MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Media are invited to discuss the proposed restructuring of WSU’s newer campuses – including the Tri-Cities – with President V. Lane Rawlins during his visit to campus Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 11:45 a.m. The sessions for journalists will be held in the Atrium of the West Building on the WSU Tri-Cities campus in North Richland. (Take George Washington Way to Sprout Road and turn right to enter campus.) For more information, contact Terry Maurer at (509) 372-7319, tmaurer@tricity.wsu.edu
TRI-CITIES, Wash. — Washington State University is in the midst of reorganizing the way it works, to allow administrative and governance structures at the school’s newer campuses to better serve their regions of the state.
President Rawlins has recommended to the Board of Regents a shift in the way the university thinks about its three campuses in Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver, each located in urban areas of the state. His recommendations come at the conclusion of an 18-month study, including critical input from the Tri-Cities.
The proposed recommendations are changes needed to foster the growth of WSU’s newer campuses in ways best suited to each campus’ communities and students.
The recommendations include offering freshman and sophomore courses at any of the newer campuses in coordination with and by permission of local community colleges, for example in seamless programs that allow dual enrollment at CBC and WSU.
The campus executive officers become chancellors with authority to administer the functions of their campuses, and represent their campuses with a seat at Regents’ meetings.
Academic programs may be located at any of the campuses as long as the principles of quality and cost effectiveness are maintained.
Graduate education remains a system-wide enterprise with a single graduate faculty.
President Rawlins has said none of the communities expressed any desire to distance themselves from WSU’s values and high academic standards. “The professors at our newer campuses clearly expressed a desire to retain their status as WSU faculty members,” he said.
It is expected the Board of Regents may act on at least some of the president’s recommendations at its March meeting.
A complete web-based version of the proposal is available at:
