Defining Our Distinctiveness, Defining Our Future

Throughout the WSU system, focus is being drawn to the strengths that each campus offers to students, to the university as a whole, to the local economy, and to the world in terms of critical research.

WSU Vancouver areas of distinctiveness have evolved over the past decade into three primary areas: leadership and organization, technology, and environment.

These areas stretch across many various disciplines and programs offered at our scenic Salmon Creek campus, approaching critical areas of learning and research from both new and traditional angles.

Leadership and organization issues studied in our business, nursing and public affairs programs are shaping the local leaders of tomorrow, focusing on both the human and environmental impacts of organizational change and growth. Our Master of Business Administration is unique in the nation, focusing on the many stakeholders involved in successful long-term business management. It was recently honored as Top Global 100 MBA by the survey Beyond Gray Pinstripes. Designed to prepare professional leaders who will creatively advance the practice of nursing and facilitate the delivery of cost-effective care, our Masters in Nursing program now offers a Health Administration track leading to certification. In an age when governmental philosophies are continually being redefined, our Masters in Public Affairs program is designed to promote professionalism, leadership, inventiveness, and a commitment to public service.

Technology includes disciplines as varied as remote sensing used for environmental and health care purposes, as well as cutting-edge micro- and nano-devices. It also reaches into teacher education, developing teaching materials and methods for collegiate as well as K-12 science, technology, engineering and math education. Artistic and societal impacts of technology are also among our campus program strengths.

Environment is in the spotlight at the WSU School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, directed here in Vancouver, as well as in disciplines which examine ways to create sustainable societies and foster environmental justice. Our faculty and students across various programs examine the global dimensions of environmental issues and explore the relationship between humans and the natural environment.

"All of the programs will benefit from these strengths," said Hal Dengerink, Chancellor of WSU Vancouver. "These areas of distinctiveness will continue to create academic initiatives on our campus as we extend our strategic planning into the future."

Funding Research Grants

Washington Technology Center recently awarded Research and Technology Development funding totaling more than $77,000 to two projects developed between local companies and WSU Vancouver researchers.

Each project team is comprised of a Washington company partner and a researcher from a university or research nonprofit in the state. The company defines the research challenge and provides access to the commercial market. The university or nonprofit researcher executes the research with funding from both Washington Technology Center and the company partner.

Efficere Technologies, a creator of patented technology for high-performance electronics located in Vancouver, has teamed with researcher Dr. Xiaolin (Linda) Chen of our School of Engineering and Computer Science to develop a software toolset that improves the electronic systems design process. Research and Technology Development funding to WSU Vancouver: $24,788.

nLight Photonics, a manufacturer of high-power laser diode-based products, has teamed with Amir Jokar of our School of Engineering and Computer Science to improve the cooling of their products. Research and Technology Development funding to WSU Vancouver: $42,500.

"Washington's economy is driven by creativity and innovation," said Washington Governor Chris Gregoire in support of this year's award winners. "And these companies are at the forefront of our effort to build the next Washington."

Providing Research Services

Our Contract Research Center provides a variety of services to clients from both the public and private sectors, ranging from consultation on the initiation of research projects to the preparation of deliverables. This includes applied policy research and evaluation studies.

"Analyses can range from basic descriptive statistics aimed at a more general audience, to more rigorous and sophisticated multivariate analyses, depending on the client’s needs," said Dr. Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Interim Director of Research and Graduate Education. "The center provides services related to the collection of original or primary data for specific purposes, and the coding, cleaning, and analysis of both primary and secondary data."

Affiliated with the center are WSU Vancouver faculty from a wide range of disciplines and areas of expertise: anthropology, biological sciences, criminal justice, computer science, digital technology and culture, education, human development, marketing, nursing, political science, psychology, and sociology.

Understanding the Research Link

By John Gardner
WSU Vice President for Economic Development and WSU Extension

Based on my experience, here’s my simple five part recipe for understanding the link between the modern research university and the economy:

We Prepare People for the Future

Graduates with a Bachelor’s degree are now projected to average nearly $1 million more in earnings during their careers than high school graduates. When combined with the non-traditional, distance, continuing education, and on-going Extension programs for youth and adults, WSU is adding value and helping transform Washingtonians to the new economy.

We Consult and Assist Business

Extension programs were created to directly assist/consult with agriculture and related industries, which is still done today. These programs have expanded to other sectors, and when combined with the influence of routine publications, and directly through faculty consultancies with business, WSU relates and adds value on a daily basis with much of Washington’s business sector.

We Support Better Government

As times change, public policy must recognize and respond to emerging needs. Dispassionate study from a wide variety of disciplines available within a university is just one way we are involved and participate in progressive government. We also help create a host of alternatives to any decision-making situation, hopefully improving the elected officials’ ability to exercise leadership.

We Fuel the New Economy with Ideas

While the future has always been owned by those with the best idea, never before have we experienced a global community as reliant (and immersed) in an economy fundamentally based on knowledge. Creativity is the university’s stock-in-trade. Our research distinguishes us among peers, and we have a responsibility to share our knowledge through education, and an obligation to move our viable ideas to the marketplace.

We Are Big Business

With a 2005-2007 $1.7B total budget, state funds matched twice through a combination of tuition, endowments, gifting, and grants/contracts, and over 10,000 employees whose job it is to add knowledge to those they deal with, we have more than a small influence on the state’s economy.

In sum, our challenge is not in asking if we significantly influence the economy. We needn't make it that complicated. Let’s update our numbers, select key metrics (both quantitative and qualitative), and keep track of our progress. But, most importantly, we need to be deliberate in devising a strategy of how we are going to enhance our positive impact on the economy… maybe even a willingness to bet a portion of our success on it. Armed with all we now know, and are learning about the knowledge-based economy, that is a task that will help WSU be all it can be.

Spring 2008 Statistics

• Enrollment: 2,562 Students; 1,902 FTE
• Female: 60.6%; Male: 39.4%; Students of color represent 11% of total enrollment
• More than 90 fulltime, Ph.D. faculty
• 15,600 area WSU alumni, nearly 6,000 of whom graduated from WSU Vancouver
• More than 157,000 alumni worldwide

The Chancellor's View

By Hal Dengerink, Ph.D.
WSU Vancouver Chancellor

Before the establishment of WSU Vancouver in 1989, the Southwest Washington region was grossly underserved regarding access to four-year degrees, with approximately one slot per 900 people. Just two years ago, our region of the state had funding for one student for about every 450 seats. Today, the ratio has improved to one per 289. Progress has indeed been made regarding access, but we still have a great deal of room for improvement when you consider that the average enrollment access in the state is about one per 67. There is no other baccalaureate institution in our state within a 100 mile radius of Vancouver.

House Bill 1794, an act relating to the expansion of access to baccalaureate degree programs in Washington, states that, "...degree programs should be driven by the educational needs and demands of students and the community, as well as the economic development needs of local businesses and employers." WSU Vancouver addresses the needs of Southwest Washington through academic programs that:

• Design, develop and apply innovative technologies;
• Forge the leaders of tomorrow for the private and public sectors in a variety of fields;
• Create sustainable environments through the study of environmental science and through understanding the relationship between humans and our natural environment.

There are long-term positive economic implications to improved access to baccalaureate degree programs here in Southwest Washington. The existence of a research institution in the area is attractive to local entrepreneurs wishing to collaborate in the development of innovative products and technologies.

If we are to attract new businesses to our region, we must have an educated workforce available for hire. Educated individuals, in turn, have more disposable income to invest in the local economy as consumers, owners of real estate and tax payers.

Conversely, inadequate access to education presents the risk of social costs related to workforce preparation opportunities among other things. For years now, educators have been warning that U.S. society might soon be spending more on prisons than colleges. In five states, that moment has arrived, according to a report released in early March 2008 by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

WSU Vancouver is dedicated to meeting the needs of the local community and fostering opportunities to strengthen and build our local economy.

We thank you for your continued support of our institution—your institution—and appreciate the role your support serves in furthering our mission.

Leading Economic Development

By Elson S. Floyd, Ph.D.
WSU President

The great economic development potential in Washington is a major reason that I was excited to come back to this state. Clearly, Washington already is a technology leader—the names of Boeing and Microsoft come quickly to mind. But just as clearly, we have much more work to do.

If your economy is based on resources, the winners and losers (or the haves and have-nots) are well-defined. An economy based on knowledge and human capital is far more dynamic. People pick up and move to seek different opportunities and a better way of life. Regions must continue their efforts to educate and attract the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs. The ever-quickening pace of economic competition means that a state that doesn’t move boldly forward will soon fall behind.

Washington State University is in an ideal position to be an economic development leader. WSU’s faculty members have a large and growing portfolio of research funded through government and foundation grants. The WSU Research Foundation is expanding its efforts to reach out to venture capitalists who can bring more of that research to the marketplace. In 2005 and 2006, the research foundation’s licensing agreements produced more than $2.7 million in income, a fourfold increase from the previous two years. Nationwide, several areas—the research triangle in North Carolina, California’s Silicon Valley, Massachusetts' Route 128—invariably are cited as examples of the sustained economic growth that can happen when higher education, private business and the public sector work together effectively.

In the future, when the experts talk about how higher education can build public-private partnerships to make the New Economy work, I want Washington State University to be a prime example.

Helping Small Businesses Develop

Our Small Business Development Center in Vancouver assists small business owners and entrepreneurs to develop and refine their business strategies. They help develop and upgrade business management skills, create proposals for financing, and link entrepreneurs to economic development resources in SW Washington as well as on the internet.

"While the majority of our clients are existing business owners, we also assist late stage start ups," said Janet Harte, center director. "We have a holistic approach to building a better business. Therefore, much of our focus is on the entire business plan since it is the foundation upon which businesses are built."

The SBDC Web site site contains a step-by-step plan for starting a business as well as web links to a variety of resources applicable to any business owner.

The SBDC can help with identifying funding options and criteria. If financing is required, a banker/investor will require a business plan and financial projections. The Small Business Development Center assists borrowers in developing complete loan packages they can present to lenders.

"Business owners who want to grow their business and entrepreneurs who want to buy a business or need help with a financial proposal should contact me," said Harte, who can be reached at 360-260-6372 or jharte@vancouver.wsu.edu.

Harte has worked with small businesses for the last 20 years and is an experienced business owner, certified business advisor, instructor and specialist in finance and human resources. Her areas of expertise include strategic business planning, market analysis, and financial management.

Building New Classrooms

Continuing to grow as a full four-year campus, construction began in late January on the new Undergraduate Classroom building. The University awarded the project to Triplett Wellman of Woodburn, Ore., based on their bid of $16,234,328. Completion is planned for the fall of 2009. The building was designed by Thomas Hacker Architects of Portland, Ore.

The new building and its surroundings have been designed as WSU Vancouver’s first Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design certified project, earning the LEED Silver level distinction under the Green Building Rating System. In addition to continuing the use of building materials common with other campus buildings, the building’s interior finish will also feature wood ceiling paneling harvested on-site from a large Douglas fir tree which was required to be removed.

"This building will finally give us a permanent home for our programs in education," said WSU Vancouver Chancellor Hal Dengerink. "But most importantly it provides some of the additional classrooms that we need to accommodate our four-year students."

The project consists of approximately 55,500 gross square feet of space including thirteen general classrooms of various sizes, two computer labs, and faculty office and administrative support space for the College of Education.