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UW in the High School is now free to students thanks to legislation sponsored by Sen. Mullet

UWHS Director Tim Stetter, Zillah High School Principal Jeff Charbonneau, Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Mark Mullet

Earlier this month, Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5048 into law making College in the High School (CHS) courses free to all public high school students in Washington. Sponsored by Senator Mark Mullet, the bill passed the Senate and House unanimously after many years of legislative effort and will be in effect for the 2023-24 school year.

For more than 40 years, the UW has partnered with high schools across Washington to offer official UW courses to students in their high school classrooms. UW in the High School (UWHS) courses are taught by high school teachers approved and trained by UW faculty and the credits earned in these courses can be put toward a degree at the UW or transferred to other colleges or universities across the U.S.

Until now, CHS courses were paid for by the high school students and their families, which created inequities for low-income students who could not afford the fees. Senate Bill 5048 remedied this by eliminating the cost to high school students for CHS programs. The legislation also aims to encourage more Washington students to pursue postsecondary education.

On May 20, almost 200 high school teachers attended the UWHS Teacher Training Day to learn from UW professors and prepare for the upcoming school year. Senator Mullet also joined to connect with the teachers and faculty members, observe the training, and celebrate the passage of Senate Bill 5048.

For more information, check out the UW Continuum College’s recent post Expanding Access to UW in the High School.

Governor and higher education leaders celebrate session successes at UW Tacoma

Governor Jay Inslee, legislators, students, and higher education advocates gathered at UW Tacoma yesterday for Bridge to the Future, an event celebrating the post-secondary successes of the 2022 legislative session. In recent years, the state has made considerable investments in higher education, including student financial aid and increased funding for faculty and staff compensation.

UW Tacoma Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange kicked off the celebration by welcoming the attendees and highlighting how the state’s recent investments have benefitted UW Tacoma and students, especially those that are first-generation and low-income. She also emphasized the importance of continuing to invest in faculty and staff, who are vital to the excellence of higher education institutions and student success.

Gov. Inslee and the House and Senate higher education committee chairs, Rep. Vandana Slatter and Sen. Emily Randall, celebrated the recent legislative achievements that have helped make post-secondary education more accessible and affordable for all Washingtonians. Additionally, they focused on the future and stressed the importance of continuing to invest in higher education to improve prosperity for our residents, local communities, and the state.

Speakers also included student leaders who have directly benefited from the state’s recent investments, including Reanne Chilton, WSU Graduate student; Andre Jiminez, UW Tacoma Student Body President; Marco Montoya, South Bates Technical College Ironworker Apprentice, and; Evans Kaame, Washington Student Association President. They shared their unique journeys to post-secondary education and spoke of the profound impact it has had on their lives and futures. They highlighted the broad swath of investments that were critical to their success, such as financial aid, mental health and student support services, and opportunity pathways, and encouraged the state to expand investments so more Washingtonians will pursue higher education and students will receive the support needed to attain a degree or credential.

Thank you to all the higher education leaders in attendance, including Speaker Laurie Jinkins, Representatives Mari Leavitt, Drew Hansen, and Gerry Pollet, and Senator David Frockt.

House College & Workforce Dev. Chair meets with UW students and President Cauce

Yesterday, the House College & Workforce Development Chair Vandana Slatter visited the UW Seattle campus to hear from students, faculty, and leadership and to learn more about the UW’s 2022 legislative requests.

First, she participated in a roundtable with students in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) to learn more about their UW experiences and future aspirations. During their conversations, students shared about the challenges of studying during the pandemic, potential and exciting career paths, and interests of study outside of computer science. Rep. Slatter also toured the new CSE building to see how the state legislature’s recent investments are helping students and the state’s economy. The legislature has invested substantially in STEM degree programs, including CSE, over the past few years to meet the growing student and employer demand.

Rep. Slatter then met with President Ana Mari Cauce to review the UW’s supplemental budget priorities for the upcoming legislative session. The UW’s priorities include salary adjustments for faculty and staff who are critical to the success of the UW and funding to expand computer science and engineering degrees for underrepresented students. Additionally, they discussed the UW’s return to campus amid the ongoing pandemic and the state’s critical workforce shortages and how the UW can help.

Thank you, Rep. Slatter, for your continued support of the UW.

News from Olympia: Legislative Session Day 12

The 2017 legislative session is in full swing in Olympia. Here are a few highlights from the past twelve days:

New director, Joe Dacca, updated the Senate Higher Education committee about the UW’s legislative priorities.

Joe Dacca presenting to the Senate Higher Education Committee
Joe Dacca presenting to the Senate Higher Education Committee

New associate director, Jillian Kilby, testified in support of HB 1107 to remove the term “branch” as an identifying factor for extension campuses in the House Higher Education Committee.

Jillian Kilby testifying in the House Higher Education Committee
Jillian Kilby testifying in the House Higher Education Committee

Dr. Nephi Stella provided the Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports committee with an update on the new cannabis research center being developed at UW.

Dr. Nephi Stella Cannabis Research
Dr. Nephi Stella presenting to the Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports committee

Dr. Caleb Banta-Green, from the School of Public Health, provided information about opioid addiction treatment options to the Senate and House Health Care committees.

Dr. Caleb Banta-Green presenting to the House Health Care committee

Dr. David Tauben, from UW Medicine, presented to the Senate Health Care committee on pain and opioid addiction.

Dr. David Tauben presenting to the House Health Care committee
Dr. David Tauben presenting to the Senate Health Care committee

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.  

UW releases 2017 state legislative agenda

Just in time for the start of the 2017 legislative session, the University of Washington released its legislative priorities. Here’s an overview of key priorities from the agenda:

Operating Budget Priorities

Competing for excellence:

As a world-class academic and research institution, the UW is dedicated to retaining and attracting the best faculty and staff who provide a world-class educational experience to our students. As a means of investing in talented educators, the UW requests funding for competitive compensation.

Investing in proven strategies to ensure student success:

It is critical that historically underserved students are supported to boost retention, graduation, and career preparation in high demand fields. Delivered through a tri-campus initiative, UW requests $5.1 million to expand programming and bolster support to underserved students.

Additionally, the UW supports full funding of the State Need Grant, which provides financial assistance to low-income students pursuing a higher education in Washington. More than 24,000 students who are eligible for the State Need Grant have not had access due to lack of funding.

Targeted investments to serve the needs of the state:

Washington currently faces severe workforce shortages in areas related to healthcare, computer science, and engineering. To combat this problem, UW is requesting $9.3 million to invest in rural health care professionals and another $16 million to invest in engineering, computer science, and ocean engineering and cyber operations.

Key Capital Investments

Seismic improvements

The safety of our students, faculty, and staff are of paramount importance at the UW. At the Seattle campus, there are masonry buildings in need of major reinforced upgrades to reduce the risk of collapse in case of an earthquake. The UW seeks $25 million to upgrade multiple buildings in critical need of repair.

Population Health sciences

In an effort to support and improve the health and well-being of communities both in Washington and globally, the UW requests $20 million for a Population Health research building. An additional $10 million is requested for the design of a shared Health Sciences classroom facility to replace the Magnuson Health Sciences Teaching Center (T-wing).

Accommodating growth

UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are experiencing rapid student enrollment in high-demand programs. In response to the increasing growth, UW requests $3.5 million in predesign and design funding to accommodate the academic needs of students.

Parrington Hall renovation

Enrollment has doubled in the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Parrington Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus and home of the Evans School, is in need of maintenance and renovation. The UW requests $10 million for construction.

Burke Museum

The Burke Museum provides diverse science and cultural programming to schools, communities, and families. In an effort to increase programming and access, the Burke Museum is in the process of constructing a new facility on campus. To complete construction, $24.2 million is requested by UW.

Washington Competes

The University is committed to partnering with other statewide public baccalaureate institutions, community and technical colleges, and independent colleges to advance a jointly supported agenda focused on increasing investments in higher education to bolster student success. Read more about Washington Competes here.

New members of State Relations

The State Relations office has two new members looking forward to representing the university and working with you. Meet the team:

Joe Dacca Headshot

 

 Joe Dacca, Director

Since graduating from the UW in 2006, Joe has spent the past decade working for state and federal elected officials.  Most recently, Joe worked as the District Director for Congressman Derek Kilmer (WA-06).  Joe is an avid Husky fan and plays pick-up basketball as much as his ailing body will allow.

 

 

Jillian Kilby HeadshotJillian Kilby, Associate Director

With a passion for higher education accountability and college access, Jillian has had diverse roles in the education policy arena. She served as a Research and Evaluation Officer at the College Success Foundation as well as a former Legislative Assistant to Rep. Drew Hansen, Chair of the House Higher Education Committee.  She is a recipient of the Betty Jane Narver Fellowship, a graduate of Project Lead, and a co-chair for the Master’s in Education Policy Alumni Advisory Board at the UW. In her spare time, Jillian loves trying new cafes, listening to Beyoncé, and sleeping more than six hours.

 

MKI headshot 2015

Marissa Ingalls, State Relations Associate

A veteran of the Office of State Relations, Marissa has worked at the university for over three years and is a proud Husky alumna. She previously worked as a legislative assistant for three years in the Washington State Senate. Marissa’s husband also works at UW and she enjoys being able to commute to campus with him when not in Olympia. You will see them both donning Carolina blue during college basketball season as they cheer on the University of North Carolina Tarheels.

State and local leaders recognize Together UW Day – October 21, 2016

In recognition of the launch of the university’s Be Boundless – For Washington, For the World philanthropic campaign, Governor Jay Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine, City of Spokane Mayor David Condon, Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle City Council offered their support in proclamations and a salutation, recognizing October 21, 2016 as “Together UW Day.”

 

Go to uw.edu/together for more information about all of the events taking place October 21-23.

Show your support by sharing these posts on social media with the hashtag  #TogetherUW

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To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

Update from State Relations: October 2016

We are officially in Autumn Quarter at the university and things are still bustling for the State Relations team. Here are some highlights from the month so far:

 

On October 7, Governor Inslee issued an executive order to combat the opioid crisis facing our state. The press conference took place in the Hogness Auditorium in the UW Health Sciences Building and featured Dr. David Tauben and Dr. Caleb Banta-Green from UW Medicine. Read a summary of the executive order here and learn more about the Department of Pain Medicine at UW Medicine here.

Governor Inslee announces plan to #ActOnOpioids
Governor Inslee with UW Medicine, legislators and public health leaders.

 

Also on October 7, Senator David Frockt paid a visit to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Led by director Christopher Murray, IHME is an independent global health research center at the UW that provides high-quality data on major world health problems and evaluates strategies used to address them. You can find more information about IHME here.

 

On October 11, UW Medicine hosted the House Health Care & Wellness Committee for an interim work session. The committee received a briefing on IHME from director Christopher Murray and heard from Dean Joel Berg (UW Dentistry), Peggy Odegard (UW Pharmacy), Karen McDonough (UW Medicine) and Dean Sean Sullivan (UW Pharmacy) about interprofessional collaboration and training happening between UW Health Sciences schools.

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Watch the full committee work session on TVW.org

Check out pictures from the hearing on our Facebook page. Materials from the work session are available here.

 

On October 12, the Clean Energy Institute (CEI) welcomed Representative Norma Smith for a briefing and several lab visits, starting with an overview from CEI Director Dan Schwartz. Rep. Smith learned about the printing of solar cell polymers from associate professor Christine Luscombe, the future of solar cell materials from CEI graduate fellow Jessica Kong, and advanced manufacturing and battery materials from associate professor Vince Holmberg. The tour ended with an update from professor Devin MacKenzie on roll-to-roll processing and printed materials as he prepares to open the new Washington Clean Energy Testbeds facility.

You can find pictures from Rep. Smith’s visit on our Facebook page. Learn about CEI here.

 

Coming October 21 – Together UW Day. Register at uw.edu/togetherSTAY TUNED!

Coming October 26 – Celebration of the new Denny Hall. STAY TUNED!

 

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

 

Update from State Relations: September 2016

September was a busy month for the State Relations office, starting with the arrival of our new director, Bernard Dean, on September 1. He has been busy learning about UW’s programs and meeting with as many students, faculty, and staff as possible prior to the start of the 2017 legislative session in Olympia.

Here are a few highlights from last month:

On September 13, President Cauce spoke at the Association of Washington Business 2016 Policy Summit with Washington State University President Kirk Schulz. You can watch their discussion on TVW, starting at the 5:45 minute mark.

On September 23, the university celebrated the cornerstone laying for the new home of the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) in Bellevue. The event was well attended, and included Governor Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Tsinghua University President Yong Qiu and many others. Learn more about the unique partnership between UW and Tsinghua University here.

GIX 9-23-16
President Cauce at GIX cornerstone laying celebration.

 

September 26 was moving day for the State Relations team in Olympia. You can find our new office space at:

410 11th Ave SE, Suite 103 Olympia, WA 98501

If you are visiting the capitol during the next legislative session, be sure to say hello!

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

UW’s innovations in medical education in the spotlight

From Tuesday’s edition of the Seattle Times:

While most UW students have a few more weeks of summer to enjoy, the School of Medicine is already in full swing. With the introduction of new curriculum, first-year medical students are spending less time in a traditional lecture hall and more time with hands-on patient care on day one.

Read more about this innovative approach to teaching here.

From KREM2 in Spokane:

One of the great traditions in medical school is the white coat ceremony, when new students put on the unofficial uniform of the medical profession for the first time. KREM 2 captured the recent exciting night with students, friends and their families in Spokane here.

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.