Responding to Regional Needs: UW Bothell’s Proposals Regarding Role, Mission, and Continued Development

The University of Washington Bothell proposes to respond to these regional needs through a multifaceted approach, designed to increase baccalaureate degrees by providing additional options and pathways for non-traditional and traditional students. Our proposals focus primarily on the large number of beginning and transfer students who have done the work to qualify for, and have historically applied to the UW.

Consequently, our proposals represent an effort to expand access to University of Washington degrees in our region by expanding opportunities on the UW Bothell campus.

Our proposals intend to preserve the distinctive character of UW Bothell emphasizing an interdisciplinary curriculum, creative pedagogy and engagement with local communities. In the following projections, we also assume continued co-location with Cascadia Community College.

1. Role and Mission

We propose to continue operation as a University of Washington campus and continue emphasizing upper-division and graduate programs that meet regional needs. In addition, we propose that the campus receive authority to offer lower-division programs as noted below. While we do not propose to offer independent doctoral programs at UW Bothell, we note the extensive collaboration that already exists with doctoral programs and research at UW Seattle, and expect these efforts to expand under the auspices of the UW Graduate School.

Within this role and mission, our model and plan for development proposes new enrollments in lower-division programs and measured growth in upper-lower-division and graduate programs. This section details four critical aspects of this plan for UW Bothell development:

• Remain a campus of the University of Washington with the same standards of academic quality that have traditionally been associated with the University, in order to address the region’s unique needs for education at this level.

• Expand upper-division programs to serve more students. This portion of the plan focuses on increasing access to baccalaureate degrees primarily through continued improvements in our community college collaborations.

• Establish a small, targeted lower-division program. This will create an alternate pathway to baccalaureate degrees for the region’s many high school graduates who have done the work to qualify for admission to the University of Washington, but who cannot enroll at the Seattle campus because of student constraints and campus space limitations.

• Continue developing and expanding graduate and professional programs that support the region’s economic development as well as the civic, educational, cultural, health, and social infrastructure that underlies economic growth.

2. Continue Developing as a University of Washington Campus

Our plan to continue operation as a University of Washington campus follows directly from our analysis of regional needs. While many different higher education models are needed in our region as elsewhere, the region served by UW Bothell is unique in its exceptionally high demand for UW degrees. Our plan calls for continued development and expansion of UW Bothell programs as the most viable way to extend access to University of Washington degrees and to help the region give place-valued students local higher education opportunities.

In addition to responding to unique regional needs for higher education access, continued development as a UW campus creates exceptional benefits for students and the region as well as the capacity of the campus and its faculty to sustain these benefits. Program options available to students, academic resources of a shared library, ability to attract nationally renowned faculty, and partnership opportunities that support

regional development all depend on the formal connection to the UW and on the informal linkages that have developed through our physical proximity.

These benefits could not be sustained in a new, independent institution without enormous expense or a very significant reduction in the quality of services to students and the region. While we anticipate that many institutional configurations will be considered as state policy makers address Washington’s higher education needs, our evaluation of regional needs and UW Bothell’s current contributions to them, place continuation as a University of Washington campus at the center of our plan. Ongoing operation as a part of the University of Washington—with the same expectations for academic quality that characterize the rest of the university—is fundamental to our proposals for addressing regional needs.

3. Expand Upper-Division Undergraduate Programs

The primary means through which UW Bothell proposes to increase regional access to baccalaureate degrees is to expand our partnerships with community colleges and other institutions that prepare students for transfer to upper-division studies on our campus. As we noted above, projected increases in the number of regional community college graduates and increases in the percentage of these students who intend to transfer to a baccalaureate institution require expanding division programs. Our plans for upper-division students are based on two factors: the percentage of transfer students who have historically indicated a preference for transfer to the University of Washington, and an increase in transfer students resulting from more intensive collaboration models.

By focusing on transfer students who historically have expressed preference for and applied to the UW, we signal a commitment to working with the full array of post-secondary options in the region, including other baccalaureate institutions and center programs located on community college campuses. All of these programs will be needed in order for the region to expand access to baccalaureate degrees. Our projections reflect the size of the transfer population that has traditionally applied to the UW, and number expected to be served on the Seattle campus given space limitations. The UW is committed to accommodating as many regional transfer students as possible by expanding services at UW Bothell.

Our upper-division expansion also reflects our commitment to contribute to statewide efforts to increase bachelor’s degree completion by individuals who begin their studies at community and technical colleges.

To facilitate smoother transition from two-year institutions, we also propose to significantly expand collaborations with community colleges through a co-admission and co-enrollment program. The purpose of this program is to cooperate with partner institutions to promote successful undergraduate experiences for students wishing to attend both a community college and UW Bothell. The results will be to improve student retention, increase time-to-degree, eliminate transfer inefficiencies and blockages that inhibit student progress, and increase understanding and collaboration across educational sectors.

Since Spring 2004, UW Bothell has worked to establish a comprehensive co-admission and co-enrollment partnership with neighboring community colleges. A pilot effort beginning in Spring 2005, is expected to ultimately reach more than 100 students annually. The planning foundation for this program includes careful alignment of curriculum supported by mechanisms that allow academically prepared students to enroll in lower- and upper-division coursework.

A co-admission and co-enrollment pilot program is already underway with two community college partners. Specifically, the goals of this pilot project are to:

• Make it possible for students to be jointly admitted to and eligible to enroll concurrently at both institutions.

• Improve academic program and curricular articulation.

• Improve student success.

• Use resources at both institutions more efficiently and effectively.

• Expand student options for college services and curriculum choices.

UW Bothell and its partners, Cascadia and Shoreline Community Colleges, expect to admit and enroll students in the co-admission and co-enrollment program beginning in Spring 2005. Program review will take place through Fall 2005, after which the program will expand to include other regional community colleges. We expect that within three years more than 150 students per term will be admitted and attend classes at both institutions simultaneously.

Co-admission and co-enrollment will affect enrollment growth at UW Bothell in two ways. First, we believe it will result in more community college students deciding to pursue upper-division studies because of a clearer pathway to degree completion. Second, we expect the co-enrollment portion of the plan to result in growth in selected lower-division courses. Our growth projections reflect a systematic program phase-in at all six partner community colleges and are based on increases in community college transfers when similar programs were introduced a few years ago in some Oregon schools.

Finally, projected growth in upper-division enrollment reflects a commitment to continued outreach to non-traditional students who have not attended college for at least two years. We have used overall population growth estimates to project increases in the current size of this student group at UW Bothell. Table 4.1 summarizes projected growth in upper-division programs, included students continuing from lower-division programs proposed in the next section of the report.

Table 4.1

Summary of Projections for Growth in Upper Division Headcount and FTE

Upper-division FTE 31 153 283 423 597 701

Transfers from CTC’s are projected at 15% of unmet regional UW need.

Continuing students from lower-division program include co-admission and co-enrollment additions and are projected to continue with no more than 10% attrition.

Cumulative increases in out-of region and delayed students reflect annual growth of four percent over current levels.

FTE projections reflect current ratio of headcount to FTE of .77.

4. Establish a Targeted Lower-Division Program

UW Bothell proposes to establish a small, targeted lower-division program in order to create an additional pathway for academically well qualified students. As previously noted, over 1300 students each year will have accomplished the high school work to qualify for admission to UW Seattle but will not be

accommodated because of space limitations. This number is growing and will quickly reach 1600 in the King-Snohomish region. We expect to share responsibility for these students with the region’s other excellent community colleges and four-year institutions. And, of course, these students have the strong academic qualifications that will make them competitive for admission to other in-state and out-of-state universities.

Many of these individuals are place-bound due to family, work and other commitments that make it difficult to leave the region. Many more are place-valued: they represent the future leadership for the region’s economic, civic, cultural, and economic life.

In order to keep more of these individuals in the region and to provide them with a UW education, UW Bothell proposes to establish a small, lower-division program that will serve approximately ten percent of these students who have met the UW admission requirements.

The program will build on established UW Bothell program strengths. While it will serve students who qualify for UW admission, it will reach out to first-generation college students and those with personal and work commitments that make higher education challenging. It will be structured as a unique, cohort-based interdisciplinary learning experience, with student support services that ensure success. Its interdisciplinary focus will help our region’s communities develop and support their emerging leaders. This “leadership class” will provide a unique option for students who prefer the UW and also want a smaller learning environment more focused on civic engagement and community development within the region.

As noted above, a second goal of UW Bothell’s proposed lower-division program is to offer a smoother pathway to a baccalaureate degree for students who enter the region’s colleges with sophomore standing.

By supporting this group’s aspirations, UW Bothell will increase baccalaureate degree production by developing educational pathways that decrease the time necessary to earn a degree and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the current transfer system.

Three groups of students are included in our plans for entering sophomores: (a) students graduating from the region’s high schools with enough advanced credit to qualify as sophomores, (b) area community college students who seek to enroll in specific courses through the co-admission and co-enrollment program, and (c) non-traditional students who apply for admission with some college, but not enough to qualify for junior standing.

Our projections for recent high school students with enough advanced credit to enter as sophomores are initially small, reflecting the current percentage of freshmen applicants to UW Seattle who are admitted with sophomore standing. The projections increase more quickly than other groups, however, reflecting rapid growth in advanced credit programs, as noted earlier in the report.

Co-admission and co-enrollment program enrollments are expected to grow quickly as UW Bothell expands its initial pilot programs to all six partner community colleges. We have used the experience of several Oregon institutions that implemented similar models to estimate enrollment and growth.

Finally, projections for non-traditional students who need courses before qualifying as juniors are based on current applicants to UW Bothell who are otherwise qualified but cannot be admitted because of course deficiencies.

Table 4.2

Freshman Class 86 163 168 173

Advanced Academic

Headcount 110 145 264 350 364 379

Total Sophomore FTE

60 84 186 267 277 288 Total lower-division

Headcount 110 235 434 525 544 565

Total

Lower-division FTE 60 174 356 442 458 474

After a pilot year in 2006-2007, the entering freshman class will address approximately ten percent of the region’s need for UW admissions.

Non-traditional Freshmen are in keeping with current UW Bothell commitments to non-traditional students and projected growth and in-migration in the 25+ age group.

Attrition from the Freshman to Sophomore year is estimated at 4%.

Non-traditional Sophomores reflect a conservative estimate based on UW Bothell’s applicants who would now qualify for

“provisional admission” and follows growth norms for the region in the 25+ age category.

Co-Admission/Co-Enrollment follows the growth pattern found in Oregon and scaled to UW Bothell-size.

FTE estimates are based on anticipation that continuing freshmen and advanced placement high school graduates will take a full load, co-enrolled students will represent an average of .30 FTE, and non-traditional students will represent an average of .80 FTEs.

In order to serve all three groups of sophomore students well, UW Bothell will offer courses that most often hinder student progress and those that may not be available through other means. Courses will be

conveniently scheduled for students striving to meet work, family and other life commitments. Every effort will be made to help students develop an individual program of study that provides the most effective and efficient path to a degree. We expect that this sophomore cohort of students will be diverse in age, background and experience, bringing the richness of multiple perspectives into the classroom.

It remains critical for the State of Washington to provide an array of choices leading to a bachelor’s degree.

Giving UW Bothell the option to serve sophomore students, will increase state baccalaureate production,

achieve efficiencies, and a prepare more of our region’s human resources to contribute to and lead our communities.

Table 4.2 above summarizes UW Bothell’s projections for lower-division headcount and FTE.

5. Expand Graduate Programs and Research to Meet Emerging Regional Needs

The University of Washington Bothell develops new graduate programs through a strategic academic and institutional resource approach, including:

• Reviewing and analyzing academic benefits, needs and resources

• Assessing future student demand among UW graduates and other residents of our region

• Integrating ongoing regional needs assessment studies incorporating input from regional leaders, citizens, alumni and current and potential students and their families

• Soliciting structured advice from regional civic, business and related regional organizational leaders about likely impacts and benefits of potential new degrees and their structure and content.

UW Bothell currently offers four master’s programs—the MBA, Master in Education, Master of Nursing, and Master of Arts in Policy Studies—and one post-baccalaureate certification program for elementary teachers. A fifth master’s program, the Master of Science in Computing and Software Systems, was approved in 2002, but has not been funded to begin serving students. A sixth master’s program, the Master of Arts in Cultural Studies, is currently well along in the approval process.

As noted earlier in the report, demand for existing programs is high, as would be expected given the careful research involved in their original development. New needs supporting the area’s many cultural institutions and preparing individuals for additional roles in the region’s Pre-K 12 schools are increasingly apparent.

Our survey data show that UW Bothell undergraduate students and alumni are strongly considering

graduate degrees. For example, in the Autumn 2003 student survey 49% of respondents indicated they were very likely to do so, rating the likelihood at 6 or 7 on a seven-point scale (where 7 = extremely likely) and the mean likelihood was 4.93. Alumni from UW Seattle and UW Bothell who work and live in our region responded positively to the same query in 2003, as have alumni have in the past.

While projecting measured growth to address these needs, UW Bothell’s proposals place primary emphasis during the next several years on growth at the undergraduate level in order to assist statewide efforts to provide access to baccalaureate degrees for the increasing number of young adults in the region. Proposed graduate level growth reflects moderate increases in the size of existing programs and addition of new programs, including the Master in Computer and Software Systems and the Master of Arts in Cultural Studies.

An immediate priority is to initiate our Master of Science in Computing and Software Systems, which received full approval from the University and HECB over two years ago, but has not been funded with new FTE. As noted, The MS CSS has sparked great interest and widespread support largely because it combines a unique design to meet a strong regional need: it will provide master’s level work in computing and software systems for professionals in our region who earned their baccalaureates outside of computing in areas such as business, science, education, public administration or social or health services.

When the new MA in Cultural Studies comes on board it, like other existing degrees, will integrate intensive field experiences, applied research and service learning by working cooperatively with regional cultural, arts, educational and civic organizations as well as our regional public sector. Preliminary

conversations about graduate degrees in Environmental Studies and possibly in Leadership Studies have taken place and we anticipate developing other graduate level proposals in the next two years if UW Bothell obtains resources to expand degrees that are currently fully enrolled and in demand, and to launch cohorts in our newest approved programs.

Based on these considerations, we project that FTEs in existing graduate programs will increase at an average rate of five percent annually for the next five years. In addition, we have planned for three new master’s programs (CCS, Cultural Studies and a third from others in early planning).

Table 4.3

Projected Growth in Graduate FTE

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010 2010-2011

Continuing FTE 158 223 284 298 333 370

Initiation of CSS

MA 15 30

Initiation of MACS 20 20

Initiation of

Additional Program 20 20

Growth of existing

programs at 5%* 30 11 14 15 17 18

Total Graduate FTE 223 284 298 333 370 388

*Growth of existing programs in year 1 includes 2005-2007 budget request to fund earlier program expansion.

6. Implications: Growth Projections and Costs

Specific projections for UW Bothell enrollments in the previous sections provide a detailed plan for growth during the next six years. In this section we analyze the costs associated with this growth. We also project

Specific projections for UW Bothell enrollments in the previous sections provide a detailed plan for growth during the next six years. In this section we analyze the costs associated with this growth. We also project