Western Washington University
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Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year institutions of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington.
Western Washington University
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Seal of Western Washington University
| Established | February 24, 1893 |
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| School type | Public |
| President | Karen Williams Morse |
| Location | Bellingham, WA, USA |
| Enrollment | 12,684 undergraduate, 2,457 graduate |
| Faculty | 618 |
| Campus | 215 acres (870,000 m²) |
| Sports teams | Vikings |
| Website | www.wwu.edu |
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History
"Western" was established on February 24, 1893 as the New Whatcom Normal School, a teacher's college. The first class entered in 1899, composed of 88 students, and the university has since grown to be the third largest institution of higher learning in Washington. In 1937, the school's name was changed to Western Washington College of Education. Twenty-four years later it became Western Washington State College, and in 1977 it achieved university status. During the 1999-2000 school year, Western celebrated its Centennial. Western has consistently ranked among the top schools in its category and according to US News and World Report's ranking, is the Number 2 Public Master’s-Granting Schools in the Western Region, while placed in the top 20 overall (both public and private). Dr. Karen Williams Morse is WWU’s 12th president.
Campus setting
Western Washington University is situated in Bellingham, WA, a city of 70,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay and many of Puget Sound’s 172 San Juan Islands. The University is 90 miles north of Seattle, 55 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia, and an hour’s drive from 10,778 foot (3285 m) Mount Baker.
The campus is 215 acres (870,000 m²), including the 38 acre (154,000 m²) [Sehome Arboretum (http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~sha/)], operated jointly with the city of Bellingham. Western also has off-campus facilities at [Shannon Point Marine Center (http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~spmc/)] in Anacortes, WA; a 15 acre (61,000 m²) student-university facility at nearby Lake Whatcom; and Whatcom County property used for environmental and aquatic analyses.
Academic organization
Western Washington University offers offers bachelor's degrees and the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education, Master of Business Administration, Master of Music, and Master's In Teaching. The university is composed of the following colleges:
- College of Business and Economics
- Fairhaven College
- College of Fine and Performing Arts
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Huxley College of the Environment
- College of Sciences and Technology
- Woodring College of Education
- Graduate School
Athletics
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WWU Vikings
WWU is a NCAA Division II member of Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The university's mascot is the Viking.
The Vikings won the first three GNAC All-Sports Championships and placed 31st among 225 NCAA II schools in U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup standings in 2003-04. In January 2004, the women's basketball team became the 15th NCAA school to win 700 games. A total of 59 Vikings earned league all-star honors and 34 were GNAC academic all-stars in 2003-04.
External links
- Official University website (http://www.wwu.edu)
- Official WWU Athletics Website (http://wwuvikings.collegesports.com/)
- The Western Front (http://www.westernfrontonline.com/)