Getting into UW Tacoma just got easier: Qualified Washington transfer students are now guaranteed admission to the university.

Students transferring directly from a Washington community college with a GPA of at least 2.75 and a transferable associate's degree are assured a seat at UW Tacoma. The program means that a transferable degree generally satisfies UW Tacoma's general education requirements and allows transfer students to enter as juniors.

"This will allow students who are just beginning their community college careers to see a clear pathway to a four-year degree," says Wanda Curtis, director of admissions. "We want to eliminate some of the confusion and make transferring as easy as possible for students."

Students who enter UW Tacoma through the guaranteed admissions program are not automatically accepted to specific majors or academic programs. Admission to a particular major may still require completion of additional prerequisites or other requirements. But with more than 30 majors and concentrations to choose from and new majors being developed, students admitted to UW Tacoma through this policy have many options to consider.

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Get ready for Commencement

Say good-bye to another graduating class at the 2007 Commencement ceremony June 8 at 10 a.m. in the Tacoma Dome. More than 900 students are set to graduate as part of the Class of 2007, with close to 600 expected to walk in the ceremony.

Bestselling mystery author J.A. Jance will deliver the keynote address, and Social Work student Jewelya Ianniciello will be the student speaker. Halley Hudson, a Social Welfare student, will receive the Chancellor's Medal for academic achievement.

Volunteers are still needed to greet and check in students and serve as ushers. To volunteer, contact Steve Smith at smithsl@u.washington.edu or 2-4404.

• Learn more about J.A. Jance
• Learn more about Chancellor's medalist Halley Hudson
• Learn more about student speaker Jewelya Ianniciello

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UW Tacoma honored for commute reduction

Jennifer Burley wants to get you out of your car.

As UW Tacoma's employee transportation coordinator, her goal is to get more employees to walk, bike, carpool or take public transportation to work. It's a simple step that can, in the long run, save time, money and the environment, she says.

"Finding alternative transportation to work every day will ultimately help us bring about global climate change," she said. "I'm getting more and more passionate about it all the time now."

Burley's efforts have led to results: In the past year alone, the number of staff and faculty participating in UW Tacoma's "Relax Rewards" program for alternative commuters has more than doubled, from 35 to 86. And last week, she was honored with Pierce Transit's Summit Award, which recognizes the region's best transportation coordinators each quarter.

It's not easy to give up the convenience and relative speed of getting to work in your own vehicle, Burley says. But she encourages all faculty and staff to consider the impact they have on traffic, roads and the environment when they drive.

"Just having one less car on the road every day can have a huge global impact over time," she said. "It is so much better for our environment and it can ease congestion. Think about how much more time you'd have to spend with your family if you weren't stuck in traffic."

Alternative commuting options vary. For staff and faculty who live close to campus, walking or riding a bike might be the easiest way to get here, she said. Others can take buses offered by Pierce Transit and Sound Transit, or hop on the Sounder commuter train from the south. Paying your fare is easy with a FlexPass, a discounted pass good for fare on Pierce and Sound Transit buses, Metro buses and Sounder. And for people who need to get home in an emergency, UW offers a reimbursement program that covers up to 90 percent of a cab ride home.

"I know some people are hesitant to take the bus," Burley said. "But it is so easy. I take the bus because I want to be able to tell my daughter some day that I did something to help the environment."

• Learn more about commute alternatives

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Research takes professor around the world

In his 17 years at UW Tacoma, Professor Anthony D'Costa has logged about 500,000 airline miles—all in the name of research.

Recognized internationally as an expert in the global economy, D'Costa travels the world to research examples of how industry, education and the workforce fit together—and how the world is changing as people become more mobile. The University of Washington Tacoma honored D'Costa this spring with the 2007 Distinguished Research Award, which recognizes UW Tacoma faculty for exceptional research in their field.

A professor of comparative international development in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences program, D'Costa focuses on industrial development and political economy in India and Asia. For the past decade, his work has focused on the information technology industry in India, where the software-development field is booming.

"I am a migrant professional, so this research fits with my own personal experience," said D'Costa, who emigrated from India to study in the U.S.

D'Costa began his research as a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh in the 1980s, at a time when the steel industry was beginning a massive downturn. He intended to study problems connected to the steel industry in developing countries—but his research led him to a new and fascinating issue.

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