University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce says the growing UW Bothell campus represents the best of what the University is accomplishing.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Mobius Hall on Thursday, after meeting with the UW Board of Regents, (Photo by Kristian Gorman)
Cauce said UW Bothell represents access to excellence.
"There are still very few universities that are doing access and excellence well," she said. "It's when you put those two things together you get real transformation. It's when you change the direction of somebody's life."
Cauce also said the Bothell campus is at the heart of innovation.
"What's so special about a university like ours, it's not just about studying things that have happened — you know building up facts — it's really about shaping the future."
The interdisciplinary approach to education, the focus on student-faculty relationships and the overall student experience are also points of pride at Bothell, Cauce said.
"It's been a joy watching this campus develop. It will continue to develop," she said. "There are growing pains. There's a lot to be done, but I am so pleased and proud UW Bothell is part of our three campuses."
In a question period, Cauce fielded requests for a diversity center and a day care center on campus, diversity in hiring faculty, and gender-neutral restrooms. In a sense, most of these issues are "good problems," she said, related to growth.
Chancellor Bjong Wolf Yeigh, who thanked Cauce and the regents for their campus visit, said UW Bothell is committed to making a diversity center happen. He also promised to look into expediting gender-neutral restrooms.
