WSU Tri-Cities: Expanding higher education opportunities for serving the regional Tri-Cities
Meeting the needs of the regional Tri-Cities community is at the core of the mission of Washington State University Tri-Cities as a land-grant institution. That is why we are working diligently to grow opportunities in our local community for education, research and service.
New five-year strategic plan
We spent the past year talking with campus and community constituents, identifying potential areas for growth and programs that will meet the needs of local industry and community. You will see these ideas in the first draft of a new five-year strategic plan for WSU Tri-Cities, debuting this spring. The plan will be updated and reassessed on a yearly basis to ensure we are on track for meeting the needs of our students and regional Tri-Cities area.
Five goals are identified in the new WSU Tri-Cities strategic plan: regional and community engagement; institutional effectiveness; research and scholarship; student success; campus culture and environment; and access and equity. We now are identifying strategic implementation plans for every area on campus to make us even better educators, researchers and community partners in an effort to be a true asset to the Mid-Columbia and beyond.
WSU Tri-Cities MOSAIC Center
This year, WSU Tri-Cities opened its first center for student inclusion, aptly named MOSAIC, emblematic and of service to our diverse student body. Through this center, students have access to classes and resources rooted in diverse cultures, ethnicities and discussions on civic and civil engagement. It is a place for students to belong, engage and have critical conversations, which are vital in becoming good citizens in our global world.
New academic building
This spring, we broke ground on a new $30 million academic building that will feature a variety of science laboratories, classrooms, interactive learning spaces, study spaces and an open auditorium-style seating area ideal for presentations. While this building has a large focus on hands-on science experiences, it will serve all students that attend WSU Tri-Cities. It is also a beautiful space that was designed as part of a collaborative process that welcomed the feedback of students, faculty, staff and community members. It debuts summer 2021.
Revamp of Veterans Center, gap funding
This spring, we renovated the WSU Tri-Cities Veterans Center to make it welcoming and user friendly. Our veteran students come prepared with a range of skill sets, serve as great leaders and are an asset to their classes. By supporting them with additional resources, we hope to make their transition from military to civilian life a resounding success. We are also pursuing partnerships for gap funding and internships specific to veteran students. In September, we will unveil a library named in honor of former U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis. This library is dedicated to creating leaders using one of his proven techniques: READ, READ, READ.
Identifying and creating new programs ideally suited for the region
We are in the process of identifying several new degree programs that will educate our residents, giving them paths to their dreams and needed professions in the Mid-Columbia. We are also in the process of creating a host of continuing education and professional development programs to fill the need for up-skilling and short-term education.
Leader in research
In line with our R1 designation and land-grant mission, we are strategically focused on our current research strengths to build out our research enterprise. WSU Tri-Cities is a national leader in bioproducts research and development, wine science and holds particular strengths in engineering, the sciences and education.
By investing in what we do best, we can build a sustainable research program that connects directly to other programs and attracts top talent.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 5:01 PM with the headline "WSU Tri-Cities: Expanding higher education opportunities for serving the regional Tri-Cities."