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News & Updates

Session news: Regents & Trustees Advocacy Day; Health sciences deans champion Magnuson renovation request

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Regents & Trustees champion higher education in Olympia

Regents and trustees from the state’s public two- and four-year higher education institutions traveled to Olympia this week to meet with policymakers to discuss major issues facing the higher education sector, including the need to invest in competitive compensation, high-demand degrees, and student support services. They also highlighted the importance of funding capital requests.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first in-person advocacy day regents and trustees have participated in. Throughout the day, they spoke with a unified voice about the importance of continuing to invest in higher education with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate.

Thank you to our Regents for participating in this important advocacy day!

 

Three woman and two men smile and stand together in front of large white marble building with columns and dome.
UW Health Science Deans visit Olympia to meet with Legislators regarding the UW’s rural dentistry program.
Five women and two men smile and stand together in front of large room with gold light fixture and marble walls.
UW Health Science Deans visit Olympia to meet with Rep. Tina Orwall and her staff regarding the UW’s rural dentistry program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health Sciences Deans advocate for the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and expansion of the UW’s rural dentistry program

The deans from the UW’s six health sciences schools (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work) met with legislators on Tuesday to champion phase two of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (MHSC) renovation and replacement.

The MHSC is the primary teaching space for the health sciences schools, which are recognized as leaders in professional education, research innovation, and public service. Constructed in the 1970s, current facilities have mostly original infrastructure and an inflexible learning environment not suited for modern health sciences education. After the renovation, the MHSC will promote innovative, multidisciplinary learning to over 8,000 students and will accommodate future program growth, as well as support continuing education for current health-care professionals. The renovation also anticipates and addresses future accreditation requirements for increases in team-based and simulation learning and assessment.

The School of Dentistry Dean Andre Ritter also met with legislators to advocate for the expansion of the UW’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program. RIDE is a cost-effective, scalable model for increasing the number of qualified dentists practicing in the state’s rural and underserved areas, and prioritizes team-oriented, culturally competent training so graduates are prepared to meet the unique needs of Washington’s diverse communities. Located in Spokane, RIDE’s innovative training model immerses students in community-based clinics so they gain valuable field experience while also providing high quality dental care to local communities. RIDE is also co-located with Eastern Washington University’s dental hygiene program so training is interprofessional.

Learn more about both requests on the UW’s legislative agenda. Both requests will ultimately help the state address its health care needs and workforce shortages.

Session news: UW promotes Tacoma & Bothell priorities and high-demand degrees

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UW Bothell and UW Tacoma Chancellors champion campus requests

The UW Bothell Chancellor Kristen Esterberg and UW Tacoma Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange met with legislators this week to advocate for improved compensation for faculty and staff to help with recruitment and retention, as well as the high-demand degree requests specific to their campuses:

  • UW Bothell School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics: $862,000 annually to develop a program modeled after STARS to support 75 pre-major students in accessing and graduating with computer science degrees.
  • UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology: $854,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $2,000,000 ongoing to add 55 graduates in computer science and engineering by fiscal year 2027, expanding on funding provided by the legislature in the 2019-21 biennium.

In their meetings, they also emphasized the need for student support services, given the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique student populations their campuses serve.

With capital budget leaders, Chancellor Edwuards Lange highlighted the UW Tacoma’s capital request for $7.7M to acquire land within the 46-area campus footprint to help accommodate future growth.

The UW is fortunate to have the leadership of Chancellors Esterberg and Edwards Lange.

Three woman stand close together and smile in a large grey marble building decorated with gold chandeliers and gold metal sculpture.
Chancellor Esterberg (UW Bothell) and Chancellor Lange (UW Tacoma) during their visit to Olympia.

 

Leaders in the College of Engineering, Information School, and School of Computer Science & Engineering advocate for investments in STEM degrees

The College of Engineering Dean Nancy Allbritton, the Information School Dean Anind Dey, and Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Professor Ed Lazowska traveled to Olympia to champion their high-demand degree priorities included in the UW’s legislative agenda:

  • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering: $2M in FY24 and $4M ongoing to add 100 annual graduates by FY27; $455K per year to continue one-time funding provided in FY23 for the successful Startup program.
  • College of Engineering: $420K annually for the Dean’s Scholars program and $125K annually for an academic counselor to support Startup, Dean’s Scholars and Washington State Academic RedShirt (STARS) students across the college.
  • Information School: $500K in FY24 and $1.25M ongoing to add 140 annual graduates by FY25 in informatics, including staff for student academic support.

The UW cannot keep up with the extraordinary demand from students for these degree programs and is turning away qualified students due to capacity constraints. Additionally, employers in the state desperately need engineers, scientists, and analysts to maintain current operations and drive innovation.

Investing in STEM degrees will improve pathways to high-paying, local jobs for Washington residents, further cutting-edge technology and research, and fuel economic growth in the state. This request also improves educational and economic opportunity for traditionally underserved students and directly contributes to the UW’s mission to educate a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through an excellent education.

Three men and one woman stand together and smile in an office environment.
The College of Engineering Dean Nancy Allbritton, the Information School Dean Anind Dey, and Professor Ed Lazowska meet with Rep. Alex Ybarra in Olympia.
Two woman and two men stand together and smile in front of colorful wall decor.
The College of Engineering Dean Nancy Allbritton, the Information School Dean Anind Dey, and Professor Ed Lazowska meet with Rep. Debra Entenman in Olympia.

Session news: President Cauce advocates in Olympia; Regent Lee testifies in confirmation hearing

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President Cauce champions the UW’s legislative agenda in Olympia

Three woman smile together in front of a marble wall.
President Ana Mari Cauce meets with two students who are serving as legislative staff this session.

Yesterday, President Ana Mari Cauce traveled to Olympia to champion the UW’s legislative priorities. In her meetings with legislators, she highlighted the importance of competitive compensation for the University’s faculty and staff, as well as the need to expand high-demand programs and student support services. She also emphasized the additional support needed for the UW’s hospitals to ensure they can continue to serve as the state’s safety-net and health care workforce training hospitals. With capital budget leaders, she reviewed the University’s capital project priorities.

During her visit, she also ran into current UW students who are working as legislative staff for this session. She was thrilled to see the students and learn about the hands-on experience they’re getting as communication interns.

Her visit concluded with the Council of Presidents’ legislative reception, where she connected with Washington’s other university presidents, elected officials, and higher education leaders and advocates.

Learn more about UW’s 2023 legislative priorities. 

 

Regent Lee’s participates in Senate confirmation hearing

Woman smiles at camera in front of a light tan wall.
Regent Lee testifies in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee to confirm her Regent position.

The members of the UW Board of Regents are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate after a public hearing and floor vote.

Last Friday, Regent Elizabeth Lee took the first step to confirming her term by participating in a public hearing in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee. At the hearing, she provided testimony about her background and commitment to service to the UW.

After the public hearing, the committee voted unanimously to advance her confirmation to the Senate floor for consideration and a vote. The floor vote is likely to take place in the next few weeks. Watch Regent Lee’s Testimony on TVW.

The UW is fortunate to have the leadership of Regent Lee!

Session news: Legislative session begins with testimony on the Governor’s budget proposals

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The 2023 legislative session began on Monday and for the first time in two years, it is being held in-person. This session is unique because 29 new legislators have joined the ranks of the House and Senate and most of the sophomore legislators have never worked an in-person session. During this long 105-day session, legislators will decide the 2023-35 biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets.

Throughout the week, the House and Senate fiscal committees heard the Governor’s operating and capital budget proposals, which included a majority of the University of Washington’s 2023 legislative priorities. Learn more about the budget proposals and the 2023 legislative priorities. The Office of State Relations Director Joe Dacca and Associate Director Morgan Hickel testified in support of both of the Governor’s budget proposals. In their remarks on the operating budget, they emphasized the importance of competitive compensation for faculty and staff with the state covering at least two-thirds of the costs, as well as the expansion of high demand programs. On the capital budget, they thanked the Governor for investing in the UW’s priority projects, including Magnuson Health Sciences Center, Anderson Hall, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, and Chemical Sciences. They also asked the legislature to consider funding for UW Tacoma to acquire land within their campus footprint that is important to future growth.

Man in navy blue suit speaking into a microphone in a committee hearing room.
Joe Dacca, Director of State Relations for UW, testifies in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on the Senate Operating Budget
Woman in black suit speaking into a microphone in a committee hearing room.
Morgan Hickel, Associate Director of State Relations for UW, testifies in the House Appropriations Committee on the House Operating Budget

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The UW is also monitoring and supporting policy bills, including:

  • SB 5048 – Eliminates College in the High School student fees.
  • SB 5079 – Changes the date that tuition is set so financial aid packages can be provided to prospective students earlier.
  • HB 1156 – Extends eligibility for the Washington College Grant from five to six years to align with Pell.

Visit leg.wa.gov to learn more about specific pieces of legislation and track the legislature’s progress.

If you have any questions about the UW’s legislative agenda or bills being introduced, please contact the Office of State Relations at staterel@uw.edu.