out" talking about his superior athletic ability and vigorous off season training routine. "We are all excited to see how it plays out", says Coach Romar, "Heneghan is a great player, but he does have is down-sides, and we will have to see how things turn out next season." Heneghan likes to think of himself as the college basketball version of Chad Johnson. "I can talk all I want because I back it up on the court." he exclaims with supreme confidence. Romar contines on to say that Heneghan needs to work on his speed and quickness, "Matt could be a big-time player if he loses a little weight, and works on his ball handling, which is suspect at best." Matt replied to this by saying, "if he don't like me, I go somewhere else." This would be a huge loss because Heneghan is a great player and is a peice of the puzzle for next year's season. If he is lost his, lack of presence will not only be felt on the court, but at donut shops around Seattle (Heneghan is an avid donut-eater). One thing we all agree on though, is that the Husky guard play must improve if they hope on making it back to the NCAA Tournament.
Rowing is a longstanding tradition at the University of Washington dating back to 1901. The Washington men's crew gained international prominence by winning the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, defeating the German and Italian crews much to the chagrin of Adolf Hitler who was in attendance [28]. In 1958, the men's crew furthered their lore with a shocking win over Leningrad Trud's world champion rowers in Moscow, resulting in the first American sporting victory on Soviet soil, and certainly the first time a Russian crowd gave any American team a standing ovation during the Cold War [29]. In all, the Washington men's crew have won 11 national titles, 15 Olympic gold medals, two silver and five bronze. The women have 10 national titles and two Olympic gold medals.
Washington's most recent team champion is the 2005-2006 women's volleyball team. They became the first team in NCAA division I volleyball history to win the national championship tournament by sweeping all six matches with a score of three games to none, including an upset of the #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the championship game. Individually, James Lepp was the 2005 NCAA men's golf champion. Ryan Brown (men's 800 meters) and Amy Lia (women's 1500 meters) won individual titles at the 2006 NCAA Track & Field Championships.
The University of Washington Husky Marching Band performs at many Husky sporting events including all football games. The band was founded in 1929, and today it is a cornerstone of Husky spirit. The band marches using a traditional high step, and it is one of only a few marching bands left in the United States to do so. Like many college bands, the Husky band has several traditional songs that it has played for decades, including the official fight song Bow Down to Washington and Tequila, as well as fan-favorite "Africano".
While often disputed, many claim Husky Stadium to be the birthplace of the crowd phenomenon known as "The Wave". The wave is often said to have been invented in October of 1981 by Husky graduate Robb Weller and UW band director Bill Bissel.
The student newspaper is The Daily of the University of Washington, usually referred to as simply The Daily.
Presidents
 | It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled List of University of Washington people. (Discuss) |
The following individuals have held the Office of President of the University of Washington. There are gaps in the line of succession when the University was closed from 1867-69 and part of 1874 and 1876. The University President who have had buildings named after them are marked with an asterisk.
Notable UW people
UW student organizations
See also
Notes
- ^ Buhain, Venice. "But what does it mean?" The Daily of the University of Washington.
- ^ a b University of Washington Annual Report (January 2006).
- ^ a b c The Top American Research Universities (December 2005) Cite error: The named reference "top research" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b UW Excellence in Research
- ^ "Student Headcount By Campus and Term, making it the largest university (in terms of student population) on the west coast." Office of Institutional Studies. University of Washington.
- ^ http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/apps/dailyclips/scraped/WSJ_2006-10-28.html
- ^ "Undergraduates." Office of News and Information. University of Washington.
- ^ ARL Statistics 2004
- ^ ResearchChannel contact UW
- ^ ResearchChannel participants
- ^ UWTV
- ^ Inside HigherEd Husky Promise
- ^ UW Husky Promise
- ^ "America's Best Grad Schools 2007: Health: Audiology." U.S. News and World Report.
- ^ "America's Best Grad Schools 2007: Health: Speech-Language Pathology." U.S. News and World Report.
- ^ Top 500 World Universities (2006) Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- ^ Top 100 Global Universities (2006). Newsweek.
- ^ The Washington Monthly College Guide (2006). The Washington Monthly.
- ^ Webometrics Ranking of World Universities (2006)
- ^ Roseth, Robert. "University of Washington moves up in U.S. News rankings." UW Office of News and Information. August 18, 2006.
- ^ UW CIE ranked fifth best in nation
- ^ UW Executive MBA ranked third by The Economist
- ^ Academic Analytics
- ^ The Chronicle of Higher Education
- ^ UW News
- ^ UW First in Peace Corps 2007
- ^ Peace Corps Top Colleges 2007
- ^ Events of the Century, Seattle PI, December 21, 1999.
- ^ Water World, Sports Illustrated, November 17, 2003.
External links
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- Educational institutions established in 1861
- Association of American Universities
- Pacific Ten Conference
- Sea-grant universities and colleges
- Space-grant universities and colleges
- Universities and colleges in Seattle
- University of Washington
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Bradley Foundation
- Nursing schools in Washington
- Schools of informatics