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Eastern Washington University

Coordinates: 47°29′30″N 117°35′04″W / 47.491602°N 117.584417°W / 47.491602; -117.584417
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Eastern Washington University
File:Seal.PNG
Former names
Benjamin P. Cheney Academy
State Normal School at Cheney
Eastern Washington College of Education
Eastern Washington State College
MottoStart Something Big
TypePublic
Established1882
EndowmentUS$52,177,934
PresidentDr. Rodolfo Arévalo
Vice-presidentDorothy Zeisler-Vralsted
ProvostDr. John Mason
Academic staff
684
Students10,504
Undergraduates8,548
Postgraduates1,312
Location
Cheney
,
Washington
,
United States of America

47°29′30″N 117°35′04″W / 47.491602°N 117.584417°W / 47.491602; -117.584417
CampusRural College Town
300 Acres (1,214,056 m²)
ColorsRed & White    
NicknameEagles
MascotSwoop
Websitehttp://www.ewu.edu
File:Wordmark-of-Eastern-Washington-University.png[1]

Eastern Washington University is a public comprehensive state university. The main campus is located in Cheney with a branch campus in Spokane, Washington. As of fall quarter 2009, it had an enrollment of 10,504.

Eastern offers more than 100 fields of study, 10 master’s degrees, seven graduate certificates, 55 graduate programs of study and an applied doctoral program of physical therapy.[2] Eastern offers degree programs in Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Seattle, Shoreline, Tacoma, Vancouver and Yakima. A master's in social work is offered in Everett, Vancouver, and Yakima, and a master's in education is available in Kent. A creative writing Master of Fine Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies, Child & Family Outreach Program, Communication Studies, Social Work Program (part-time Master's), Journalism, Alcohol & Drug Studies, and Counseling Education & Developmental Psychology programs are offered in Spokane.

History

EWU was established in 1882 by a $10,000 grant from expressman Benjamin Pierce Cheney, and was originally known as Benjamin P. Cheney Academy to honor its founder. In 1889 the school was renamed State Normal School and in 1937 to Eastern Washington College of Education. The campus grew quickly in size following World War II. The school became Eastern Washington State College. During this era, Eastern added various graduate and undergraduate degree programs. In 1977, the school's name was changed for the final time to Eastern Washington University by the Washington State Legislature.

Academics

Rankings

  • Consumers Digest has ranked Eastern as a national Top 50 Best Value school. Eastern has also made three consecutive appearances in 201 Best Colleges For the Real World.[3]

Notable attributes

  • Eastern is the only university in the country with a state crime lab and digital state archives building located on its campus.[citation needed] Eastern is home to the Washington State Patrol Regional Crime Lab, and the Washington State Digital Archives building.
  • Eastern is the only public university in the state of Washington that offers an undergraduate forensic science emphasis in chemistry, an entry-level bachelor's degree in dental hygiene, an accredited bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning, a graduate degree in urban and regional planning with an emphasis in tribal planning, an emphasis in filmmaking, and a major in interdisciplinary children's studies.[citation needed]
  • Eastern also hosts a ROTC program and is one of few colleges in the country to offer a major in Military Science (the academic term for ROTC). Five brigadier generals in the U.S. military graduated from Eastern – including Brig. Gen. Neal Sealock, who negotiated the release of American naval aviators held captive in China in 2001.[citation needed]

Research institutes and centers

  • Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis—created in 2002 to "provide data and analysis about a variety of factors in the region that will be useful for businesses, communities and others as they plan for the future." Headed by Patrick Jones, Ph.D.
  • Women's' Studies Center—Women's Studies programs at EWU empower women to achieve dignity and justice through education, scholarship, and social change.
  • Eisenhower Center/International Field Study—A program designed for students to travel abroad while earning college credit.
  • English Language Institute—ELI is committed to enabling qualified international students who have chosen to come to this program to integrate into the mainstream of higher education.
  • Center for Farm Health & Safety—Conducts research and demonstration programs involving Health and Safety of Farm based population groups.

Athletics

File:EasternWashingtonEagles.png
Eastern Eagles athletic logo.
Roos Field

Eastern's sports mascot is the Eagle, named "Swoop," and its colors are red and white. The former mascot of the school was the "Savages", which was dropped in 1973 when the student body voted to change to the Eagles. (See Native American mascot controversy.) EWU athletic teams participate in the Big Sky Conference at the NCAA Division I (I - FCS for football) level. The club hockey team participates in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, Division II, Western Region. The club baseball team is in its 14th year of participation in the National Collegiate Baseball Association, Western Mountain Conference West. The Division I baseball program was dropped in 1992. The Men's Soccer Team Participates in the NIRSA NCCSL and was 2007 Region VI Champions.

The EWU football team plays at Roos Field, recently expanded and renovated in 2005 to seat 12,000 with a grass turf. The grass surface was replaced for the 2010 season with a red Sprinturf field.[4] The field was named after one of the university's first head coaches. Quarterback Erik Meyer, who played from 2001–2005, won the Walter Payton Award in 2005 for the best player in Division I-AA football and set the I-AA career passing efficiency record at 166.5. The field will soon take on the name Roos Field, in honor of Michael Roos,starting offensive tackle for the NFL's Tennessee Titans, who donated an initial $500,000 needed to instal a new red turf. The Eagles basketball and volleyball teams also compete on nearby Reese Court in the Special Events Pavilion, with a capacity of 6,000. The university's most prominent sports have traditionally been its football and men's basketball teams with the women's volleyball team having some good years, finishing the season in the Division 1 top 25 in 2003 (oddly, because they lost the Big Sky Championship game, they were the only top 25 team excluded from the tournament). Originally an NAIA school until joining the Big Sky Conference, the Eagles gained major prominence in the NAIA and Division II winning National and Regional championships, including a National championship in Wrestling (the sport was dropped in the 80's). In 2007, point guard Rodney Stuckey was drafted 15th overall by the Detroit Pistons. The Kentwood High School standout ended up at EWU when he failed to meet NCAA requirements.

The Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League held the majority of their summer training camps at EWU, 1976–1985 and from 1997–2006, from late July to mid August.

Rivalry games

The EWU-UM Governors Cup is the annual college football game between the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Eastern Washington University Eagles. Traditionally, it is in the middle of the regular season, played on the Saturday alternating between Roos Field and Washington-Grizzly Stadium each year.

National championships

  • 1977-Wrestling (NAIA)
  • 1982-Men's Cross Country (NCAA Division II)

Famous faculty and alumni

References

  1. ^ http://www.ewu.edu/groups/univrstyrelation/pdf/facts/stufacts08-09.pdf
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ EWU Facts
  4. ^ [2]
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