Washington State University Washington State University, in PullmanWashington State University ( WSU , commonly pronounced Wazzu ) is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university and confers bachelor's, master's, professional and doctoral degrees, and offers more than 200 fields of study. The university is well known for its programs in veterinary medicine, agriculture, animal science, food science, plant science, architecture, criminal justice and communications, as well as its atmospheric, biological chemistry, shock physics, sleep and wood materials research laboratories. It is one of 96 public and private universities in America with "very high research activity," as determined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. WSU is ranked among the top half of national universities at 106th according to U.S. News , ahead of the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.
The university also operates branch campuses across Washington known as WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, and WSU Vancouver, all founded in 1989. These campuses award primarily bachelor's and master's degrees. Freshmen and sophomores were first admitted to the Vancouver campus in 2006 and to the Tri-Cities campus in 2007. Through its Distance Degree Programs, the university also offers 10 undergraduate degrees and a master of business administration degree online to students around the world. Total enrollment for the four campuses and DDP exceeds 25,900 students. This includes a record 1,447 international students, the highest since 1994 when there were 1,442.
WSU's Division I athletic teams are called the Cougars. The six men's and nine women's varsity teams compete in the Pacific 10 Conference.
History
Washington State University was established by the Washington Legislature on March 28, 1890, less than five months after statehood was declared on November 11, 1889. After an extended search for a location, the state's new land-grant college opened in Pullman on January 13, 1892. The year 1897 saw the first graduating class of seven men and women.
The school changed names from Washington Agricultural College and School of Science to State College of Washington in 1905, and then to Washington State University in 1959.
Enoch A. Bryan, appointed July 22, 1893, was the first influential president of WSU. Bryan held graduate degrees from Harvard and Columbia and previously served as the president of Vincennes University in Indiana. Prior to Bryan's arrival the fledgling university suffered through significant organizational instability. Bryan guided WSU toward respectability and is arguably the most influential figure in the history of WSU. The landmark clock tower in the center of campus is his namesake.
WSU's role as a statewide institution became clear in 1894 with the launch of its first Agricultural Experiment Station west of the Cascade Mountains near Puyallup. WSU has subsequently established extension offices and research centers in all regions of the state, with major research facilities in Prosser, Mount Vernon, and Wenatchee. In 1989, WSU officially gained branch campuses in Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Vancouver. Overall, the Federal Government and the State of Washington have entrusted 190,000 acres (769 km²) of land to WSU for agricultural and scientific research throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Professional education began with establishment of the School of Veterinary Science in 1899; in 1902 the first two veterinary science students graduated and in 1909 the first Doctor of Veterinary Science degrees were awarded. The veterinary school was elevated to college status in 1916, becoming the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1925.
Graduate education began in the early years and, in 1902, the first master's degree was conferred, an M.S. in Botany. In 1917, the institution was organized into five colleges and four schools, with deans as administrative heads, and in 1922 a Graduate School created. In 1929, the first Ph.D. degree conferred, one in Bacteriology.
In September of 2009, the university made national headlines when it was determined that there were over 2,500 possible cases of the H1N1 swine influenza cases among the university's on-campus students. While many colleges and universities either have been, are, or will be the site of large numbers of both H1N1 and seasonal flu cases in the fall and winter of 2009 during the pandemic, this high of a number of suspected cases- even if not all are confirmed as being the H1N1 strain- is unusual.
Organization
Regents
Washington State University is chartered by the State of Washington. A Board of Regents governs the university and provides direction to the President. There are ten regents appointed by the governor, nine of whom serve six year terms. The tenth is a student regent appointed on an annual basis. As of March 2009 a proposal under consideration by the state legislature would add an eleventh to the board, appointed from the faculty for a three year term, whose role would be limited to issues not dealing with faculty. Currently the regents are Kenneth Alhadeff, Scott E. Carson, Harold Cochran, Elizabeth Cowles, Kasey Webster (student), Francois Forgette, Laura Jennings, Connie Niva, V. Rafael Stone and Michael Worthy.
Administration
The President, currently Elson S. Floyd, serves as the chief executive officer. The Provost and Executive Vice President, currently Warwick M. Bayly, handles academics, research and faculty matters for WSU statewide. Bayly replaced Steven L. Hoch who had assumed the role of Provost in August 2008. Bayly was formerly Dean of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Floyd, former president of University of Missouri System, succeeded V. Lane Rawlins on May 21, 2007.
WSU Foundation
The WSU Foundation is an independent, private corporation with its own Board of Governors and Chief Executive Officer that serves as a fundraising organization for the university. The CEO currently is Brenda Wilson-Hale; the Board Chair is Larry A. Culver.
Alumni Association
The WSU Alumni Association is also an independent body with a Board of Directors and President. The WSUAA is organized into 34 regional alumni groups called chapters. The Association's mission is "Encouraging excellence to enhance the quality and global recognition of WSU, Supporting Scholarships to help students attain a WSU education, and Making Connections to connect back to WSU through services and programs for alumni and friends." The Association hosts numerous socials and networking events for alumni in addition to sponsoring many on-campus activities. WSU University Relations also provides support for the Association through the Office of Alumni Relations. The current Executive Director of Alumni Relations is Tim Pavish '80, and the Board President is Rob Ellsworth, '97. The most famous WSU alumnus is Edward R. Murrow, the influential broadcaster for whom the WSU communication college is named.
Faculty
The Faculty Senate serves as the sounding board for the more than 2,200 faculty members. All major academic decisions must be approved by the Senate. The Senate is composed of representatives from each academic college and department, and from all four WSU campuses.
Currently, there is a WSU presidential committee analyzing possibilities of creating new synergies through a re-alignment by moving departments and creating new schools.
Students
WSU has two representative student body organizations: the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU) founded in 1915 and the Graduate and Professional Students Association (GPSA) founded about 1970. ASWSU's organizational framework is similar to that of most American governments complete with an appointed and confirmed judiciary, elected representatives (from districts) to a senate, and an annually elected president and vice-president team. The president also has a paid staff led by the Chief of Staff ranging in size from 6-12 members, depending on the year. GPSA is similarly structured.
The ASWSU Committees are the lifeblood of that association. Open to all students, they create educational, entertaining and cultural programming for WSU students and the Pullman community. All ASWSU committees are members of "Committee Squared," the coalition of all ASWSU Committee leaders. Committees include Asian Pacific American Student Coalition (APASC), Black Student Union (BSU), Election Board, Environmental Task Force (ETF), Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender & Allies (GLBTA), Homecoming Committee, Housing Commission, International Students' Council (ISC), Ku Ah Mah, KZUU Radio, Middle Eastern Students Association (MESA), Movimiento Estudianti Chicano de Aztian (MEChA), Student Entertainment Board (SEB), Student Legal Services (SLS), Veteran’s Affairs and Washington Student Lobby (WSL).
There are several other influential student organizations. Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and Greek Presidents' Council a
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