Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, succeeding a private school of teaching for women founded in 1886. In 1977, the university adopted its present name.
WWU offers a variety of bachelor's and master's degrees. In 2019, there were 16,142 students, 15,240 of whom were undergraduate students, and 664 full time faculty. Its athletic teams are known as the Vikings, which compete in division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The main campus is located on 215 acres in Bellingham, Washington. Branch campuses are located in Anacortes and Lakewood, Washington. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Additional accreditation is held by individual colleges.
Western was established as the Northwest Normal School, a teachers' school predominantly for women although men also enrolled, by Phoebe Judson in Lynden, Washington, in 1886. Eventually the school moved to Bellingham (then "New Whatcom"), and through the efforts of William R. Moultray and George Judson (Phoebe's son). Governor John McGraw signed legislation establishing the New Whatcom Normal School on February 24, 1893. In November 1895, construction began on a permanent school building, now known as Old Main, the current administration building. Designed by prominent Seattle architects Warren Skillings & James Corner, it was completed by early 1897 but could not be opened to students until funds could be secured to install heating, lighting, and to do general grounds maintenance, which were not included in the original contract. The first official class entered in 1899, composed of 88 students.
The institution that is now Western Washington University underwent several name changes. In 1901, the school's name was changed to State Normal School at Whatcom to reflect New Whatcom's name change. In 1904, the name was changed to Washington State Normal School at Bellingham when the townships of Whatcom and Fairhaven joined, and again in 1937, to Western Washington College of Education when it became a four-year college. Twenty-four years later it became Western Washington State College and finally, in 1977, the institution gained university status and changed to its present name.
The 1960s was a period of especially rapid growth for Western, as its enrollment increased from 3,000 students to over 10,000 during the decade. Also during this time, the Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies was founded (1967), with non-traditional education methods that would serve as a model for The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Two years later, the College of the Environment, the nation's first dedicated environmental science college, was founded, continuing Western's trend toward "cluster" colleges. That same year, on a spring afternoon, students gained headlines by blocking Interstate 5 to protest the Vietnam War. Also in 1969, the College of Ethnic Studies was established; however, after being met with significant resistance, it was dismantled in 1975.
Since this period, the College of Arts and Sciences was founded (1973) and divided into the College of Humanities & Social Sciences and the College of Science & Engineering (2003); the College of Fine and Performing Arts was formed from several art departments (1975); and the College of Business and Economics was established (1976).
Today, WWU has a student body that currently consists of over 16,000 students. The university is the third largest in Washington after Washington State University and the University of Washington.
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Bellingham, WA — In keeping with Western’s sustainability goals and commitments, the university will be installing a 100-kilowatt solar system on the roof of the Science, Math, and Technology Education Building (SMATE), using funds from the Community Decarbonization Grants program of the Washington State Department of Commerce, along with federal Inflation Reduction Act tax credits and student fees for renewable energy through the Sustainability, Equity & Justice Fund. The Community Decarbonization Grants program is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov. The SMATE solar project will feature innovative bifacial solar modules with photovoltaic cells on both sides of the panels to capture reflected light from the roof. Manufactured in Washington State by Silfab Solar, these bifacial panels yield more power than traditional panels and improve performance in less sunny conditions by absorbing diffused and reflected sunlight, in addition to direct light. The 176 panel solar array will conservatively generate 92,712 kilowatt hours of clean electricity annually, enough to power 10 homes, with the actual total likely to be higher because of the capture of sunlight reflected off the roof. This will keep 38 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere each year, the equivalent of taking 9.1 gasoline cars off the road. It is projected to save Western $15,600 per year in electric usage and demand charges, a savings that will increase over time as electric rates rise. This project will be visible from neighboring buildings and offer experiential learning opportunities to students. When completed this fall, it will bring Western another step closer to the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035.
From August 12-16, 2024, 30 scholars from around the world have gathered at Western Washington University (WWU) for the fourth annual Bellingham Symposium on Modeling and Data Analytics (BSOMADA 2024), hosted by WWU’s Center for Operations Research and Management Science (CORMS). The event, organized by Dr. George Zhang of WWU's College of Business and Economics (CBE), includes a keynote address, a featured talk, and 22 research presentations focused on the latest developments in quantitative modeling and data analytics. The BSOMADA research symposium is being held on the WWU campus in the Viking Union (VU 462 A and B). Dr. Peter Glynn, the Thomas Ford Professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, delivered the keynote address, discussing the use of quantitative methods in management science to support efforts to promote sustainability. In particular, he spoke about ways to optimize the use of electricity in an era of climate change. Dr. Haitao Li, Professor and Chair of the Supply Chain & Analytics Department at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, presented the featured talk, exploring how advances in information technology are transforming business paradigms in supply chain management. CBE Dean, Dr. Deanna Kennedy, said, “BSOMADA was a great opportunity to hear innovative methods and modeling applications that can elevate the field. The symposium provides a venue to share data analytics insights, discuss challenges, and connect with new colleagues.” In addition, the symposium provides an effective way for CBE faculty members to build productive research relationships with scholars from other institutions and nations. According to Dr. Craig Tyran, Department Chair and Professor in CBE’s Department of Decision Sciences, “Hosting a symposium of this nature and international scope reflects well on the high level of research activity and collaborations happening within Western’s College of Business and Economics.” For CBE students, the symposium provides a way for them to see how the knowledge and skills they gain in their classes translates to real-world applications, with some research collaborations leading to study-abroad opportunities.
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