The recession hits home Preparing for budget cuts At times of economic stress, people turn to higher education to train for new careers and better prepare themselves for competition in a tough job market. This maxim is proving true at colleges and universities all across the country during this national recession, and the University of Washington Tacoma is no exception. The university is receiving applications in record numbers, while at the same time struggling to cope with severe reductions in operating budgets. Over the past several months, as the state’s predicament has become more clear, UW Tacoma has not only tightened its belt, but started poking new holes in it, as have other higher education institutions across the state. This past summer, Gov. Chris Gregoire ordered $36 million in immediate, permanent budget cutbacks for higher education, representing a 4.2 percent reduction for this fiscal year, which ends June 30. To deal with an estimated (at press time) state deficit approaching $8 billion, even greater reductions are expected for the 2009-11 biennium budget.
From the taxpayer’s point of view, there’s a good argument that investing in higher education will help put people back to work and get our economy moving again. “Investing in education is how you get out of this mess,” says Chancellor Pat Spakes. About 60 percent of the state budget, such as funding for K-12 education and pensions, is constitutionally protected from cuts. That leaves 40 percent that can legally be reduced, including higher education, social services, transportation and natural resources. And anywhere you cut, someone is going to get hurt. The governor’s budget calls for undergraduate tuition increases of 7 percent each year, no pay increases for staff or faculty, and no increases in enrollment. Her budget also cuts deeply into social programs and natural resources. “It is clear that efforts have been made to protect higher education to some extent,” says Spakes. “But in the legislative session, we will be pressing the case further that higher education is the solution to the economic development issues faced by the state, and we will continue to work with our legislators to explore alternatives and find solutions.” These budget reductions will mean UW Tacoma will not be able to grow to meet demand. The number of course offerings, size of classes and ability to provide services will be impacted. The challenge is to reduce expenditures without crippling the university down the road. “We are making every effort to protect the quality of our educational offerings,” Spakes says. But it’s not all bad news. The governor’s economic stimulus package calls for $34 million for partial funding of Phase III construction, which includes renovation of the Joy Building and $500,000 to begin pre-design work on Phase IV of campus construction. Those funds are not a part of the university's operating budget, and can be used only for construction. The ball is now in the legislative court. The House and Senate will each draft their own budgets, and then the Legislature and the governor will negotiate a final budget, probably in April. At that point, the university will know exactly how much must be trimmed from the operating budget. It could be either more or less than the governor’s proposal. In anticipation of further reductions, the university is enforcing a freeze on hiring, with a few crucial exceptions, reducing travel and looking for ways to reduce operating costs. The situation is still fluid, and final decisions have not yet been made. Throughout this process, the university endeavors to protect its core mission and vision—providing access to high-quality education to Washington residents. “We face some difficult decisions,” Spakes says, “but we are determined to make them in a thoughtful and careful manner.” —Beth Luce
Get on the bus The university’s award-winning efforts to get people When Jill Danseco got the call saying that her 2-year-old son had broken his leg at a daycare in Seattle, her first thought was how would she get there. Danseco, who works in the Public Relations office, is an avid bus rider and carpooler. She did not have a car on campus.
“I was absolutely panicked,” Danseco says. “My little boy was seriously injured, and I wasn’t able to get there without help.” She called the university’s employee transportation coordinator, Jennifer Burley, who told her to take a cab to Seattle and the university would reimburse her. “Getting that cab ride—and knowing I’d be reimbursed for it later—really helped me calm down, and I was able to get to the emergency room in time to hold his hand for the X-ray,” Danseco says. Burley coordinates UW Tacoma’s efforts to decrease its carbon footprint. She used to drive alone to work. But now she’s a woman on a mission. “If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be riding the bus to work, I wouldn’t have believed it,” she says. “That seemed like a crazy idea at the time.” Now she relishes the experience. She catches up on her reading and likes how it makes her feel. “There’s a sense of community. You recognize people you ride with and talk with them. I got to know more about Tacoma. And I feel like I’m making a positive impact on the environment and teaching the importance of this to my daughter.” Single-occupancy-vehicle trips by UW Tacoma faculty and staff have decreased by 18 percent and the number of vehicle miles traveled has gone down 20 percent since 2006. Recently Burley was named the Pierce County Employee Transportation Coordinator of the Year. The state awarded UW Tacoma the 2008 Governor’s Commute Smart Award, and UW Tacoma received a Leadership Award from the city of Tacoma and Pierce Transit, citing the university’s outstanding efforts toward reducing single-occupant commute trips. Driving alone contributes carbon dioxide emissions, which help create greenhouse gases. It’s less expensive to ride the bus, carpool or vanpool, Burley says, when you consider the cost of gas, parking and wear and tear on your car. Riding the bus or carpooling is also less stressful because you don’t have to combat traffic, drive in bad weather or troll for a parking space. “It’s a good feeling to know that you’re making a difference and not contributing to congestion,” Burley says. View a roadmap on the UW Tacoma commute Find out how much cash you could save by ridesharing
New vice chancellor for Joshua Knudson joined the university in the post of vice chancellor for advancement in January. Knudson hails most recently from the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico, where he served as vice president for development and alumni relations.
Here at UW Tacoma, Knudson will set strategic directions, develop long-term plans and provide leadership for the university’s advancement program, which includes development, public relations, communications, publications, alumni affairs and community relations. In this capacity he will endeavor to attract private support, enhance marketing communications with internal and external constituencies, and direct campus-wide volunteer efforts. “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to work with the UW Tacoma team,” Knudson says. “Tacoma is an exciting, changing city, and clearly UW Tacoma has been an important part of the city’s revitalization. I’m looking forward to getting to know the community and becoming a part of this amazing change.” Previously, Knudson worked at Washington State University as senior director of development and alumni relations for the College of Liberal Arts. He has also served as director of development for the College of Liberal Arts at the Oregon State University Foundation in Corvallis, Ore.; director of annual programs for the College of Business at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz.; and assistant development officer and program coordinator to the chief operating officer and campaign director for ASU’s capital campaign. Other interesting background includes Knudson’s experience as manager of a marketing campaign for Salon Selectives hair products and as an actor. He is a former member of the Actors Equity Association and holds bachelor and master’s degrees in theatre from ASU.
These people know beans about coffee Metro Coffee is like the famed Cheers bar. It’s that place where everybody knows your name—and your drink. “The service is always personal, and when you walk in the door, the barista knows what you want before you say it,” says UW Tacoma staffer and frequent customer Erica Coe. With its interior brick walls, arched windows and hardwood floors, Metro is a coffeehouse from an earlier time, when neither laptop nor Wi-Fi existed. Metro is not the kind of place where one picks up a CD. Recorded music playing over the sound system will not drown out conversations. The slow-paced café in the middle of campus lures coffee drinkers who trek up and down the grand staircase. The relative quiet makes Metro a prime spot for gathering. Some professors have been known to hold office hours here. Gwen Lewis and Charlie Kemp, partners in life and in business, opened Metro four years ago. “We’re just a traditional coffeehouse that still makes custom espresso drinks,” Kemp says. “We’re not trying to be everything to everybody.” Lewis, who works part-time at the UW Tacoma Library, agrees. “We’re making good coffee in an environment that encourages conversation and community.” Metro uses hormone-free milk, locally roasted coffee and bulk tea from a local vendor. Before moving to South Puget Sound six years ago, Lewis and Kemp lived in Seattle, where they owned an art gallery in Pioneer Square. Long before coming to Tacoma, Kemp nurtured the idea of owning a coffeehouse. When he came across the vacant, boarded-up space in the Tioga building, he knew he had found a home for it. Today, it's a cozy place for a cup of Joe. A vintage Parisian transit sign made of cut-out metal forms the word “METRO” above the door. Other vintage treasures add to Metro’s patina. Pendant fixtures from a turn-of-the-century mercantile provide light. A wood counter formerly used by early 20th century bank tellers is the coffee bar. A mix of old tables and chairs from antiques shops are clustered on the floor. Barista Stefani McCullough, Metro’s only employee, has a perpetual smile on her face and usually greets customers by name. And it’s not only the UW Tacoma community that frequents Metro, she points out. Artists who live and work downtown, people who work at the nearby museums and other urban dwellers seek out the café. “Because it’s the owners that work the place, you know there is a level of quality and care that goes into the product,” notes Coe, sipping the soy latte that she didn’t need to ask for. —Filiz Satir
What not to do at dinner Students learn that knowing which fork to use Your knowledge of how to conduct yourself at the dinner table reflects on you and demonstrates respect for your dinner companions. And since business often occurs over meals, it’s a savvy job applicant or entry-level professional who masters the rules of dining etiquette. UW Tacoma business students learn that table manners speak volumes about them as future business people. Juniors, seniors and pre-business majors practiced their skills and picked up pointers at the fall etiquette dinner sponsored by the Milgard School of Business. Joining students at the annual event were managers and employees of Russell Investment Group, DaVita, Enterprise, MultiCare, State Farm, McGladrey and Pullen, and Moss Adams. The etiquette dinner is part of a weeklong emphasis on professionalism in the school’s Center for Leadership and Social Responsibility. Workshop speakers offer students practical advice on how to fit into a company culture, dress appropriately and practice good manners. “Teaching our students the finer points of dining etiquette equips them with one more tool and helps them to develop as socially responsible leaders,” notes Joe Lawless, executive director of the center. —Filiz Satir
The poetry of social work The new director of UW Tacoma’s Social Work program was once a little embarrassed about rising above the ranks of academic faculty. Rich Furman used to excuse himself for “falling into” administrative positions. But one day, a colleague gave him a piece of sage advice. “She told me, ‘Don’t apologize for wanting to be in leadership,’” Furman says. “And I realized it was a way of doing service in a field I enjoy.” That realization prompted him to apply at UW Tacoma, where he will have an opportunity to blend his interests in poetry therapy and issues facing men and Latino populations. He’ll also lead one of UW Tacoma’s most popular academic programs as it faces the challenge of growing in a down economy. “We have to look at smart growth to meet the economy’s needs,” Furman said. Furman, a native of Los Angeles, was drawn to the social work field in college, enthralled with the idea of helping others. But he also had another passion: poetry. He’d begun writing poems at age 17, learning at the feet of beat poets who performed around Venice Beach. For his master’s degree, he chose social work—but was determined not to leave poetry behind. He’s incorporated it into his career as a social worker and educator, both as a therapy tool and a unique way of expressing data and research. Furman is one of only a handful of scholars who approach research through poetry. Pick up one of his research papers, and you might find free verse rather than dry science. It’s an approach that Furman says helps him examine the human experience and present data in a unique way. “Scientific articles can be dry,” Furman says. “They don’t often engage the reader. But if you present your data in a poem, it can be emotionally evocative, powerful and very engaging.” Furman also studies issues facing Latino communities and men and is excited about the possibilities for continuing his research in Tacoma. Much of that work focuses on providing social services for people who move frequently across international borders. Washington’s quickly growing Latino population provides opportunities to study that and other issues facing the community, including labor, justice and migration. Furman hopes he can create a study-abroad experience, with a foreign-language component, in Central or South America for UW Tacoma social work students to help increase the number of social workers who can work with Latino populations. “Only 3 percent of people who have master's of social work degrees are Latino, but 15 percent of the U.S. population is Latino,” he says. “There just aren’t enough bilingual social workers to support all of those people.” Furman hopes to build on the strong program established by former director Marcie Lazzari, who has stepped down from the position but will continue to be a faculty member. “From what I’ve seen, students who graduate from this program are incredibly satisfied with their experience and happy to be here,” he says. “There is a good group of scholars in the program with a wide range of expertise." —Jill Carnell Danseco
It takes a village Creating student residences on campus requires much more than just putting up four walls and a roof. “You have to build a little city,” explains Cedric Howard, associate vice chancellor for student affairs. As the student body at UW Tacoma grows, so does the demand for on-campus housing, especially for freshmen and sophomores. The fall 2008 headcount showed nearly 3,000 students registered, including 190 freshmen. “Since we started accepting freshmen and sophomores in 2006, we’ve found that many of those students want to live away from home,” Howard says. “It’s more convenient for them to be on campus and provides a different experience than commuting to campus.” That means providing housing, yes—but also affordable food, health care, recreation and social outlets. All that takes time, funding and a lot of planning. UW Tacoma is venturing slowly into the role of residential provider, dipping a big toe in to test the water this academic year. The university contracted for 20 beds in Court 17, a privately owned apartment building located on campus. Students pay a slightly higher rent than others in the building, but their cable, utilities and furniture are included. A live-in residence hall manager oversees the students on a daily basis. Howard says the first foray into residential life is going smoothly. The university will gradually build up its campus life resources, according to Howard. Next year a total of 45 spaces in Court 17 and an additional 42 spaces in the Artists Lofts in the recently acquired McDonald Smith Building will be available for students. By 2012 or 2013, the university expects to build residence halls to house about 350 students. A comprehensive study conducted by the consultant firm Brailsford and Dunlavey reports that students are eager for facilities on campus such as a dining hall, health care center and recreational space. That input will be merged with the campus master plan to find solutions that work together to fill the needs of both students and the university. For example, a new residence hall might also include classrooms, space for student health care services, or a student union. Making those decisions will be the next step in the process. After that, Howard says, he’ll go to the students to discuss what facilities they want and what they’re willing to pay in student fees. The Legislature does not fund non-academic buildings, so funding for residences will come from students and community supporters. Specific plans also depend on what funding will come for student support from the state budget allocation. —Beth Luce
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