PULLMAN – The WSU Board of Regents approved the creation of University College at its meeting Friday on the Pullman campus.
Proposed as a way to improve student retention and success, University College will reorganize existing units to provide an academic home for new freshmen and transfer students.
“We as a board are very excited about the University College,” said Regent Harold Cochran, who serves as chairman of the board’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee. “The goal is to improve retention and help the outcomes for our students, and that is our highest priority.”
In July 2009, several units in the Office of Undergraduate Education and the Division of Student Affairs, Equity and Diversity were merged into one organizational structure, and that structure is what will be called University College. The University College will include New Student Programs, the Center for Advising and Career Development, Learning Communities, Undergraduate Research, General Education and the Writing Program.
The Faculty Senate approved the University College proposal last week.
According to information provided to the senate by Mary Wack, who will serve as dean of the new college, about 70 percent of students change majors at least once before becoming certified. Those are the students at risk of falling through the cracks, she said, and those are the students for whom the University College will provide structure and support.
In other action, the board approved a change in the university’s supplemental budget request for a new student information system, reducing the request from $22 million to $15 million. University officials believe, because of current economic conditions, they should be able to find potential vendors who will be interested in doing the project at the lower figure.
The student information system handles admissions, student records, financial aid, registration and other functions for all of the WSU campuses.
The board also authorized university officials to select a general contractor/construction manager for Phase I of the Riverpoint Biomedical and Health Sciences building; construction on that building is scheduled to begin in summer 2011, depending on funding approvals.
The board also approved adding a Roth investing alternative to the WSU Voluntary Investment Program, to provide more flexibility for employees in retirement savings.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2010 at the WSU Vancouver campus.
