Western Washington University
Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, succeeding a private school of teaching for women founded in 1886. The university adopted its present name in 1977.
Former names
Northwest Normal School (1886–1893)
New Whatcom Normal School (1893–1901)
State Normal School at Whatcom
Washington State Normal School at Bellingham (1901–1904)
Western Washington College of Education (1904–1937)
Western Washington State College (1937–1977)
"Make Waves"[1]
February 24, 1893
COP[2]
$109.8 million (2022)[3]
Brad Johnson[4]
684 full time (2022)[5]
1,437 (2018)[6]
14,747 (2022)[5]
13,801 (2022)[5]
947 (2022)[5]
Small city[7], 215 acres (87 ha)
The Western Front
Blue, light blue, gray, black, and white[9]
Victor E. Viking[10]
WWU offers a variety of bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as limited doctorates. In 2022, there were 14,747 students, 13,801 of whom were undergraduate students, and 664 full time faculty.[5] Its athletic teams are known as the Vikings, which compete in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The main campus is located on 215 acres in Bellingham[11][12] with a branch campus marine center in Anacortes.[13] The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Additional accreditation is held by individual colleges.
Academics[edit]
Academic organization[edit]
Western offers multiple bachelor's degrees, as well as the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education, Master in Teaching, Master of Business Administration, Master of Professional Accounting, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Music, Clinical Doctorate in Audiology, and Doctor of Education.[21] The university is also authorized to award honorary degrees.[22] The university is composed of the following colleges:
Students[edit]
A total of 16,121 students were in attendance at Western Washington University in the 2018–19 academic year.[5] 92 percent of students are under 25 years of age, and 84 percent are from Washington State.
Many students at Western Washington University participate in organized student government. The Associated Students of Western Washington University (ASWWU) is "an organization designed and run by Western students, the Associated Students (AS) seeks to ensure a fulfilling college and academic experience for all university students through the many services, facilities and programs it offers."[70] Within ASWWU, there are five main areas of focus: clubs, activities, programs, facilities & services, and governance.
The AS aims to provide "funding, space and services" to students "uniting around common interests."[70] The AS staff assist student development of clubs and provide advising, "continuity, referral and record keeping" throughout the entire process. Currently there are over two hundred student clubs in the following categories: Arts and Music, Cultural, Political, Special Interest, Gaming, Social Issues, Departmental, Limited Membership, Service, Religious, and Recreational.[70]
In the 2021–22 school year, the music department has a new course for music education majors called K-12 Classroom Accompanying Pedagogy (MUS 262.)[71] A new course in Music and Sustainability (MUS 397E) is available to all Western students.
The History Department offers HIST 390 which is a special topics class with in-depth readings of primary and secondary sources. In Spring of 2023, a HIST 390 on Indigenous History of North America was offered. The class covers the formation of the Iroquois confederacy, Mississippian chiefdoms, the Illinois people, Caddo people, and more.[72]
Students who desire to set up a table in Red Square to promote their club need to sign up for a space through the university. A blue board at the West side of Red Square has general university policy on freedom of speech and also guidelines for using chalk on the bricks.
There is a livestream of Red Square filmed from the top of Bond Hall.[73]
KUGS radio station accepts albums from students to air. KUGS also has a large library of vinyl records that can be listened to in the studio.
