PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University’s Board of Regents will vote Friday on recommendations to extend college status to the nursing and honors programs.
Regents convene at 9 a.m. in the Lewis Alumni Centre. Members will also take part in Saturday’s Commencement ceremonies honoring this year’s 3,000 graduates.
The regents will consider establishing a College of Nursing of WSU which will continue to be the lead institution in the Spokane Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education. Established in 1968, the Spokane nursing consortium, headquartered adjacent to the Spokane Falls Community College campus, includes WSU, Eastern Washington University, Whitworth College and newly admitted Gonzaga University. The action would recognize the WSU faculty at the ICNE as the College of Nursing.
The Honors Program, established in 1960, provides an enhanced liberal education for academically talented undergraduates. There are more than 1,000 students enrolled in honors courses. The designation as the University Honors College follows a national trend that has seen the number of Honors colleges double to more than 40 since 1993.
Regents also will consider a number of degree program additions and changes, including a doctoral program in communication, a master of technology management degree, extending the master’s degrees in interior design and architecture to WSU Spokane, the master’s degree in communication to WSU Tri-Cities, and establishing a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering at WSU Vancouver. Bachelor degrees in computer engineering and women’s studies also are proposed.
Members will be asked to approve design documents and grant authority to the university to proceed with plans to construct a $35.6 million student recreation center. The project is expected to be completed by spring 2001.
Amendments to the bylaws of the WSU Research Foundation and the Graduate and Professional Student Association will be before the board. Members will also be asked to approve the service and activities fees allocations for summer session and the next academic year.
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