Cost-of-Living Increases for Employees
Western’s ability to serve students and the state depends on attracting and retaining skilled employees. We request funding for employee cost of living and market increases to fund collective bargaining agreements with classified employees and to support increases of at least 4 percent in FY24 and 3 percent in FY25 for faculty and non-represented staff.
Given the constraints on local funding due to limiting tuition rate increases and the enrollment impacts of the pandemic, we request a further increase to the state’s share of the compensation funding split to at least 73 percent state/ 27 percent tuition.
Western on the Peninsulas Expansion ($6 million)
Western requests funding to expand 2+2 degree programs on the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas offered in partnership with Olympic and Peninsula Colleges. New undergraduate programs will include degrees in Industrial Systems Engineering, Data Science and Sociology, in addition to a new Master of Social Work degree program. Funds are also requested to build a core foundation of support staff and to establish sustainable outreach operations and partnerships with K-12 schools across the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas region.
Over the next ten years, WWU’s goal is to dramatically increase student enrollments at WWU Peninsulas through targeted outreach programs to create permanent and sustainable pathways to postsecondary credentials for high school students and working adults, innovative partnerships with Olympic and Peninsula Colleges, and models of delivery focused on serving location bound and underserved populations.
Graduate Environment & STEM Degree Programs ($7.9 million)
Western requests funding to establish graduate degree programs in the high- demand fields of: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clean Energy and Climate, Urban and Environmental Planning, Recreational Management.
Additionally, WWU proposes to expand enrollment in its existing Master’s in Computer Science program. We propose to expand our advanced degrees in these critical areas with targeted enrollments of 180 new graduate students. Increasing graduate educational opportunities in our region means the expertise for solving regional challenges can come from residents, building opportunities and supporting economic development.
First Year Student Retention
Western requests funding to address key areas impacting student retention and progress towards degree, particularly where retention gaps exist between demographic groups. Evidence shows that smaller course sections in key introductory courses, peer learning support, cohort models and advising and outreach significantly increase the likelihood of a student persisting and progressing towards a degree. This request seeks support for first year writing, math, STEM, and cohort programming, as well as outreach and advising support to proactively reach students earlier in their college careers. Funding is also requested to create additional tenure track faculty positions to improve student retention and success.
Critical IT Infrastructure ($3.3 million)
Western is seeking ongoing funding for the lifecycle replacement of critical IT infrastructure, including the campus wired and wireless network, campus datacenter servers and data storage equipment, emergency telephone equipment, and general university classroom audio/video technology.