WSU is in an unique position to serve our system and the people in it.
We often hear the question, “What makes WSU unique?” Is it the cheese? Is it the electric sport atmosphere? The ever-changing weather?
We hit the road to find out what the WSU community thinks. We conducted 52 in-depth interviews throughout the WSU system with faculty, staff, administrators, and students. Two themes emerged – unique structure as a system, and the Coug network.
Our unique structure
The most common thing we heard about what makes WSU unique is our OneWSU System. Each of the 6 campuses (Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Everett, Vancouver, Global) have their own unique set of strengths but are all under one system. With over 200 undergraduate majors, minors, certificates, and specializations – there is something for everyone here at WSU.
Our new vision statement also focuses on the strengths that each campus, college, and location bring to the system, and that resonated with the people we spoke with.
Sarah Roley is an assistant professor in the School of Environment at the WSU Tri Cities and talked to us about what she thinks make us unique.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to make the resources available to many more students than would be perhaps the case at other places. I also like how we’re acknowledging that there are differences in different places in the state, and we’re able to take what’s unique about each location and use that to its best advantage. We are building upon what’s unique about that place.”
Sarah Roley
Amy Meredith, the chair of the department of Speech and Hearing sciences at WSU Spokane was asked what resonates to her regarding the WSU vision as a whole.
“We take it to heart to be mindful of the state’s needs. So the fact that we are encouraged to do outreach and go talk to folks in different communities, go down to the Tri-Cities, for example, and see how we can better meet the needs of this state. I love that.”
Amy Meredith
WSU is an R1 institution, which benefits each campus equally and is a powerful factor that makes the university unique.
Our powerful Coug network
The phrase “Once a Coug, Always a Coug” rings true to every alum from Washington State. With over 1,900 events through the WSU Alumni Association happening annually worldwide, the Cougar spirit lives through them. That number of alumni create a powerful network across all 50 states and 146 countries.
Head volleyball coach on the WSU Pullman campus, Jen Greeny, spoke about her thoughts on being a Coug.
“Washington State is a tremendous university, athletic department, and community, having been here for quite a few years now, it’s just something that gets into your blood that you just can’t get rid of. There is something super special about being a Coug. You can go all over the world and you are going to find somebody that see that logo and says “Go Cougs”, and I don’t think you can find that anywhere else.
Jen Greeny
Many others echoed that sentiment; you get drawn back in. As a senior at WSU myself, I am proud to say I am a Coug and thrilled to join the network of alums in less than 3 short months when I graduate in May! The thought of being a part of a bigger family post-grad is comforting, knowing that I can find support while also giving back to my fellow Cougs wherever I might end up.
Uniquely positioned for impact
Washington State University’s mission statement states that WSU “is a public land-grant research university that is committed to the principles of practical education for all, scholarly inquiry that benefits society, and the sharing of expertise to positively impact the state and communities.”
Through these interviews that we conducted, the message came loud and clear: WSU is indeed uniquely positioned to fulfill its land-grant mission. Time and time again, we heard from faculty, staff, and students about the incredible ways WSU supports and gives back to the state.
“Keep up the good work, what you do matters. It matters to the students, and it matters to our community, both locally and across the state.”
Sarah Roley
Whether you are taking an online course through Global Campus, teaching in the Todd Auditorium, or conducting research in the Tri Cities (or any campus for that matter), you are making a difference as we provide an exceptional educational experience. That is something we can all be proud of.
About the Author
Erica Johnson is a Strategic Communication Intern for the Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis.