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News and Updates

News and Updates

Session news: House & Senate unveil their operating and capital budget proposals

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Over the past week, the Senate and House released their draft 2023-25 operating and capital budgets. The state’s operating budget pays for the day-to-day operations of state government, while the capital budget is used to acquire, build, and maintain state facilities. The legislative leaders of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the House Appropriations and Capital Budget Committees are charged with crafting the budget proposals. After they’re passed in committee, the budgets move to their respective floors for consideration by the entire chamber.

Investments for the UW in the operating budgets include:

  • $30.4M (Senate & House) for nonrepresented employee compensation increases of 4% in fiscal year 2024 and 3% in FY25
  • $6.5M (Senate & House) for state approved CBAs for represented employees
  • $22.8M (Senate) I $17.3M (House) to improve the state portion of the compensation fund split. The Senate’s budget improves the fund split to 66% state funding and the House improves it to 60% state funding
  • $10.58M (Senate) I $8.45M (House) to grow a local, more diverse STEM workforce at all three UW campuses:
    • $6M (Senate) I $4M (House) for the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to increase enrollment, and $250,000 (House) in one-time money for the Startup program
    • $1.7M (House & Senate) for the UW Bothell School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics to develop a program modeled after STARS to support 75 pre-major students in accessing and graduating with computer science degrees, and $362,000 (House) in additional support for the STARS program in Seattle
    • $2.85M (Senate) I $2.14M (House) for the UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology to increase enrollment
  • $2.3M (House) to expand the UW School of Dentistry RIDE program, which trains dentists to meet the needs of rural and underserved populations
  • $4.33M (House) for student support services at UW Tacoma
  • $8.5M (Senate) I $2.9M (House) in maintenance and operations (M&O) for UW Bothell’s STEM4 building, the UW Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, and the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility. The BHTF was not funded in the House.
  • $25.83M (Senate) shift in M&O funds back to the operating budget, which frees up a commensurate amount in the UW Building Account for critical building renewal and deferred maintenance
  • $3M (House) to develop a clean energy transformation strategy that transitions the Seattle campus energy infrastructure to 100% clean energy

Investments for UW Medicine include:

  • $150M (Senate) I $100M (House) in one-time funding for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center so they can continue serving as the state’s safety-net and workforce training hospitals
  • $6.6M (Senate) I $4.9M (House) in one-time funding for the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility for physician support and facilities fees
  • $2M (Senate & House) for the Family Medicine Residency Network, which trains high quality family medicine physicians in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region
  • $1M (Senate & House) to continue firearm injury research
  • $1M (Senate) to create a UW Center for Indigenous Health

The Senate has already passed their operating budget off the floor and the House will consider theirs in the coming days.

On Monday, the House also released their capital budget proposal with $58M for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and $7.7M for land acquisition at UW Tacoma to accommodate future growth. Unfortunately, the proposal did not include funding for Anderson Hall, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, Chemical Sciences, the behavioral health renovation of UW Medical Center-Northwest, and the Clean Energy testbeds, all of which were included in the Governor and Senate budget proposals. The Senate unveiled their capital budget last week.

The House and Senate will now work toward final compromise budgets, which must be voted on by the last day of session scheduled for April 23.

For a more detailed overview of the House and Senate budget proposals, see the UW Office of Planning and Budgeting’s briefs page.

Session news: UW Regents advocate in Olympia; Regents Tamaki, Fuller, and Rhoads testify in confirmation hearing

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Last week, the UW Board of Regents visited Olympia to champion the University’s legislative priorities prior to the release of the House and Senate budget proposals. They met with Democrat and Republican budget writers to advocate for competitive compensation for faculty and staff to ensure the University can continue to recruit and retain valuable employees and discussed the importance of investing in high-demand degrees and student support services. They also emphasized the need to invest in the UW’s hospitals so they can continue to serve Washington’s most vulnerable populations and train the state’s future healthcare workforce. With capital budget leaders, they highlighted the UW’s project requests, including Magnuson Health Sciences Center, Anderson Hall, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, Chemical Sciences, and land acquisition at UW Tacoma.

The Senate capital budget proposal was released on Monday with funding for all of the UW’s major asks included. The Senate’s draft operating budget will be published tomorrow, and the House will release their operating and capital budgets early next week.

Today, UW Regents Blaine Tamaki, Leonor Fuller, and Linden Rhoads joined the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee for a confirmation hearing. UW Regents are appointed to their positions by the Governor and must be confirmed by the Senate.

Today, UW Regents Blaine Tamaki, Leonor Fuller, and Linden Rhoads joined the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee for a confirmation hearing. UW Regents are appointed to their positions by the Governor and must be confirmed by the Senate.

Regent Tamaki is the former Board Chair and current Vice Chair. In his testimony, he emphasized his long standing commitment to the UW and shared he was the recipient of last year’s Husky Alumni of the Year award. He also stressed his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through his work representing Indigenous people who were sexually abused in residential schools, for which he was awarded Trial Lawyer of the Year, and as a third-generation Japanese American, who’s father was wrongfully interned during WWII. He is honored to assist in guarding the UW for the benefit of all Washington residents.

Regent Fuller has three degrees from the UW and was a former Student Regent. Additionally, she previously served as a Community & Technical College Trustee. She shared her dedication to Washington’s higher education institutions and recognized their profound impact on students and local communities. She also specifically highlighted the UW’s local, national, and global impact. As Regent, she aims to continue improving the lives of Washington’s residents and communities.

In her testimony, Regent Rhoads recognized the UW’s importance as a driver in the state’s innovation economy. She is a tech entrepreneur who co-founded two companies with UW faculty and worked at the University for six years as a Vice Provost assisting faculty with bringing their life’s work to the world. She is also a graduate of UW School of Law and has served on a multitude of UW boards and committees. She wants to continue pushing the UW to innovate and remain a leader in education, research, and public service.

All three Regents were unanimously confirmed by the committee. Their appointments will now go to the Senate floor for consideration and a vote.

Thank you to all our Regents for your dedicated service to the UW!

Session news: Senate publishes capital budget proposal; State revenue forecasted to decrease in 2023-25

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The Senate unveiled their capital budget proposal today with funding for all of the UW’s major priorities:

  • $58M for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and replacement. The Center is the primary teaching space for the UW’s six health science schools and new facilities will promote innovative, multidisciplinary learning.
  • $28.7M to design and renovate Anderson Hall, which was constructed in 1925 and has an antiquated learning environment that lacks adequate classroom and collaborative spaces for the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.
  • $9M to design and construct phase 2 of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House. wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ is a learning and gathering place for the UW’s American Indian and Alaskan Native students, faculty, and staff and a center for sharing the knowledge of Northwest Indigenous peoples.
  • $5M to design the modernization of chemical sciences in Seattle. Built in 1937 and 1957, current facilities for chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering do not meet the requirements for interdisciplinary, modern science education and research.
  • $7.7M for land acquisition at UW Tacoma to accommodate future growth.
  • $13M for the behavioral health renovation of UW Medical Center-Northwest. This project provides an additional 25 90/180-day long term civil-commitment beds to help meet the state’s behavioral health care needs.

In addition, $7.5M for the UW Clean Energy Testbeds was allocated from the state’s Climate Commitment Account.

The Office of State Relations greatly appreciates the significant investments included in the proposal for the UW, as well as the bipartisan work that went into crafting it. Thank you for your leadership and support, Chair Mark Mullet, Ranking Member Mark Schoesler, and Senators Yasmin Trudeau, Ann Rivers, and Judy Warnick. To view the entire budget bill and summary and project lists, click here.

The Senate is scheduled to release their draft operating budget Thursday and the House is expected to unveil their operating and capital budget proposals early next week. After, budget leaders in the House and Senate will negotiate the final compromise budgets, which must pass both chambers by April 23.

The Washington State Economic Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) also published their quarterly economic and revenue forecast today. The report projects the state’s General Fund revenue will increase by $194 million for the remainder of the current biennium (2021-23), but will decrease by $438 million for the upcoming 2023-25 budget cycle. Although slowing, it also shows that consumer price inflation remains high, particularly in the Seattle metropolitan area. The legislature will take these most recent findings into consideration when drafting the state’s final compromise budgets.

For a detailed summary of the March revenue forecast, see the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting’s most recent blog post. More information can also be found on the ERFC’s website.

Session news: Floor action is underway as session hits midway point

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Today is the halfway point of the 105-day legislative session and the House and Senate are on the floor considering the bills that remain alive. Bills that did not pass out of their house of origin fiscal committees are now “dead” unless necessary to implement the budget.

The UW is tracking numerous bills with varying degrees of impact on students and the University, including:

  • SB 5048 – Eliminates College in the High School student fees.
  • SB 5079 – Changes the date tuition is set so financial aid packages can be provided to prospective students earlier.
  • SB 5702 – Expands the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program.
  • SB 5711 – Extends eligibility for the Washington College Grant from five to six years to align with Pell.
  • HB 1559 – Establishes student basic needs navigators at public postsecondary institutions.

For a complete list of the bills being considered by the legislature or to look up a bill not listed above, click here.

House and Senate budget leaders are currently drafting the 2023-25 biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets. The Office of State Relations has worked hard throughout session to advocate for the inclusion of the UW’s legislative priorities in the draft budget proposals, which will be unveiled after the state’s economic and revenue forecast is published on March 20.

For questions about the legislative process, specific legislation, or the UW’s priorities, please contact the Office of State Relations at staterel@uw.edu.

Session news: UW leaders champion operating and capital budget priorities

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Today is day 38 of the 105-day legislation session. The last day for bills to pass out of the policy committee in their house of origin is this Friday, Feb. 17. If bills have not moved out of policy committee by the Feb. 17 deadline, they are considered dead unless they’re necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). Legislation that passes out of policy committee before the deadline will move to their house of origin fiscal committee or if they do not have a fiscal impact, directly to the Rules Committee, where members select which bills move to the floor for consideration by the full body of the House or Senate.

The House and Senate fiscal committees, Appropriations and Ways & Means respectively, will work long hours this weekend and next week as they consider the bills that have come to them from the various policy committees. The house of origin fiscal committee cutoff is scheduled for next Friday, Feb. 24.

The Office of State Relations is monitoring legislation that impacts the University, as well as the budget process. If you have questions about specific bills or the legislative process, please contact staterel@uw.edu.

President Cauce champions the UW’s legislative priorities with budget leadership

Last week, President Ana Mari Cauce traveled to Olympia for the second time to advocate for the UW’s legislative priorities. She met with Democrat and Republican budget writers in both the House and Senate to advocate for increased compensation for University faculty and staff, as well as additional support for UW’s hospitals so they can continue to serve as the state’s safety-net and health care workforce training hospitals. She also emphasized the need to support high-demand degree programs and student support services.

Before meeting with legislators, President Cauce connected with UW students in Olympia for their annual Huskies on the Hill lobby day. Huskies on the Hill is organized by the ASUW Office of Government Relations to advocate on issues important to UW students, such as financial aid and mental health resources. President Cauce enjoyed starting her day in Olympia with UW students and hearing about their priorities this session.

 

School of Environmental & Forest Sciences advocates for Anderson Hall renovation

The UW College of the Environment Dean Maya Tolstoy and Associate Dean Stephanie Harrington participated in legislator meetings with the Director of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Dan Brown to ask for support for the renovation of Anderson Hall, which is one of the oldest buildings on the Seattle campus.

Anderson Hall is the hub for the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, which has seen undergraduate enrollment double in the past decade. Built in 1925, the building has an antiquated learning environment that lacks adequate classroom and collaborative learning spaces. Additionally, it lacks cutting-edge technologies critical to fostering environmental leadership and learning.

Renewed facilities will accommodate increased enrollment, address long-standing accessibility and safety issues, and allow for innovative learning and research in support of Washington’s environmental, economic, and societal prosperity.

UW leaders request support for wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House

Yesterday, the Director of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House Chenoa Henry (Tulalip), UW student and co-chair of the First Nations @ UW Kaila RedBow (Oglala Lakota Sioux), Regent Leonard Forsman (Suquamish), UW Native American Advisory Board immediate past-chair Patricia Whitefoot (Yakama), and University Diversity Officer Rickey Hall met with policymakers to advocate for phase two of the construction of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House.

wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House is a longhouse-style learning and gathering place for the UW’s American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students, faculty and staff. It is also provides a welcoming environment for sharing the knowledge of Northwest Indigenous peoples, and serves as a reminder that the University campus sits in the heart of Native land.

Phase two of construction will bring additional support to the UW’s AIAN community through a Native art lab, a student resource center, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, and educational Native gardens. It will also help to further support access and retention for AIAN students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Both requests are on the UW’s legislative agenda and 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.

 

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.

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

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 students 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 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.

Regent Lee’s participates in Senate confirmation hearing

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.

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. 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Governor releases 2023-25 biennial budget proposals with substantial UW investments

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The 2023 legislative session begins Jan. 9 and for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, legislators will meet in person in Olympia to decide the state’s biennial budget and policy. This week, Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his 2023-25 operating and capital budget proposals, as the first step in the state budget process.

The Governor’s proposed operating budget prioritizes addressing the state’s homelessness and housing crisis, improvements to the behavioral health system, and climate action. His proposal dedicates $4 billion over the next six years to increase the supply of affordable housing across the state, including higher density development along transportation corridors. To expand access to behavioral health care, the Governor proposes increasing treatment bed capacity, providing additional services for children and youth, growing the workforce, and improving provider rates. Finally, his climate package devotes funding to improving siting and permitting for clean energy and transmission, helping the salmon recover and thrive, and mobilizing a future clean energy workforce.

The Governor’s proposal also funded a majority of the University of Washington’s legislative priorities and a few additional items including:

  • $26.9M for salary increases of 4% in FY24 and 3% in FY25 nonrepresented faculty and staff with additional funds provided to improve the fund split to two-thirds state funding.
  • $6.4M for state approved CBAs for represented employees, including one-time payments for retention and COVID-19 boosters.
  • $100M in one-time funding in FY23 for UW Medicine to alleviate significant labor costs and sustain clinical operations at UWMC and Harborview so they can continue to serve as the state’s safety-net and health care workforce training hospitals.
  • $6.6M in one-time funding for the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility for physician and faculty support.
  • $10.6M to grow a local, more diverse STEM workforce pipeline at all three UW campuses:
    • $6M for the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to add 100 annual graduates by FY27.
    • $1.7M for the UW Bothell School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics to develop a program modeled after STARS to support 75 pre-major students in accessing and graduating with computer science degrees.
    • $2.85M for the UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology to add 55 graduates in computer science and engineering by FY27.
  • $4.3M to expand the UW School of Dentistry RIDE program, which is located in Spokane and trains dentists to meet the needs of rural and underserved populations.
  • $10.3M in maintenance and operations (M&O) for UW Bothell’s STEM4 building, the UW Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, and the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility at UW Medical Center-Northwest.
  • Shifts M&O funds back to the state operating budget from the UW Building Account, allowing the UW to invest in critical building renewal and deferred maintenance.
  • $3M to develop a clean energy transformation strategy that transitions the Seattle campus energy infrastructure to 100% clean energy.
  • $520,000 for the Washington Ocean Acidification Center to advance high-priority science to better understand the relationships between marine organisms and ocean acidification.

The Governor’s capital budget also included significant support for the UW:

  • $58M for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and replacement. The Center is the primary teaching space for the UW’s six health science schools and new facilities will promote innovative, multidisciplinary learning.
  • $28.7M to design and renovate Anderson Hall, which was constructed in 1925 and has an antiquated learning environment that lacks adequate classroom and collaborative spaces for the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.
  • $9M to design and construct phase 2 of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House. wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ is a learning and gathering place for the UW’s American Indian and Alaskan Native students, faculty, and staff and a center for sharing the knowledge of Northwest Indigenous peoples.
  • $5M to design the modernization of chemical sciences in Seattle. Built in 1937 and 1957, current facilities for chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering do not meet the requirements for interdisciplinary, modern science education and research.
  • $13M for the behavioral health renovation of UW Medical Center-Northwest. This project provides an additional 25 90/180-day long term civil-commitment beds to help meet the state’s behavioral health care needs.

The Office of State Relations is thrilled to see the investments the Governor proposed for the University, which will help recruit and retain faculty and staff, provide immediate support to UW Medicine’s hospitals and staff, and expand opportunities and support services for students.

For additional details, see the Washington State Office of Financial Management’s budget highlights and the brief prepared by the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting on their Briefs page.