EVERETT, Wash. – Dec. 19, 2020 – The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) at the University of Zagreb and the Croatian Section of the global Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) invited a team of professors from Washington State University, Everett to present their research and host a workshop for students, professors and industry professionals in Europe this month.
The team was made up of:
- Dr. Mark Beattie, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management,
- Prof. Lucrezia Cuen Paxson, Clinical Assistant Professor, Edward E. Murrow College of Communication,
- Dr. Jacob Murray, Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,
- Dr. Soobin Seo, Assistant Professor of hospitality business management at the WSU Everett.
It held the interactive session on Dec. 11 with 52 students, professors and professionals taking part virtually from the University of Zagreb and broadcast live across Europe via the IEEE live stream channel.
The team presented the development, design, and implementation of an interdisciplinary project-based learning approach at the WSU and its results.
The project called SOAR (STEM-Oriented Alliance for Research) offers a transformative educational experience to students, merging coursework across three different academic disciplines.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education has been challenged by industries to incorporate business and communication experiences (and vice versa) that prepare students for the workplace.
Incorporating interdisciplinary project-based coursework provides experiential learning for students, a skillset that employers indicate as desirable.
The data obtained during the work on the SOAR project suggest that the collaboration in interdisciplinary project-based learning led to transformative learning, increased confidence, and cohesion among disciplines.
The workshop demonstrated how to make students engage their full creativity potentials and make learning more interesting and, ultimately, useful and applicable in the fast-changing economy and society. The presentation and workshop can be viewed here:
EVERETT, Wash. – Dec. 2, 2020 – Washington State University will hold Scholarships 101 Virtual Information Night for prospective college students interested in learning how scholarships can help them pay for college. The event will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 9 via Zoom. It is free and open to the public. The event is hosted by WSU Vancouver staff, but is appropriate no matter which college or university you plan to attend.
Attendees will learn where to find the best scholarships, how to write award-winning essays and how prior award winners succeeded.
Register at https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/event/scholarships-101-virtual-information-night.
Email everett.admission@wsu.edu with any questions about your opportunities at WSU Everett.
Washington State University is making changes systemwide to its Spring 2021 academic calendar while continuing to offer education primarily at a distance in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Spring 2021 semester will begin on Jan. 19, which is about one week later than previously scheduled. Rather than having a weeklong spring break in March, WSU will set aside three weekdays when classes will not be taught.
“Nonessential travel continues to represent a significant threat to the health of our students, staff, faculty and the communities that support our physical campuses,” Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Chilton said. “We must make adjustments to the calendar to reduce this risk while maintaining opportunities for students to rest and refocus during the semester.”
The added weekday academic breaks will take place on Feb. 25, March 17 and April 13. A class holiday on President’s Day, Feb. 15, will also be observed.
Final examinations will take place from May 3 through May 7, as previously scheduled.
The delayed start of the semester allows WSU time to adjust to any decisions made by the U.S. Department of Education related to remote instruction requirements. The delay also allows for more robust testing and quarantine procedures that were implemented this fall and will continue into the spring semester. Spring 2021 housing decisions will be announced Nov. 2, 2020.
Across its physical campuses, WSU will offer a combination of remote and in-person classes during the spring semester. Lecture classes with significant enrollment will continue to be offered at a distance. Each campus will continue to run an exception process for courses that require in-person access to specialized equipment or spaces (e.g., laboratory and studio-based classes). WSU will continue to implement appropriate health and safety protocols to protect its students, faculty and staff.
The decision to alter the spring semester calendar was made in coordination with Faculty Senate and included student feedback. A few of our health sciences programs will run on alternative calendars because of clinical placements or collaborations with other institutions. Academic schedules for the upcoming semester will be found online for each of WSU’s campuses.
Media Contact: Phil Weiler, vice president of marketing and communications, 509-595-1708 phil.weiler@wsu.edu
Enrollment across the Washington State University system fell just 1.4% this fall, with record gains in WSU’s online Global Campus helping offset declines at three of the university’s five physical campuses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Global Campus grew by 23.2% percent this fall, an increase of more than 750 students over last year. It brings the online program, which has been in operation at WSU since 1992, to a record enrollment of 4,021 students.
After systemwide enrollment growth each year since 2013, the current total of 31,159 students gives WSU essentially a stable enrollment level following the July decision to transition all physical campuses to distance learning models for the fall semester.
“Despite the ongoing global pandemic, WSU has managed to retain the majority of its enrollment growth over the past five years and continues to offer a robust educational experience—predominantly at a distance this semester,” said WSU Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Chilton. “We’ve encouraged students to continue on their path to obtaining a college degree, and it’s clear they are embracing that.”
WSU Everett and WSU Health Sciences Spokane also saw enrollment increases compared to Fall 2019. Campuses in Pullman, Vancouver and Tri-Cities saw declines.
Below are highlights from each campus.
WSU Everett
The WSU system’s newest campus continues to see its student population grow. This year’s 291 students tops last year’s total of 283 for WSU Everett, which serves transfer students typically transitioning from community colleges to continue their academic path to baccalaureate and graduate degree programs.
WSU Pullman
The WSU system’s largest campus saw enrollment dip 5.1% in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment this fall settled at 19,900 students with gains in minority and Washington resident representation.
WSU Spokane
WSU Health Sciences Spokane led the way across the system with a 30.8% increase in new transfer students this fall. The number of students enrolled at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine increased from 198 students last fall to 289 this semester. Overall enrollment grew from 1,685 to a campus record 1,727.
WSU Vancouver
While overall undergraduate enrollment was flat, WSU Vancouver welcomed a record 440 new freshmen this fall, up from 383 last year. Total campus enrollment, including graduate students, dropped just 2.3% to 3,504. The campus leads the system in first–generation enrollment, with nearly 45% of its students being the first in their families to attend college.
WSU Tri-Cities
Enrollment fell 5.4% to 1,716 students but WSU Tri-Cities, the most diverse campus in the WSU system, saw the number of first-generation students climb to 42.5% and female students to 60% overall. Facing earlier projections of potentially deeper declines, the campus provided a series of academic resources and other assistance that aggressively engaged students and is credited with the better-than-expected outcome.
WSU Global
The number of undergraduates, including former students who return to complete their WSU degrees, has increased. Enrollment in WSU Global’s business program alone increased by more than 50 percent, from 796 students to nearly 1,200.
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine today announced that it has earned accreditation to launch its first residency program and is accepting applications immediately.
The WSU Internal Medicine Residency Program-Everett, based at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, is a three-year residency training program with a focus on primary care. Sixteen resident positions have been approved for the first year; 12 categorical and four preliminary positions will be welcomed in June 2021 with 12 more added each year over three years to cap at 40 total residency positions when fully supported.
“This is an extremely proud moment for the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and is something we’ve been working toward since the day we started the college,” said Dr. John Tomkowiak, founding dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. “More residency programs in Washington increases the likelihood that students will remain in our state to practice medicine, and we’re so excited to launch this program in time for our first graduating class of medical students to apply and potentially continue their training with WSU.”
Residency, also known as graduate medical education, is the three- to seven-year phase of medical education following graduation from medical school that prepares physicians for independent practice in a medical specialty. While about 43 percent of medical school graduates practice in the state where they graduate, that number increases to 70 percent when they complete both their medical education and their residency in the same state.
“We are thrilled to partner with the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine on this new program and welcome our first class of residents next summer,” said Dr. Jay Cook, chief medical officer at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. “The mission to train medical students to serve our rural and underserved communities and increase the likelihood they will remain right here in Washington is well aligned with our goals and we look forward to making a marked impact on both through this residency program.”
While residents of the WSU Internal Medicine Residency Program-Everett will primarily be based at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, they will have rotations with several area clinics and physician groups including The Everett Clinic, Snohomish Kidney Institute, North Sound Emergency Medicine, Western Washington Medical Group, and Providence Medical Group Northwest. Residents will divide their time between general medicine and subspecialty ward services, intensive care units, ambulatory care experiences, consultation rotations, emergency rooms and long-term care settings.
“This program offers a unique opportunity for residents to gain experience treating patients from a wide range of racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as from the surrounding rural communities, which aligns with the college’s focus on serving Washington’s rural and underserved,” said Dr. Jonathan Espenschied, associate dean of graduate medical education and continuing medical education. “Providence Regional Medical Center Everett has been a terrific partner throughout this process and, as the primary clinical site for the residency program, it allows for the possibility to branch out into other rural and underserved areas in the region.”
Dr. Matthew Hansen, an internal medicine specialist treating patients in the Everett area for the past six years, will serve as the program director leading operations, recruitment and education for the residency program.
“I am honored to be WSU’s first residency program director and to use my expertise and passion for medical education to expand internal medicine training in Washington,” said Hansen. “Like the inaugural class at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, this first class of residents will get to help mold and shape this program for years to come, leaving a legacy for every future resident in this program.”
The program received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) after a rigorous two-year development process following the college’s initial ACGME accreditation as a sponsoring institution in 2018.
For more information about applying to the WSU Internal Medicine Residency Program-Everett or to learn more about the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, visit medicine.wsu.edu.
Washington State University’s Cougar license plate program set another annual record, generating more than $673,000 in scholarship support for WSU students during the 2019-20 fiscal year. This is the highest annual total raised by any specialty plate in the State of Washington.
The Cougar license plate has long been the number one specialty plate in the state, with nearly 23,000 crimson plates registered on the road today.
One hundred percent of the funds raised by the Cougar license plate program benefits scholarships for students across the WSU system, providing hundreds of students scholarship support each year.
“WSU alumni and friends love to show their Cougar spirit. The license plate program enables them to do that while also benefiting WSU students at the same time,” said Tim Pavish, executive director of the WSU Alumni Association, which is responsible for managing the Cougar license plate program. “The program has always been about helping students, and right now that assistance is especially important.”
Since 2007, when the WSU Alumni Association assumed responsibility for the WSU license plate program, the number of Cougar plates on the road has more than doubled, generating nearly $7.3 million in direct scholarship support for WSU students systemwide. Learn more about and sign up for the Cougar license plate program at alumni.wsu.edu/license.
August 17, 2020
Greeting Cougs!
I am so excited to welcome new and returning Cougs to our fall 2020 semester. At WSU Everett, faculty and staff have spent the summer preparing for our first full semester of remote learning. If you were unable to join our virtual town hall last week to discuss some of incredible resources WSU has available to you, please follow this link to watch the recording.
You are part of the Cougar family, and that means you are going to have a Cougar experience. That starts with “Week of Welcome” at Washington State University, beginning with Virtual Bingo Night tonight. View events for the WSU system and WSU Everett campus on our website, the Events tab on our Facebook page, or follow the campus on Instagram and Twitter. Each event is also listed in your campus newsletter, which is delivered every Monday morning.
Being part of the Cougar family also means you will have the support you need to earn your degree. That includes career services from our Student Affairs department, access to the Student Food Pantry by appointment, mental health counseling and Academic Success and Career Center tutoring. Laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots are also available to loan at no cost, and Washington State University led efforts by the state of Washington to develop a network of public Drive-In Wi-Fi Hotspots. Learn more about your resources here.
This year will be full of learning and growth. When you complete your degree, you will be able to tell employers the obstacles you overcame to achieve your dreams. I promise you, the skills you will gain with us during these trying times are the exact skills they want from a modern employee.
Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other. Keep up the momentum. Mask up. And Go Cougs!
Dr. Paul Pitre, Chancellor
Washington State University Everett
EVERETT, Wash. – Aug, 5, 2020 – WSU Everett faculty members from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, the Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture and the Carson College of Business observed that several industries challenge Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education to incorporate business and communication experiences to prepare students for the workplace. These recommendations encouraged WSU Everett faculty to design this experiential learning project for students, as highlighted in their research, “STEM-Oriented Alliance for Research (SOAR) An educational model for interdisciplinary project-based learning.” The study was presented at the 127th ASEE Annual Conference in June.
“We don’t want our students just to keep up, we want them to lead,” said Lucrezia Paxson, co-author of the study and a career track (scholarly) assistant professor at WSU Everett’s Murrow College. “Project-based interdisciplinary learning builds student confidence, good communication and group cohesion.”
The interdisciplinary teams of communication, electrical engineering, and business students worked to find solutions to real industry challenges by collaborating with their multidisciplinary team for real-life clients, including Boeing and Fluke. Electrical engineering students designed product prototypes, business students produced marketing plans and sales pitches for the products, and communication students created videos and infographics for the final presentations to clients.
Teams participated in a semester-long project that combined instructor meet-up sessions, group projects outside of class, and individual assignments. Projects culminated in a presentation of a final product pitch to clients from the perspectives of engineering, communications and marketing.
“This initiative has been hard work for all involved. However, the cross-discipline learning and the intellectual dexterity it fosters in our students has been worth it,” Paxson said.
The WSU Everett team hopes that these project-based learning projects create cohesion among disciplines and give students the skills to be successful in professional settings. Their research also highlights both the challenges and benefits of working to bring real-world models into the classroom.
Greetings #EverCougs!
We are excited to get our academic momentum back this fall semester with remote-learning classes starting August 24!
Yes, this semester will be a little different. Those of you who are returning students know that remote learning is in our DNA at Washington State University Everett. This campus brings the very best of the WSU to Everett, and we have been using remote learning since we began our first mechanical engineering classes in 2012.
That said, I want you and your families to feel comfortable with the tools we have ready for you, and for you to understand all of the resources that are still available to you. From engagement with faculty and peers, to career advising, to the basics of WiFi hotspots and Chromebooks, and all of the software that goes with it, we are here. Students, please complete this survey to help us better understand the impacts this will have on your learning experience.
Together, we are going to have a Coug experience, and you will take critical steps toward the career you have been working so hard to achieve.
Please join me and senior staff from WSU Everett for a campus virtual town hall on Tuesday, August 11, at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. I will personally answer your questions and share resources available to you. We’ll also discuss the rare exceptions available for in-person laboratories and the steps we are taking to keep everyone safe and healthy. The Zoom meeting information is in your email and was sent on July 31.
I also highly recommend taking advantage of four Tech Ready student and parent training sessions from WSU Academic Outreach and Innovation. Prepare for those sessions here. The dates and times of the YouTube sessions are:
- Monday, August 3, 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, August 6, 1:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, August 11, 5:30 p.m.
- Friday, August 14, 1:00 p.m.
See you soon on Zoom, and Go Cougs!
Paul Pitre, Chancellor
Washington State University Everett
(If you are a WSU Everett student and do not see the email sent Friday, July 31, please check your junk mail, then email randy.bolerjack@wsu.edu)
July 23, 2020
As Governor Jay Inslee and WSU President Kirk Schulz have shared, the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all aspects of our lives.
President Schulz recently shared that Washington State University’s fall 2020 semester will be delivered remotely for undergraduate students, with extremely limited exceptions for in-person instruction.
Stay at home. We know this decision has immediate consequences for our students and their loved ones. We understand the many emotions this decision will cause.
Our faculty and staff are hard at work to provide every student with a high-quality, WSU Everett Coug experience, both in our academics and campus life, which reflect current recommendations and laws for protecting the health and safety of our community.
Nationally, institutions of higher education are forced to make similar, difficult decisions. Each day we see a new local K-12 school district make the same decision, which has a life-changing impact on our students, faculty and staff who care for young learners. These decisions have been made in response to significant increases in COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 related deaths.
We have seen what happens when this viral disease spreads without evidence of slowing. There is loss of human life. Inequitable health care systems have caused a disparate impact for Black, Latinx, lower-income, and rural communities. Our region has already seen a lack of care capacity when COVID-19 rates increase, and yes, there is potential for significant known and unknown long-term health consequences for people of all ages.
The health and safety of our Cougar community is central to our decision-making process, as a WSU system and as the WSU Everett campus. Students throughout the state have been asked to stay home if they are able.
I have spoken of the courage and strength of character that is core to the Cougar spirit. That courage and strength of character continues to be tested. Our world is changing. We are adapting, and we too are changing. Adaptation and change produce innovation.
Academics will continue and our faculty members are hard at work, preparing your fall semester courses. Several of our programs had already committed to distance-learning methods. Details of opportunities will be forthcoming from the Registrar’s office.
WSU Everett staff continue hosting online information and networking sessions for new and returning students, campus groups. We will also host financial aid workshops and we will deploy all the technology at our disposal to support students, like internet hotspots and loaned Chromebooks. Outstanding programming by our Student Affairs staff can help students excel in coursework, support their mental health, and prepare for rewarding careers within the industries that drive our state’s economy. Please view some of those resources here.
WSU Everett is also available to assist students throughout the WSU system. This campus provides seven programs: mechanical, electrical and software engineering; hospitality business management; integrated strategic communication; and organic agriculture systems – along with a bevy of minors. Our partnerships with our local and regional community colleges are stronger than ever. We offer dual-enrollment opportunities so freshman and sophomore students can make progress on their degree while being enrolled with WSU Everett. You can inquire here for dual enrollment. You can submit a change of campus here, create an intercampus enrollment, or contact and connect with us about which opportunities make sense for you.
WSU also maintains a webpage for the most up-to-date, systemwide information on COVID-19 related matters, and I encourage you to visit wsu.edu/covid-19 regularly. Please also see several frequently asked questions in President Schulz’s earlier message.
We are committed to keeping a steady, focused, educational path through this time and we plan to do that in a way that keeps us as safe and healthy as possible.
Paul Pitre, Chancellor
Washington State University Everett