Olympia – For the first time in years, The Evergreen State College expects a larger entering class as teaching starts today at the college’s Olympia and Tacoma campuses.
This year's entering class grew by 14%, the largest proportional increase since 2000. This larger entering class halts recent enrollment losses at the college, including smaller entering classes during the last two years of COVID. The final tally will be taken after day 10 of fall quarter.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we find that students want the kind of education that Evergreen provides more than ever. Evergreen offers an affordable, flexible education, where students work closely with faculty and with each other to achieve their goals,” said Evergreen President Dr. John Carmichael.
Executive Vice President Dr. Dexter Gordon attributed part of the enrollment turn-around to a dedicated admissions team, a range of initiatives, and an innovative partnership between staff and the college’s faculty union. In addition, Evergreen launched new certificate programs in its school for Professional and Continuing Education geared towards adult learners, and a new Early Childhood Education program at the Tacoma campus. A new scholarship to encourage former students who have yet to complete their degree was also added. “Evergreen took an all-hands-on-deck approach to new student recruitment where nearly 50 faculty, administrators, and even college board of trustees members partnered together to work directly with students and guide them through the admissions process,” said Dr. Gordon.
“The team met hundreds of students in one-on-one meetings that were exciting and enjoyable. We approached each student as an individual and showed them how Evergreen practices education. Evergreen respects students by trusting their curiosity. That trust, combined with individual attention, makes all the difference,” said faculty initiative leaders Dr. Nancy Koppelman and Dr. Bradley Proctor.
“This collaboration demonstrated what can be done when faculty and college staff partner together for the benefit of students. As such, this teamwork will continue as the college ramps up for its next recruitment cycle,” added Gordon.
A year ago, Evergreen embarked on a new leadership model which put Carmichael and Gordon at the helm as president and executive vice president to co-lead the college. In the past month, Washington Monthly’s national magazine ranked Evergreen No. 1 for contributions to the public good among more than 600 colleges and universities. The U.S. Department of Education also recently awarded the college a $2.1 million Title III grant to increase access and success for students.
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OLYMPIA – This week, the U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $2 million in Title III grant dollars to The Evergreen State College for its Strengthening Institutions Program.
The grant money funds a five-year project that will continue Evergreen’s work to increase college capacity in student access and success for historically underserved students through holistic advising and coordinated wrap-around services. The funding will also help leverage technology to strengthen Evergreen’s student support services and expand community- and career-connected learning.
“Evergreen’s vibrant, cross-divisional collaborations were critical to designing and securing this exciting grant,” explained Dr. Therese Saliba, Associate Vice President of Inclusive Excellence & Student Success. “Many thanks to all the Evergreen faculty and staff who helped envision what proactive, holistic support for our diverse students could look like. We are excited to move forward to fully support our students both personally and holistically.”
“The Evergreen State College was created to bring affordable, world-class education to everyone – especially those who are typically underserved by higher education,” said Executive Vice President, Dr. Dexter Gordon. “This federal funding is an investment in Evergreen so we can expand student support thus enabling them to focus on their educational success.”
Evergreen will also use the funding to create an early alert system that will identify students who are struggling and provide them with the resources they need to get back on track.
“This is Evergreen’s first Title III grant award and will help us in our ability to identify and support students in need and provide tools for faculty and staff to ensure that all roads lead to student success,” explained Gordon.
For more information about The Evergreen State College, please visit evergreen.edu and to learn more about student success initiatives, please visit the college’s Inclusive Excellence and Student Success webpage.
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OLYMPIA – The Evergreen State College has earned the top spot ranking by Washington Monthly in their 2022 University Rankings.
Since 2005 Washington Monthly has ranked four-year, liberal arts colleges based on their contributions to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research and promoting public service.
“This first-place ranking by Washington Monthly in our category includes more than 600 colleges and universities around the country. It celebrates how Evergreen’s learning model is grounded in values of service, community, social responsibility,” said Evergreen President, Dr. John Carmichael. “Our faculty are committed to teaching students problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate tough issues through respectful and thoughtful discourse to be of service to our communities.”
Evergreen is about collaboration and collective problem solving while bolstering access to a dynamic learning model, especially for populations who have historically been excluded from higher education. “This recognition shows that Evergreen’s approach to learning works for students, for their families, and for the communities they are part of", added Carmichael.
“Washington has some of the best public colleges in the country,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. “The Evergreen State College’s number one spot is no surprise to those of us who know just how dedicated the college’s students, educators and staff are. This is a well-deserved recognition of the opportunity Washington’s students have to receive top-notch higher education that includes academic offerings dedicated to public good.”
Over the decades, Evergreen’s graduates have done amazing things. They have contributed to groundbreaking research, become industry leaders, teachers, public servants, policy experts and successful entrepreneurs.
Evergreen also landed the #15 spot on Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck Colleges” list.
For more information on how you can take the next step in your career path by earning your degree at Evergreen, visit www.evergreen.edu Check out Evergreen’s new Professional and Continuing Education certificate offerings and graduate programs too.
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OLYMPIA — The Evergreen State College will host several info sessions on the new lineup of certificates being added to the list of offerings this fall.
The certificate programs are designed to help individuals build skills in growing fields such as:
• Business and administration
• Integrated computer science
• Environmental solutions
• Interdisciplinary art, media and design
The first information session is scheduled for 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 30 and other sessions are scheduled in both August and September.
“Our mission is to provide transformative education to professionals by combining theory with practice as they continue to develop more skills and competencies,” said Evergreen’s Board of Trustees’ chair Karen Fraser. “Through these new offerings, students will be able to advance in their careers and create a better world.”
The certificates are the first in a series of new credentials at Evergreen that will roll out over the next few years. All the offerings aim to give students hands-on experience in their field and provide an accessible, affordable and practical way to build new skills.
The college, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, continues to provide bachelor’s and master’s degrees in addition to the new certificates.
Learn more about certificates at Evergreen by attending an upcoming info session.
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