The 2017 legislative session kicked off in Olympia today, marking the first day of the 105-day session that is scheduled to conclude April 23rd. During the months ahead, legislators will consider policy proposals and work to adopt a new two-year state budget.

Listed below are Western’s legislative priorities for the 2017 session. These proposals would build upon Western’s strengths as a publicly purposed university and serve the needs of Washington State:

Operating Budget

• Critical Compensation Adjustments – Western competes in a national higher education marketplace and requests funding to attract and retain talented employees.

• Student Success and Enhancing Equity, Inclusion and Diversity – Western requests $5.8 million per biennium to strengthen essential services that help students graduate such as academic advising, tutoring, mental health services and support services for students with disabilities. This request also includes strategies and staffing to help ensure an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students.

• Reducing Bottlenecks in STEM Degree Programs – Western requests $2.7 million per biennium to accommodate an additional 100 STEM students per year and address bottlenecks in high-demand programs by increasing capacity in entry-level Math, Physics and Chemistry courses.

• Address Washington State’s Teacher Shortage – Western requests $6.4 million per biennium to address the state’s teacher shortage by preparing an additional 225 teachers each year in the areas of greatest need: STEM Secondary Education, Special Education, Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. As a leader in teacher preparation with graduates working in schools throughout the state, Western stands ready to assist the state on this important issue.

• Marine, Coastal and Watershed Degree Program – Western requests $2.9 million per biennium and $1.2 million in one-time costs to establish a new interdisciplinary STEM degree program designed to meet student and employer demand and help address Washington’s emerging challenges associated with climate change, resource management, and the growing fields of coastal science and policy.

Capital Budget

• Sciences Building Addition and Renovation – Western’s top capital priority includes $56.2 million for the first phase of a design-construction project on Western’s 43-year-old Sciences Building. The two-phase project will include a modest addition to the building followed by a major renovation to the existing structure, ultimately accommodating 90 to 100 new bachelor’s and graduate degrees in high-demand fields each year.

• Other capital priorities include funding for Classroom and Lab Upgrades, Access Control and Security Upgrades, and funding for Disability Resource Services at Haggard Hall.

Although this will be a challenging session for a Legislature that will need to address budget requirements related to K-12 education under the McCleary Supreme Court ruling, Western looks forward to working with legislators to highlight the vital importance of supporting public higher education and funding Western’s legislative priorities. You can find additional information about Western’s legislative priorities here.

Additionally, Western, along with Washington State’s other five public baccalaureate institutions, the Independent Colleges of Washington, and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges are united behind Washington Competes: A Sector-wide Agenda for Higher Education Growth and Completion.

Stay tuned to the Western Legislative Review for updates from Olympia throughout the legislative session. You can also follow us on Twitter.