University of Washington
In Tacoma, Washington, the University of Washington Tacoma (UW Tacoma) is a branch campus of the University of Washington. The UW Tacoma campus first debuted in 1990 as a rented space before becoming a permanent campus in 1997.
The campus of 46-acre overlooks Mount Rainier and the Port of Tacoma and is situated on the southern outskirts of Tacoma downtown. UW Tacoma refurbished bricked old buildings and established the railroad-dependent companies in the late 1880s in the historic Union Station District. The transformation of these structures into contemporary classrooms has gained the university architectural accolades. The University of Washington Tacoma incorporated the Northern Pacific Railway’s history and role in the founding of Tacoma into the campus design.
The Tacoma Art Museum, Washington State History Museum, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, and the wonderfully recreated Union Station, are all located on the east side of campus, across Pacific Ave. The Chihuly Bridge of Glass is situated in the north part of the Washington State History Museum. The Chihuly Bridge of Glass is a bridge with different spans of I-705 and takes you to the Chihuly Museum of Glass.
Students Life
The University of Washington and Kitsap Counties and the YMCA of Pierce are collaborated to create the University Y Student Center. The YMCA is a 73,000-square-foot service including fitness areas and leisure, cardio, weight training equipment, an NCAA-approved gymnasium, locker rooms, and an indoor track. The building also serves as a student center, including space for student organizations, programming, and events, as well as social areas and a student lounge.
Court 17 Residence Hall at UW Tacoma provides student on-campus living. The residence hall can accommodate 290 students.
The Ledger is UW Tacoma’s award-winning independent student newspaper. During the academic quarters of fall, winter, and spring, it produces an eight-page issue every Monday and provides information online. Both as a publication and with individual student journalists, The Ledger has placed in the Associated Collegiate Press’s national Best of Show competitions.
History
Interest in higher education possibilities in the South Sound grew after the creation of The Evergreen State College in Olympia in 1967. In 1986, the Higher Education Coordination Board recommended that both the University of Washington and Washington State University establish branch campuses. New UW campuses were chosen in Tacoma and Bothell, while three new WSU campuses were chosen in Vancouver, the Tri-Cities, and Spokane. The new campuses’ primary purpose was to give additional education to the expanding number of community college transfer students, as well as “time-bound, place-bound” individuals with limited access to educational opportunities in areas with “demonstrated regional needs.”
On May 29, 1997, the current campus opened after a long wait. Several more buildings have been renovated after the original one opened. The transformer house for the Snoqualmie Falls Power Company used to be a part of the campus library. The names of the buildings, such as Mattress Factory and West Coast Grocery, allude to their previous functions. The construction of Sound Transit’s 1.6-mile Tacoma Link light rail line to the downtown area boosted transportation in 2003.
