CSE Strategic Plan

The College of Science and Engineering at Western Washington University is a vibrant community of educators and researchers dedicated to advancing knowledge and solving critical challenges in the natural sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning environment that prepares students for impactful careers and lifelong learning. Our faculty and staff support cutting-edge research, community engagement, and innovative teaching practices, ensuring that students develop the skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly changing world. By emphasizing academic excellence, equity, and sustainability, we strive to empower students to make meaningful contributions to science, engineering, and society. 

The College of Science and Engineering is one of the largest academic units at Western Washington University, serving over 2,000 majors annually in eight academic departments and two academic programs. We offer a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Our degree programs provide students with a solid foundation in their fields while emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches and real-world applications. With state-of-the-art facilities and approximately 400 dedicated faculty and staff members, the college fosters an engaging and supportive academic environment where students can pursue their passions and achieve their goals.
 

Mission and Vision

The mission of Western Washington University’s College of Science and Engineering is to:

• Promote lifelong learning through state-of-the-art programs that emphasize experiential learning and scholarship.
• Produce globally impactful discoveries, innovation, and student-engaged research.
• Provide equitable and inclusive pathways in STEM for students to achieve their career goals in the state of Washington and beyond.
• Engage with the broader community by building and sustaining strong regional academic, industrial, and other community partnerships.

The vision of Western Washington University’s College of Science and Engineering is to be recognized as the region’s premier institution for student-focused undergraduate and master’s-level programs in STEM.

Strategic Priority: Student Support

Aligned with Western Washington University’s Core Theme of “Advancing Inclusive Success,” the College of Science and Engineering is committed to supporting the academic success and career readiness of our students.  We aim to leverage the passion and commitment of our faculty and staff, our connection to alumni across the state, and our close student-faculty relationships to support Western’s efforts to advance student success, both at Western and beyond.

Academic Departments and Programs

• Enhance career pathways for students
• Improve access to career readiness support services
• Expand opportunities for student engagement with scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in industry, government, and educational careers
• Improve advising for students at all levels
• Ensure support for staff and faculty advisors
• Increase access to academic support mechanisms

Student Support Actions

• Coordinate with career services to assess and implement opportunities to support CSE students
• Sponsor events in which external guests come to campus to engage students in a variety of formats
• Survey current practices and gap areas from students and advisors at all levels
• Research best practices for departmental advising
• Work with university advising to assess needs and opportunities for collaboration
• Create or expand advising training and support materials for faculty and staff
• Review relevant support services across campus, and ensure broad awareness and up-to-date information in departments
• Create or strengthen supporting courses or programs that target retention

Student Support Metrics

• Number of students participating in career-focused events hosted by career services or the college
  Survey items - overall satisfaction of students, faculty, and staff with advising access, quality, and support
• Time to degree
• DFW (grades D, F, or W) rates in first-year courses
• Retention rates from pre-major to major and major to graduation in relevant programs

Strategic Priority: Curriculum and teaching excellence 

Aligned with Western Washington University’s Core Theme of “Enhancing Academic Excellence,” the College of Science and Engineering is dedicated to providing a state-of-the-art and comprehensive STEM education. Western began its history as a college for future teachers, and that passion for excellence in education has remained central to its identity as it has evolved into the thriving university it is today. In the college, these values are reflected in the commitment to delivering a learning environment that prioritizes excellence, accessibility, and relevance.

• Provide up-to-date and career-relevant education in STEM
• Promote and support best instructional practices, including the use of current and emerging technologies
• Support and retain classroom and laboratory staff  

Curriculum and teaching excellence actions

• Department-led development and implementation of a timeline and process for reviewing curriculum, with a focus on current relevance, sustainable program size and access, future student demographics, breadth and relevance of General Undergraduate Requirements (GUR) and supporting course offerings, accessibility of degree pathways for students, and support of student career pathways.
• Strengthen graduate programs by assessing needs and opportunities in collaboration with the graduate school
• Maintain and expand professional development programs focused on teaching excellence
• Seek sustainable funding for ongoing faculty and teaching assistantship professional development
• Assess staff concerns and issues, and develop a plan to address them
• Assess department staffing, areas of relative need, and opportunities for improved support

Curriculum and teaching excellence metrics

• Number of completed curriculum or program reviews (internal or external)
• Number of completed professional development opportunities
• Assessment items, like turnover, retention and job satisfaction related to support for classroom and lab staff
• Time to degree in CSE majors

Strategic Priority: Research excellence

Aligned with Western Washington University’s Core Theme of “Enhancing Academic Excellence,” the College of Science and Engineering seeks to leverage its status as one of the most research-engaged institutions of its type in the country, with the goal of expanding access to, and support for, research opportunities for students and faculty throughout the college. 

• Expand financial support for summer and academic year undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research opportunities
• Pursue and advocate for funding opportunities for new and existing equipment, facilities, and infrastructure
• Support and retain technical staff  

Research Excellence Actions

• Work with partners in University Advancement to raise funds in support of student and faculty research
• Develop structures for monitoring, communicating, and supporting external grant proposal opportunities
• Create a college-wide equipment inventory and maintenance, replacement, and upgrade plan
• Perform an initial lab safety assessment including needs related to communication between college technical support staff and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), the University Safety Committee, college leadership, and faculty
• Create a staff climate survey to assess staff satisfaction and needs

Research Excellence Metrics

• WWU ranking of federal research expenditures from the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey
  Number of foundation-funded research opportunities for students
• Total number of research experiences for students
• Number of submitted grant applications
• Number of students enrolled in Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs)
• Number of equipment and infrastructure-related grant proposals submitted by CSE faculty
• Assessment items, like turnover, retention, and job satisfaction, related to support for technical support staff

Strategic Priority: Equity

Aligned with Western Washington University’s Core Theme of “Advancing Inclusive Success,” the College of Science and Engineering is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for all students, faculty, and staff. We recognize that the needs of individuals in our community, and the roles they play in advancing equity and inclusive success, are highly varied and require tailored support structures. Our focus is therefore on building those structures, and on supporting a commitment to continuous improvement informed by thoughtful assessment.

• Support ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty, staff, and teaching assistants (TAs) on student-centered and inclusive instructional practices
• Build community and a sense of belonging within CSE
• Ensure equitable policies and procedures at the department and college levels

Equity Actions

• Ensure sustainable resourcing of existing faculty and TA training
• Review admissions and retention data to identify groups in need of better support, and design action plans as appropriate
• Increase opportunities for collaboration and interaction within the college
• Ensure access to, and representation of, a diversity of science and engineering role models
• Assess best practices for formal and informal reporting and follow-up mechanisms to address academic or non-academic concerns
• Create and implement a college climate survey
• Review hiring practices to ensure they counter biases that have historically limited diversity in STEM
• Improve accessibility of spaces and programming for faculty, staff, and students
• Review and advise department and college policies and procedures through an equity lens

Equity Metrics

• The proportion of instructional staff, TAs, and faculty completing relevant trainings
• Belonging and community survey results
• Retention data for groups identified as focus groups

Strategic Priority: Engagement and Regional Context 

Aligned with Western Washington University’s Core Theme of “Increasing Washington Impact,” the College of Science and Engineering is dedicated to strengthening its deep connections with the community while expanding its reach regionally, nationally, and internationally. The college seeks to foster and grow partnerships with local educational institutions, industry, government, and community organizations, enhancing opportunities for students both pre- and post-graduation. These efforts will support the region’s workforce while ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds have the resources and support needed to achieve their STEM educational goals.

• Foster and expand regional partnerships
• Increase local, regional, and national/international visibility and recognition of CSE faculty and programs
• Improve outreach and connections with college alumni, and tracking and reporting of alumni outcomes
• Increase opportunities for students by offering a variety of educational pathways to achieve their STEM educational goals

Engagement and Regional Context Actions

• Survey the current regional industry, government, and educational partnerships with CSE to determine opportunities to expand engagement
• Create bandwidth and infrastructure at the college level for supporting and growing industry partnerships
• Organize regular alumni engagement events and update alumni information
• Launch a college newsletter
• Survey advisory boards for an updated understanding of their most pressing employee advancement and hiring needs
• Work with regional colleges to improve articulation agreements with technical and community colleges

Engagement and Regional Context Metrics

• Number or scope of industrial and governmental relationships
• Number of direct communications (newsletters, give-day contacts, holiday cards, etc.)
• Stories run in outside venues and social media engagement
• Number of alumni engagement events
• Number, time to degree, and success rate of transfer students in CSE programs
• Number of graduates in high-demand programs (undergraduate and graduate programs)

Process and Timeline

The creation of this Strategic Plan for the College of Science and Engineering began in the Fall of 2023 with the establishment of the Strategic Planning Task Force (SPTF) and the approval of its roster by the Policy, Planning, and Budget Council (PPBC).

SPTF Membership

• Spencer Anthony-Cahill (Faculty, Chemistry)
• Heather Greenlaw (Staff, Physics and Astronomy)
• Nicole Larson (Faculty, Engineering and Design)
• Janelle Leger (Dean, CSE)
• Benjamin Miner (Faculty, Biology)
• Sean Mulcahy (Faculty, Geology)
• Tyanin Opdahl (Student, Computer Science)
• Mariana Smit Vega Garcia (Faculty, Mathematics)

The charge of the SPTF was to create a five-year strategic plan for the college.  Through an iterative process of seeking input and feedback from students, staff, and faculty, the SPTF completed the text of the final plan in the Fall of 2024. While implementing the plan begins in earnest in the Fall of 2025, initial work began in the academic year of 2024-25 to align activities and goals with college committees, departments, and programs. Each year, the Dean and Associate Dean will work with college leadership and committees to assess progress on the strategic plan, and to guide the college’s efforts accordingly via the articulation of the upcoming year’s action plan, in a way that is respectful of the current institutional, regional, and national context. The college plans to develop the next full strategic plan starting in the Fall of 2029.