News and Updates

This week, Columns, the UW’s Alumni Association Magazine, published Down to the Core, an article highlighting the budget challenges the UW currently faces and the decisions – made over a decade ago by the legislature – that put the University in such an urgent situation.

Disinvestment

During the Great Recession, the state was forced to make dramatic budget cuts in areas across state government, including public higher education. For the UW, that meant losing over $132 million in the 2009-2011 Washington state budget and cutting per-student state funding by half. Ten years later, the state has not yet restored funding to pre-recession levels, despite the UW serving thousands more students annually. In addition, the legislature has reduced, frozen and capped tuition increases for in-state undergraduate students since 2013. This has resulted in the UW having one of the lowest in-state undergraduate tuition rates among the country’s top public research universities. While this helps reinforce the University’s mission of ensuring access to higher education for Washington students, it further contributes to the UW’s budget concerns. Between capped tuition and reduced state funding, a significant gap between operating costs and operating funds has developed, along with a backlog of deferred maintenance on the capital side.

Private Fundraising

The UW has proactively pursued private fundraising options through the Be Boundless campaign. However, private donors are primarily focused on projects that interest and inspire them, which may come in the form of scholarships, new buildings, or specific research projects. Everyday costs like keeping the lights on and paying the University’s world class faculty and support staff are not funded by private supporters. While the UW works hard to leverage private support, it is not a sustainable path to bridging the funding gap.

Quality of Education

Funding shortages have strained the UW’s ability to support its students, faculty, staff, and campuses. With the high cost of living in the Puget Sound region and limited means to compensate faculty, it has been increasingly difficult to recruit and retain the nation’s brightest faculty and researchers.

Prioritizing Higher Education

Higher education is a long-term investment into our state’s residents, our economy, and research projects with immeasurable impact on future generations. The UW is advocating for funding increases from the legislature in this year’s budget as outlined in this legislative agenda, and leaders from public institutions across the state have come together to highlight the importance of higher education. In November, UW President Cauce and WSU President Schulz came together during the Apple Cup to launch the “Yes, It’s Possible” public awareness campaign to spread the message that college is affordable and available to all Washington state residents.

It’s the beginning of week eight of the 2019 Legislative Session. Check out the highlights from Olympia from the past two weeks:

Policy and fiscal committee cutoffs

The legislature is now past policy and fiscal committee cutoffs in the house of origin, which means new policy cannot be introduced in committee and any bills not voted out of committee are now considered dead. March 13 will be the last day to consider and pass bills in the house of origin. After, bills that remain alive will go to the opposite house for consideration. To view the legislative session cutoff calendar, click here.

Sen. Cleveland testifies in support of establishing a behavioral health campus within the UW

Sen. Annette Cleveland testified before the Senate Behavior Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care Committee on Senate Bill 5516, which would establish a behavioral health innovation and integration campus within the UW School of Medicine. In her testimony, Sen. Cleveland said the behavioral health campus “will change lives for the better” and that establishing the campus is a proactive and important part of the solution to our state’s behavioral health crisis.

Senate Bill 5516 was voted out of committee on Feb. 21 and referred to Ways & Means. This is the companion bill to House Bill 1593, which is prime sponsored by Speaker Frank Chopp. The House bill passed out of the Appropriations Committee and will head to the floor for a vote.

President Cauce visits Olympia

President Ana Mari Cauce traveled to Olympia for the second time for the 2019 legislative session. She met with House caucus leaders and key budget writers from the House and Senate. At this time, budgets are being discussed and drafts will soon start to form, so her visit was well-timed and meetings productive.

UW engineering dean travels to the capital

Mike Bragg, UW College of Engineering Dean, visited Olympia to meet with leaders and legislators in both the House and Senate and expressed the need for engineering degrees for Washington state students and employers. Dean Bragg spent his day advocating for state funding to help increase engineering enrollments and graduates and to support the UW’s highly successful STARS program. He also advocated for design money for a new interdisciplinary teaching and research facility for the College of Engineering in Seattle.

UW’s ISCRM updates legislators

In 2017, the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine’s received state funding to support their important and impactful mission of turning fundamental discoveries in stem cell science into therapies for today’s patients. Dr. Chuck Murray and ISCRM’s Philanthropic Chair, Lyn Grinstein, met with legislators to thank them for their support and update them on what ISCRM has been able to accomplish due to the state funding provided.

It’s the start of week six of the 2019 Legislative Session and the legislature is fast approaching policy committee cutoff. This Friday, Feb. 22, is the last day to read in committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) in house of origin, except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.

Here are some highlights from the past two weeks:

Speaker Chopp teams with UW Medicine to prime sponsor his first bill in 20 years!

Speaker Frank Chopp testified before the House College & Workforce Development committee on his first prime sponsored legislation in 20 years. House Bill 1593 establishes a behavioral health innovation and integration campus within the UW School of Medicine, which will strengthen the psychiatry residency program and work with each of UW’s Schools of Health Sciences to train current and future health care providers to address behavioral health needs across the state. Dr. Jurgen Unutzer, Chair of UW Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, traveled to Olympia to testify alongside Speaker Chopp at this exciting hearing.

To view the hearing, click here.

Senate votes to confirm Regent Zhou

The Senate voted unanimously to confirm Kaitlyn Zhou to the University’s Board of Regents. Sen. Randall, Vice Chair of the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development committee, spoke in favor of her nomination. To watch the floor vote, click here.

Regent Zhou is an incoming master’s student at the Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. She holds a B.S. and a B.S.E. in Computer Science and Human Centered Design and Engineering. Congratulations, Regent Zhou! The UW is very fortunate to have your leadership.

UW Health Sciences deans hard at work at the Capitol

Our health sciences deans spent their Valentine’s Day meeting with legislators to advocate for construction funding for a new health sciences education building in Seattle.

The building will allow interdisciplinary team-based learning for all six health sciences schools (medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, public health, and social work), which are ranked among the highest in the nation. It will serve 8,000 students with 17 percent projected enrollment growth, in addition to continuing education for current health-care professionals across the state.

Thank you deans – Sean Sullivan (Pharmacy), Hilary Godwin (Public Health), Eddie Uehara (Social Work), Gary Chiodo (Dentistry), and Frank Barber (Nursing).

Dr. Dan Schwartz visits Olympia to advocate for CAMCET

Dan Schwartz, PhD, Director of the Clean Energy Institute, visited Olympia to advocate for the Center for Advanced Materials and Clean Energy Technologies (CAMCET), which is part of the UW’s 2019 legislative agenda. CAMCET needs the necessary resources to operate as the nation’s premier open-access facility for sharing academic and industry-relevant clean energy research instrumentation and technology. Dr. Schwartz spent his day providing legislators with an overview on all of the amazing work the Clean Energy Institute is doing and their plans for the future.

It’s the start of week four of the 2019 Legislative Session and the UW community has been busy in Olympia. Here are some of the highlights:

President Cauce visits Olympia

On Tuesday, Jan. 22 President Ana Mari Cauce made her first visit to Olympia for the 2019 legislative session. She championed the UW’s legislative agenda as she met with leaders and legislators in both the Senate and House of Representatives. She also had the opportunity to participate in a TVW interview with WSU President, Kirk Schulz, on the Yes, It’s Possible campaign. The UW and WSU have teamed up on this campaign to spread the word to Washington families that public higher education is affordable and achievable. Her visit concluded with the Council of Presidents legislative reception. At the reception, President Cauce connected with other university presidents, higher education leaders, stakeholders, and advocates

Confirmation hearing for Regent Zhou

On the same day, the confirmation hearing of Regent Kaitlyn Zhou was held in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development committee. Regent Zhou provided testimony about her background and commitment to service to the UW. She was unanimously confirmed by the committee, which means her appointment will now move to the Senate floor for a vote. The UW community is proud of Regent Zhou and her leadership.

UW experts present before Senate & House committees

In week 1, Amy Snover, PhD, Director of the Climate Impacts Group and University Director of the NW Climate Adaption Science Center, briefed the Senate Energy, Climate, and Technology committee on the National Climate Assessment and the impacts to Washington state.

In week 2, Samuel Wasser, PhD, Director of the Center for Conservation Biology and Research Professor in the Dept. of Biology, presented before the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks committee on wolves in Washington and his team’s predator/prey research.

In week 3, Senait Habte, Assistant Director & Making Connections Program Manager at the UW Women’s Center, made a presentation to the House Innovation, Technology & Economic Development committee on the issue of equity in the tech center.

Our experts provided legislators with valuable information that will help inform decision making and the legislative process throughout session.

Legislative testimony highlight

Morgan Hickel, Associate Director of State Relations, testified before the Senate Ways & Means committee and House Capital Budget committee on the Governor’s proposed capital budget. She applauded the funding the Governor provided to construct a new health sciences education building in Seattle and encouraged legislators to support this request. She also highlighted our additional capital budget requests and asked legislators to include these important asks in their final budget.

Today is the third day of Washington State’s 2019 legislative session and the state relations team is fully in gear. Yesterday, Joe Dacca, Director of State Relations, testified before the Senate Ways & Means Committee on the Governor’s proposed operating budget. He focused his testimony on the importance of investing in the UW and our students. Joe also plans to testify before the House Appropriations Committee this week.

This legislative session is scheduled to last 105 days (until Apr. 28) to decide the 2019-21 state budget. Some of the big legislative topics will include behavioral health, affordable housing, homelessness, climate and taxes. Throughout session, the Office of State Relations will work with our campus partners to advance the UW’s legislative priorities.

Stay tuned for updates from the state relations team. Updates can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.