News and Updates

Today is the halfway point of the 105-day legislative session and the House and Senate are on the floor considering the bills that remain alive. Bills that did not pass out of their house of origin fiscal committees are now “dead” unless necessary to implement the budget.

The UW is tracking numerous bills with varying degrees of impact on students and the University, including:

• SB 5048 – Eliminates College in the High School student fees.
• SB 5079 – Changes the date tuition is set so financial aid packages can be provided to prospective students earlier.
• SB 5702 – Expands the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program.
• SB 5711 – Extends eligibility for the Washington College Grant from five to six years to align with Pell.
• HB 1559 – Establishes student basic needs navigators at public postsecondary institutions.

For a complete list of the bills being considered by the legislature or to look up a bill not listed above, click here.

House and Senate budget leaders are currently drafting the 2023-25 biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets. The Office of State Relations has worked hard throughout session to advocate for the inclusion of the UW’s legislative priorities in the draft budget proposals, which will be unveiled after the state’s economic and revenue forecast is published on March 20.

For questions about the legislative process, specific legislation, or the UW’s priorities, please contact the Office of State Relations at staterel@uw.edu.

Today is day 38 of the 105-day legislation session. The last day for bills to pass out of the policy committee in their house of origin is this Friday, Feb. 17. If bills have not moved out of policy committee by the Feb. 17 deadline, they are considered dead unless they’re necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). Legislation that passes out of policy committee before the deadline will move to their house of origin fiscal committee or if they do not have a fiscal impact, directly to the Rules Committee, where members select which bills move to the floor for consideration by the full body of the House or Senate.

The House and Senate fiscal committees, Appropriations and Ways & Means respectively, will work long hours this weekend and next week as they consider the bills that have come to them from the various policy committees. The house of origin fiscal committee cutoff is scheduled for next Friday, Feb. 24.

The Office of State Relations is monitoring legislation that impacts the University, as well as the budget process. If you have questions about specific bills or the legislative process, please contact staterel@uw.edu.

President Cauce champions the UW’s legislative priorities with budget leadership

Last week, President Ana Mari Cauce traveled to Olympia for the second time to advocate for the UW’s legislative priorities. She met with Democrat and Republican budget writers in both the House and Senate to advocate for increased compensation for University faculty and staff, as well as additional support for UW’s hospitals so they can continue to serve as the state’s safety-net and health care workforce training hospitals. She also emphasized the need to support high-demand degree programs and student support services.

Before meeting with legislators, President Cauce connected with UW students in Olympia for their annual Huskies on the Hill lobby day. Huskies on the Hill is organized by the ASUW Office of Government Relations to advocate on issues important to UW students, such as financial aid and mental health resources. President Cauce enjoyed starting her day in Olympia with UW students and hearing about their priorities this session.

 

School of Environmental & Forest Sciences advocates for Anderson Hall renovation

The UW College of the Environment Dean Maya Tolstoy and Associate Dean Stephanie Harrington participated in legislator meetings with the Director of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Dan Brown to ask for support for the renovation of Anderson Hall, which is one of the oldest buildings on the Seattle campus.

Anderson Hall is the hub for the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, which has seen undergraduate enrollment double in the past decade. Built in 1925, the building has an antiquated learning environment that lacks adequate classroom and collaborative learning spaces. Additionally, it lacks cutting-edge technologies critical to fostering environmental leadership and learning.

Renewed facilities will accommodate increased enrollment, address long-standing accessibility and safety issues, and allow for innovative learning and research in support of Washington’s environmental, economic, and societal prosperity.

UW leaders request support for wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House

Yesterday, the Director of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House Chenoa Henry (Tulalip), UW student and co-chair of the First Nations @ UW Kaila RedBow (Oglala Lakota Sioux), Regent Leonard Forsman (Suquamish), UW Native American Advisory Board immediate past-chair Patricia Whitefoot (Yakama), and University Diversity Officer Rickey Hall met with policymakers to advocate for phase two of the construction of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House.

wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House is a longhouse-style learning and gathering place for the UW’s American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students, faculty and staff. It is also provides a welcoming environment for sharing the knowledge of Northwest Indigenous peoples, and serves as a reminder that the University campus sits in the heart of Native land.

Phase two of construction will bring additional support to the UW’s AIAN community through a Native art lab, a student resource center, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, and educational Native gardens. It will also help to further support access and retention for AIAN students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

UW Bothell and UW Tacoma Chancellors champion campus requests

The UW Bothell Chancellor Kristen Esterberg and UW Tacoma Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange met with legislators this week to advocate for improved compensation for faculty and staff to help with recruitment and retention, as well as the high-demand degree requests specific to their campuses:

• UW Bothell School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics: $862,000 annually to develop a program modeled after STARS to support 75 pre-major students in accessing and graduating with computer science degrees.
• UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology: $854,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $2,000,000 ongoing to add 55 graduates in computer science and engineering by fiscal year 2027, expanding on funding provided by the legislature in the 2019-21 biennium.

In their meetings, they also emphasized the need for student support services, given the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique student populations their campuses serve.

With capital budget leaders, Chancellor Edwuards Lange highlighted the UW Tacoma’s capital request for $7.7M to acquire land within the 46-area campus footprint to help accommodate future growth.

The UW is fortunate to have the leadership of Chancellors Esterberg and Edwards Lange.

 

Leaders in the College of Engineering, Information School, and School of Computer Science & Engineering advocate for investments in STEM degrees

The College of Engineering Dean Nancy Allbritton, the Information School Dean Anind Dey, and Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Professor Ed Lazowska traveled to Olympia to champion their high-demand degree priorities included in the UW’s legislative agenda:

• Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering: $2M in FY24 and $4M ongoing to add 100 annual graduates by FY27; $455K per year to continue one-time funding provided in FY23 for the successful Startup program.
• College of Engineering: $420K annually for the Dean’s Scholars program and $125K annually for an academic counselor to support Startup, Dean’s Scholars and Washington State Academic RedShirt (STARS) students across the college.
• Information School: $500K in FY24 and $1.25M ongoing to add 140 annual graduates by FY25 in informatics, including staff for student academic support.

The UW cannot keep up with the extraordinary demand from students for these degree programs and is turning away qualified students due to capacity constraints. Additionally, employers in the state desperately need engineers, scientists, and analysts to maintain current operations and drive innovation.

Investing in STEM degrees will improve pathways to high-paying, local jobs for Washington residents, further cutting-edge technology and research, and fuel economic growth in the state. This request also improves educational and economic opportunity for traditionally underserved students and directly contributes to the UW’s mission to educate a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through an excellent education.

President Cauce champions the UW’s legislative agenda in Olympia

Yesterday, President Ana Mari Cauce traveled to Olympia to champion the UW’s legislative priorities. In her meetings with legislators, she highlighted the importance of competitive compensation for the University’s faculty and staff, as well as the need to expand high demand programs and students support services. She also emphasized the additional support needed for the UW’s hospitals to ensure they can continue to serve as the state’s safety-net and health care workforce training hospitals. With capital budget leaders, she reviewed the University’s capital project priorities.

During her visit, she also ran into current UW students who are working as legislative staff for session. She was thrilled to see the students and learn about the hands-on experience they’re getting as communication interns.

Her visit concluded with the Council of Presidents legislative reception where she connected with Washington’s other university presidents, elected officials, and higher education leaders and advocates.

Regent Lee’s participates in Senate confirmation hearing

The members of the UW Board of Regents are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate after a public hearing and floor vote.

Last Friday, Regent Elizabeth Lee took the first step to confirming her term by participating in a public hearing in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee. At the hearing, she provided testimony about her background and commitment to service to the UW.

After the public hearing, the committee voted unanimously to advance her confirmation to the Senate floor for consideration and a vote. The floor vote is likely to take place in the next few weeks.

The UW is fortunate to have the leadership of Regent Lee!

The 2023 legislative session began on Monday and for the first time in two years, it is being held in-person. This session is unique because 29 new legislators have joined the ranks of the House and Senate and most of the sophomore legislators have never worked an in-person session. During this long 105-day session, legislators will decide the 2023-35 biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets.

Throughout the week, the House and Senate fiscal committees heard the Governor’s operating and capital budget proposals, which included a majority of the University of Washington’s 2023 legislative priorities. The Office of State Relations Director Joe Dacca and Associate Director Morgan Hickel testified in support of both of the Governor’s budget proposals. In their remarks on the operating budget, they emphasized the importance of competitive compensation for faculty and staff with the state covering at least two-thirds of the costs, as well as the expansion of high demand programs. On the capital budget, they thanked the Governor for investing in the UW’s priority projects, including Magnuson Health Sciences Center, Anderson Hall, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, and Chemical Sciences. They also asked the legislature to consider funding for UW Tacoma to acquire land within their campus footprint that is important to future growth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The UW is also monitoring and supporting policy bills, including:

• SB 5048 – Eliminates College in the High School student fees.
• SB 5079 – Changes the date that tuition is set so financial aid packages can be provided to prospective students earlier.
• HB 1156 – Extends eligibility for the Washington College Grant from five to six years to align with Pell.

Visit leg.wa.gov to learn more about specific pieces of legislation and track the legislature’s progress.

If you have any questions about the UW’s legislative agenda or bills being introduced, please contact the Office of State Relations at staterel@uw.edu.