Skagit business leaders gather to discuss UW North campus
Jockeying begins to be selected site

By Hilary Parker

More than 40 interested citizens, including local government, education and business leaders attended a roundtable discussion at Burlington City Hall Aug. 15 to learn more about a proposed north campus of the University of Washington.

Still in the exploratory phase, the proposed four-year institution will be sited somewhere in Snohomish, Skagit or Island County. So far, dozens of sites have been proposed, and each will be evaluated by Seattle architectural firm NBBJ using criteria spelled out by the Legislature. Site recommendation and a preliminary development plan are due to the state by Nov. 15.
Lee Huntsman, UW president emeritus, is the voice of the university’s vision for expansion. He explained the initial site-evaluation process, saying the first step is to see if a proposed site has a fatal flaw that would rule it out. Next, evaluators will look at how well the site would really work – considering issues such as existing infrastructure, transportation availability and room to expand. Huntsman said a matrix-style evaluation will narrow the field. Evaluators recognize there will be no one perfect site, each coming with its own trade offs. Also to be taken into consideration is the possibility of an interim site that could begin taking upper-division students as early as fall 2008.
“The goal of present is to give the state enough information to make the decision to proceed,” he said.
A total of 73 sites were submitted – including 39 in unincorporated Snohomish County. A handful of those are located near both Stanwood and Arlington. Eight sites were proposed in Skagit County, and six in Island County.
Developer Dan Mitzel, one property owner who offered a site for evaluation, said he was disappointed that more property owners in Skagit County didn’t do the same.

Academic plan
The other element the Legislature wants to see come out of the exploratory process is a solid academic plan for the campus. Initial thinking has the campus becoming a center for science, technology, engineering and math, as well as business, education and health-related fields.
As Huntsman sees it, it’s not just what classes are offered but what kind of learning they provide and how classes meet student needs. Active learning through individual and group projects has become the norm. More and more programs are partnering with researchers, business, healthcare and nonprofits to provide internships.
“It’s a dynamic way to identify your future employees,” Huntsman told the group.
Internships already play a significant role at Janicki Industries in Sedro-Woolley. Lisa Janicki, vice president of finances for the company, told the group that Janicki had 17 interns working with them this summer.
“We are pulling kids from out of state,” she said.
The popularity of online classes has also grown into a viable way to offer classes, Huntsman said. At the UW, administrators were surprised to learn that the full-time residential students are taking advantage of these classes just as much or more so than the nontraditional students the courses were originally designed for.
This point illustrates how student realities today have changed. Many students are working 20 or more hours a week on top of their studies. Not only do students have time commitments for actucal on-the-job hours, but getting to and from work off campus.
“The reality is that almost all your students turn out to commute in effect,” Huntsman said.

Dollars and sense
With a site evaluation and solid academic plan in hand, the project will still come down to the state giving its blessing. In other words, the state must conclude that it makes sense to fund another college campus.
Huntsman said the state doesn’t have a good track record supporting higher education, but the university will only move ahead with the project if there is an additional funding commitment for the north campus.
“Higher education will not stand for ‘thinning the soup,’” Huntsman said.

Community support
Those gathered at the Burlington meeting voiced their eagerness for the university and the state to choose a Skagit County site.
Janicki voiced her company’s support for bringing the campus to a proposed Sedro-Woolley site, the former Western State Hospital. With Janicki Industries continued growth, the company is interested in expanding its use of interns and qualified local graduates.
“Janicki Industries wants to go on record as being a partner [with the UW],” she said.
Keeping talented youth in the Skagit Valley to maintain their local roots is a desirable outcome many at the meeting voiced, including contractor Dick Nord.
“It’s apparent to me we would be able to retain some of these kids,” he said.
Mount Vernon Mayor Bud Norris, had the final word at the afternoon’s meeting, summing up Skagit County’s qualifications for becoming the site of the UW North campus.
Then, holding up a UW Huskies T-shirt for all to see, he said: “I’m a Cougar, but I’d wear this at least once a week if you agree to a Skagit Valley site.”