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Former names | Washington State Normal School (1891–1937) Central Washington College of Education (1937–1961) Central Washington State College (1961–1977) |
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Motto | Docendo Discimus (Latin) |
Motto in English | "By teaching we learn" |
Type | Public university |
Established | 1891 |
Accreditation | NWCCU |
Academic affiliations | COP [1] |
Endowment | $52 million (2021) [2] |
Budget | $215 million (2021) [3] |
President | Jim Wohlpart |
Provost | Michelle DenBeste |
Academic staff | 515 (2018) [4] |
Administrative staff | 500 |
Students | 12,342 (2018) [4] |
Undergraduates | 11,419 (2018) [4] |
Postgraduates | 923 (2018) [4] |
Location | , , United States 47°00′07″N120°32′24″W / 47.002°N 120.540°W |
Campus | Distant town [5] , 380 acres (150 ha) |
Other campuses [6] | |
Newspaper | The Observer |
Colors | Crimson and black |
Nickname | Wildcats |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II - GNAC |
Mascot | Wellington P. Wildcat |
Website | www |
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Central Washington University (CWU) is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington. Founded in 1891, the university consists of four divisions: the President's Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academic and Student Life (ASL). Within ASL are four colleges: the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Business (Ellensburg campus and University Centers in the Puget Sound and central regions), [7] the College of Education and Professional Studies, and College of the Sciences. CWU is considered an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution and 15 percent of its students are Hispanic. [8]
In 1890, the state Legislature established the Washington State Normal School (WSNS) in Ellensburg for "the training and education of teachers in the art of instructing and governing in the public schools of this state." [9] WSNS opened on September 6, 1891, with its first classes held at the Washington Public School in Ellensburg. [10] In 1893, the school's first building was constructed and named Barge Hall, in honor of the first WSNS principal, Benjamin Franklin Barge. Barge Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
In subsequent years, the university constructed additional campus buildings to accommodate a growing student body including: Kamola Hall (1911); Smyser Hall (1925); Munson Hall (1926); Sue Lombard Hall (1926); and McConnell Auditorium (1935). While Barge Hall's architecture reflected a Richardsonian Romanesque style, the designs of later buildings incorporated elements of proto-Modernism, along with Spanish Colonial Revival, Neo-Classical and Classical Revival styles. [11] In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, as academic programs expanded, construction of new buildings took place: the Science Building I (1997); Black Hall (1998); the Student Union and Recreation Center (2006); Jerilyn McIntyre Music Education Facility (2007); Wendell Hill Hall and Mechanical Building (2008), Barto Hall (2012), Science Building II (2016), and the Samuelson STEM Center (2018).
In 1937, the Washington Legislature authorized a name change to Central Washington College of Education. In 1961, reflecting that the curriculum had expanded into new areas of study in addition to teacher education, the school's name was changed to Central Washington State College. With addition of graduate programs and curricula, it became Central Washington University in 1977.
The residential campus location has multiple residence halls, surrounding the Student Union and Recreation Center, and clustered in four different areas. The STEM and teaching facilities are located near the administrative buildings, which include Black Hall, Bouillon Hall, and the Science Building near Dean Hall (see map on right).
Barge Hall and Mitchell Hall are where the primary administrative staff are located. Admissions, Running Start, a Cashiers Office, the Registrar, and financial aid are all located in this area. This region is bounded by Samuelson Hall and the residential Kamola Hall and Sue Lombard Hall. [12]
On April 26, 2006, the school opened the $58 million Student Union and Recreation Center. The Student Union and Recreation Center, or SURC as it is abbreviated by students, is home to a full-sized rock-climbing wall, fully equipped gymnasium, and an outdoor recreation office that rents sports equipment.
The Wildcat Farm [13] at the eastern side of campus grows fresh produce for CWU Dining Services and provides space for students and faculty to run experiments or projects centered around food and farming. Examples have included studying soil carbon respiration, offering K-12 education programs, and piloting dryland winter wheat production.
In addition to the residential campus in Ellensburg, Central Washington University has multiple locations around the state of Washington.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(September 2023) |
The Pacific Northwest Geodetic Array (PANGA) uses real-time GPS measurements to research and measure crustal deformation and mitigate natural hazards throughout the Pacific Northwest. These hazards arise from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and coastal sea-level encroachment. In addition, PANGA GPS measurements are used to monitor man-made structures such as Seattle's sagging Alaskan Way Viaduct (demolished in 2019), the 520 and I-90 floating bridges, and power-generation / drinking-supply dams throughout the Cascadia subduction zone, including the mega-dams along the Columbia River. GPS data are telemetered in real-time back to CWU, where they are processed in real-time using both JPL's RTG software as well as Trimble's RTKNet Integrity Manager software to provide relative positioning of several mm resolution.[ citation needed ]
The Primate Behavior and Ecology program at Central Washington University offers the only baccalaureate degree in primatology in the world and the sole master's degree in primatology in the United States.[ citation needed ] The program focuses on non-invasive, observational research with nonhuman primates in field and captive settings. The program also offers the only Captive Primate Care Certificate in the United States and is affiliated with Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Faculty and students study across the entire primate order, collaborating with scientists and conducting research at sites around the world. Recent published work includes the impact of COVID-19 on mammals at tourism sites, [15] the behavior of Tibetan macaques at the Valley of the Wild Monkeys in China, [16] and the social networks of chimpanzees. [17] The Primate Behavior graduate program is part of the Western Regional Graduate Program, through which student residents of 15 western states pay in-state tuition.[ citation needed ]
Wine Quality Research Initiative has identified the nature of wine faults in some wines and how to prevent them. Currently the initiative is directed at detecting and preventing wine fraud, a lucrative and growing crime in the wine import/export business.[ citation needed ]
CWU students, alumni, and varsity athletes are known as the "Wildcats" and their colors are crimson and black. [18] CWU is part of NCAA Division II and is part of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. [18] However, the men's and women's rugby teams are NCAA Division I and are usually nationally ranked.
Fall | Winter | Spring | |
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Men's | Football, Cross Country, Rugby | Basketball | Baseball, Rugby, Track & Field |
Women's | Soccer, Cross Country, Rugby, Volleyball | Basketball | Softball, Rugby, Track & Field |
Yakima is a city in, and the county seat of, Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.
Gonzaga University (GU) is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the university is named after the young Jesuit saint Aloysius Gonzaga. The campus houses 105 buildings on 152 acres of grassland alongside the Spokane River, in a residential setting a half-mile (800 m) from downtown Spokane.
Eastern Washington University (EWU) is a public university in Cheney, Washington. It also offers programs at a campus in EWU Spokane at the Riverpoint Campus and other campus locations throughout the state.
The University of Portland (UP) is a private Catholic university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1901 and is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross, which also founded UP's sister school, the University of Notre Dame. UP enrolls approximately 3,730 students.
Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane, the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the Palouse. Unlike in Western Washington, the climate is dry, including some desert environments.
The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) was located on the campus of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. CHCI included a sanctuary for chimpanzees who have learned to communicate with humans and each other using American Sign Language. CHCI's director was Mary Lee Jensvold. It was founded by former co-directors Roger Fouts and Deborah Fouts. The institute was closed in 2013 when the remaining chimpanzees were transferred to facilities in Quebec, Canada and the building the facility was housed in, was demolished in 2018. Portions of the specialized structures used to house the chimps were dismantled and moved to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Cle Elum, for future use.
Northwest Public Broadcasting is the public radio and public television service of Washington State University. It is an affiliate of National Public Radio, Public Radio Exchange and American Public Media. It operates 19 radio stations and 13 translators across Washington state, Oregon, and Idaho, and provides coverage to parts of British Columbia. The network broadcasts public radio news, talk, entertainment, classical music, jazz, and folk music. Station programming is separated into two main program streams, "NPR News" and "NPR & Classical Music", with simulcast periods during Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and Weekend All Things Considered. Since November 2013, Northwest Public Broadcasting also operates a 24-hour jazz station, KJEM 89.9, broadcasting in the Pullman and Moscow area.
Loulis is a chimpanzee who has learned to communicate in American Sign Language.
Deborah Fouts was the co-director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI). CHCI was the home of Washoe, the first non-human to acquire a human language, and three other chimpanzees who use the signs of American Sign Language to communicate with each other and their human caregivers. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology (Research) at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. She is married to former co-director, now retired Roger Fouts.
Mary Lee Jensvold is a senior lecturer at Central Washington University. She was the Director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) located on the campus of Central Washington University. CHCI was the home of the chimpanzee Washoe and four other chimpanzees who use the signs of American Sign Language to communicate with one another and their human caregivers.
Edmonds College, formerly Edmonds Community College, is a public community college in Lynnwood, Washington. More than 17,000 students annually take courses for credit toward a certificate or degree at the college. The college employs more than 1,300 people, including 126 full-time and 283 part-time instructors and 267 students.
KCWU, also known as 88.1 The 'Burg, is the college radio station for Central Washington University based out of Ellensburg, Washington. The history of The 'Burg starts back in 1958 when small broadcast facility, KCAT, started broadcasting on 880 AM. The 'Burg, now KCWU, has expanded its broadcast facility. It now broadcasts 430 watts effective radiated power at a frequency of 88.1 MHz.
Highline College is a public community college in Des Moines, Washington. Highline was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County, Washington. The main campus covers 80 acres (320,000 m2). As of 2015, there were approximately 17,000 students and 350,000 alumni of the college.
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) is a private osteopathic medical and health professional school in Yakima, Washington. The university focuses on educating health care professionals to serve "rural and medically underserved communities throughout the Northwest". Founded in 2005, the university's inaugural program was the first new medical school to open in the Pacific Northwest in sixty years. PNWU grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree and graduated its first class of physicians in May 2012. Since then, PNWU has continued to expand and now includes the School of Physical Therapy (SOPT), School of Occupational Therapy (SOT), and a School of Dental Medicine (SDM).
The Central Washington Wildcats are the 13 varsity athletic teams that represent Central Washington University, located in Ellensburg, Washington, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Wildcats compete as members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The KYVE Apple Bowl was a televised competition between high school students in Central Washington. Over a period of one to five weeks, 20 to 30 high schools in Central Washington competed at the Apple Bowl studio, located on the Central Washington University campus in Ellensburg, Washington. Co-produced by Central Washington University, the competition aired on the former PBS-affiliate station KYVE in Yakima each spring. The program reached an audience of over 200,000 families in the region.
Yakima Valley College (YVC) is a public college in Yakima, Washington. It was founded as Yakima Valley Community College in 1928 with Elizabeth Prior serving as the institution's first president. The college offers 5 Bachelor of Applied Science degree programs, 55 associate degree programs, and more than 100 certificates of achievement.
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a public university with two campuses in Northwest Indiana; its main campus is in Hammond with a branch campus in Westville. It is part of the Purdue University system and offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to approximately 6,200 students with more than 64,000 alumni.
The Washington State University College of Nursing is a nursing school affiliated with Washington State University. Its main location is on the Washington State University Health Sciences campus in Spokane, Washington, with programs also offered at WSU Vancouver, WSU Tri-Cities, and in Yakima, Washington. Degrees offered include Bachelor of Science in Nursing; RN-BSN; Master of Nursing; Doctor of Nursing Practice; and PhD. Enrollment among all programs at all locations was 942 for spring semester 2018.