Eastern Washington University, Washington State University, and Community Colleges of Spokane have adopted a joint academic plan for the Riverpoint Campus in response to a 2004 state directive that they collaborate in their offerings here.


The plan, released last month, lays out those institutions roles in providing instruction, research, and community outreach programs on the campus, located east of downtown. Its focused on four academic themeshealth and biomedical sciences and professions, interdisciplinary design, education, and community viability and economic development.


A main goal of the collaboration, the schools say, is to provide what they call pathways for students to obtain education from post-high school through graduate degrees in those academic areas, primarily at the Riverpoint Campus.


One of the unique pieces really is what we call the post-secondary career pathways, where its possible for students in certain areas to start at CCS, then come to the Riverpoint campus and go to EWU or WSU and complete four-year degrees, then move into masters or doctorate programs, says Ron Dalla, interim executive dean for EWU Spokane.


The plan outlines a possible dual admission process in which students would apply simultaneously to a community college and either EWU or WSU, and conceivably all three. The students then would get advice from each school to steer them through the programs and transfers between the schools. The institutions say that would ease transitions for students and encourage them to remain here, offering them incentives to get on a track that would take them through two-year, four-year, and possibly graduate degrees.


The schools say the details of coordinating such a process arent worked out yet, but they anticipate it could give transfer students certain priorities and advantages, such as early registration the quarter before they transfer.


The schools plan to offer collaboratively what they call gap coursesbasic requirements that students commonly need to make up to complete their degreetaught by the community colleges at the lower level and by EWU and WSU for upper-division and graduate courses. Many of the courses offered by CCS could be taught at the Riverpoint Campus, says Jim Minkler, district academic services officer for CCS, depending on how much demand there is for them. Others might be offered at one of the community college campuses here for students attending classes at Riverpoint, he says.


In addition, the plan envisions developing programs that would train people to fill emerging career niches here. Those programs would be developed in coordination with the Spokane-area work-force development council and Greater Spokane Incorporated.


Brian Pitcher, WSU-Spokane chancellor, says the academic and outreach programs will become more defined and policy issues will be worked out over time as the programs take shape. He says the overarching question the plan attempts to address is: How do you take the strengths of each of these institutions and add value for the community and add value to the whole institution?


By 2020, WSU and EWU project that the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled at the Riverpoint Campus will double to more than 5,000. That number is expected to crest 3,000 within the next five years, from 2,500 now. Though the plan includes collaboration with CCS, it isnt clear how many community college-enrolled students will end up taking courses on the Riverpoint Campus, so the projections dont include such students.


Minkler says some lower division courses could be taught by CCS at Riverpoint, but at this point CCS has no plans to move programs there. It is, however, working on creating more two-year degrees that would be transferrable to the four-year institutions there, he says.


The plan is broad, with many details still to work out, says WSUs Pitcher. For example, scheduling of courses and programs is an issue since WSU follows a semester-based calendar, while both EWU and CCS operate on quarter-based academic calendars.


Some of our inefficiency is that we are on different calendars, Pitcher says. He says its unlikely that WSU would adopt a quarter-based calendar.


To address the calendar issue, EWU is preparing to try out a semester-based calendar this fall for the communication disorders program, one of the programs it currently offers jointly with WSU at Riverpoint. EWUs Dalla says a task force is being formed to examine the possibility of converting more programs to a semester-based calendar.


The plan also says collaboration by EWU and WSU is important in developing future buildings on the campus. Pitcher says the plan will become the basis for EWU and WSU together seeking funds from the Legislature for a planned structure to house biomedical and health-sciences programs.


We need to plan the classroom and the laboratory spaces, Pitcher says. He says the institutions plan to seek both state and private money for capital projects based on the academic emphases.


Academic themes


Though a number of program areas are identified in the plan, the current academic thrust for the campus is expanding the health-sciences programs, Pitcher says.


The emphasis is startup and expansion of health-sciences activity, he says. The areas are already here, but some of the particular initiatives are yet to be developed.


The plan outlines roles for each of the institutions in the four broad academic themes:


Health and biomedical sciences and professions. WSU will offer programs including nursing, pharmacy, and community and rural public health, among others. EWU would offer degrees in dental hygiene, health services administration, communication disorders, occupational and physical therapy, physical therapy, and medical diagnostics. CCS would offer associate degrees in dental assisting, occupational therapy, health education, health information technology, and pharmacy technician. Research programs through WSU and EWU could involve sleep, cancer, ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders, and cardiovascular disease.


Interdisciplinary design. WSU plans to offer programs and degrees in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and interdisciplinary design, including a doctorate in design, as well as research and outreach in areas such as health and design, sustainable communities, and global impact. EWU has identified an urban and regional planning, history, and policy program, as well as a center of water and river ecology, as planned offerings. CCS plans to offer its water resources technology and architectural technology degrees as pathways toward baccalaureate and graduate degrees.


Education. WSU, EWU, and CCS have proposed a Riverpoint partnership for math and science. In addition, WSU plans math-science improvement research clusters, masters and doctoral level education degrees, and principal and superintendent certificates among its possible offerings at Riverpoint. WSU and EWU plan to sponsor jointly a math, engineering, and science achievement program (MESA), and CCS will offer associate level general education in preparation for majors in those academic areas.


Community viability and economic development. WSU has launched an executive masters degree in business and has begun or plans programs in criminal justice and linkages with its Pullman campus communication programs. EWU plans interdisciplinary studies, programs in business, graduate programs in communications, social work, public administration, and creative writing. As needed, CCS will offer associates degrees in preparation for four-year majors in business, education, criminal justice, communication, social science, humanities, and developmental education. WSU plans to consider outreach, extension, research, and economic-development programs including a division of government studies and services, community and rural development, an energy program, and a design assistance center. EWU offers an institute for public policy and economic analysis, a center for entrepreneurial activity, and a business resource center.


The plan says the schools also would collaborate on efforts to attract more students to Riverpoint. It proposes development of an inter-institutional advising program to help high school counselors develop pathways for high-school freshmen. Dalla says the importance of taking math and science in preparation for entering health-sciences programs would be one area of emphasis of that initiative.


Contact Jeanne Gustafson at (509) 344-1264 or via e-mail at jeanneg@spokanejournal.com.