The University of Washington wants to increase enrollment and create a science and technology program at its Bothell campus, moves that would severely dim once bright hopes for launching a new college in Snohomish County.
UW President Mark Emmert is proposing to add 2,250 students at Bothell in the next 10 years, a near doubling of its state-allotted fulltime enrollment slots. A majority of the new slots would be for freshmen.
Emmert also wants add 3,350 slots at its Tacoma branch and 2,400 at its main Seattle campus.
He unveiled his plan to the UW Board of Regents Thursday and will present it to the state Higher Education Coordinating Board next week.
Also Thursday, the regents heard a proposal for a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program at Bothell.
This academic focus has been considered the instructional core for the proposed new campus. It is unclear if launching it at Bothell precludes expanding or relocating it to a future college.
Efforts to get a UW branch campus started in Snohomish County stalled in March when lawmakers couldn’t agree on whether to build it in Everett or Marysville.
Randy Hodgins, the university’s government relations director, said today that the 10-year plan does not mention a new campus but does not preclude its pursuit either.
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