Regents & Trustees champion higher education in Olympia
Regents and trustees from the state’s public two- and four-year higher education institutions traveled to Olympia this week to meet with policymakers to discuss major issues facing the higher education sector, including the need to invest in competitive compensation, high-demand degrees, and student support services. They also highlighted the importance of funding capital requests.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first in-person advocacy day regents and trustees have participated in. Throughout the day, they spoke with a unified voice about the importance of continuing to invest in higher education with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate.
Thank you to our Regents for participating in this important advocacy day!
Health Sciences Deans advocate for the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and expansion of the UW’s rural dentistry program
The deans from the UW’s six health sciences schools (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work) met with legislators on Tuesday to champion phase two of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (MHSC) renovation and replacement.
The MHSC is the primary teaching space for the health sciences schools, which are recognized as leaders in professional education, research innovation, and public service. Constructed in the 1970s, current facilities have mostly original infrastructure and an inflexible learning environment not suited for modern health sciences education. After the renovation, the MHSC will promote innovative, multidisciplinary learning to over 8,000 students and will accommodate future program growth, as well as support continuing education for current health-care professionals. The renovation also anticipates and addresses future accreditation requirements for increases in team-based and simulation learning and assessment.
The School of Dentistry Dean Andre Ritter also met with legislators to advocate for the expansion of the UW’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program. RIDE is a cost-effective, scalable model for increasing the number of qualified dentists practicing in the state’s rural and underserved areas, and prioritizes team-oriented, culturally competent training so graduates are prepared to meet the unique needs of Washington’s diverse communities. Located in Spokane, RIDE’s innovative training model immerses students in community-based clinics so they gain valuable field experience while also providing high quality dental care to local communities. RIDE is also co-located with Eastern Washington University’s dental hygiene program so training is interprofessional.
Both requests are on the UW’s legislative agenda and will ultimately help the state address its health care needs and workforce shortages.