Assigning designations to our 6 campuses

On September 30, 2020, President Schulz included in an email to the university community the suggestion of using descriptors for the different campuses. I ask that this be reconsidered. Offering some campuses with a specific descriptor (e.g., HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS: SPOKANE; FLAGSHIP CAMPUS: PULLMAN) but not others (e.g., REGIONAL CAMPUSES: EVERETT, TRI CITIES, AND VANCOUVER) implies a tiered status, which could impede applicants and opportunities for Everett/Tri Cities/Vancouver as well as neglect the true diversity and unique qualities each campus brings to the system.

I ask that the campus’ descriptor titles be discussed further to reflect the “one university/geographically dispersed” practice.

From the President’s September 30th email:

• We have been reticent to assign designations to our 6 campuses, but it is clear that in order to have an interconnected set of unique campuses each needs a distinct designation, mission, and vision while remaining aligned with the One WSU system operating principles identified in the system five year strategic plan. I am suggesting that we use the following designations moving forward:

o ONLINE CAMPUS: GLOBAL.
The WSU Global campus provides opportunities for students to complete a WSU degree from anywhere around the world, with no constraints on location.

o FLAGSHIP CAMPUS: PULLMAN.
The WSU Pullman campus is the largest and most established campus in the WSU system and has significant numbers of both residential undergraduate and graduate students. It is the focal point for a significant majority of research and scholarship.

o HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS: SPOKANE.
The WSU Spokane campus is statewide in scope and is the center for education and research in nursing, medicine, and pharmacy.

REGIONAL CAMPUSES: EVERETT, TRI CITIES, AND VANCOUVER.
The WSU Tri Cities and WSU Vancouver campuses offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of fields. The WSU Everett campus emphasizes opportunities for students in the north Puget Sound area to earn a WSU bachelor’s degree with a special emphasis on industry-aligned learning and applied research.

 

Action Taken toward a Resolution:

On December 10, the Chair of the Faculty Senate gave a report concerning this Constituent Concern, summarized here:

During our meeting with Provost Chilton, we expressed to her the concerns that many faculty believe that “regional” is a pejorative term.  She replied that she believes the term describes certain campuses’ strengths but also went on to say the term “regional” starts the conversation.  She is open to suggestions as to how campuses are distinct.  Also, faculty are free to contact the provost’s office and communicate with her how they might describe some of the campuses within the WSU system.  Finally, the provost said she would talk with the chancellors of the respective campuses as well concerning this issue.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *