University of Washington

The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Also known as Washington and locally as The U or UW (usually pronounced "U-Dub"), it is the largest university in the Pacific Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast of the United States. The university is an elected member of the Association of American Universities. The UW maintains three locations, with its flagship campus in Seattle's University District and branch campuses in Tacoma and Bothell. Its operating budget for fiscal year 2005 was $3.1 billion USDUniversity of Washington Annual Report (January 2006)..

Academics and research

In 2005, the University of Washington research budget was $996 million USD , the fifth largest among all universities in the United States.The Top American Research Universities (December 2005) UW is the largest recipient of federal research funding among public universities and second among all public and private universities in the United States, a position that the university has held each year since 1974.UW Excellence in Research In the most recent The Top American Research UniversitiesThe Top American Research Universities (December 2005). The Center, University of Florida. report from the University of Florida, UW ranked 11th overall and 3rd among public institutions.

Among the faculty, there are six nobel laureates, 50 members in the National Academy of Sciences, 13 members in the National Academy of Engineering, 41 members in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, and 47 members in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Overall, the faculty is ranked 4th among public institutions with National Academy members and 5th in national faculty awards. Additionally, the UW faculty has six MacArthur Fellows, 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, seven Gairdner Foundation International Award winners, four Lasker Award winners, 11 MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) Award winners and 19 PECASE (Presidential Early Career Awards in Science and Engineering) holders.UW Excellence in Research

Suzzallo Library reading room

The University of Washington library system is among the largest academic libraries in the United States, with holdings of more than 6.5 million volumes and 7.5 million microforms. The Association of Research Libraries ranked the UW library system between the top 5th and 15th in various categories.ARL Statistics 2004

UW is also the host university of ResearchChannel program, the only TV channel in the United States dedicated solely for the dissemination of research from academic institutions and research organizations.ResearchChannel contact UW Current participation of ResearchChannel includes 36 universities, 15 research organizations, 2 corporate research centers and many other affiliates.ResearchChannel participants UW also disseminates knowledge through its proprietary UWTV channel and online.UWTV

The University of Washington is referred to as a "Public Ivy", a public institution that provides an Ivy League collegiate experience.

Rankings

Many of the UW's programs are ranked in the top ten by U.S. News and World Report including #1 rankings for both the medical school (primary care) and nursing school. The computer science department ranked 7th and the bioengineering program ranked 4th. The undergraduate and graduate business schools ranked 18th and 29th, respectively, while the school of law has consistently ranked 27th out of a field of 180 ABA accredited law schools.

UW was rated as the 17th best university in the world in the 2005 edition of the Academic Ranking of World UniversitiesTop 500 World Universities (2005). Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.. A private review by the National Opinion Research Center, and published in the Washington MonthlyThe Washington Monthly College Guide (2005). The Washington Monthly., ranked the university 14th among universities in the United States. The WebometricsWebometrics Ranking of World Universities (2006) ranking of world universities, which is based on the web-presence of the university, ranked UW 6th among all world universities. The G-FactorG-Factor International University Ranking (2006 International University Ranking methodology, which indicates an extensive and objective peer review of a university through its website, ranked UW 7th in the world.

History

The city of Seattle was one of several settlements in the mid to late 19th century vying for primacy in the newly formed Washington Territory. In 1854, territorial governor Isaac Stevens recommended the establishment of a university in Washington. Several prominent Seattle-area residents, chief among them Methodist preacher Daniel Bagley, saw the siting of this University as a chance to add to the city's prestige. They were able to convince early founder of Seattle and member of the territorial legislature Arthur A. Denny of the importance of Seattle winning the school. The legislature initially chartered two universities, one in Seattle and one in Lewis County, but later repealed its decision in favor of a single university in Lewis County, provided locally donated land could be found. When no site emerged, the legislature, encouraged by Denny, relocated the university to Seattle in 1858.

In 1861, scouting began for an appropriate 10 acre (40,000 m²) site in Seattle to serve as the campus for a new university. Denny, along with fellow pioneers Edward Lander and Charlie Terry, donated a site on "Denny's Knoll" in downtown Seattle. This tract was bounded by 4th and 6th Avenues on the east and west and Union and Seneca Streets on the north and south.

The original University building on Denny's Knoll, c1870

The UW opened officially on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The following year, the legislature passed articles formally incorporating the University and establishing a Board of Regents. The school struggled initially, closing three times: in 1863 for lack of students, and again in 1867 and 1876 due to shortage of funds. But by the time Washington entered the Union in 1889, both Seattle and the University had grown substantially. Enrollment had increased from an initial 30 students to nearly 300, and the relative isolation of the campus had given way to encroaching development. A special legislative committee headed by UW graduate Edmond Meany was created for the purpose of finding a new campus better able to serve the growing student population. The committee selected a site on Union Bay northeast of downtown, and the legislature appropriated funds for its purchase and subsequent construction.

The University relocated from downtown to the new campus in 1895, moving into the newly built Denny Hall. The regents tried and failed to sell the old campus, and eventually settled on leasing the area. The University still owns what is now called the Metropolitan Tract. In the heart of the city, it is among the most valuable pieces of real estate in Seattle and generates millions of dollars in revenue annually.

The orignal Territorial University building was torn down in 1908 and its former site currently houses the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The sole surviving remnants of the UW's first building are four 24-foot, white, hand-fluted cedar, Ionic columns. They were salvaged by Edmond_S._Meany--one of the University's first graduates and the former head of the history department. Meany and his colleague, Dean Herbert T. Condon, dubbed each of the columns "Loyalty," "Industry," "Faith" and "Efficiency," or "LIFE." The columns now stand in the Sylvan Grove Theater. [1]

The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition's lower campus axis toward Mount Rainier

Organizers of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition eyed the still largely undeveloped campus as a prime setting for their world's fair. They came to an agreement with the Board of Regents that allowed them to use the campus grounds for the exposition. In exchange, the University would be able to take advantage of the development of the campus for the fair after its conclusion. This included a detailed site plan and several buildings. The plan for the A-Y-P Exposition prepared by John C. Olmsted was later incorporated into the overall campus master plan and permanently affected the layout of the campus.

Both World Wars brought the military to the campus, with certain facilities temporarily loaned to the federal government. The subsequent post-war periods were times of dramatic growth for the University. The period between the wars saw significant expansion on the upper campus. Construction of the liberal arts quadrangle, known to students as "The Quad," began in 1916 and continued in stages until 1939. The first two wings of Suzzallo Library, considered the architectural centerpiece of the University, were built in 1926 and 1935, respectively. Further growth came with the end of World War II and passage of the G.I. Bill. Among the most important developments of this period was the opening of the medical school in 1946. It would eventually grow into the University of Washington Medical Center, now ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top ten hospitals in the United States.

In the early 1950s, the University of Washington Police Department was established. It currently has jurisdiction over the University of Washington campus and University-owned housing, except for the Radford Court apartments in Sand Point.

Charles Odegaard Library

The 1960s and 1970s are known as the "golden age" of the university due to the tremendous growth in students, facilities, operating budget and prestige under the leadership of Charles Odegaard from 1958 to 1973. Enrollment at the UW more than doubledas the baby boom generation came of age. As was the case at many American universities, this era was marked by high levels of student activism, with much of the unrest focused around opposition to the Vietnam War. Odegaard institued a vision of building a "community of scholars" and convinced the state of Washington legislatures to increase their investments towards the university. Additionally, Washington senators, Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson used their political clout to funnel federal research monies to the University of Washington and to this day, UW is among the top recipients of federal research funds in the United States. The results included an operating budget increase of $37 million USD in 1958, to over $400 million USD in 1973, and 35 new buildings that doubled the floor space of the university.

The University opened branch campuses in Bothell and Tacoma in 1990. Initially, these campuses offered curricula for students seeking bachelor's degrees who have already completed two years of higher education, but both schools will transition to four year universities accepting its first freshman class in the fall of 2006. Both campuses offer master's degree programs as well.

Organization

The HUB (Husky Union Building)

The current president of the University of Washington is Dr. Mark Emmert, the former chancellor of Louisiana State University. Emmert, a 1975 graduate, took office as the University's 30th president on June 14, 2004.

The University is governed by ten regents, one of whom is a student. Its most notable current regent is likely William H. Gates, Sr., father of Bill Gates. Student government is the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW).

The University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, themselves organized into various colleges and schools:{|valign=top|
*College of Architecture and Urban Planning
*College of Arts and Sciences
*Business School
*School of Dentistry
*College of Education
*College of Engineering
*College of Forest Resources
*The Graduate School
*Information School