A demolition team will begin tearing down the Dawg Shed on May 15. Share your fond—or not-so-fond—memories of the space at a special celebration Tuesday, April 10 at 3 p.m.

UW Tacoma Facilities is planning a celebration in memory of the building, which will be torn down to make way for the new Assembly Hall. Participants can enjoy refreshments and listen to speakers discuss what the Dawg Shed has meant to them. A fixture since the permanent campus was established in 1997, the Dawg Shed has hosted student recreation activities and a number of campus events, including the 1997 grand opening gala, Apple Cup viewing parties and student orientation.

Construction on the Assembly Hall, on the site previously occupied by the Shed, is scheduled to begin in August. The project will likely impact foot traffic around campus, according to Milt Tremblay, director of facilities and campus services. The pedestrian walkway through campus will be re-routed through Gillenwater Plaza in front of the library, and a protective awning will be set up over the sidewalk on Pacific Avenue.

“We know this project will generate noise and dust, and we are working with UW Tacoma students, staff and faculty to minimize the impact this project will have on their continued ability to access educational opportunities at the university.” Tremblay said.

When completed, the 20,000-square-foot Assembly Hall, located at 1914 Pacific Avenue, will provide a state-of-the-art gathering space for lectures, banquets and collaborative study, as well as a number of multipurpose collaboration rooms, storage space, a kitchen and Pacific Avenue retail.

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Rushing named new Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Beth Rushing has verbally accepted an offer to become the new vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Dr. Rushing, who is scheduled to begin work at UW Tacoma in July, will serve as the chief academic officer. She is currently dean of liberal arts and sciences at Georgia College and State University.

Her experience with universities in transition—GCSU recently experienced a significant transition to become Georgia's only public liberal arts institution—makes Dr. Rushing a highly qualified candidate to fill the position at UW Tacoma, Chancellor Pat Spakes said.

"Dr. Rushing's background is highly relevant to the work we are doing at UW Tacoma," Spakes said. "I am convinced that she has the necessary vision, leadership skills and collaborative approach that will make her a strong vice chancellor for academic affairs."

Rushing has been dean of liberal arts and sciences at GCSU for six years. She previously held positions as assistant dean of arts and sciences at GCSU and chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Criminal Justice and Social Work at University of Tennessee at Martin. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Duke University.

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Latino summit connects students with higher education More than 500 Latino high-school students descended upon UW Tacoma March 22 for the fourth-annual Latino Education Summit. Designed to help Latino students learn about post-secondary education and training options, the Summit brought 27 colleges, universities and training institutions together for a college fair in the Academic Building.

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Spring brings music to UW Tacoma

UW Tacoma is bringing a number of talented musical performers to campus for a series of lunchtime concerts the last three Tuesdays in April.

The Carwein Performing Arts Series, scheduled for 12:45 p.m. on April 10, 17 and 24, will feature a student chorus, a faculty band and skilled staff musicians. The series was organized by Steve Smith, director of community relations, along with Kim Davenport, Urban Studies program coordinator, and faculty members Andrew Fry and Jill Purdy.

"Although UW Tacoma does not have a music program, there are many folks on campus who are musically inclined," said Smith, a skilled pianist and vocalist who often performs at UW Tacoma's commencement ceremony. "We wanted to bring these talented performers together to share their love of music and arts with the rest of our campus."

Scheduled acts are:

• April 10: Absent Minded, a faculty band with members Bob Jackson from Social Work on trumpet, Steve DeTray from IAS on guitar and harmonica and Yonn Deirwechter from Urban Studies on keyboard.
• April 17: Clarinet and piano performance by staff members Megan Watson from the Library and Kim Davenport from Urban Studies.
• April 24: UW Tacoma chorus, led by faculty members Jill Purdy from the Milgard School of Business and Andrew Fry from the Institute of Technology.

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Legislative Update

The state legislature continues to move through the process of crafting the 2007-09 biennial budget while dealing with a wide range of policy issues.  The Governor's and House budgets both include $6.15 million for design of the Joy Building on Pacific Avenue, UW Tacoma's next phase of campus construction, along with enough enrollment growth for the University to ensure UW Tacoma continues to expand. FTE is distributed centrally to the UW in the Governor's and the House budgets. UW has indicated it will distribute 200 FTE each year to UW Tacoma to continue building our lower-division program, with an additional 40 FTE for transfer student enrollment each year.

• Continue reading "Legislative Update"

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UW Tacoma earns communication awards

The UW Tacoma Office of Advancement recently earned four awards for public relations and marketing work from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), a leading international organization for education advancement.

UW Tacoma took home two gold awards, a silver award and a bronze award in the CASE District VIII competition, which judges publications and projects from educational institutions in five Western U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces.

UW Tacoma’s awards:

• Gold award, Projects: Marketing and Communications category: "33 Reasons to Teach" campaign. Conceptualized by Sandra Sarr to introduce new study options and boost enrollment in the UW Tacoma Education Program, this campaign featured testimonials from UW Tacoma Education alumni about why they teach and how their Master of Education degree helped them reach their career goals. The campaign integrated advertising, posters and a Web site with streaming video. Project team: Sandra Sarr, Brian Anderson, Paul Lovelady, Brian DalBalcon and Kris Symer.
• Gold award, Photography: Series of Related Photographs category: "33 Reasons to Teach" campaign. The campaign was built around stunning
  environmental portraits of outstanding UW Tacoma Education graduates. Tacoma photographer Brian DalBalcon photographed the alumni, who are now teachers, with their students.
• Silver award, Periodicals: Tabloids or Newspapers category: Terrain. UW Tacoma's alumni newsletter, Terrain, tells the stories of UW Tacoma, its people and its progress. Produced for alumni and the community, Terrain communicates UW Tacoma's messages through stories that engage the heart and mind. Project team: Sandra Sarr, Jill Carnell Danseco and Tyler Wilson.
• Bronze award, Student and Alumni Publications, Viewbooks category: UW Tacoma Freshman Viewbook. Designed to encourage high-school seniors to apply for UW Tacoma's first-ever freshman class, the viewbook highlights UW Tacoma's world-class faculty and vibrant urban setting. Project team: Sandra Sarr, Mike Wark and Brian Anderson.

Have you checked out a book lately? Carole Svensson has—and she’s here to tell you about it. In every issue of Inside Track, Carole will spill the latest about great books, fun events and tips to help you, your colleagues and your family get the most from our Library.