About Washington State University
Founded in 1890, Washington State University (WSU) is a top-tier research university and the state’s land-grant university. Approximately 24,400 students are enrolled on four campuses. The University offers approximately 200 fields of study with 122 majors, 77 masters, 61 doctoral, and 3 professional degrees. WSU employs more than 1,400 instructional faculty, 965 non-instructional faculty, and more than 3,600 classified and professional staff. It has an annual operating budget of $731.5 million. The University is organized into the Colleges of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences; Business; Communication; Education; Engineering and Architecture; Liberal Arts; Nursing; Pharmacy; Sciences; Veterinary Medicine; and Honors.
National Rankings
WSU is one of only three universities in the Pacific Northwest and one of only 95 public and private research institutions with the Carnegie classification of “Very High Research Activity.” U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” 2007 edition ranked it as one of the nation’s 55 leading public research universities; rating it above 70% of public national universities. Kiplinger’s included WSU in its list of the top “100 Best Values in Public Colleges.” Money magazine ranked it in the top 15 colleges in the West in three of the past four years. .
A World-class Faculty
A 2006 report by The Center for Measuring University Performance ranked WSU as one of the top 50 public research universities. The report ranked WSU 39th among public universities in the number of National Academy members (with 8) and 37th in prestigious faculty awards (with 11). A 2007 report on scholarly productivity by Academics Analytics rated faculty members at WSU in the top ten in their fields in eight different disciplines (plant sciences, veterinary medical sciences, animal sciences, food sciences, agronomy and crop sciences, zoology, American studies, and horticulture). WSU faculty members receive approximately $250 million in support for research and public service projects each year. In 2006, total research expenditures per faculty member per year were approximately $228,000, grant and contract revenues per tenure-track faculty member were approximately $180,000 and citation impact (number of citations per published paper) was approximately 5.5.
Shared Governance
Shared governance is the basic operating principle of WSU. Decisions regarding the academic mission of the university are made jointly by the administration and the faculty. The Faculty Senate is involved in academic planning, curriculum development, and institutional governance. It approves new academic programs, proposed changes in the organization of academic units, and new and changed courses. It also periodically reviews existing academic programs. The leaders of the Senate meet regularly with the Provost and President. The Faculty Senate also publishes the Faculty Manual (http://facsen.wsu.edu/faculty_manual/) which contains the policies and procedures that govern the faculty.
Faculty Performance Reviews
Faculty members are evaluated each year using an online, web-based annual review form (https://worqs.wsu.edu/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fDefault.aspx). Tenure-track faculty members are given an additional, progress-towards tenure, review annually with a dry run for tenure in the third year (http://provost.wsu.edu/ThirdYrGuidelines2007(1).pdf). The evaluations received in these yearly reviews should lead logically to the eventual tenure decision (http://provost.wsu.edu/manuals_forms/Manual_on_Faculty_Evaluation.doc). To make the review process as transparent as possible, a session on faculty performance reviews is included in New Faculty Orientation (http://provost.wsu.edu/newfaculty_orientation/); a manual describes and interprets the review processes for faculty members (http://provost.wsu.edu/manuals_forms/Manual_on_Faculty_Evaluation.doc) and two workshops on faculty performance reviews are offered each year (http://hrs.wsu.edu/tenure).
A Few Faculty Policies
Stopping the Tenure Clock:
The tenure clock can be stopped for as many as two years for becoming a parent. The clock can also be stopped for care of a partner, dependent, or parent; for time lost because of a serious illness; for time lost because of professional circumstances beyond the candidate’s control; and for leave without pay. Professional Leave (Sabbatical). After five years of active service (6 years for pre-tenure faculty), faculty members and administrative professionals are eligible for a one-semester sabbatical at full pay or a two-semester sabbatical at three-quarter pay. (http://provost.wsu.edu/manuals-forms/UpdatedProfessionalLeave109-07-08Hoch.pdf)
Partner Accommodation:
The Provost’s Office will provide, pending the availability of funds, matching funds for half of a position for two years or one third of a position for three years for the domestic partner or spouse of a University employee. Although this funding is not guaranteed, in recent years, the Provost has accommodated all reasonable requests. (http://www.wsu.edu/~forms/HTML/BPPM/60_Personnel/60.15_Partner_and_Spouse_Accommodation.htm)
Phased Retirement:
Faculty members who are 55 years old or older and who have served the University for at least 10 years can reduce their work time from 100% to 50% over a period of up to seven years. The details are negotiated on an individual basis. (http://www.hrs.wsu.edu/utils/File.aspx?fileid=4446)
The Faculty-Staff Activity Program:
Members of the faculty and staff may pay a fee of $100 per year to join the Faculty–Staff Activity Program. In return, they receive a locker, towel service, and exclusive access to most of the University’s athletic facilities at noon every day. Faculty and staff groups compete in most activities most days (e.g., basketball, volleyball, aerobics, tennis, racketball, squash). Faculty members can also buy a membership in the Student Recreation Center at a reduced rate (currently $320/year). The Student Recreation Center is an impressive building that contains a 5-lane lap pool; a leisure pool; a 53-person spa with a cascading waterfall; an elevated 1/8 mile track; a sport court for indoor soccer and roller hockey; 6 courts for volleyball, basketball, and badminton; 4 racketball-squash courts; 3 multipurpose rooms; a 17,000 square feet free weight and cardio-fitness training area; a food bar; indoor lounges with sitting areas, games, and fireplace; and an outdoor sundeck.
Benefits
Faculty members participate in the TIAA-CREF retirement program. Their contributions to the program are matched by the University up to a limit that varies with age. The University provides basic long-term disability and life insurance, with the option of purchasing additional coverage. In addition, faculty members receive their choice among several health insurance policies which include medical, prescription, vision, dental, and mental health care. Health benefits are available to domestic partners, as well as to spouses. The university greatly subsidizes, but no longer fully funds, medical insurance for the faculty member and his/her family. Retired faculty members are allowed to purchase the health insurance as their primary plan until age 65, at which time the state’s plan will be secondary to Medicare. For more information visit the Human Resource Services benefits website at http://www.hrs.wsu.edu/Benefits or call HRS at 509-335-4521
Celebrating Faculty Excellence
Showcase is WSU’s yearly celebration of faculty and staff excellence (http://www.showcase.wsu.edu/). It is held in the spring every year, usually on the first Friday after Spring break. Showcase begins with a poster session of faculty work during the morning. The posters are followed by a free lunch at which the Distinguished Faculty Address is presented. A reception for emeritus faculty and staff is held in the afternoon followed by the Celebration of Excellence dinner. This elegant dinner honors faculty members who have achieved tenure and promotion as well as faculty and staff members who are recipients of university-wide awards (http://provost.wsu.edu/awards_program/).
Resources for Support
Teaching Support:
The Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology provides assistance with teaching to individual faculty members. It offers one-on-one consultations on course and assignment design, classroom activities, and help with teaching technology. It also offers workshops on topics such as teaching large classes and promoting rich discussions, assistance with the design and analysis of assessment surveys, and collaboration on outcomes development. In addition, the President’s Teaching Academy organizes lectures and colloquia on topics related to teaching.
Research Support:
The University grants competitive start-up packages to new faculty. In addition, it supports centers, institutes, and laboratories (CILs) that are organized by faculty members around specific research topics. CILs connect researchers with similar interests, provide needed common instruments, and coordinate colloquia and lecture series on topics of interest. Some CILs include the: Center for Integrated Biotechnology; Center for Reproductive Biology; Cancer Prevention and Research Center; Center for Sustaining Agriculture; Laboratory for Atmospheric Research; Institute of Biological Chemistry; Center for Environmental Research, Extension and Outreach; Institute for Shock Physics; Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training; Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory; and Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service. The Office of Research conducts several internal grant competitions and organizes trips for faculty members to meet with administrators at granting agencies in New York and Washington, D.C. It also oversees units that assist faculty members with their research. These centers include the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center, Radiation Safety Office, Nuclear Radiation Center, Water Research Center, Office of Grant and Research Development (OGRD), Office of the Campus Veterinarian, Office of Research Assurances, Office of Intellectual Property Administration, and the WSU Research and Technology Park. OGRD is particularly important to faculty members. It promotes and facilitates the procurement of external funding by assisting faculty members in identifying funding opportunities, interacting with potential funding agencies, and providing education and training on pre- and post-award topics. OGRD also serves as the centralized proposal submission and awards processing unit.
Students
The WSU student to faculty ratio is approximately 14 to 1. WSU students represent diverse social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. Approximately 3,900 of WSU students hail from outside the state of Washington, and approximately 1075 students come from more than 105 foreign countries. WSU annually awards more than $170 million in scholarships and financial aid awards to approximately 12,000 students. Entering 2007 freshmen had an average GPA of 3.42 and an average SAT score of 1111. Approximately 37.7 percent had GPAs of more than 3.60. Study abroad has increased rapidly in recent years. WSU offers 100 programs in 70 countries through partnerships with 120 international universities, including 24 direct student-exchange programs. The university’s 3,000 graduate students engage in instruction and research, contributing as authors or coauthors of 70 percent of the papers published by faculty. WSU has many famous alumni, ranging from Edward R. Murrow to Gary Larson. WSU Alums are among the most loyal of all graduates of public universities. They show this loyalty in many ways. The WSU Alumni Association is the nation's leader in membership growth for similar size universities across the country. Although the University of Washington is much larger than WSU, WSU alumni beat UW alumni in repeated competitions. For example, the two schools competed to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The prize was a display of the colors and logo of the winning school during Apple Cup week (the week preceding the traditional football competition between the two schools) on the Space Needle in Seattle. When the contest ended, the Space Needle looked beautiful in WSU Crimson and Gray. The State of Washington also sells car license plates that display the school logos. The slightly higher charge for those plates goes to the scholarship fund at the school. Remarkably, given the size difference between the schools, Cougar (WSU) plates substantially outsell Husky (UW) plates. 12,800 people proudly display their Cougar spirit on their license plates.
The Multi-Campus System
WSU is located on four campuses all of which adhere to the same set of practices and policies. Degree requirements are similar across campuses and faculty members are considered part of one faculty, regardless of their location. All four of the campuses are physically beautiful, well maintained, and linked to a telecommunication system that enables live interactive courses to be broadcast among the campuses. Virtual tours of the campuses are available at http://virtual-tour.wsu.edu/.
WSU Pullman:
WSU Pullman is the flagship campus for the university. The 620-acre campus serves as home to more than 18,000 students, as well as the university administration. WSU Pullman is a hub for most of the university’s student organizations, its athletic teams, galleries, performance venues, and museums dedicated to art, anthropology, zoology, and other topics. The Pullman campus is largely residential with 46% of students living in residence halls, university-owned apartments, or fraternity and sorority houses.
WSU Spokane:
Located about 80 miles north of Pullman, the Spokane “Riverpoint” campus is home to the College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and the Interdisciplinary Design Institute, which operates programs in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and construction management. WSU Spokane also offers the WWAMI Medical Education Program, a cooperative program between the University of Washington and the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. The program provides medical education to Northwest students. The Spokane campus serves nearly 1600 students, and has several new facilities, including classrooms, wet and dry labs, studios, a library, and computer labs (http://www.spokane.wsu.edu/). The campus is located across the river from Gonzaga University. As a result, efforts are underway to develop a “university district” in the city of Spokane.
WSU Tri-Cities:
WSU Tri-Cities is located on 200 acres along the banks of the Columbia River . It serves 1100 students through 30 different degree programs (12 masters and 17 bachelor programs). As WSU Vancouver, WSU Tri-Cities was initially designed to offer only the junior and senior years of college. It now offers the entire curriculum. WSU Tri-Cities provides a wide range of services to Southeastern Washington. The campus is home to WSU Business Links, an economic outreach program; Northwest Public Radio and Television; and the Food and Environmental Quality Laboratory. It is also the site of the Consolidated Information Center Libraries which includes the Hanford Technical Library, U.S. Department of Energy Public Reading Room, Max E. Benitz Memorial Library, and the Southeastern Washington Business Information Center (http://www2.tricity.wsu.edu/).
WSU Vancouver:
Situated on 351 scenic acres in southwest Washington, across the river from Portland , Oregon , WSU Vancouver serves approximately 2350 students through 15 bachelors and 8 masters degree programs. WSU Vancouver was initially designed to offer only the junior and senior years of college. It now offers the entire four year curriculum. The Vancouver campus includes state-of-the-art multimedia facilities, bicycle and pedestrian trails, an outdoor amphitheater, a 200-seat lecture hall, a disc golf course, two art galleries with rotating shows, outdoor public art, a workout facility, an outdoor sports court, and other amenities (http://vancouver.wsu.edu).
The PAC-10 Conference
The WSU “Cougars” compete in the prestigious Pacific-10 Conference, known as the Conference of Champions. Other members of the PAC-10 are: Arizona State, Oregon State, Stanford, and the Universities of Arizona, California, California at Los Angeles, Oregon, Southern California, and Washington. WSU fields athletic teams in nine women’s sports (basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball) and 6 men’s sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, track and field). Cougar sports teams have had a great deal of success. The football team has appeared in the Rose Bowl on four occasions (1916, 1931, 1998, and 2003). Other bowl appearances include the 1981 Holiday Bowl, 1988 Aloha Bowl, 1992 Copper Bowl, 1994 Alamo Bowl, 2001 Sun Bowl and 2003 Holiday Bowl. (Yes, the Cougars went to two Bowl Games in 2003. The Rose Bowl was played in January; the Holiday Bowl, in December.) In 2008, the men’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. One current and four former student-athletes competed in the 2008 Olympic Games, three of them for the USA team in track and field.
Pullman , Washington
Pullman is located in southeastern Washington approximately 80 miles south of Spokane and 8 miles west of Moscow, Idaho, home to the University of Idaho (approximately 11,400 students on a 1,580-acre campus). According to the 2000 census, 24,675 people live in Pullman. The small size makes Pullman a poor choice for those who thrive on big-city life. Nevertheless, because Moscow is close and is similar in size to Pullman (approximately 22,000 people), the region provides the activities and attractions that come with the presence of two large Universities along with the charm and safety of a small town. Bus service (free to students) and a trail for walking, jogging, bicycling or skate boarding connect the two cities. Pullman has a four-season climate that is classified as semi arid (average rainfall of 21 inches; average snowfall of 28 inches). The summers are ideal with hot dry weather. From approximately July 5 until the end of September, the humidity is low, the sky is blue with few clouds, and the days are hot. Because Pullman is at an altitude of approximately 2500 feet above sea level, however, nights are cool even during the hottest weather. The low humidity also reduces the number of insects. Winters are colder and wetter, but winter in Pullman is mild compared to winters in the Northeast and Midwest. Winter can also be left behind in favor of the milder climate experienced by Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington, 40 miles south of Pullman. Although located close to Pullman, these towns have a different climate, and a relatively mild winter, because they are located almost at sea level and at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. Pullman is often described as “a great place to raise children.” The community personifies the image of small-town friendliness with a mild climate, clean air, highly rated schools, and a low crime rate. Its small size makes transporting children from event to event easy or unnecessary. Its small size and isolated location create a relatively safe environment. Many activities are available for children during off-school hours. For example, 2008 summer sports camps at the University alone included football, boys and girls basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, track, and tennis. Pullman Parks and Recreation also offers a variety of sports activities for both children and adults ranging from youth soccer leagues to adult golf lessons, white water rafting trips to fly fishing lessons. The Palouse Discovery Science Center promotes science, math, and technology literacy through the use of educational programs, exhibits, teaching collections, and activities emphasizing hands-on learning. The center features permanent as well as traveling exhibits and a planetarium. The public schools in Pullman are consistent with the high quality that would be expected in an area with two major universities. Pullman has been recognized in a Hearst Foundation Publication as one of the top 100 school districts in the United States. In addition, Pullman was rated number one for communities up to 50,000 in population for support of public education in both funding and volunteerism. The Pullman public schools include Franklin Primary School, Jefferson Primary School, Sunnyside Primary School, Lincoln Middle School, and Pullman High School. Approximately 700 students attend Pullman High School. It offers honors and advanced placement courses as well as running start course work through WSU and area community colleges. Pullman High has one of the highest passing rates for the WASL (a Washington State assessment of achievement) for public schools in the state. For more information see http://www.psd267.wednet.edu/default.asp?PageID=576. The town has several parks that are equipped with picnic tables, grills, tennis courts, swings, climbing areas, etc. Several golf courses are also located either in Pullman or close by (WSU’s Palouse Ridge Golf Club, 18-hole Scottish Links style championship course; University of Idaho Golf Course, 18-hole, Par 72; Colfax Golf Course, 9-hole, Par 35; St. John Golf Course, 9-hole, par 35; and Tekoa Golf Course, 9-hole, par 35). Pullman is served by the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport which offers several daily flights to and from Seattle. Airports located in Lewiston, Idaho (approximately a 1 hour drive) and Spokane, Washington (approximately a 1.5 hour drive) offer non-stop connections to airports such as Denver, Chicago, and Salt Lake City
The Pullman Area
In June, 1982, an article that described the area around Pullman appeared in the National Geographic. The article was titled “A Paradise Called the Palouse”. The Palouse refers to a region of fertile rolling hills located in southeastern Washington. The area is largely farmland and produces high yields of wheat, barley, dry peas, lentils, and canola. The USA Dry Pea & Lentils Council recognizes the Palouse as the “Dry Pea & Lentil Capital of the Nation and Pullman is home to the National Lentil Festival every fall. Pictures of the area may be found at http://www.liangwenli.com/palouse/index.htm or at http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/paul_brians/. Pullman is an ideal location for those interested in outdoor activities. Mountain biking, hiking, downhill and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, golf, camping and white water rafting are all available within easy driving distance. Several large and beautiful lakes are located in the Idaho Panhandle within a 1.5- to 3-hour drive of Pullman (e.g., Couer D’Alene Lake, Priest Lake). Excellent boating and rafting experiences are available on the Snake and Clearwater Rivers, a 30 to 40 minute drive south of Pullman. Some of the best white water experiences in the country are available around Riggins, Idaho, approximately 4 hours southeast of Pullman. Many ski areas are also located within an easy drive (e.g., Schweitzer Mountain, 2 hours; McCall, Idaho, 4 hours). A slightly longer drive (up to one day) will take you to spectacular scenery in every direction. Some of the largest wilderness preserves in the US are located in Idaho to the southeast of Pullman. The Wallowa Mountains in Oregon are approximately a 3 hour drive to the south. The Cascade Mountains of Washington, including the spectacular Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Baker, are located within a 4 to 6 hour drive. The Olympic Mountains and rainforests of Washington require a slightly longer (6 to 8 hour) drive. Banff, Jasper, and the Canadian Rockies are approximately a one day drive to the north. In addition, the beaches on the coast of Washington and Oregon can be accessed by a 7 to 8 hour drive and the San Juan Islands, off the coast of Washington, provide a delightful destination within a 6 hour drive and ferry ride from Pullman. The WSU Outdoor Recreation Center rents outdoor equipment. The center also provides information on recreational activities available in the Northwest, as well as various classes and cooperative trips. Pullman is relatively close to several of the world’s most attractive cities. Spokane is a 1.5 hour drive to the north; Seattle, a 4.5 hour drive to the west; Portland, Oregon, a 6 hour drive to the southwest; and Vancouver, B. C, a 7 hour drive to the northwest.
Moscow , Idaho
Located 8 miles from Pullman, Moscow is home to the University of Idaho (U of I). The U of I enrolls nearly 11,400 students from all states and 92 foreign countries on a 1,580-acre campus. The Campus contains an Arboretum & Botanical Garden that provides several acres of trails and plantings. The University is organized into the Colleges of Art and Architecture; Agricultural and Life Sciences; Business and Economics; Education; Engineering; Graduate Studies; Law; Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences; Natural Resources; and Science. The U of I Vandals compete in men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletics in the Western Athletic Conference. Moscow has gained national attention in the arts. The Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, Festival Dance, Idaho Repertory Theatre (a professional summer theater company), Renaissance Fair, Rendezvous in the Park, and the Prichard Art Gallery are part of the reason why Moscow has been repeatedly rated as one of the “Best 100 Small Art Towns in America”.
Lewiston , Idaho and Clarkston, Washington
Lewiston , Idaho and Clarkston, Washington (named after Lewis and Clark) are located across the Snake River from each other, approximately 40 miles south of Pullman. The drive from Pullman to this area includes a drop in elevation of approximately 1800 feet (from approximately 2500 feet above sea level in Pullman to approximately 730 feet in Lewiston-Clarkston). The drop can be accomplished by either the new or the older road. The newer grade, constructed in the late 1970s, is approximately 7 miles (11 km) long. Both grades provide an excellent view of Lewiston, Clarkston, and the surrounding landscape. Lewiston is the second largest city in the Idaho Panhandle behind Coeur d'Alene (population of 30,904, 2000 census; 31,293, 2006 estimate). Its main industry is paper and timber products production. Some oceangoing vessels can reach Lewiston because it is located at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. As a result, Lewiston provides Idaho's only seaport and the western United States' farthest inland seaport. Barges of timber products, grain and other goods are shipped via the Snake-Columbia system to the Pacific Ocean. A system of levees protects against flooding along much of the Snake River and provides an excellent area for walking, biking and skate boarding. Lewiston is also home to Lewis-Clark State College.
Spokane , Washington
Spokane is located approximately 80 miles north of Pullman. With a population of 204,400, it’s the second largest city in the state of Washington (behind Seattle) and the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis. It’s also the fourth largest city in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, behind Seattle, Portland, and Boise. Greater Spokane is much larger than the city alone. 459,000 residents live in Spokane County. With neighboring Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the population reaches nearly 700,000 people. Spokane hosted the first environmentally themed World's Fair in Expo '74, becoming the then-smallest city to ever host a World's Fair. The event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad industry and reinventing the urban core. Many of the structures built for the World's Fair are still standing and in use. The United States Pavilion sits next to an IMAX theater, and the Washington State Pavilion became the INB Performing Arts Center. The Expo site itself became the 100 acre Riverfront Park, containing, among other features, the U.S. Pavilion, the turn-of-the-20th-century Looff Carousel, and the Great Northern Railway clock tower, the last remnant of the vast rail depot that was demolished for Expo '74. Spokane has a four-season climate. Winters are cold, averaging 50.4 inches of snow per year, while summers are pleasantly warm and sunny with high temperatures usually between 80 and 90 degrees, occasionally rising into the 100's. Low humidity and cool evening temperatures make summers quite comfortable. The Cascade Mountains to the west shield the city from the direct effect of Pacific Ocean air, giving the region less than half the rainfall of its west side neighbor, Seattle. The Rocky Mountains to the east help to protect it from the worst effects of Arctic air in winter. Precipitation is concentrated in the cooler half of the year. Summer weather is typically dry and stable. The Spokane metro area is growing quickly. New residents are drawn to the region by its natural beauty, its wealth of recreational activities, its relatively low cost of living and its vibrant job market. Spokane is close to dozens of lakes and rivers for swimming, boating, and fishing, as well as mountains for skiing, hiking, and biking. Spokane is large enough to support urban culture (Broadway performances, shopping, dining, etc.), but is small enough to support annual events and traditions that give it a hometown feel. Spokane was #49 on the Men's Journal 2005 "50 Best Places to Live" list, #5 on the Forbes Magazine 2005 "Safest Places to Live" list, and #35 on the Inc. Magazine 2005 "Top US Cities for Doing Business" list.
Tri-Cities, Washington
The Tri-Cities is a metropolitan area with a population of 230,300. It would be the fourth largest city in the state of Washington if it was a single city (behind Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma). Instead, it’s composed of the three cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. Kennewick, the largest of the three cities, has an economy based on light industry, food processing and retail. Pasco is also involved in agribusiness and food processing. It is the fastest growing urban area in the state with 57% growth since 2000. Richland, the smallest of the three cities, started as a small farming community, but the population increased from 1,500 to more than 51,000 when the country's first nuclear reactor was built on the Hanford Site in 1943. The Hanford Site continues to play a major role in the Tri-Cities economy and in the worldwide science and technology communities. Richland is also home to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, operated by Battelle. The Tri-Cities is located at the confluence of the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers in south central Washington. The rivers provide the region with hydroelectric power, irrigation, barge transportation, and recreation for the residents. The Tri-Cities region is also known as "The Heart of Washington Wine Country". More than 150 wineries are located within a 50 mile radius. Sharing the same latitude as the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, the Columbia Valley has the perfect soil and temperature for making great wines. The region’s long, hot summer days and crisp, cool evenings, combine with high mineral, sandy, loess soils left by Ice Age Floods to create nearly perfect conditions for making great wine. Tri-Cities is conveniently located approximately a 3.5 hour drive from Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon; a two hour drive from Spokane; and a 2.5 hour drive from Pullman. The area has 9 public and 2 private golf courses, museums, shopping and abundant water and outdoor recreation. The area has 21 parks, many of which are located on the river, and 67 miles of paved pedestrian and bike trails. Pasco is also home to the third busiest full-service airport in the state. The Tri-Cities has a pleasant desert climate with warm summers and moderate winters. The ample sunshine (300 days per year) and low rain fall (7 to 8 inches per year) are attractive features of the region. Temperatures can range from 10 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit with a high of 115 degrees in July 2006. The region receives occasional snow most years. “Chinook” winds occasionally exceed 20 mph.
Vancouver , Washington
Vancouver , Washington is home to approximately 162,400 people. Incorporated in 1857, it sits on the north bank of the Columbia River directly across from Portland, Oregon. It combines the excitement of a major metropolitan area with small-town charm and abundant recreational opportunities. The combination of city life matched by the beauty and benefits of the countryside make the quality of life in Vancouver among the best in the nation. Vancouver is located along the I-5 corridor giving residents easy access to Seattle/Tacoma to the north and the beauty and elegance of Portland, Oregon and world class wineries and vineyards to the south. The Pacific Coast is less than 90 miles to the west. The Cascade Mountain Range rises on the east. Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Mt. Hood are less than two hours away. The spectacular Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is only a 30-minute drive to the east. Biking, hiking, boating, and water sports of all kinds are a regular part of the Portland/Vancouver life style. The area also offers the amenities of a large city. Portland has an estimated population of 568,380 with approximately 2 million people in the greater Portland area. Portland is said to have more restaurants per capita than any city in the United States, making it a Mecca for food lovers. Portland is also known for its large number of microbreweries, microdistilleries, and coffee houses. Arts, theaters, symphonies, museums, and concerts round out the rich cultural landscape of the region. Portland also serves as the home of the Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. The city and region are noted for strong land-use planning and investment in public transportation. Portland has been referred to as the greenest city in the United States. Vancouver lies in the Marine west coast climate region, marked by warm summers and rainy but temperate winters. It receives less average annual rainfall than Boston, Washington, D.C. or Atlanta (41.3 inches per year; snowfall, 6.5 inches). Seasons are distinct. Summer temperatures generally climb into the 80s. Winter nights rarely fall below 30 degrees fahrenheit. The moderate climate results in lush forests and abundant foliage with an ideal climate for growing roses. For more than a century, Portland has been known as "The City of Roses" with many rose gardens including the International Rose Test Garden overlooking downtown. WSU-Vancouver and Clark College provide the mainstays of higher education in the community. Both institutions are served by outstanding public schools that receive consistent resident support through ballot funding measures. The economy is a flourishing center of innovation and invention with many high tech firms.
- About Washington State University
- National Rankings
- A World-class Faculty
- Shared Governance
- Faculty Performance Reviews
- A Few Faculty Policies
- Benefits
- Celebrating Faculty Excellence
- Resources for Support
- Students
- The Multi-campus System
- The PAC-10 Conference
- Pullman, Washington
- The Pullman Area
- Moscow, Idaho
- Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington
- Spokane, Washington
- Tri-Cities, Washington
- Vancouver, Washington