University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Also known as Washington and locally as UW (usually pronounced "U Dub") or the U, it is the largest university in the northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the west coast. UW maintains three locations, with its flagship campus in Seattle's University District and branch campuses in Tacoma and Bothell. Its operating budget for fiscal year 2005 was $3.1 billion. The university is also considered a Public Ivy.
In 2008, the school placed 16th in the world's top universities, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
History
The city of Seattle was one of several settlements in the mid to late 19th century vying for primacy in the newly formed Washington Territory. In 1854, territorial governor Isaac Stevens recommended the establishment of a university in Washington. Several prominent Seattle-area residents, chief among them Methodist preacher Daniel Bagley, saw the siting of this University as a chance to add to the city's prestige. They were able to convince early founder of Seattle and member of the territorial legislature Arthur A. Denny of the importance of Seattle winning the school. The legislature initially chartered two universities, one in Seattle and one in Lewis County, but later repealed its decision in favor of a single university in Lewis County, provided locally donated land could be found. When no site emerged, the legislature, encouraged by Denny, relocated the university to Seattle in 1858.
In 1861, scouting began for an appropriate 10 acre (40,000 m²) site in Seattle to serve as the campus for a new university. Denny, along with fellow pioneers Edward Lander and Charlie Terry, donated a site on "Denny's Knoll" in downtown Seattle. This tract was bounded by 4th and 6th Avenues on the west and east and Union and Seneca Streets on the north and south.
UW opened officially on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The following year, the legislature passed articles formally incorporating the University and establishing a Board of Regents. The school struggled initially, closing three times: in 1863 for lack of students, and again in 1867 and 1876 due to shortage of funds. However, Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt became the first graduate of UW in 1876 when she graduated from UW with a bachelor's degree in science. By the time Washington entered the Union in 1889, both Seattle and the University had grown substantially. Enrollment had increased from an initial 30 students to nearly 300, and the relative isolation of the campus had given way to encroaching development. A special legislative committee headed by UW graduate Edmond Meany was created for the purpose of finding a new campus better able to serve the growing student population. The committee selected a site on Union Bay northeast of downtown, and the legislature appropriated funds for its purchase and subsequent construction.
The University relocated from downtown to the new campus in 1895, moving into the newly built Denny Hall. The regents tried and failed to sell the old campus, and eventually settled on leasing the area. The University still owns what is now called the Metropolitan Tract. In the heart of the city, it is among the most valuable pieces of real estate in Seattle and generates millions of dollars in revenue annually.
The original Territorial University building was torn down in 1908 and its former site currently houses the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The sole surviving remnants of UW's first building are four 24-foot (7.3 m), white, hand-fluted cedar, Ionic columns. They were salvaged by Edmond S. Meany--one of the University's first graduates and the former head of the history department. Meany and his colleague, Dean Herbert T. Condon, dubbed each of the columns "Loyalty," "Industry," "Faith" and "Efficiency," or "LIFE." The columns now stand in the Sylvan Grove Theater.
Organizers of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition eyed the still largely undeveloped campus as a prime setting for their world's fair. They came to an agreement with the Board of Regents that allowed them to use the campus grounds for the exposition. In exchange, the University would be able to take advantage of the development of the campus for the fair after its conclusion. This included a detailed site plan and several buildings. The plan for the A-Y-P Exposition prepared by John Charles Olmsted was later incorporated into the overall campus master plan and permanently affected the layout of the campus.
Both World Wars brought the military to the campus, with certain facilities temporarily loaned to the federal government. The subsequent post-war periods were times of dramatic growth for the University. The period between the wars saw significant expansion on the upper campus. Construction of the liberal arts quadrangle, known to students as "The Quad," began in 1916 and continued in stages until 1939. The first two wings of Suzzallo Library, considered the architectural centerpiece of the University, were built in 1926 and 1935, respectively. Further growth came with the end of World War II and passage of the G.I. Bill. Among the most important developments of this period was the opening of the medical school in 1946. It would eventually grow into the University of Washington Medical Center, now ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top ten hospitals in the United States. It was during this era in University of Washington history in which many Japanese Americans were sent away from the university to internment camps along the West-coast of the United States as part of Executive Order 9066 following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. As a result, many Japanese American "soon-to-be" graduates were unable to receive their diplomas and be recognized for their accomplishment at the university until the University of Washington's commemoration ceremony for the Japanese Americans entitled The Long Journey Home held on May 18, 2008 at the main campus.
In the early 1950s, the University of Washington Police Department was established. It currently has jurisdiction over the University of Washington campus and University-owned housing, except for the Radford Court apartments in Sand Point.
The 1960s and 1970s are known as the "golden age" of the university due to the tremendous growth in students, facilities, operating budget and prestige under the leadership of Charles Odegaard from 1958 to 1973. Enrollment at UW more than doubled--from around 16,000 to 34,000--as the baby boom generation came of age. As was the case at many American universities, this era was marked by high levels of student activism, with much of the unrest focused around opposition to the Vietnam War. Odegaard instituted a vision of building a "community of scholars" and convinced the state of Washington legislatures to increase their investments towards the university. Additionally, Washington senators, Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson used their political clout to funnel federal research monies to the University of Washington and to this day, UW is among the top recipients of federal research funds in the United States. The results included an operating budget increase of $37 million in 1958, to over $400 million in 1973, and 35 new buildings that doubled the floor space of the university.
The University opened branch campuses in Bothell and Tacoma in 1990. Initially, these campuses offered curricula for students seeking bachelor's degrees who have already completed two years of higher education, but both schools have transitioned to four year universities, accepting the first freshman class in the fall of 2006. Both campuses offer master's degree programs as well.
Campus
The University of Washington, Seattle campus is situated on the shores of Union and Portage Bays, with views of the Cascade Range to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Its most popular views are from Suzzallo Library, which has a vista of Mount Rainier to the southeast, the Quad and its Yoshino cherry trees that bloom spectacularly each spring to the north, and Red Square spreading out in front of it to the west.
The main campus is bounded on the west by 15th Avenue N.E., on the north by N.E. 45th Street, on the east by Montlake Boulevard N.E., and on the south by N.E. Pacific Street. East Campus stretches east of Montlake Boulevard to Laurelhurst and is largely taken up by wetlands and sports fields. South Campus occupies the land between Pacific Street and the Lake Washington Ship Canal which used to be a golf course and is given over to the health sciences, oceanography, fisheries, and the University of Washington Medical Center. West Campus is less of a separate entity than the others, many of its facilities being on city streets, and stretches between 15th Avenue and Interstate 5 from the Ship Canal to N.E. 41st Street. University Way, known locally as "The Ave", lies nearby and is a focus for much student life at the university.
The oldest building on campus is Denny Hall. Built in 1895 in the French Renaissance style, it was named in honor of Seattle pioneers Arthur A. and Mary Denny. It served as the core of the University for many years. The Theodore Jacobsen Observatory, the on campus observatory situated just north of Denny Hall, was built from the left over material used in the construction of Denny Hall. Although it is rarely used today, the observatory is the second oldest building on campus. After other structures were erected near Denny Hall with apparently little overall planning, the Board of Regents determined that a master plan was needed. Early plans, including a preliminary proposal by John Charles Olmsted, stepson of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, had little impact.
Instead, it was the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition that defined much of the campus' future layout. The exposition plan, also designed by John C. Olmsted, defined the University's major axis on the lower campus. Oriented to the southeast, it provides the University with its primary vista of Mount Rainier on clear days. Most of the University's science and engineering buildings line this axis.
After the exposition, the Board of Regents sought a master plan that would unite the newly developed lower campus with the original buildings of the upper campus including Denny Hall. Rejecting a further proposal from Olmsted, the regents instead turned to local architects Carl F. Gould and Charles H. Bebb. Their proposal was accepted, and came to be called the Regents' Plan. It specified a northeast-southwest axis on upper campus around which would be centered the University's liberal arts departments. This axis joins the lower campus axis laid down during the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition at an open space left behind after a large temporary structure built for the fair was torn down. This space was later paved with a distinctive red brick and has come to be known as Red Square. Some of the buildings from the exposition were kept by the university and have been retrofitted over the years since. One of these is Architecture Hall.
Bebb and Gould's plan also called for all future construction to adhere to a Collegiate Gothic style. This style is best exemplified on the University campus by the early wings of Suzzallo Library, the University's central library.
New construction in the 1960s saw a deviation from the Collegiate Gothic style as specified in the Regents' Plan. Business facilities on the upper campus, science and engineering structures on lower campus, and a new wing of Suzzallo Library, were all built in a modernist style, as was a unique, glass-walled building housing an experimental nuclear reactor. The reactor opened in 1961; a small radiation leak in 1972 resulted only in a temporary shutdown, but security concerns eventually led to it being decommissioned. It was deactivated in 1988, dismantled in 2006, and as of 2008 the building is being considered for demolition.
An apparent attempt to harmonize future development with the Regents' Plan can be seen in the University's most recent construction, including the 1990 Kenneth Allen wing of the central library and a new generation of medical, science and engineering buildings. Significant funding came from Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates, who have strong family connections to the university but did not attend UW. Mary Gates Hall opened in May 2000, and in September 2003, the UW law school relocated to the $74 million William H. Gates Hall on the northwest corner of campus, and the $90 million UW Medical Center surgery pavilion opened for operation. The $72 million Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering opened in October 2003. In March 2006, the $150 million William H. Foege bioengineering and genome sciences building was dedicated by Bill Gates and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter.
In September 2006, President Emmert announced that the University had finalized the purchase of the neighboring 22-story Safeco Plaza (a University District landmark) as well as several adjacent buildings for the sum of $130 million. At present, plans are being finalized to relocate UW administration and support services to the complex, leaving the main campus (one block away) for teaching and research.
Most of the streets and major walkways on campus are named after the state's counties. Major exceptions are Memorial Way and George Washington Lane. Memorial Way is named in honor of members of the UW community who died in World War I and also features a flagpole engraved at its base with the members of the UW community who died in World War II.
Other attractions on campus include the Henry Art Gallery and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The Washington Park Arboretum, south of main campus across Union Bay, is run by the university, though owned by the city of Seattle. The Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences Center is also an interesting attraction. The building, at 5,740,200 square feet (533,280 m2), is the second largest office building in the United States.
Several major motion picture films were filmed on campus or used it as a backdrop, including The Sixth Man, WarGames, and What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole.
Sustainability
President Emmert recently signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. To help follow through on this promise, the UW has created a Climate Action Team. . He has also created an Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC), which recently created an inventory of UW's greenhouse gas emissions , an environmental stewardship coordinator position, and has formalized a policy on environmental stewardship to give full institutional support to the cause of campus sustainability.
As of February 2006, the UW joined a partnership with Seattle City Light as part of their Green Up Program. All of Seattle campus' electricity is purchased from renewable sources. Housing and Food Services (HFS) spends several million dollars annually on locally produced, organic, and natural foods. HFS does not use styrofoam containers for any of its facilities on campus, instead using compostable cups, plates, utensils, and packaging whenever possible. Students Expressing Environmental Concern (SEED) is funded by HFs and is responsible for most of the sustainable changes made to HFS. Several new residence halls are planned for 2020, all of which are expected to meet silver or gold LEED standards.. All new state-funded buildings and major renovations must meet a LEED standard of at least Silver.The University of Washington was one of only six universities to receive the highest grade on the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2008, an "A-".The report card identified the UW as one of 15 Overall College Sustainability Leaders among the 300 institutions surveyed.
Student organizations
Many of the sustainable changes at the University of Washington have resulted from campus activism. Several environmental-activism groups on campus include:
- Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED) - SEED works with Housing and Food Services to increase the sustainability of the residence halls and dining areas.
- UW Earth Club - The Earth Club is interested in promoting the expression of environmental attitudes and consciousness through specialized events.
- UW Farm - The UW farm grows crops on campus and advocates urban farming in the UW community.
- Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG) - WashPIRG engages students in a variety of activism causes, including environmental projects on campus and the community.
- UW Sierra Student Coalition - SSC is dedicated to many larger environmental issues on campus and providing related opportunities to students.
Organization and administration
The current president of the University of Washington is Dr. Mark Emmert, the former chancellor of Louisiana State University. Emmert, a 1975 graduate, took office as the University's 30th president on June 14, 2004.
The University is governed by ten regents, one of whom is a student. Its most notable current regent is likely William H. Gates, Sr., father of Bill Gates. The undergraduate student government is the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) and the graduate student government is the Graduate & Professional Student Senate (GPSS).
The University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, themselves organized into various colleges and schools:
|
|
Academics and research
In 2006, the University of Washington research budget passed the $1 billion milestone. Virtually all of the funding came from peer-reviewed research proposals. UW research budget consistently ranks among the top 5 in both public and private universities in the United States. UW is also the largest recipient of federal research funding among public universities and second among all public and private universities in the country, a position that the university has held each year since 1974. The university is an elected member of the Association of American Universities.
As of the 2006-07 autumn term, the university has 40,216 students. In 2007, the average high school GPA of incoming freshmen was 3.75, and the average SAT (math and critical reading) score was 1,251. About 33% of all undergraduates are members of ethnic minority groups.
Among the faculty, there are five winners of Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, one winner of the Fields Medal, eight winners of Gairdner International Awards, twelve MacArthur Fellows, two winners of the National Book Award, one winner of the National Medal of Arts, five winners of the National Medal of Science, six Nobel Prize laureates, nineteen winners of the Presidential Early Career Awards in Science and Engineering, and two Pulitzer Prize winners. Additionally, among UW faculty are fifty-eight members of the American Academy for Arts and Sciences, four members of the American Philosophical Society, thirteen Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, forty-eight members of the the Institute of Medicine, fifteen members of the National Academy of Engineering, and sixty members of the National Academy of Sciences.
The University of Washington library system is among the largest academic libraries in the United States, with holdings of more than 6.5 million volumes and 7.5 million microforms. The Association of Research Libraries ranked the UW library system between the top fifth and fifteenth in various categories.
UW is also the host university of ResearchChannel program, the only TV channel in the United States dedicated solely for the dissemination of research from academic institutions and research organizations. Current participation of ResearchChannel includes 36 universities, 15 research organizations, two corporate research centers and many other affiliates.UW also disseminates knowledge through its proprietary UWTV channel and online.
To promote equal academic opportunity, especially for people of low income, UW launched Husky Promise in 2006. Families of income up to 65 percent of state median income or 235 percent of federal poverty level are eligible. With this, up to 30 percent of undergraduate students may be eligible. The cut-off income level that UW set is the highest in the nation, making top quality education available to more people. UW President, Mark Emmert, simply said that being "elitist is not in our DNA". "Last year, the University of Washington moved to a more comprehensive approach [to admissions], in which the admissions staff reads the entire application and looks at grades within the context of the individual high school, rather than relying on computerized cutoffs.
No comments:
Post a Comment