2017 – 18
IMPACT REPORT
GREAT UNIVERSITIES MAKE GREAT COMMUNITIES. THE BUSINESS AND CIVIC COMMUNITY HAVE EMBRACED UW TACOMA FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND THE DOORS BETWEEN CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY REMAIN WIDE OPEN.
Bruce Kendall President & CEO Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County
Message from the Chancellor I am proud to present to you the 2018 UW Tacoma Impact Report, a look at the past year of progress on our strategic goals. The stories and statistics inside describe a year of growth and maturation. Twenty-eight years since our founding in 1990, we enter the 2018-19 academic year with an excellent leadership team, a budget process that is transparent and an emphasis on sustainable growth. We are inspired every day by the students we serve, as well as by other members of the Coalition of UrbanServing Universities. Earlier this year the entire UW Tacoma leadership team visited Georgia State University in Atlanta, a nationally-ranked exemplar with a mission very similar to our own. We came away inspired by what is possible in some areas and pleased to realize that we are setting the pace for our peers in other areas. Our fastest-growing programs are in the STEM fields. We have laid the groundwork to build an important new addition to our campus, an academic innovation building that will provide needed expansion space for the Milgard School of Business and the newly-named School of Engineering & Technology. With vital support from the Washington legislature, the new building will fuel the launch of new degree programs in mechanical and civil engineering. In the coming year we will be making significant investments in our Center for Equity & Inclusion. Assistant Chancellor James McShay will lead the development of new space, program expansion and new staff positions. Also in the coming year, we will be submitting our application to receive the Carnegie Foundation Classification for Community Engagement, a widely-watched barometer of an institution’s commitment to community engagement. This work would not be possible without the commitments of time and money many are making to the Campaign for UW Tacoma. Over the course of the campaign we have raised an unprecedented $47 million, surpassing our original goal of $45 million. Tapping into the deep support for UW Tacoma that runs in and through the South Sound community, we will intensify our fundraising to achieve a new campaign goal of $55 million. These results underscore the passionate commitment to the work of the university held by us all. We can transform lives and communities. We can make lasting contributions to the lives of our students and our society. We can do it together.
Mark A. Pagano Chancellor
3
Students
UW Tacoma is an engine of social and economic mobility. A firstgeneration student becomes a Fulbright scholar. An Army vet and father goes from mucking out septic tanks to a high-tech career. These two, and thousands more like them, cross a bridge to opportunity.
Hozoji Matheson-Margullis ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
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LIFE THROUGH A MICROSCOPE
When she’s not on stage, this budding marine biologist is examining the secret lives of oysters. Hozoji Matheson-Margullis has spent plenty of time at the bottom of Puget Sound, wrestling with geoducks. She also can be found on stage or in the recording studio, as the amazingly talented drummer for rock band Helms Alee. Now she’s turning her sights to environmental science, specifically marine biology. Matheson-Marguillis grew up on the shores of Commencement Bay and has long been fascinated by what happens beneath the waves. The 37 year-old spent nearly a decade as a commercial shellfish harvester for the Puyallup Tribe of Nations before deciding to change roles. Matheson-Marguillis started working with a Puyallup shellfish biologist to help restore the biodiversity and health of the Puget Sound and greater Salish Sea. In 2017 UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Danica Miller connected her to Dr. Bonnie Becker who offered her a research tech position. MathesonMarguillis is helping develop a method to count oyster larva as part of project to rehabilitate Olympia oyster populations in Puget Sound. “I never saw myself doing something like this,” she said. In autumn 2018, Matheson-Marguillis begins working toward a degree in environmental science. She’s already had a lifetime of learning outside the classroom and wants to round out her education. “I’m going to help protect this thing that I love that is so beautiful and fragile,” she said. “When I look through the microscope I see there is so much more to life than the stuff we see and think and worry about every day. Looking at life at a microscopic level reminds me that there is a lot more going on than what is visible from my human perspective.”
Deep Passion for Student Support Long before they arrive on campus, before they even envision themselves as college-goers, young students are benefiting from UW Tacoma’s commitment to their success. Once they arrive here, we redouble our efforts. Pathways to Promise, a partnership with 10 South Sound school districts, provides support, resources and college-going workshops to middle and high school students. Pathways students are assured admission to UW Tacoma if they meet GPA requirements and other criteria. Partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound, King County Housing Authority and other outreach efforts also pave the way to college for youngsters. Math Science Leadership, for underrepresented students in grades 7-12, ignites interests in STEM careers through monthly schoolyear workshops and a three-week summer program. The Summer Bridge program helps incoming UW Tacoma freshmen navigate their new academic environment. Support for UW Tacoma students
also includes the work of the Student Success Council, which is focusing on expanding “high impact practices” like research and community-based learning to many more UW Tacoma students. Council members also spearheaded the First-Generation Project to bolster pride and created First-Gen Fellows, who mentor other first-gen students. Pathways Through College is a customized and comprehensive academic advising program that guides students to the courses, experiences and resources within majors and leads them toward careers built on their strengths and interests. Mentha Hynes-Wilson, Vice Chancellor for Student & Enrollment Services, notes that a new research effort will seek to ensure better coordination among all programs and services that support students. “In student affairs, we understand that what happens outside the classroom can deepen academic learning. Our role is to provide a network of student-centered programs, services, activities and strong helping resources to maximize opportunities for student success.”
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Career Opportunities
Emergency Aid
The recently-opened Milgard Success Center and the expanded KeyBank Opportunity Academy, funded by generous gifts from the Milgard Family Foundations and KeyBank Foundation, help students understand their career goals, introduce them to employers and connect them with internships. Learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door, so these programs build longlasting relationships with businesses and non-profits throughout the South Sound and beyond.
Sustainable Growth With the 2018-19 fiscal year, UW Tacoma has developed a sustainable budget model based on an average enrollment growth of 4% annually. Enrollment growth provides more access to higher education for qualified students and leverages our substantial assets. With diligent academic planning, we will expand our programs while maintaining a 16:1 student-faculty ratio.
Imagine a student who works two jobs, is raising a child and goes to college full time. A $500 microloan might be all that is needed to help that student through an unexpected financial emergency and on to graduation. UW Tacoma is one of five select institutions across the country engaged in cuttingedge efforts, led by Reos Partners and funded by the Gates Foundation, to ensure students don’t get sidetracked by finances. The newly created Office of Student Advocacy and Support assists students in setting goals, finding resources and overcoming barriers to achieving their ambitions.
The Pantry Students do their best work when they have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. Food security, just like housing and financial security, is directly related to graduation rates. In 2018, UW Tacoma partnered with Nourish Pierce County to open The Pantry, providing food, hygiene items and school supplies to all students who need them.
83% Retention Rate Autumn 2016-17 1
5,185
Student Headcount
2
1. Percent of students entering in autumn 2016 who registered for courses or graduated by autumn 2017 (Source: UW Public Profiles) 2. Headcount of all students having a UW Tacoma major and enrolled in credit-bearing courses in autumn quarter 2017 (Source: Census Day Student Profile, UW Tacoma Office of Institutional Research, Autumn 2018) 3. The six-year graduation rate for undergraduate students. For example, 74% of students who first enrolled in the 2011-12 academic year had graduated by the 2017-18 academic year. Data provided by the UW Office of Planning and Budgeting.
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Supporting Veterans
Persistence measures the likelihood that a student will remain at UW Tacoma until the next academic year. It’s one thing to report the statistics. It’s much more meaningful to consider it from the student’s perspective. What are the factors in a student’s life that may make it easier or harder to continue their college journey?
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is the South Sound’s largest employer with more than 45,000 service members and civilian workers. UW Tacoma, nine miles from the northern edge of the base, has seen its military-affiliated enrollment rise to 20%, or almost 1,100 students, over the past five years. As both expand, the connections between the two deepen and strengthen. This growth in militaryaffiliated enrollment is mirrored by an expansion of programs that leverage the skills and talents of veterans and military personnel. In the past year:
Via a multi-year partnership with Persistence Plus, UW Tacoma is digging deep into the data about our students and learning some perhaps not-sosurprising things. Our students do well once they get into their majors. They do better if they can take an online course. And they do better if they register for classes more than 20 days before school starts. With unprecedented data-driven insights like these, we are able to target our resources where they will have the greatest impact and add new supports to ensure our students have the chance to succeed.
Graduation Rates 2011/12 2010/11 2009/10 2008/09 2007/08 2006/07
Students cont.
Getting at Persistence
A team of graduate students from the Milgard School of Business developed the first in-depth JBLM regional economic impact analysis, finding it has an annual impact up to $11.4 billion. Rosalynn Johnson, associate director of the Veteran and Military Resource Center was recognized as 2018 Advisor of the Year by the Student Veterans of America. VIBE Business Incubator fostered the entrepreneurial inclinations of veterans through seminars that engage community members as mentors.
3
74% 77% 78% 75 % 74% 75 %
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Community
UW Tacoma is a university built by its community. The web of relationships connecting the campus to the South Sound region is strong and always open to new strands. The energy goes both ways. The results — both visible and invisible — ripple out far beyond our 46-acre home.
MAPPING FOR DATA DRIVEN CHANGE
By engaging local middleand high-school students, an innovative Urban Studies project creates safer communities. How do cities and school districts make informed decisions about how to keep kids safe, make efficient use of community resources and change neighborhoods for the better — all while inspiring young students to engage in cutting-edge research and to explore in-demand career fields? The Action Mapping Project translates the experiences and perceptions ingrained in the minds of middle- and high-schoolers into rich data that accomplishes all those goals and more. Pioneered by Associate Professor Matthew Kelley in UW Tacoma’s Urban Studies program, the project initially partnered with the nonprofit Safe Streets, and involved 600 students. It’s now grown to engage the Tacoma school district and its Whole Child Initiative, Metro Parks Tacoma and the City of Tacoma and ultimately will reach thousands of students in every Tacoma middle and high school. “Action-mapping uses the tacit spatial information we carry around in our heads about our everyday experiences, the neighborhood routes we choose
Whole Child Initiative A 10-year partnership with Tacoma Public Schools now in its fifth year, the Whole Child Initiative earned national kudos from Education Week as an “ambitious, cooperative, communitywide plan to bring socialemotional learning, student engagement strategies, and an emphasis on supportive relationships to every school.” Support from the Wallace Foundation is expanding the initiative into places students go for learning when they’re not in school. 8
and choose not to use,” explains Professor Kelley. “It’s valuable, rich information that organizations can use to make data-driven decisions that might include civic leaders making decisions about where and how to invest taxpayer dollars.” How does it work? Give kids paper neighborhood maps and ask them to draw blue lines and shapes on the routes and areas they use and red lines and shapes on those they avoid. Then, digitize those hand-drawn maps to create huge caches of analyzable data that can inform decisions on everything from where to put a crosswalk to how to reclaim a city park that’s perceived as dangerous. “It’s a massive project using participatory methods on a scale that hasn’t been done anywhere,” says Professor Kelley, who spearheaded the new Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies degree and Geographic Information Systems certificate. “All those maps produce hundreds of thousands of data points that illustrate kids’ experiences and perspectives.” Professor Kelley trained students to administer the map-drawing program to their peers — “kids working with kids to make their neighborhoods and their lives better by producing maps and data.” Student action-mappers will be eligible for direct admission into the Urban Studies program. Undertaking it with an entrepreneurial, bootstrapping commitment of resources, Professor Kelley is sustaining the project through donations and grants to action-map more South Sound communities in the future.
Life-Long Care for People with Autism The Simon Family Endowment at UW Tacoma will provide better lives for adults diagnosed with autism or similar disabilities. A Master of Social Work practicum program, one of just a few such programs in the U.S., will ensure an expanding group of professionals in the South Sound and beyond dedicated to lifelong care and advocacy for these adults.
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A VISION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
South Sound Alliance partners in advancing strong communities The South Sound Alliance breaks down borders and relies on Urban Studies research for economic prosperity. It was an audacious idea, one that would upend long-held norms of competition and isolation, challenging decision-makers to take a data-driven approach to igniting economic vitality for the entire South Sound region. “The communities in South King County and Pierce County are growing, but their economy is not. So, what if they extended a peaceful arm across borders and agreed that all were one? Why not create a culture of togetherness to formulate ideas and provide a vision for economic development?” proposed Ali Modarres, who directs UW Tacoma’s Urban Studies program. South Sound Together, a partnership of more than two dozen local businesses and institutions, heard Dr. Modarres’s proposal and decided to do something about it. With the group’s generous support, the South Sound Alliance was born. Pierce County and nine cities — Auburn, Gig Harbor, Kent, Lakewood, Maple Valley, Puyallup, Sumner, Tacoma and University Place — are now beginning their third year of unprecedented joint efforts. Grounded in UW Tacoma research that produced in-depth profiles of each community and the region this past year, the Alliance is taking a regional approach to improving transportation and generating jobs “based as much on employee chasing as company chasing,” Dr. Modarres says. “Historically, economic development has been based on running after big companies,” he explains. “Now, we want to attract small and midsize companies and rely on the resources we have — such as UW Tacoma graduates — to keep our trained young people here.” Urban Studies is now working with the Alliance to create a web-based and mobile interface that will serve as a clearinghouse of information for
211.7
$
M I L L I O N Overall economic impact of UW Tacoma across Washington in 2013
10
companies seeking to relocate to the region and for South Sound residents in search of jobs close to home. “The most important thing that has emerged is people are working together, and UW Tacoma has been a catalyst and a resource for that,” Dr. Modarres notes. “We are creating a regional collaboration zone, not a competition zone, and facilitating consistent conversation. Cities in the South Sound know how much they have in common. This helps us build a collective vision, acknowledging that what’s good for the region is good for all.”
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS PEOPLE ARE WORKING TOGETHER, AND UW TACOMA HAS BEEN A CATALYST AND A RESOURCE FOR THAT.
Dr. Ali Modarres Director, Urban Studies
Craft Brewing
The drive for Tacoma to become a more livable city took a leap forward last year with a collaborative University of Washington initiative that combined research, learning and service with actionable projects to improve lives.
Established in 2003, the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center now offers more than 100 courses per year to students seeking professional certificates and continuing education. The newest offering is a multi-track Craft Beer Program, giving entrepreneurs a grounding in beer styles, commercial brewing and science, business development and operations. With no external funding, the PDC is growing the program through strategic brewery partnerships, course offerings in Tacoma and Seattle/Georgetown, and marketing presence on the state and national level.
Livable City Year — which draws students, faculty and staff from all three UW campuses — partnered with the City of Tacoma to identify needs and then capitalize on the expertise of the University to address them. Twenty-seven unique projects, including about a dozen overseen by UW Tacoma faculty, focused on issues such as transit, business development, civic engagement, housing and fire safety. “Community-engaged research, teaching and learning have always been a part of UW Tacoma’s culture. Having Livable City Year here in Tacoma gave UW Tacoma the opportunity to model what we’ve always done with our colleagues across the UW system,” explains Urban Studies Associate Professor Anne Taufen, who co-directed the year-long program. “Our students learned a lot, produced good products and met many goals for the city. It was a great opportunity for all parties.”
The Golden Shovel Award
80 STUDENTS
Are Mastering Beer Styles
73%
Community cont.
Livable City Year
9 STUDENTS
Began Business of Craft Beer
of Alumni stay in Puget Sound
21,613
Total UW Tacoma Alumni
The Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County presented the 2018 Golden Shovel Award to UW Tacoma, noting its “role in downtown Tacoma’s physical transformation to a thriving urban hub is beyond compare. The business and civic communities in the South Sound have embraced UW Tacoma from the very beginning and the doors between campus and the community remain wide open.”
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Scholarship
UW Tacoma is a champion of publicly-engaged scholarship. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, the spirit of discovery and application imbues our teaching and learning. Students and faculty work together to build mutually-beneficial partnerships, connecting the South Sound with the world at large, and creating positive impacts beyond the campus and academy.
$7
2018 Externally Sponsored Research
MILLIONS
$6
$5.9
$5
MILLION
$4 $3 $2 $1 $0
Julie Masura, Senior Lecturer SIAS, 2018 UW Research Mentor Award
$1.9
MILLION
2013
2018
Bringing Firefighters Back to the Future Matt Tolentino, assistant professor in the UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology, is harnessing cutting-edge innovations to help firefighters survive one of their gravest challenges. According to his research, in the U.S. nearly 100 firefighters die on duty every year while trying to save lives, and over 25,000 more are injured. “One of the worst-case scenarios for fire teams is getting disoriented or injured within large buildings while inside,” said Tolentino. “Fire teams have protocols for mitigating the risk of firefighters getting lost, but within hot, smoke-filled complex floor plans with a limited supply of air, things happen.” “We’re using the most modern technology outside the buildings, but as soon as our firefighters go inside, we’re back to 1880,” said Tacoma Fire Department Chief James Duggan. When Tolentino met Duggan, a partnership emerged. Now, Tolentino and his team of researchers and students are building technology and data systems that are solving
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MY SUCCESSES IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH ARE CONNECTED TO THE ENERGY, MOTIVATION AND DEDICATION OF STUDENTS.
the ‘holy grail’ problem of tracking the location of people within a building. “Last summer we had a major breakthrough that now enables extremely high accuracy—less than 12 inches— consistently, irrespective of building materials and environmental conditions,” said Tolentino. The system that works for firefighters has great potential for adaptability to many other applications: smart manufacturing, physical security, retail, health care, agriculture and other sectors. “What makes the fire case interesting is that it’s actually more difficult—given the operational environment—than all the other use cases with other sectors,” said Tolentino. “In other words, I’ve been addressing the hardest possible problem in developing this system for the fire department.” The work being done by Tolentino and his students has the potential to save lives. Tolentino, who worked in the private sector for 15 years before coming to UW Tacoma, says his interest in this project stems from a desire to make an impact. “I want students to address hard problems, to move beyond the theoretical into the practical.”
EXPLORING THE MYSTERIES THAT LIE BENEATH
Science and students flourish at the Center for Urban Waters U.S. Marine Corps veteran and environmental science major David Wark peers intently at his computer monitor as thousands of lines of data illustrate the compounds in the tissue of freshwater fish from Lake Washington. It’s compelling research that provides a valuable service to the State Department of Ecology while offering David a handson opportunity to test-drive his future career.
UW Tacoma research scientist Andy James conducts his own studies while overseeing the work of student interns, which might include examining whether chemicals from firefighting foams may harm Puget Sound or determining if runoff water from highways and neighborhoods could damage lakes, streams and their biota. While scientific discovery is the sole aim of some research, the practical implications for policysetting also come into play. “We’re trying to get a handle on what’s showing up in our water, contaminants of emerging concern associated with the things humans do,” Dr. James explains. “Toxic contaminants are playing a role in making it harder for fish to survive, and we can do something about it.”
In the Center for Urban Waters — a research collaboration among UW Tacoma and our community partners, including the City of Tacoma and the Port of Tacoma — students and faculty study a host of phenomena unique to our water-rich region and that could have implications worldwide.
Matthew Tolentino, Ph.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY 13
Culture
UW Tacoma is committed to balancing access and excellence. We embrace the assets of our people, build strong partnerships, and invest in student success. As a community convener, we uphold rights to freedom of expression and civil engagement with the pressing issues of our day.
New Faculty 2018 14
UW TACOMA
FACULTY MIX: FINDING THE BALANCE Between autumn 2013 and autumn 2017, the blend of tenure-track/non-tenure-track and full-time/ part-time faculty at UW Tacoma shifted significantly. The ranks of tenure-track and lecturer-track positions increased from 56% to 78% of total faculty headcount. Non-competitively-recruited full-time and part-time instructional positions decreased from 44% to 22% of total faculty headcount. Looking at faculty FTE composition, the shift is even more pronounced, from a mix of 68% and 32% in 2013 to 86% and 14% in 2017. These changes are in line with strategies arrived at through the shared-governance process. Our composition of faculty ranks is very different from national averages. Nationally, according to the U.S. Department of Education, the share of full-time tenure- or lecture-track positions at all institutions of higher education in 2015 was 46%.
Practicing Empathy On a cold afternoon in mid-January a group of UW Tacoma students, faculty and staff came together inside the Milgard Assembly Room on campus. They were there to learn, which isn’t surprising considering the location. What made this day different was the subject: empathy. The idea to host workshops or “learning labs” on empathy started in the summer of 2016 following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. “Student affairs staff wanted to put something together to express solidarity and support the diversity of our students,” said Amanda Figueroa, director of Student Transition Programs.,” said Amanda Figueroa, Director of Student Transition Programs. A group of staff formed a committee to brainstorm ideas. Tasked with creating a studentcentered gathering, the committee decided to host empathy labs based largely on Figueroa’s experience with the American Leadership Forum, a nonprofit organization that brings leaders together to strengthen communities. The goal of bringing people together appears to have paid off. Organizers report participants engaged in conversation with each other long after each of the labs concluded. “We had people in the space 45 minutes after the event ended who were still talking,” said Figueroa.
Faculty Headcount 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0
Autumn 2013
Autumn 2017
Faculty, tenure-track Faculty, lecturer-track Instructional faculty
Courageous Engagement The Courageous Engagement Workshop Series aims to help UW Tacoma faculty and staff strengthen a campus environment "where all are welcome and encouraged to succeed," according to Richard Wilkinson, associate vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness and development. Wilkinson and Assistant Professor Jane Compson created the four-part program to foster better communication and understanding even in the face of differing opinions on topics people care about. “We’re building capacity for coping with conflict,” said Compson. The series is one of ten projects to receive grants from the UW Tacoma Strategic Initiative Fund during the 2017-18 academic year. Wilkinson and Compson received $50,500 to be spent from July 2017 to June 2019. In the spring of 2018, the first two cohorts of staff and faculty went through the training. In spring 2018 two cohorts of over 40 faculty and staff went through the training, providing positive feedback. Wilkinson and Compson have plans for at least two more cohorts. “Universities should be a place where you can have difficult conversations,” said Wilkinson. “How can we do that more skillfully without pointing fingers and accusing?”
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Equity
UW Tacoma is committed to ensuring an equitable environment for all our communities. We are grounded in social justice and embrace the assets of our diverse communities. We must actively work to create and maintain learning, working and living environments in which students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds feel they can thrive.
56%
Percent of undergraduate enrollment who will be
first in their families to receive a 4-year college degree
Dr. James McShay ASSISTANT CHANCELLOR EQUITY & INCLUSION 16
21%
Percent of undergraduate enrollment in the
School of Engineering & Technology from underrepresented groups
INCREASING ACCESS IN STEM
New program seeks ‘to ignite future innovators’ in high-demand fields Thanks to a new program at UW Tacoma, roadblocks to greater participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are tumbling down for students hoping to become cultural change-agents. “I hope to overcome the challenges, including the lack of diversity among minorities and women in STEM, as well as to increase leadership roles in the research field. There isn’t a large voice for individuals like me and I want to ignite future innovators — all starting at UW Tacoma,” wrote student Amal Abukar in her application for the program.
ACCESS in STEM students earn $5,400 scholarships per year for their first two years at UW Tacoma. Because the program emphasizes access for lowincome students, the scholarships supplement Husky Promise tuition grants and enable students to fully participate in on-campus life. ACCESS in STEM also will offer intensive faculty and peer mentoring along with an opportunity for students to engage in a compelling research project their first year in school. “Because we’re providing so much research support and community-building at the very beginning of their college careers, we can help students develop their identities as scientists and create a sense of belonging so students can thrive,” explains Associate Professor Erica Cline, who serves as Associate Dean for Academic Student Support and Success.
Amal is one of 13 first-year students in the inaugural cohort of ACCESS in STEM (Achieving Change in our Communities for Equity and Student Success in STEM), which is funded primarily by a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation.
Grant funding will cover two years of scholarships for 24 students — two cohorts over two years each. Professor Cline hopes the impact ACCESS in STEM makes will inspire UW Tacoma supporters to sustain the program indefinitely, providing a pathway into STEM careers for many more students like Amal.
Meet James McShay
Honoring Latinx Faculty
Timing isn’t everything but it is important. Sharon Parker’s retirement in March 2017 left a void at the Center for Equity and Inclusion. We needed just the right person to step in and help us create a vision for UW Tacoma that will help us realize our mission as an urban-serving university.
At the second annual UW Latinx Faculty Recognition Event in May 2018, Provost Jerry Baldasty cited two UW Tacoma faculty members for their contributions to the university through scholarship. Dr. Ariana Ochoa Camacho is an assistant professor in the Social and Historical Studies division of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences. Dr. Anaid Yerena is an assistant professor in the Urban Studies Program.
A year long search proved fruitful. Dr. James McShay assumed the role of Assistant Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion on June 6, 2018. McShay comes to UW Tacoma from the University of Maryland where he served as an Associate Director for the Adele H. Stamp Student Union and Multicultural Advocacy Programs. McShay’s early months on campus have been spent in conversation. “I’m focused on cultivating relationships with students, faculty, staff and community members,” he said. “I want to hear about their experiences on campus and solicit ideas for how best to advance UW Tacoma’s strategic goals that specifically target equity and inclusion outcomes.” Looks like McShay arrived at exactly the right time.
Achieving BEST with Puyallup Tribe The BEST Initiative (Building Excellence through Science and Tradition) is an ongoing partnership with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians covering many areas, including native ways of knowing, tribal sovereignty, and building college-going pipelines. The Tribe’s generosity is supporting symposia, language education, curriculum changes, recruitment of a tribal liaison and faculty engagement.
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Growth
UW Tacoma is one of the fastest-growing master’s-granting universities in the nation. Our growth fuels the future of the South Sound and the exciting promise we offer to potential students. Our smart growth, bounded by wise stewardship of our resources, ensures ever-greater access to higher education for the South Sound, for Washington and for the world.
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DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING
As access to data proliferates, UW Tacoma helps businesses use it wisely As advances in information technology put mountains of data at the fingertips of corporate decision-makers, UW Tacoma has launched two visionary efforts to help businesses make strategic use of their data resources. “Business analytics is one of the biggest job markets for graduates in the world,” states Professor Haluk Demirkan, who spearheaded the creation of the new Master of Science in Business Analytics program along with the Center for Business Analytics at the Milgard School of Business. “Today, companies and organizations understand that the data they own is their major differentiator for competition. It’s now much cheaper and faster to capture, store and analyze data, so why not learn how to use it?” In the first year of the master’s program, 82 people applied. For the 2018-19 school year, 215 people applied and 37 were accepted from an array of backgrounds and bachelor’s degrees. The program spans 12 months and 40 credits and is one of the first hybrid in-person/online master’s degrees offered at UW Tacoma. The Center engages students and researchers as consultants to improve the processes and performance of organizations with data, analytics, design and service thinking, giving students hands-on experience as they work on projects proposed by South Sound companies. Local businesses also have access to workshops and seminars at the Center. “Our graduates will understand the most current technologies, solutions, tools, frameworks and methods for this work and will be extremely capable of helping local companies,” Professor Demirkan says.
In-demand Fields Expand
UW Tacoma in South King County
Over the past two years, we added undergraduate degrees in Biomedical Sciences and Electrical Engineering, along with master’s degrees in Business Analytics and Community Planning. An Urban Design bachelor of science debuts this fall. Eighty new students each were added this year in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering and Systems. We will request legislative support to launch mechanical and civil engineering programs over the next few years.
Federal Way already is home to nearly 1,000 UW Tacoma students and dozens of faculty and staff. Soon, it will also be home to UW Tacoma classes. In partnership with UW Tacoma, the City of Federal Way, Federal Way Public Schools and Highline College, Highline will offer some lower-division courses beginning in January. Both schools plan to offer professional development courses, like UW Tacoma’s Project Management Certificate. In the second year, UW Tacoma expects to offer courses primarily via distance learning in education, engineering and technology, nursing and health care leadership.
A Pipeline to Legal Careers With $200,000 in annual state funding, we launched a pre-law program in 2017-18 offering mentoring, workshops, internships, LSAT prep, networking, volunteer opportunities, academic advising and other resources to pave the way to law school for UW Tacoma students. The program also reaches out to high school students to encourage their interest in legal and social justice fields. Current plans call for us to do a study to formally reevaluate the demand for a law school at UW Tacoma in 2021.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
in Pierce County* 17.5%
1990
26%
2020 (estimated)
0%
10%
20%
30%
*Residents age 25 or older who have earned 4 year degree or higher
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Future
UW Tacoma is on a journey of innovation and excellence. We foster student success, expand access to higher education, promote publiclyengaged scholarship, embrace the assets of our people, and strive to ensure an equitable environment and grow sustainably. We believe, along with our community, in the power of education to change the world.
BUILDING FOR ACADEMIC INNOVATION Planning is underway for the next major academic facility on the UW Tacoma campus. This academic innovation building is our highest campus development priority, and will: Enable us to increase enrollment in the Milgard School of Business Create space for new programs in mechanical and civil engineering House a Global Innovation Hub to foster an interdisciplinary, applied and integrative approach to innovation-thinking and entrepreneurship Open up space elsewhere on campus for strategic expansion of high-demand programs The building, which will enter design phase pending action in the 2019 state legislative session, will be built from the ground up to foster an innovation mindset in its users.
Innovation Mindset Innovation thinking today is fundamental to effective planning, performance and problem-solving in all community and industry sectors. An innovation mindset is at the heart of a human-centered approach to economic and community development. The academic innovation building will translate this mindset into a physical environment that promotes collaboration and discovery. Consciously co-locating business and technology education, the facility will promote the kinds of interactions—both intentional and serendipitous—that are the hallmark of education that is responsive to the needs of our students and community.
Timeline and Funding The current timeline anticipates the start of construction in autumn 2021, completion in spring 2023 and occupancy in autumn 2023. Lead gifts totaling $8,000,000 have been made by Jim and Carolyn Milgard and the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundations toward the project, contingent on the Washington legislature allocating additional necessary funds. The Milgard gifts serve as a challenge to other donors to contribute the remaining funds necessary to complete the project. Total funding for the building, both state and private, will be $57,500,000. A request to the legislature has begun with a submission for allocation of $4,000,000 in design funding. A further $36,000,000 will be requested from the state for construction, in the 2021-23 biennium. This would be blended with $17,500,000 in private funding secured to complete the project.
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Predesign Concept
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Future cont.
Center for Community Engagement Dr. Ali Modarres, professor and director of Urban Studies and UW Tacoma’s new Assistant Chancellor for Community Engagement, will launch a new Center for Community Engagement. The Center will enhance UW Tacoma’s role connecting our faculty, staff and students with community partners, providing increased support for their projects and resulting public scholarship.
Carnegie Classification UW Tacoma will apply to obtain the Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Classification for Higher Education Institutions. This designation is awarded to the nation’s leading community-engaged institutions. It recognizes “collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.”
Mechanical and Civil Engineering The School of Engineering & Technology (formerly the Institute of Technology) is launching new undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering and civil engineering. Pending approval of funding from the state legislature, the programs will expand the pipeline into high-demand, high-salary technology and manufacturing fields in the South Sound.
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Equity and Inclusion Dr. James McShay, Assistant Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion, is launching a series of initiatives that advance the campus’s strategic goals focused on equity and inclusion outcomes. The campus’ bias incident reporting process has been streamlined and strengthened A new calendar will align central and academic based Equity & Inclusion programming with history, heritage and identity-themed months National searches will fill three key positions: an Equity & Inclusion director; a native and indigenous community liaison; and a mentor and retention specialist
Feedback from an intensive design process is guiding campus planners and architects in the development of a new Center for Equity & Inclusion, a hub connecting students, faculty, staff and the community
Health and Medicine Academy UW Tacoma is collaborating with local hospitals, higher education institutions, community organizations and the Tacoma School District to establish the Health and Medicine Academy, an innovative pathway to healthcare education and professions for Tacoma high school students. Currently co-located at Stadium High School, the Academy will help local employers fill positions in high-demand fields and will expand access to STEM professions for Tacoma youth.
ENGAGE WITH UW TACOMA
and help us shape the South Sound, Washington and the world Are you a UW Tacoma graduate? Join the University of Washington Alumni Association online at washington.edu/alumni or volunteer to serve on the UW Tacoma Alumni Council. To learn more about the Council, contact Thomas Duke, tjduke@uw.edu. Invest in UW Tacoma. When you donate to UW Tacoma, you fuel the limitless potential of the University and the students we serve. As we approach the home stretch of our multi-year, comprehensive campaign — the most ambitious fundraising effort in UW Tacoma’s history — your gift will fund scholarships, high-impact student experiences, research and much more. Hire UW Tacoma graduates. 73% of our alumni stay in the Puget Sound region after graduation. As an employer, you can benefit from this extraordinary talent pipeline and help pave the way for future generations of students.
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