The first freshman class ever at the University of Washington’s Bothell campus starts hitting the books today, signaling a new direction for the branch campus.
Kendra Porter, 18, is one of 142 freshmen learning on a campus that had previously been open only to transfer and graduate students.
“I’m excited to see what it’s like,” said Porter, of Edmonds, who graduated this year from Kamiak High School. “I think we’re going to be kind of like guinea pigs. … I don’t really know what to expect.”
Thirty-eight percent of the UW-Bothell freshman class comes from Snohomish County, mostly the south end. Most students hail from Bothell and Everett, with others coming from Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mukilteo, Edmonds, Monroe, Snohomish, Brier, Arlington, Marysville and Mountlake Terrace.
Students will have a university experience different from most.
The branch campus is a commuter school, with no on- or off-site dormitories. It shares a campus with a community college. There’s no cafeteria. Sports are off the list.
For now, the fun side of college life consists mainly of clubs and a game room.
Even their classroom experiences will be a bit different.
Freshmen will choose from a special list of “discovery” classes that combine subjects, such as English and science. Some are taught by a team of two instructors. Each class centers around a theme of the relationship between nature and culture.
“We’re trying to really reinvent what we mean by a classroom,” said Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, a faculty member.
The “discovery” classes will help students make the transition from high school to college life, while encouraging a sense of community, he said.
Students also can choose an elective class to take, from calculus to a class focused on the magical realism genre of fiction.
Kochhar-Lindgren said he also plans to form a freshman advisory group on campus additions they’d like to see.
UW-Bothell opened 15 years ago near the border of King and Snohomish counties to serve upper-division and graduate students. It offers degrees in business, computing and interdisciplinary arts and sciences through day and evening classes.
In an effort to provide more access to high school graduates to four-year degrees, the Legislature last year allowed the state’s university branch campuses to also start enrolling freshmen and sophomores.
UW-Bothell received more than 420 applications.
Many students, such as Porter, were drawn to the school as a closer alternative to the UW’s flagship Seattle campus.
“I can live at home, so it’s a lot cheaper,” Porter said.
Dan Dawson, 19, enrolled after a visit impressed him.
The Edmonds resident graduated from North Sound Christian High School in Mountlake Terrace. He liked UW-Bothell’s small class sizes, friendly faculty and emphasis on “real-world learning.”
“I don’t want to disappear into the masses,” Dawson said. “When you’re one in a class of 125 and not 3,000, you have more of a chance to make an impact and influence the people around you.”
It’s a description that mirrors the usual pitch of community colleges.
Cascadia Community College shares a campus with UW-Bothell and has special transfer agreements with the branch university.
Cascadia President Bill Christopher said he expects that relationship – along with cheaper tuition and more comprehensive class offerings – will continue to draw students.
Enrollment at Cascadia is on track to continue growing, with 2,200 students enrolled full- or part-time, he said.
“Certainly, a whole group of students who may not have come to this campus before came to check out University of Washington-Bothell, and when they did that they saw Cascadia as well,” Christopher said.
Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@heraldnet.com.
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