Administrative Snapshot: August 2006
Names of key participants appear in brackets at the end of most items.

>> NEW THIS MONTH

New Environmental Science summer courses

The Environmental Science Program offered two exciting new courses this summer that allowed students to study ecology and geology in Washington state and abroad. Sian Davies-Vollum took a number students to England for two weeks to study the geology of the Dorset and Devon coast. The group also went to Oxford, Bath and London to visit museums and other cultural and historical sites that have been influenced by the geology of the Dorset/Devon coastline. Closer to home, Lia Wetzstein partnered with faculty at Tacoma Community College for a unique course on the ecology of Mt. St. Helens: Wetzstein taught an ecology course about Mt. St. Helens at UWT while Ralph Hitz taught a parallel geology course at Tacoma Community College. Students and faculty from the two classes joined forces for a week under one roof at Mt. St. Helens. Students presented their research at a public forum in July. [Julie Buffington]

Advanced standing MSW

The UWT Social Work Program will admit its first cohort of 10-12 part-time advanced standing MSW students in Winter Quarter 2007. This new educational option allows qualified students to enter the advanced level of the Master of Social Work curriculum and complete their degree in two years instead of three. [Marcie Lazarri]

Library earns grant for new maps

The UW Tacoma Library has been awarded a grant from Friends of the UW Libraries to purchase a five-drawer map case and 500 topographic quadrangle maps of Washington State for its growing map collection. Reference Librarian Anna Salyer submitted the proposal for nearly $5,000 to continue the development of the map collection, which has been in high demand recently after faculty in Environmental Sciences, Urban Studies, and Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS)began creating lessons and course work focusing on maps and their use. The library is currently purchasing maps requested by faculty members to support their curriculum. [Anna Salyer]

Chinese delegation visit

A delegation of 26 administrators and faculty from the Southwest University of Science and Technology in the city of Mianyang, Sichuan Province of China, is visiting UW Tacoma Thursday, Aug. 17 as part of a larger program to learn more about U.S. higher education. The group is spending the rest of the week learning from UW Seattle administrators and is also visiting UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan. Alice Dionne, director of continuing studies, is coordinating the delegation’s visit. A Tacoma delegation led by the Mayor Bill Baarsma visited Southwest University in April as part of a tour to establish Mianyang as a friendship city with Tacoma. The city is hosting a luncheon for the group at Indochine with representatives from the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center Tacoma. [Mike Wark]

Campaign update

As of the end of July, UW Tacoma has raised 96.6 percent of its $30 million campaign goal, with two years left in the eight-year campaign. We expect to reach or exceed our goal by the end of August. Between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2006, UWT raised $3,180,472 from 770 donors, the highest ever annual donor count at UWT. More than 50 of these donors were UWT staff and faculty members. Faculty and staff can make a give to UWT online. [Carol Van Natta]

Pacific Avenue repairs

A project to fix settling portions of Pacific Avenue between 17th and 25th streets will begin some time in 2008. UW Tacoma is working with the City of Tacoma, local businesses, residents and other organizations on a plan to minimize the impact of construction on our community. City officials believe this project will be less disruptive than previous Pacific Avenue construction projects. The repairs will take place only on asphalt portions of the road. Utilities will not be disturbed, and existing sidewalks, intersections, LINK tracks and the crosswalk in front of campus will not be affected because they are made of concrete. [Steve Smith]

New faculty and staff reception

The annual reception for new faculty and staff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19 in the University Bookstore. All new faculty and staff since last September will be honored at the event. The Bookstore will offer a 20 percent discount on all items except software and textbooks. [Steve Smith]