UW president forms work group to consider new campus

The University of Washington has appointed a 16-member work group to provide advice on an appropriate location, size of student body and degree programs for a UW campus to be located in Snohomish, Island or Skagit county.

The group was formed after the state Legislature called for the UW to work with existing educational institutions and the local community to develop a preliminary plan due Nov. 15. The group will be co-chaired by Lee Huntsman, president emeritus, and Ana Mari Cauce, executive vice provost.

The new campus will be comprehensive in scope with a particular focus on science, technology and engineering, according to a letter from UW President Mark Emmert to the work group.

Emmert asked the group for a short-range plan for UW courses and degree programs that could be offered beginning in 2008 and running through the end of the two-year state budget period.

He asked for a long-range academic plan for the new campus and a general strategy for getting there, including a focus on the approximate size and composition of the student body, likely degree programs and how the new campus will relate to businesses and other colleges in the area. The group also will provide advice on the most appropriate location for a campus consistent with the proposed academic plans.

Other members of the group are Norm Arkans, executive director of media relations and communications; Kenyon Chan, chancellor-elect of UW Bothell; David Collingwood, professor of mathematics; Bill Erdly, professor of computing and software systems, UWB; Randy Hodgins, director of state relations; Philip Hoffman, director of institutional studies; Brad Holt, professor of chemical engineering; James Maraviglia, assistant vice president at California Polytechnical State University; Gary Quarforth, interim vice provost for planning and budgeting; John Sahr, professor of electrical engineering; Michael Stiber, professor of computing and software systems, UWB; David Szatmary, vice provost for educational opportunity; Phyllis Wise, provost and vice president for academic affairs; and Alan Wood, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, UW Tacoma.