Dear Friends of Western Washington University,

We are optimistic about the coming year as we continue to turn the tide on overall enrollment numbers and move the smaller pandemic cohorts through to graduation. The many disruptions with the revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, interrupted our path to another record-breaking year of enrollment of new first-year students, but our new first-year cohort in Fall 2024 is similar in size to some of our larger pre-pandemic cohorts.

Another bright spot is our ongoing attention to improvement in retention rates. In mid-July 2024, we had 4.6% more continuing students registered for fall 2024 classes than we did at the same time last year, a positive sign for the success of our retention efforts. Western continues to be one of the best Master’s Comprehensive institutions in the nation, and we want to make sure that Western is a leader in advancing inclusive student success and increasing our impact in the state and beyond.

In the state of Washington, about 78,000 students graduate from high school each year, yet only about half of them end up enrolling in any type of post-secondary education or apprenticeship. Western provides highquality, affordable education, attractive to many Washington residents, as evidenced by strong enrollment recovery post-pandemic compared to our peers in the state. A thriving Western is essential to the educational health of post-secondary education and improving the 50% college-continuation rates in the state.

Through the Washington College Grant the state legislature has created one of the most generous and flexible financial aid programs in the country. Leveraging the state’s investment in college affordability, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni is has made recruitment and retention scholarships a primary focus of its efforts to augment the cost-of-living needs for students. Furthermore, in an increasingly competitive national recruitment market, these scholarships have been critical to attracting high-achieving students to Western.

To increase access to Western’s education programs, the University will be requesting funding from the Legislature for a new academic building to expand its outreach and academic programs on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. The University has also initiated a pilot program with Mount Vernon and Ferndale high schools to increase access for student populations historically under-represented in higher education.

We anticipate these efforts and initiatives will help the institution build upon some of our most recent gains in new first-year enrollment, particularly as the higher education sector braces itself for the enrollment cliff due to national population shifts that will result in a decrease in high school graduates over the next decade.

At the same time, higher education is confronting a challenging political landscape that demands our attention. There is increasing skepticism about the value of higher education at a time when exactly the opposite is needed if the U.S. is to sustain its position as a leader in innovation, education and research. During the past year, we have seen increasingly virulent threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy, two core principles that have made America’s universities the envy of the world.

That is not to say that higher education is immune to the impact of big societal events. The Middle East crisis since October 2023 has been the most recent geopolitical event impacting universities, including Western. It was not easy to navigate a path that would bring everyone together. No matter how thoughtfully a message was worded or an action taken, it left multiple groups feeling their voices have not been heard and their safety ignored. The limits of free speech, and its relation to hate speech, once again became the subject of intense debate.

Western Washington University President Sabah Randhawa in a dark blue suit and tie

We have work to do! We need to make a more compelling case to the public that universities and higher education are essential to advancing democratic institutions and civic dialogue. We need to demonstrate how disagreements can be debated in a respectful and civic manner. And we need to stay true to our commitment to scholarly excellence and to inclusivity as essential to that excellence.

Finally, I would like to share Western’s Board of Trustees reaffirmed its commitment to the 2018-25 Strategic Plan framework, extending the plan through 2028 with increased emphasis on positioning Western as the region’s premiere public comprehensive university dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality post-secondary education to the residents of the state of Washington and the broader Northwest region. I look forward to working with all of you to pursue Western’s mission and advance our aspirations.

An award-winning community partnership

Western Wednesday: First Night Out last fall introduced more than 1,000 students to Bellingham’s vibrant downtown and earned national recognition as a model of community engagement.

The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded Western Wednesday: First Night Out a Silver award in the international Best of CASE competition. Judges said the event “holds promise as a cornerstone tradition for other institutions to replicate.”

First Night Out, on the first Wednesday of fall quarter, warmly introduces students to downtown Bellingham and invites them to return for the weekly Western Wednesday promotional discounts. Students walk from Red Square to downtown for an evening of music, complimentary food and activities, and discounts at more than 60 local businesses.

The 2024 First Night Out event continued the success, with about 1,500 students braving a record-setting rainstorm on their first Western Wednesday.

The event is a collaboration with the city of Bellingham and the Downtown Bellingham Partnership.

“First Night Out is a joy for the city of Bellingham,” says Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund. “We love to spotlight our amazing downtown and welcome so many enthusiastic students back for another great year.”

 

Learn more about WESTERN WEDNESDAY.

students crowd around performers on an outdoor stage
Hundreds of students walk down the hill toward downtown Bellingham.