NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE 2001

Using the 2001-2006 strategic plan to guide its activities and resource allocations, Central Washington University reports the following among its many notable achievements. The university has:

Increased the academic quality and diversity of its student body.

• CWU's 2005 entering class posts a 27-point increase in combined verbal and mathematics SAT scores since 2001.
• Seventeen percent of CWU's undergraduates in fall 2005 are students of color, up from 12 percent in fall, 2000, and 20 percent of the fall, 2005 freshman class are students of color.

Increased scholarship, creative activity, and global involvement.

• CWU faculty and staff have improved their record of peer-reviewed presentations, publications, performances, and exhibitions
• Undergraduate students at CWU are participating in faculty-mentored undergraduate research in increasing numbers.
• Student participation in study abroad has increased since 2001.

Increased regional and national review and recognition of the university and its academic programs.

• CWU is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and its programs in teacher education, paramedics, music, school psychology, construction management, engineering technology, and nutrition and dietetics hold specialized accreditation in their professional and disciplinary areas.
• On a five-year cycle, academic programs complete a program review process that requires them to conduct self-studies, invite review by external evaluators, and submit progress reports on recommendations.
• The university has become a regional center for the Asian Studies Development Program.

Increased student enrollment by 18 percent since fall, 2001.

• CWU has the fastest growing freshmen applicant pool of all the Washington public baccalaureate institutions over the last four years. Freshman applications to CWU have grown by 54 percent since 2001 compared to an average 18 percent growth at the other public baccalaureate institutions.
• The university enrolls the highest proportion of new Washington community college transfer students in the state. In the latest graduation report, 65 percent of graduates entered CWU as transfer students.
• The university has witnessed a 56 percent growth in enrollment at its university centers in the Puget Sound area since fall, 2001.

Developed better and more integrated programs of recruitment, advising, and mentoring.

• CWU has received two federal GEAR UP grants that enable faculty and staff to reach down to Grade 6 to encourage students to consider and prepare for higher education.
• The university has developed much stronger alliances with feeder high schools and community colleges.
• The university has established first-year orientation and mentoring programs that reflect national best practices.
• The university has developed living-learning communities and expanded civic engagement and service learning activities for students.

Improved retention of students.

• CWU's freshman to sophomore retention rates have increased from 72 to 78 percent since fall, 2001.
• The university's freshman to sophomore retention rate for Hispanic students hit 83.8 percent in fall, 2005 compared to 66 percent in fall, 2001.

Constructed and renovated buildings.

• CWU completed construction of state-of-the-art facilities at CWU-Des Moines, CWU-Lynnwood, CWU-Moses Lake, CWU-Pierce County, and CWU-Yakima. A new facility for the CWU-Wenatchee university center will be completed in 2006.
• The university completed construction of the Music Building on the residential campus in Ellensburg in 2004.
• The university completed renovation and restoration of its two original residence halls on the Ellensburg Campus: Kamola (2003) and Sue Lombard (2005).
• The university plans to open the new Student Union and Recreation Center on the residential campus in Ellensburg in two phases in winter and spring of 2006.

Increased and diversified funding derived from external grants and contracts and from donors.

• CWU has nearly doubled income from grants and contracts during this five-year period.
• The university's faculty and staff are experiencing increasing success with some of the most elite funding agencies, including the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.
• The university has launched the silent phase of its first comprehensive campaign.

Strengthened partnerships with community colleges throughout the state, including those where our university centers are located.

• CWU has partnered with community colleges to construct new facilities for its six university centers and to accommodate students who are receiving their degrees through 2 + 2 partnerships with community colleges.
• The university has developed the state's first bachelor of applied science degrees to make it possible for students who hold associate of applied science degrees in selected technical fields to more readily complete baccalaureate degrees.