The 2021 Legislative Session Begins

Today is the first day of the Washington State Legislature’s 2021 Session!  Western’s priorities for this session are focused on maintaining and building upon core supports for students through state investments.

Operating Budget:

WWU’s top operating budget priority is to protect the state’s current investments in Western and access to public higher education, including the Washington College Grant. Reductions in baseline funding for Western, including mandated furloughs for faculty and staff, will result in fewer course offerings, less advising and decreased student support services, funding reductions that will disproportionately impact low income and first generation students.

Western is also partnering with the state’s other public four-year comprehensive universities (CWU, EWU and Evergreen) on a joint proposal related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives aimed at improving the access and success of traditionally underserved students in postsecondary education. WWU’s portion of the request would include funding to:

• Expand recruitment and outreach efforts to underserved Washington students;
• Address urgent needs in mental health counseling, sexual violence support, and other critical student services; and
• Create a new academic curriculum in Ethnic Studies.

Capital Budget:

WWU’s top capital priority is a $51 million request for construction of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building. The state funding will compliment at least $15 million in private funds already pledged for the project.  Other capital budget priorities include $4.9 million for construction of a Coast Salish-style Longhouse, as well as renovation and maintenance projects, and pre-design funding for a new Student Success Center and the renovation of the Environmental Science Center.  These capital priorities were fully funded in the governor’s capital budget proposal, and WWU will be working hard during the legislative session to ensure they are funded in the state’s final 2021 capital budget. 

Western’s full 2021 Legislative Agenda can be found here.