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Part of Report and Recommendations on The Evergreen State College. A Report in Response to Substitute Senate Bill 3109

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COUNCIL FOR POSTSECONDARY

EDUCATION

CITIZEN MEMBERS

Allison S. Cowles
Chairman
Spokane

Betty Fletcher
Seattle

Tommy Ambrose
Vice Chairman
Rich!and

Robert M. Humphrey
Everett

Arthur Andersen
Tacoma

Zack Lueck
Spokane

Robert Flennaugh
Seattle

Ruth Shepherd
Kennewick

STATE OF WASHINGTON
COUNCIL FOR POSTSECONDARY

EDUCATION

THE EVERGREEN STUDY:
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON
THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE

Richard P. Wollenberg
Longview
ADVISORY MEMBERS

Frank B. Brouillet
Superintendent of Public
Instruction

John Terrey, Director
State Board for Community
College Education

H. George Frederickson
President

Philip M. Phibbs, President
University of Puget Sound

Eastern Washington University
Homer Halverson, Director
Commission for Vocational
Education

A REPORT
IN RESPONSE TO
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 3109

Thomas Galbraith
Office of the Governor

Harold Wosepka, President
Trend Systems, Inc.
STAFF

C. Gail Norris
Executive Coordinator
William Chance, Deputy Coordinator
Planning and Research

Denis J. Curry, Deputy Coordinator
Finance and Information System

February, 1979

Carl Donovan, Deputy Coordinator
Student Services

Prepared by:

908 East Fifth
Olympia, Washington 98504

Dr. William Chance
Denis J. Curry

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Several Council staff members have assisted with and contributed to
the report.

Special recognition should go to Eleanore Kenny, who prepared

and conducted the high school survey, the survey of graduates, the interviews with high school counselors, and the survey of employers.

Maureen

Pierre conducted the interviews with current students at Evergreen, both on
the main campus and in the Vancouver program.

She also compiled the place-

ment information and assisted with the Fairhaven analysis.

Neil Uhlman con-

ducted the national institutional survey and prepared most of the material on
Fairhaven.

Norm Fischer worked on the cost analysis. Jacquelin Johnson

compiled much of the material in the chapter on demographics.

Others on the

staff assisted in a support capacity, administering the surveys in the
classrooms, reading drafts, etc.

Peggy Anet should be mentioned here, along

with those previously mentioned who also were willing to drop whatever
project they were working on and lend a hand.

Finally, there is a tendency

to overlook the contributions of those who are responsible for logistics, but
without whose devotion to their work, deadlines, which always seem to be
established without their consultation, could not be met.

Janet Nuzum and

Kristina Phillips, who are the secretaries for the Planning and Research
Section and the Finance and Information Systems Section, respectively, need
to be named here.

It is significant that they typed these words over the

Thanksgiving weekend so that the report would be completed on time.
Finally, the contributions of the people at Evergreen deserve special
mention.

The administration, staff, faculty, and students'have been very

-i-

cooperative and open in their assistance with the study.

Meetings have

THE EVERGREEN STUDY: REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ON THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE IN RESPONSE TO
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 3109

been scheduled on short notice, and the comments at these meetings have
been open and constructive.

Reports, files, and papers have been collected

INTRODUCTION

from archives long forgotten and placed at the disposal of the staff. This
support has been unflagging, and it is clear that this report could not
have been prepared without it.

Eleven years after its creation, The Evergreen State College is at a
critical point.

Established in the midst of an unprecedented enrollment

expansion, Washington's first new public four-year college in seventy-five
years was one response to an expected shortage of 17,000 college places by
1975.
Dr. William Chance
Denis J. Curry

Since Evergreen subsequently opted to be different in its educational

mode, it also represented a response to contemporary calls for reform in
higher education.
The growth in higher education enrollments has not materialized as
scheduled, and it appears that enthusiasm for nontraditional education has
subsided, at least for awhile. These conditions have created problems for
Evergreen.
The initial growth projections, presented as planning assumptions to
the College, described a total enrollment of 12,000 to 13,000 students in
the early-to-mid 1980's. During its first years, enrollment pressures were
so great that waiting lists at Evergreen were the rule, and limitations were
imposed to allow for planned development.

Since Fall, 1974, however,

Evergreen's Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) enrollment has declined. While the
College's headcount enrollment showed steady growth through 1976, in Fall,
1977, for the first time, it too declined to a level only slightly higher
than that of 1973.

1 Temporary Advisory Committee on Public Higher Education (TACPHE), "A
Report on Higher Education in Washington," October, 1966, p. 5, p. 37.

And while Evergreen responded in ways that have given it national
recognition as an innovative institution, and Washington a reputation as
a state willing to support experimentation in higher education, there is
yet to be a regular legislative session when the College's continued
existence is not debated or placed in some jeopardy, in some measure
because of uncertainty over its program.
The objectives manifest in the establishment of Evergreen—a public
four-year institution to allow access to residents of the southern Puget

There is a danger that resolution of the service area response
issue could undermine the Evergreen alternative unless ways are
found within that institution to effectively accommodate regional
educational needs within a nontraditional structure. The Council
is supportive of Evergreen's efforts to describe and provide an
institutional and educational alternative. But it also recognizes that the greatest challenge to Evergreen during the years
immediately ahead is that of finding ways to make itself responsive to the educational and career preparation needs of a general
clientele. Evergreen's most significant contribution to postsecondary education may ultimately reside in its resolution of
this problem.3
Thus, the role challenge facing Evergreen is that of providing an inno-

Sound, (and subsequently to Southwest Washington) and the provision and

vative educational program within the context of the service requirements

maintenance of an educational alternative—are not necessarily compatible.

imposed upon it as a public four-year institution. If it can address the

Rather, the two suggest institutional responsibilities that are in the

educational needs of the region within the scope of its educational program,

first instance regional, and in the second, statewide.

it can demonstrate that a nontraditional program can fulfill general educa-

The simultaneous

effort to fulfill both creates a duality viewed by some as the major dilemma
confronting Evergreen. The point is stated in the following terms in the
o
Council's six-year plan for Washington postsecondary education:
Evergreen's primary service area is the Olympic Peninsula and
southwest Washington . . . . [T]here are factors which complicate
a response to a regional role for Evergreen. Paramount among
them is its program orientation—essentially liberal arts,
undergraduate, and particularly interdisciplinary. Because of
the nature of its individual and problem-oriented programs, as
distinct from discipline and curriculum-oriented programs, Evergreen is an alternative institution for students throughout the
state who prefer its educational concept. But not all students
prefer or can function well in such an environment, and this
brings two evident needs into some conflict: the need on the
one hand for a senior institution convenient to the residents of
southwestern Washington, and the statewide need, on the other
hand, for educational [and institutional] alternatives.
The issue is focused in a statement appearing a few paragraphs later

tional needs.
The College's ability to respond is complicated by the fact that it
has not grown as rapidly as the planners anticipated.

Its enrollment

growth and its comparatively high educational costs (in large part a
function of its small size) have stimulated the questions leading to this
study.

In 1977, the Legislature inserted a proviso in the Appropriations

Act worded as follows:
Not more than $25,000 [of the CPE appropriation] shall be expended to study and make recommendations on the curriculum and costs
of The Evergreen State College. The study shall determine the
actions necessary to broaden the institution's clientele base by
introducing traditional undergraduate and graduate course offerings
and reduce the institution's total operating costs per FTE student
to the average cost per FTE student at the other three state
colleges [now regional universities].

in the plan:
idem., p. 133
Council for Postsecondary Education, Planning and Policy Recommendations
for Washington Postsecondary Education: 1976-1982, p. 132.
-2-

Critics may argue that it has not grown as expected because it has not
responded to a wide range of needs.
-3-

The objective of this report is to comply with that legislative directive. A response is required to the basic charge ("study and make recommendations on the curriculum and costs of The Evergreen State College"),
but since curriculum, enrollments, costs, and the environment (geographic,

The report is lengthy, because the subject is both complex and
sensitive. A large amount of additional information was reviewed, and what
is presented has been selected for particular relevance. Each chapter is
preceded by a brief summary statement outlining the major points discussed

economic, and demographic) represent inter-related elements, with all affectwithin.
ing not only each other but the general problem as well, an adequate analysis
must go beyond that basic charge.
The report is organized in seven chapters. The first chapter describes
the series of decisions leading to the establishment, location, size, and style
of the institution. The second examines pertinent demographics, seeking
especially to determine the potential for growth in Evergreen's primary
service area. The third examines costs and identifies the enrollment level
at which it is believed Evergreen's unit costs will become comparable with
those of the three regional universities. The fourth describes the curriculum
at Evergreen and the changes that have occurred in that curriculum since the
institution was established. Also included are the findings of the two
major peer reviews Evergreen has undergone since its establishement. The
fifth chapter describes "client" evaluations, the results of the various
surveys of Evergreen students, high school students, and employers that were
conducted during the development of the report.

The sixth chapter reviews

trends in nontraditional education nationally, both as expressed in'the
extant literature and in the experiences of institutions established since
the mid-1960's. Also included in that chapter is.a brief examination of
Fairhaven College, Washington State's other major contribution to nontradi,»

tional education. The final chapter summarizes the findings and presents
recommendations.
-4-

-5-

CHAPTER I
THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ASSUMPTIONS

The establishment of Evergreen was based on expectations of a shortage
of places for students seeking college by the mid-1970's.

These expecta-

tions did not materialize. The College, located in Olympia, was to be concerned primarily with the educational needs of residents of the south Puget
Sound and, subsequently, southwest Washington areas.

Curriculum decisions

appear to have evolved out of the unrest of the sixties, particularly the
demands for educational relevance. Other calls for an educational program
directly related to the presence of the seat of State government in Olympia
were not directly manifest in the curriculum established at the College.
Enrollment projections used as a base for program and facility planning
have proved to be high, by a factor of three.

But the assumptions of the

1960's were reasonable at the time, in view of the state of the art and the
problems with which the State and its planners were grappling.
A. Determining the Need for Evergreen
The 1966 decision to establish a new public four-year institution in
Washington was based explicitly on an expectation of unmanageable numbers
of students seeking college places by the mid-1970's, and this expectation,
in turn, flowed from an assumption of continued population and enrollment
growth of the magnitude being encountered in Washington, and nationally,
during the 1960's. Events were to prove those estimates high:

subsequent

enrollment increases occurred, but the growth curve proved to be considerably
flatter than was described during the planning period.
An early public statement on the need for a new institution appeared
in a November, 1964, report of the Council of Presidents »•(COP) of the public
four-year institutions.

The COP was concerned with the burgeoning enrollments,

1,,A Plan for Public Higher Education in Washington," p. 13.

- 7-

and a new institution in southwestern Washington would provide symmetry:
There is a geographic imbalance in the present distribution of
the state universities and colleges which deserves correction.
Three institutions, Washington State University and Eastern and
Central State Colleges, are located east of the Cascades in the
area inhabited by one-third of the people of Washington. Two
institutions, the University of Washington and Western Washington
State College, are located west of the Cascades in the area inhabited by two-thirds of the people of the State. Southwestern
Washington, except for a small private religious college [Note:
St. Martin's], is deprived of the presence of any four-year institution. The 1965 Legislature should accordingly be asked to enact
legislation to effect the establishment of a board of trustees
and an administrative staff with sufficient funds to conduct
studies to determine the exact location and to develop plans for
another state college in western Washington. Construction funds
could then be voted in 1967, and by 1970, this institution
could take its place among the state colleges to share in carrying the burden of enrollments.

two-and four-year institutions) working toward a baccalaureate, would reach

The recommendation to establish the institution that was to become The

ing plans for the existing institutions move forward rapidly to meet these

124,400 FTE by 1970 and 140,100 by 1975.

The demand (headcount) for places

for such students would total 127,000 and 157,000, respectively, during
those years. On this basis it was concluded there would be a shortage of
2,600 places at the freshman and sophomore levels by 1970.

The shortage

would intensify by 1975 to 4,900 places at the upper division and graduate
levels and about 12,000 at the lower division, for an overall shortage of
approximately 17,000 places by 1975.
Faced with such an outlook, TACPHE considered it imperative that build-

Evergreen State College in Olympia was made in 1966 by the Temporary Advi-

enrollments, especially in the community colleges. More appropriate to the

sory Council on Public Higher Education (TACPHE). TACPHE was itself created
2
in 1965, initially for a two-year period. The language of the enabling

immediate subject was its recommendation that a new four-year college be
authorized at the earliest possible time, so that a freshman class could be

act outlining its authority regarding the creation of a new institution was

admitted by 1969-70. TACPHE stated:

the following:

have to be accommodated in new four-year institutions, even assuming that

[TACPHE is hereby directed] To develop plans for the orderly
growth of public higher education and to make specific recommendations on the need for and location of new facilities and
programs, including therein a recommendation as to a new institution of public higher education within the state. If the
finding of at least three-fourths of the members of the council
is that an institution of public higher education should be immediately initiated, the council is authorized by a vote of at
least two-thirds of the members of the council, who are not
legislators, to locate a specific site for a new four-year
college and so inform the Governor before October, 1966.
TACPHE retained a consulting firm, Nelson Associates, to conduct a

existing four-year institutions and existing or new community colleges are
able to accommodate about 7,000 more students than are presently forecast
for them. .. 3
Events proved the estimates high. The headcount figures (using a comparable base) for 1970 were approximately 107,000 (rather than 127,000)

TACPHE, op. cit., (emphasis added), p. 6.

study of need for expanded education facilities through 1975. The consultants concluded that enrollment projections of students (at public, private,
Senate Bill No. 489 (NOTE: Its life was subsequently extended two additional
years in 1967.)

"By 1975, up to 9,800 students will

- 9-

and for 1975, 124,000 (rather than 157,000).

Accordingly, instead of a

shortage of 12,000 places in 1975, there was a surplus (using the assumption about places that was applied in the 1966 report) of approximately
21,000, excluding the spaces available at Evergreen.
fall-off may be less important than its occurrence.

The causes of the
But dropping partici-

pation rates, the end of the draft and the Vietnam War, changing values
about college, and slower population growth probably served to modify

- The greatest possible service to those seeking higher education and to the State of Washington;
- the conditions which permit the educational processes to be
carried on with maximum effectiveness;
- the maximum advantages for attracting and retaining an excellent
faculty and administration;
- the types of educational services and specialties that are
needed in Washington; and

the growth curves significantly. The overflow expected to occur as students

- the programs which complement and strengthen the desired pattern of higher education in the state. ^

in the Puget Sound area were turned away from the University of Washington,

TACPHE considered twenty localities as potential sites for the new

Western, and the six other accredited institutions operating in the area

college.

either did not occur, or these students were readily accommodated by other

amount of information, it recommended Olympia.

institutions. At least some portion of Evergreen's reduced growth rate

that choice are cited here:

must be attributed to the failure of the early projections to materialize.
B. Where to Locate
The second major consideration before TACPHE was the location of the
I
new institution. Its efforts at grappling with that question are impressive,
and its recommendation fit readily with the assumptions under which it was
operating. TACPHE opened consideration by identifying the criteria it felt
should be the sine qua non of an ideal location: It should be such as to
allow the new institution to provide:

base employed in the Nelson report is not readily apparent; however,
Nelson and Associates were speaking of baccalaureate-bound students. Thus,
by taking the academic transfer students in the community colleges—in 1975
representing approximately fifteen percent of the total headcount enrollmentand the total headcount enrollments in the four-year institutions, public
and private, one can derive figures presumably comparable to those identified in the consultant report. While disparities between projected and
actual figures are to be expected, it seems fair to say that the significant
overestimate in the consultant's projections of demand dramatically affected
the decision to establish a new four-year institution.

- 10 -

After a series of public hearings and analysis of an immense
Its reasons for making

All of the locations considered by the council meet some
criteria to varying degrees. Indeed, some locations are
superior to the recommended site on certain counts. The
mended area, however, in the council's judgment, emerges
location which best satisfies all of the criteria taken

of the
rated
recomas the
together.

The proposed location ranks high among the zones of the state
having the greatest number of potential college students not
already served by a state college or university. This potential,
furthermore, exists within reasonable daily commuting distance
of the site. Only in the lower Puget Sound region could a new
institution be so accessible to so many potential college students
living beyond commuting range of existing publicly-supported institutions.
A new state college in the lower Puget Sound region offers the
best hope for reducing enrollment pressures on existing institutions by providing nearby college places for the largest population concentration whose students now seek admission mainly to
the University of Washington, Western Washington State College,
and Central Washington State College. From the standpoint of
accessibility alone, an institution in this location could prompt
the voluntary diversion of up to 6,000 students who would otherwise attend more distant schools. At least half of this group
would have the economic advantages of commuter status at the new
institution.

5 TACPHE,

op. cit., p. 8.

- 11 -

A state college in Thurston County will round out the pattern
of higher education in the state by absorbing substantial numbers of community college transfer students from southwestern
Washington and the Puget Sound region, and it can do so without
overshadowing any individual community college.
The recommended location will facilitate the development of close
ties with the University of Washington, with five major privatelysupported institutions, and with at least three of the proposed
community college districts in the Puget Sound region. A wide
variety of cooperative arrangements can be visualized which would
be difficult to effect if the new college were remotely located.
The numerically higher college potential of the South Puget Sound
area has not been accompanied by a correspondingly high rate of
college enrollment despite the presence of three privately-supported
four-year colleges. This area has, in the council's judgment, the
enrollment potential to support a state college without detriment
to the growth plans of nearby independent colleges.
The nearby urban environment is highly diversified culturally,
socially and economically. This diversification offers countless
opportunities for the development of programs and personnel relationships beneficial to the region, to the state, and to the institution. It furnishes a wide range of outlets for the extracurricular
professional, social, cultural, and recreational interests of students and faculty. At the disposal of the new college would be a
full range of resources capable of sustaining a large new increment
of population and a major new enterprise.
The rural setting of the recommended site affords,
dictable future, an opportunity for orderly growth
ment of the institution and the adjacent community
overtaken by the inevitable extension of the urban
distance from the urban centers should encourage a
residential and commuter enrollments.6

for the preand developbefore being
area. Its
balance of

be located in the general area from which most of those enrollments would
be drawn.
The Legislature accepted TACPHE's recommendation, but it also implied
a broadened base for the new school in the enabling legislation through
its use of the interim designation, "Southwestern Washington State College."
Thus, H. B. No. 596, enacted in 1967, referred to the new institution in
o

the following terms:
"There is hereby established in Thurston County, a four-year
state college to be named by the board of trustees, and hereinafter referred to as 'Southwestern Washington State College.'"
The college was to be located in Thurston County, within ten miles of
Olympia. It was given the same degree-granting authority as the other (then)
state colleges, including authorization to offer the master's degree.

college was also authorized to train teachers and award teaching certificates, in accord with requirements for approval by the state board of education. )
C. Deciding Upon a Curriculum
Beyond references to a program for Evergreen comparable to those then

7
Perhaps significantly, TACPHE did not cite the college's relationship
to the educational needs of southwest Washington beyond accessibility to
graduates of community colleges located in that region.

It did not speak

of a southwestern Washington institution but of a South Puget Sound institution.

In relating location to need, TACPHE was premising its decision

on an institution located so as to readily accommodate an overflow from
the University of Washington, Western, and Central. Accordingly, it would
6 TACPHE,

op. cit., pp. 37 - 38.

(The

It is equally clear that TACPHE felt the Thurston County location would
accommodate southwestern Washington educational needs, but this was a
secondary concern. This point was emphasized, indirectly, by an editorial
appearing in the Vancouver Columbian on January 29, 1968. According to
the editorial: "Except possibly for 'Southwest Washington State,1 it
probably didn't make much difference what the Board of Trustees named the
new state college near Olympia. 'Evergreen State College" is rather homely,
but it does'have the merit of reflecting statewide service. Anyone who
realizes that Washington is the 'Evergreen State' will at least know the
state in which the school is located. Our objection to the Southwest
Washington name which appeared in the legislation authorizing the college
was that it would give the erroneous impression that the college will
meet the needs of southwest Washington. It can't be said to serve Southwest Washington very adequately when it is located 100 nriles from the
largest population center of the area. Someday we have hopes a state
college will be located in Clark or Cowlitz counties."
8
Chap. 47, sec. 2, et. seq., 1967, 40th Legis.

- 12 - 13 -

authorized for the other state colleges, (iie., authorization to offer the

degree levels. 11

BS, BA, BAEd, MS, t1A and MEd degrees, etc.) neither TACPHE nor the enabling

A close relationship between the college and the seat of State government

act was specific with regard to curricular emphases.

was often suggested, and several direct arrangements were considered.

The earliest documen-

. college. 12
There were also calls for an oceanograph1c

table reference to an educational mode for Evergreen that would be other

During the Spring of 1968, the Governor suggested the establishment of a

than conventional appears to be in the comments of the then Chairman of

center to attack the problems of government and society, to operate in
conjunction with the new college. 13

the Senate Higher Education Committee and member of TACPHE, Senator Gordon
Sandison.

In August, 1967, at a meeting with the newly appointed Board of

For its part, the Board of Trustees entered into an agreement with

·Trustees for the College, Senator Sandison advised it to study the inno-

Arthur D. Little, Inc. in March 1968, to develop a curriculum outline for the

vations and experiences of other new colleges around the country. 9 He

College.

suggested that the new college be of a 11 perhaps different type.

tional Needs 11 and 11 The Educational Needs of State Government, .. bear directly
on the question. 14 The consulting firm was operating on a presumption

The present

three state colleges were built many decades ago and followed traditional
lines.

We would like this to be a college that will m~et the needs of the

State for many years to come and perhaps can be as modern fifty years from
now as at the present ... 10
It is apparent the College was created when calls for educational
reform were emanating from the campuses.

while this was occurring

But

there were also calls for specific curricula and

programs at the new institution.

11

A Student View of Higher Educa-

that the trustees perceived innovation in higher education as one of the
college's important responsibilities. 15
In its first report, the firm surveyed approximately 2,400 students,
divided about equally between community college and high school students

They reached their highest level

at the time the curriculum at Evergreen was in its developmental stage.

Two of the Little, Inc. reports,

The Director of the State Capitol Museum

attending schools located in southwestern Washington.

With respect to

specific curriculum preferences, i.e., programs, the student responses
showed interests in 11 general cultural occupations and in employment in
the service industries. 1116 11 Social sciences, education, language arts,

suggested the presence of 11 a center for the study of state government at
the new college ...

It Would provide for study of present day and historical

problems by using the state government as a laboratory.

It would offer a

major in state government administration at the bachelor and master's
9
The Daily Olympian, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, both papers,
August 31, 1967.
lO.b.d
1 1 •
- 14 -

11 The Aberdeen World, November 7, 1967.
12 Daily Olympian, December 6, 1967.
13 seattle Times, May 1, 1968.
14 Arthur D. Little, Inc., 11 Special Reports I and II to the Trustees of The
Evergreen State College, .. December, 1968 and September, 1968, respectively.
~

15 Little, Report No. I, op. cit., pp. 39- 40.
16idem.
- 15 -

sports, philosophy, and ethics, and the dramatic and communication areas
(were) high on the list of interests for . all students. Interest in law
and government was relatively high. 1117 More precisely, 11 Sociology, psychology, economics, political science, anthropology, and history (as a single
category) ranked highest, closely followed by Education, and then by English,
Journalism, etc.
fourth.

Physical Education, team sports, individual sports, ranked

The natural and physical sciences ranked further down the listing,

as did such directly vocationally-related fields as secretarial sciences
and engineering.
Perhaps expectedly, in view of the tenor of the times, Military Science
ranked second to last.

Geology appeared at the bottom. 18

The consulting firm had difficulty in this report with the question
of innovation, which it addressed as follows:
The student answers, while not revolutionary, often point toward
change from the traditional. As one example, many students express
a desire to conserve their time, indicating that frequently used
facilities should be near each other. They prefer short times
between residence and class, short distances between residence
and class, short walking time between classes, short times between
classroom and laboratory. As many students prefer multi-story
buildings and elevators as prefer low buildings and stairways.
Students strongly prefer walking around campus rather than busing
around campus. The implications for facilities design seem clear
enough, and differ in some respects from traditional campus design.
As another example, many students expect to study in private in
one of several libraries, relax and recreate in and around their
residence. While two in three say they expect to spend seven or
more hours each week attending class lectures, only one in ten
students prefers lectures by faculty in place of small group discussions. These preferences suggest important features for instructional facilities and their relationship to r~sidential facilities.

Students expect to live adult lives. Many expect to work for
pay. They want easy access to campus by automobile, easy access
to the center of the city. They expect to see and associate with
a variety of different students during the course of their daily
life as students rather than eat, reside, and attend class with
the same group of students. As many students prefer that residences for married students and residences for single students
be located near each other as prefer them far from each other.
The most significant influence in their choice to enter, or remain,
in college is the work content of their tasks as students when
compared with competing adult occupations. The insistence on
choice and important freedoms points toward change in traditional
college life.
All of these findings have important implications for the design
of college programs and facilities; they raise the policy question
of the importance of responsive innovation in the now-being~formed
programs and facilities for Evergreen State College.l9
The firm was able to deal more directly with the types of educational
programs the units of government in Olympia felt would be appropriate to
20
their needs.
It requested position papers from the various state agencies
on this subject, and the agencies replied accordingly. In 1968, if not at
present, the word, 11 innovative," had various meanings; nonetheless, several
agencies stated that Evergreen ''should provide an intellectually stimulating,
innovative, and culturally enriching environment for all persons involved
in the governmental process. 1121 They also spoke of the effects the presence
of the seat of state government could have on the college.
The firm's report recommended several aspects of an educational approach
which have found form in Evergreen's program.

It suggested: that students

be self-directed in the formulation of their academic program; that the
counseling function utilize persons actually working in government; that
internship, inservice training, and summer work opportunities be utilized;
that persons involved in government be used at the college on a part-time

~

17ibid.

"

18idem., pp. 27 - 28.
- 16 -

19
idem., pp. 39- 40.
20
Little, Inc., Report No. II, op. cit., p. II-1.
2l.b"d
1 1 •
- 17 -

basis; that degree programs be provided, proceeding from a common core;

establish the position of coordinator of programs to serve state government,

that programs be designed along problem lines; that efforts be made to

whose job it would be to maintain field contact with the Department of Per-

encourage interdisciplinary efforts in the teaching of courses; and that

sonnel and interested agencies.

the practical research interests of government be utilized in the instruc1
.
t 1ona

process. 22

report.

The specific programs were presented with an understanding that there
had been no systemmatic effort on the part of the consulting firm to establish priorities of need.

They included:

The first is the very clear concern for and interest in a close

relationship between Evergreen and the state agencies.

While agency heads

did not believe Evergreen should be an educational arm of state government,
they were clearly excited about the possibilities for staff training and

Bachelor and Master's degree programs in Public Administration
(The programs could have an "interface with a Business Administration degree
program serving the needs of business and
industry); 11

obtaining qualified graduates the college offered.

For their part, they

were willing to provide assistance, both direct--in the form of internships,

- Bachelor program in Information and Computer Sciences;

work-study opportunities, etc.--and indirect--in the form of advice and

- Bachelor and Master's degree programs in Mathematics and
Statistics;

general support.

Bachelor and Master's degrees in Sociology and Psychology;
Bachelor and Master's degrees in Economics and Accounting;
Bachelor and Master's degrees in Social Work and Public Welfare;
Bachelor or Master's degree in Corrections;
- Bachelor degree program in Police Science. 23

on educational and research programs relating to government, with the State
The committee would

Coordinate, initiate, recommend and evaluate courses, curricula, continuing

education, internship, and research programs offered by the college to
?!!.

serve the needs of the state.u- ·
ll
- idem., p. II-2.
23-.d1 em., pp. II-4, 5.
24-.d1 em., II-1.

gested for the new school:

unlike the first consultant report, in which

innovation was treated in terms of its potential importance to the design
of the physical campus, the second report addressed elements, such as
cooperative education, interdisciplinary studies, etc., which have become
Finally, the report spoke of a

series of particular degree programs, all of which bore direct relationships to the needs of the state for highly trained professionals in cer-

The report also recommended the establishment of an advisory committee

Director of Personnel serving as a continuing member.

The second aspect pertains to the form of education sug-

a part of Evergreen's educational mode.

Bachelor or Master's degree in Biology or Quantitative Ecology;

11

Three aspects of this second study are particularly germane to this

Finally, it suggested that the College

tain fields.

While Public Administration was at the top of the listing,

others were also cited, and graduate education in several was considered
essential.

This third facet--the call for specific professional degree

programs--has not become directly manifest in the Evergreen curriculum.
An aside may be appropriate at this point.
serving as

~

The consulting firm was

communications link between the state and the college.
~

was conveying concerns for different forms of education leading to
- 18 -

- 19 -

It

.,
recognizable, and recognized, degree programs.

It did not address the

fact that many of these programs involve professional accreditation (e.g.,
Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology, Accounting), and to
qualify for such accreditation an institution must meet requirements which
may be at variance with the more general educational form that was being
proposed.

Problems associated with the reconciliation of the two concepts

have never been resolved.

In any case, Evergreen chose to offer more

general liberal arts programs when it became operational.
The consulting firm returned to the matter of a curriculum for Evergreen in supplemental reports presented at a later date.

One, dated

role will be expected to continue uniformly for all state colleges and to what
extent Evergreen's curriculum should emphasize teacher education." 27 Its
major conclusion was that the demand for teachers during the 1970's would
level off, possibly decrease, and Evergreen's teacher education program
should relate to "unique, special and regional needs rather than to respond
merely to quantitative demand." 28 The study did not elaborate further on
this recommendation.
Up to this time there was uncertainty about the direction the program

October, 1968, concerns teacher education at Evergreen.
As observed earlier, when the Legislature authorized the establishment
of the College, it extended to it the same authority to offer specified
degree programs as had been extended earlier to the other state colleges.
Evergreen was authorized, therefore, to award the BS and BA degrees, and
the Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAEd) at the undergraduate level and the
MS and MA and Master of Education (MEd) at the graduate level.

schools. 26 The purpose of the study was to determine "whether or not this

The statute

also authorized Evergreen (in keeping with the other public institutions)
"to train teachers and other personnel for whom teaching certificates or
special credentials prescribed by the state board of education are required
Provided, that the courses offered in all of the aforesaid training
are approved by the state board of education 11 • 25 The question of teacher
education programs, accordingly, was an important concern at the time of

was to take at Evergreen.

Some leaders were speaking of the need for inno-

vation and nontradition at the new institution, and others were speaking
of educational programs leading to particular degrees.
speaking of both.

Still others were

Attempts to reconcile these opinions were in evidence,

but the nexus was invariably vague.

It was about this time, August, 1968,

that Evergreen selected its first President, Dr. Charles McCann; it was
under his leadership that the present direction was established and the
curriculum that was to characterize Evergreen was conceived.
McCann's early comments about the curriculum reflected his conviction
both that the college should be a rigorous teaching institution and that
it should take advantage of its opportunity to emphasize state government.29

He expressed his interest in the Arthur Little study that was then

He also stressed it was not the intent of the Legislature
that Evergreen should be "just another four-year college." 30
in progress.

Evergreen's founding.
The October, 1978 report noted that one of the chief functions of
a State college was the provision of trained personnel for the common
25
H.B. 596, Chap. 47, Laws of 1967, Sec. 17. NOTE: In 1975, as part of a
statute extending the degree-granting authority of the state colleges, the
authority for Evergreen to offer graduate degree programs was repealed.
However, Evergreen's authority to offer the BAEd, teaching degrees
generally, and, incidentally, the Associate of Arts in Nursing, was not
changed. See RCW 28B.40.200 and RCW 28B.40.220, et. seq.
- 20 -

26 Little, Inc., "Report of a Study of Teacher Supply and Demand in Washington
State," October 11,1968.
"
27 1.d em., p. 1•
28 idem., covering letter, dated October 11, 1968.
29 Daily Olympian, August 15, 1968.
30 Tacoma News Tribune, December 12, 1968.
- 21 -

By October the direction the college would take appears to have been
shaped more firmly.

It became evident that President McCann was speaking

The consultant report proceeded from Dr. McCann's concern for a

of a learning experience in which students would not pursue a major, as

"process" environment, one that would be "pluralistic, highly flexible,
33
adaptable and evolving; which questions all traditional practice."
It

such.

spoke of a dual curriculum, one with a "programmed framework and an open-

Degree titles beyond the Bachelor of Arts would not be employed.

Students would pursue study units (in contrast with the quarter credit based

ended framework;" the curriculum would pay special attention to "the influ-

on classroom learning), with 36 required for graduation.

ence of the college's location, contemporary problems, and the special goals,
interests, and motivation of its students and faculty." 34 In terms of

be a work study program.

There would

The curriculum would change constantly, with

students having a voice in the determination of course and seminar offer-

emphases, the report spoke of a "program direction in the initial phase

ings.

Students would

which would emphasize urban and governmental studies, studies in the impact

be required to take seminars during the early years of their college work,

of urbanism on the natural environment, the natural and social sciences and

and they would be directed toward self-study tutorials.

be employed, nor would the college encourage fraternities and sororities.

general education studies which would aim at an integration of east-westpacific rim points of view. "35 Both frameworks, however, would change

The school would strive toward graduate studies, as a long-term goal, but

continually.

The college would eschew intercollegiate athletics.

Tenure would not

the graduate degree program would not duplicate specialized programs offered
at other institutions.

Among the conventional aspects of the Evergreen

approach would be the use of quarter-length terms and an emphasis on social
studies and a broad education. 31
In January, 1969, the College entered into a supplemental arrangement
with A. D. Little, Inc., for assistance in formulating a general conceptual
model for the undergraduate studies program.

More specifically, the con-

sultant was to assist in:

Overall, the report described a study curriculum in terms that were
rather general.

In retrospect it is unclear whether the proposed

concept

described the directions Evergreen subsequently took (with the exception
of the references to urban and governmental studies) or a dual track approach
(programs in disciplines offered in parallel with more unconventional alternatives) that was not pursued.
In terms of the effects of the curriculum under consideration on
resources necessary to initiate studies at Evergreen, the consultant con-

The formulation of a general model of the academic program at
Evergreen, including a consideration of allocation of faculty
time for instruction, preparation of materials, counseling, advising, research, etc., as required to meet the unique problems
arising out of the innovative programs and educational goals
being studied and considered at this time.32
"

31 Daily Olympian, December 12, 1968.
32 February 17, 1969 letter from A. D. Little, Inc. to president McCann.
- 22 -

eluded as follows:
Within the framework of our assumptions and the existing guidelines in Washington, TESC could accommodate a large student
population oriented to experimentation, using large blocks of
seminar instruction, with a ten percent increase in state interinstitutional budgeting guidelines.36
"

33 April 18, 1969 memorandum from A. D. Little to President McCann, p. 1.
34 1"d em., p. 3 .
35 1"b 1"d .
36 May 13, 1969 Memorandum from A. D. Little, Inc. to President McCann.
- 23 -

The report added that these costs did not include the financial
requirements for support services.
A final call for at least one more-or-less conventional program
occurred in February, 1969, when the Chairman of the Senate Higher Education
Committee called upon the College to offer a degree in Police Science. 37
The educational concepts suggested by President McCann were worked out

detail, forming the basis of the first series of planning decisions." 39
The enrollment projections giving rise to the initial decision to
establish the college, prepared by Nelson and Associates under the auspices
of TACPHE,were mentioned earlier.

To briefly recap, when TACPHE presented

its report to the Legislature and Governor in 1966, it was operating on an

in greater detail during a two-day workshop among faculty, administrators

assumption that there would be a shortage of college places at the lower

and consultants in Olympia, in . June 1969.

division by 1970, and across the higher educational spectrum by 1975,

Not long after, at the ground-

breaking ceremony (June 10,1969) the Governor spoke of the need for a new

requiring sufficient new space to accommodate approximately 9,800 additional

type of institution, and Senator Sandison said the college should avoid

students by that year.

the mistakes of other four-year colleges.

Sandison's remarks may have had

a prophetic ring:

he warned the audience, "There will be things happening
which you won't understand and don't 1ike." 38
D.

Once the decision was made to establish a new college, it was apparent
that more detailed, institution-specific, forecasts would be required for
the planning effort.

Prior to the consultant's report, speculations on

the likely size of the school varied, but all were to prove high.

Planning the Enrollment Level

The final element in the sequence leading to the establishment of

Shortly

after the Board of Trustees was appointed, Chairman Trueman Schmidt reported

Evergreen was determining the enrollment level at which the school would

to the Legislative Budget Committee and TACPHE that the Board hoped the

be operating, so that program planning could proceed, faculty and adminis-

enrollment would reach 6,000 students by 1977.

trative staff could be hired, and the physical plant could be developed.

gested that the Board was considering the optimum size of the institution

The consulting firm, A. D. Little, Inc., was concerned with this aspect

as "significantly in excess of 6,000 if another state college is not estab-

as well as the others mentioned previously.

ished and if the funding is available. "AO

report:

Thus, according to the firm's

"The estimated enrollments over a planning period of six to twelve

His statements also sug-

It seems evident that Washington higher education in general .was still

years directly affects the capital and operating estimates, as well as the

operating on the assumption of large numbers of high school graduates

site and facility planning for the college, in both general concept and

unable to find places in the State's colleges and universities in the

37 Daily Olympian, February 7, 1969.
38 olympia News, June 12, 1969.
- 24 -

~

39 Little, Inc., "Enrollment Projections for 1971-1980," Special Report III
to the Trustees, Evergreen State College, Preface. NOTE: It is worthy
of note that the consultant based the initial estimates of faculty resource
requirements on a student body mix that included both conventional and
unconventional students. The estimates were premised on scenarios of conventional-unconventional mixes of 80%-20%, 50%-50%, and 20%-80%.
40 Daily Olympian, January 19, 1968.
- 25 -

mid-1970's.

In an interview with a reporter from the University of Wash-

ington Daily., then Vice-President Frederick Thieme of the University stated:
11

The new college is so important because by 1977 we are going to have about

10,000-20,000 graduating seniors wanting space in a college or university
in Washington who won't be able to get in because there won't be enough
space. Without the new college it would be much worse ... 41 Finally, still
in advance of the consultant report presented in September, representatives
of Evergreen were speaking at public meetings on the new college of an
opening day class of about 1,000 students, with plans to grow at the rate
of about 1,000 students annually, to a total capacity of 10,000.42
Projecting enrollments for Evergreen, in that it would be an entirely
new institution with no enrollment history or base from which to extrapolate, was an art form even more exotic than enrollment projecting is
normally.

The analysts queried a statistically-valid sampling of high

school and community college students to determine the percentage planning
to enter one of the state colleges.
tage likely to attend Evergreen.

From this they determined the percen-

California.

(It is very likely that the TESC program variable proved to

be an intervening consideration in this comparison as well.)
The consulting firm posed three alternative forecasts.

estimate was based on an assumption of a reduced draw for Evergreen during
the initial phases.

Division in OPP&FM (now Population and Enrollment Studies in the Office of
Financial Management--OFM).

would attend college.

- 26 -

·. IIi

about the actual share for Evergreen during the initial stages.

I

The

fourth estimate was employed by the consultant as the basis for the facility
44
planning report the firm subsequently developed.
The three basic estimates for the subject years were as follows:

Source:

41 January 26, 1968.
42 Shelton-Mason County Journal, June 20, 1968, reporting on an appearance
by Dean Clabaugh of Evergreen before the Shelton Chamber of Commerce.
43 See Footnote #41, Supra.

The fourth projec-

tion related to the second (or medium), and, again, involved assumptions

green with the enrollment experiences in several new four-year colleges in

assumption, however, did not consider the unique Evergreen program, which,
as events were to show, probably served as an intervening variable.) 43 As

The third was a high projection keyed to the net

transfer of students into the state college system.

an additional check, the consultants compared their projections for Ever-

This normally valid

The second was a medium projection based upon

the rate at which the high school population would increase and seniors

1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980

from the student's home and the college of choice.

The first alternative was a low estimate derived from

the medium projections for the state colleges by the Population and Research

(The consultants based this percentage

on the distance factor, assuming a high correlation between the distance

A fourth

I (Low)

II (Medi urn)

1715
2984
4379
5949
6187
6439
6678
6918

1771
3120
4612
6344
6771
7066
7448
7828
8227
8637

7155

7393

III (High)
1771
3143
4698
6612
7052
7479
7930
8402
8898
9394

A. D. Little, Inc., idem., p. 6.

In deriving its fourth, or working, projection, the firm utilized four

..

additional assumptions, as follows (applying to the medium projection):
44 Little, Report III, op. cit., p. 3.
- 27 -

1. Sixty percent of the total potential the first year and
reaching full potential by 1975;

ahead of the year anticipated by the consultant firm.) 47 The total enroll-

2.
Sixty percent of the total potential the first year and
reaching full potential by 1978;

ment level was subsequently increased by one administrator meeting with

3.
Eighty percent of the total potential the first year and
reaching full potential by 1978 (sic., probably should be 1975);
4. · Eighty percent of the total ~otential the first year and
reaching full potential by 1978. 5
.
The resultant figures were the following:

1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
Source:

businessmen in Centralia in September when he indicated a potential enrollment level of 12,000 at the school by the year 2010.48
The 12,000 enrollment level figured heavily in Evergreen's early facilities planning.

The capital developme~t plans developed for Evergreen in

1968 and 1969 utilized the consultant's enrollment studies.

Phase I of the

No.1

No. 2

No. 3

No. 4

master plan was completed in September, 1968 and cited a construction pro-

1063
2060
3295
4756
5714
6494
7190
7748
7872
8637

1063
1979
3069
4306
4961
5644
6394
7190
7896
8540 '

1417
2590
3954
5455
6128
6709
7262
7748
8183
8637

1417
2550
3840
5230
5754
6285
6866
7470
8040
8589

gram which would result in an institution with a capacity to accommodate
12,000 students.49 Phase II (1969) also keyed to the 12,000 figure. 50 The

idem., pp. 7- 8.

development plans were divided into four phases with the final phase to be
initiated in 1975-77.
The four phase capital development assumption of the consultants was
reflected in Evergreen's original long-range capital plan submitted in support of the 1969-71 capital budget.

These figures were converted to FTE's, and in its report on facilities
planning the firm assumed as follows: 46

Evergreen's 1971-73 capital budget

also refers to this plan as follows in the cover letter signed by then
President Charles J. McCann: "Our original long-range capital plan, sub-

1971
1973
1975
1977
20th Year

1200 (FTE)
3500
5600
6900
12000

It was on this basis that administrators at the institution were
operating during subsequent reports on the status of planning at the institution.

Thus, in June, 1969, President McCann reported an anticipated

opening day enrollment of 1,200, with total enrollment expected to grow
to 12,000 by the mid-1980's.

calling for a 12,000 full-time equivalent student capacity.

Our current

request and improvement program are consistent with that plan deviating only
in the respect that, in view of reduced 1969-71 funding and other factors,
we now anticipate construction in five or six phases."

Further in the

request the following reference to original projections occurs:

"The demo-

graphic section of the Office of Program Planning and Fiscal Management

(The total figure in this case is somewhat
47 Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 10, 1969.
48centr~lia Chronicle, September 9, 1969.
9
4 Durham, Anderson and Freed Architects, and Quinton Engineers, "Master Plan,
Phase I, The Evergreen State College," 1968, p. 49.
5°Durham, Anderson, and Freed Architects, and Quinton-Budlong Engineers,
"Development Plan, Phase II Studies," 1969, pp. 11 and 59.
- 29 ~

45 ~.
. c!
p•6


46

mitted in fall, 1968, projected construction in four phases, the fourth

A. D. Little, Report V, "Facility Requirements for Preliminary Planning
and Capital Budgeting," September, 1968, p. V-4.
- 28 -

accepted and endorsed the projections created for Evergreen by Arthur D.

of Washington; rather, projections of continued enrollment pressures, based

Little, Inc. and published in Special Report No. III to the Board of Trustees.

largely on straight-line extrapolations of postwar enrollment growth were

The college consistently used those projections through mid-April, 1970.

common in every state, and in virtually every institution.

11

The capital

(Enrollment figures are then cited illustrating an opening enrollment of

expansion and new institutional developments were national phenomena, and

1,200 reaching 6,900 by 1977.)

the leveling of the enrollment growth curves that became apparent during

Later in the document, Evergreen outlines

revised projections with a smaller opening enrollment but with a total projected enrollment of 7,000 by 1977-78. 51 It is evident from the above that

the early 1970's affected other states in a manner similar to its effect

as late as 1970 the 12,000 capacity target was being used by Evergreen in

beyond the realm of possibility, one can take some assurance that both the

its capital planning.

demographers and the institutional research personnel learned a lesson,

It is apparent that persons associated with the

on Washington.

While future repetitions of the 1960's scenario are not

institution, as well as those in state government, were operating on assump-

and population and enrollment projections have in recent years proceeded

tions of considerably higher enrollment levels than were to materialize,

from a more sophisticated methodology-- one involving periodic reexamination

at least within the expected time-frame, during the critical planning

of trend lines.

period for the school.

Evergreen's 1978-79 enrollment level (estimated

annual average) is 2,200 headcount, and 2,104 FTE.
The optimism expressed by the initial planners influenced early capital
development and operational planning, leading in part to the presently
higher per student cost pattern of the institution.

The contrast with cur-

rent declining enrollment levels lends increased impetus to this study.
It might be fairly easy, in retrospect, to be critical of persons within
the State, the institutions, and the various consulting firms who were making
enrollment predictions of the type underlying Evergreen's planning efforts
in the late 1960's.

51

The problems, however, were not confined to the State

.
The Evergreen State College, Capital Budget Plan, 1971-1977, August, 1970.

~

- 31 - 30 -

CHAPTER I I
THE REGION AND ENROLLMENTS
The demographics, rural/urban distribution, income and educational
attainment, for the southwest region are comparable to those for the remainder of the state, exclusive of King County.

College participation rates

for this region are below those for the remainder of the state, and the
rate at which high school graduates enter public four-year schools has
also remained below the statewide figure.

Early enrollments at Evergreen

were less than expected, although a difficult economic climate within the
state and decreased college participation rates generally were felt by all
institutions.

Evergreen has a higher proportion of older students than other

institutions.

It also has a higher percentage of non-resident students.

There is evidence of a strong potential for the College to increase
enrollments through services to southwestern Washington counties (including
lower Puget Sound).

This potential, if realized, could bring Evergreen's

enrollment level to a point where its resources could be fully utilized
and its total unit costs reduced.
A.

The Region

The location of The Evergreen State College was referred to in the
original campus master plan as "within the rapidly expanding Seattle-TacomaOlympia area, the Olympic Peninsula and Southwestern Washington. ul' While
the institution has an immediate service focus on the south Puget Sound
area, it is considered the primary instrument to provide regional service
to the thirteen western and southwestern counties of the state. 2
1ourham, Anderson and Freed,~ cit., page 8.
2CPE, "The Coordination of Off-Campus Instructional Services in Washington,"
November, 1978.
- 33 -

The descriptive characteristics of the greater southwest Washington

the same as southwest Washington.

Composite figures sometimes can be

region comprise a composite of the counties of Clallam, Jefferson, Grays
Harbor, Mason, Kitsap, Pierce, Thurston, Pacific, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz,
Clark, and Skamania.

These thirteen counties extend from west of the

Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and south from the Olympic Peninsula
and Tacoma to the Oregon border. 3
Although Evergreen is located geographically closer to King County
than to some of these thirteen counties, King County has been treated
distinctly because it provides considerable numbers of students to all

misleading, and it is important to note that only Pierce and Clark Counties
exceed the non-King state average.

According to the census, three of the

remaining eleven southwestern Washinyton counties (Grays Harbor, Cowlitz,
and Thurston) are over 50 percent urban and the other eight counties are
predominantly rural.

The concentration of population in major cities of

Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and Everett results in over half of Washington's
counties being classified as rural, so Evergreen's .regional mix of urban
centers a11d several rural counties is not unusual.

of Washington's public four-year institutions and, in ract, cannot be
readily associated with the southwest regional service area.

At the same

time, however, Evergreen is the closest four-year public institution to
Seattle not actually located in that city.

Its proximity to Seattle (sixty-

six freeway miles) brings the southern portion of that city and all of
South King County within at least one definition (one hour's drive) of

accounts for 30.0 percent of the 1976 total state population and 44.0 percent
of the population in counties other than King.

Conversely, all other counties

together account for 38.1 percent of the State's total population and 56.0
percent when King County is included.

This 44.0 percent of the population

(again, exclusive of King County) accounts for 44.9 percent of the total

reasonable commuting distance.
In view of King County's influence on enrollments, as well as state
demographics generally, material is provided for the region in relation
to the state as a whole and for the state exclusive of King County.
Urban- Rural Distribution- Evergreen's service area is approximately
62 percent urban, according to 1970 census data.
wide average of 73 percent urban.

Population and Income - According to 1976 figures, southwest Washington

This compares to a state-

When King County (92.5 percent urban)

is excluded, the remainder of the state is 64 percent urban, approximately

personal income of the State.
income is $6,400.

This income level is slightly higher than the average,

$6,290, for all counties other than King.

The King County average of $8,055
raises the overall statewide figure to $6,853. 4
Educational Attainment - The educational attainment level of the

population 25 years of age and older in the 13 counties can also be considered, in the context both of the State as a whole and of the State less
King County.

3Throughout this section these counties are collectively,referred to as
Evergreen's immediate geographic service area.

The calculated 13 county composite per capita

Table Il-l illustrates the various educational attainment

levels based on the 1970 census.
4
washington State Department of Revenue, Revised Personal Income Estimates
for Washington State, .. September, 1978, pp. 4-6.
11

- 34 - 35 -

Table II-2 is based on the fall, 1977 entrances of spring, 1977,

TABLE II-1

high school graduates from southwest Washington and other regions.

Educational Attainment
High
School*

1-3 Years
Call ege**

4 or More Years
College

Southwest Washington

59.8%

22.0%

9.5%

All Other Counties
(less King County)

61.2%

25.3%

10.8%

King County

69.0%

33.6%

17.3%

Washington State
Total

63.5%

27.2%

12.7%

Washington Less
King County

60.6%

23.9%

10.3%

SOURCE:

1970 Census.

TABLE II-2
Entrances to Public Institutions of Higher Education
High School
Graduates

Four-Year
Institutions(%)

Two-Year
Institutions(%)

Tota 1 (%)

Southwest Washington

15,535

1, 725 (11.1%)

3,650 (23.3%)

5,375 (34.6%)

King County

15,937

3,474 (21.8%)

3,973 (24.9%)

7,447 (46.7%)

All Other Counties

19,413

3,216 (16. 6%)

4,898 (25.2%)

8,114 (41.8%)

State Tota 1

50,885

8,415 ( 16. 5%) .

12,521 (24.6%)

20,936 (41.1%)

State Less King County

34,948

4' 941 (14. 1%)

8,548 (24.5%)

13,489 (38.6%)

* Includes columns 2 and 3.
** Includes column 3.
The table suggests that the educational attainment of southwest

These participation rates do not fully illustrate the total number

Washington residents (according to 1970 figures) is slightly below the

of high school graduates going on to college, since no figures are available

other counties less King County in high school completions and substantially
below in college participation. 5

on either private or proprietary entrances or entrances in institutions in

Public Postsecondary Participation - Direct participation of high
school graduates in Washington public two- and four-year institutions is
another component in the measurement of educational service and attainment.

other states.

graduates entering college are included in the figures shown.
As is indicated on Table II-2, southwest Washington community college
entrants from high school are close (within 1.5 percentage points) to the
State average.

5 The timing of the 1970 census, given the subsequent establishment of
Evergreen, is such that these figures should be viewed with extreme
caution. A more accurate assessment will have to await the 1980
census. As they appear here, these figures contribute more to a
case for the maintenance of a public four-year college in the area
than to any assumptions about how well that college may or may not
be fulfilling its mission.

It may be assumed, however, that the majority or high school

Direct entrants to public four-year schools from the thirteen

west and southwest counties are considerably lower than other counties combined.

This is not a new phenomenon.

Table II-3 provides comparative data

on the percent of high school graduates entering public four-year schools
since fall, 1971.

"

- 37 - 36 -

TABLE 11-3

The region has a favorable high school dropout rate and is close

Percent of High School Graduates Entering Public
Four-Year Institutions

to all counties other than King in high school completion.
Participation in public higher education by current high school

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

Southwest
Washington

1976

1977

graduates is less than for other regions of the state.

13.5%

12.0%

11.7%

12.3%

11.7%

10.7%

11.1%

the region is similar in numbers of community college entrants,

King

27.6%

25.0%

23.7%

23.4%

22.5%

21.7%

21.8%

puulic four-year institution entrants from the southwestern high

State Average

19.7%

18.1%

17.4%

17.5%

16.8%

16.1%

16. 5 ~~

schools are significantly less, and the decline in participation

State Less King
County

16.6%

15.0%

14.6%

14.7%

14.2%

13.4%

14.1%

since 1971 has been greater than in other regions of the state.
B.

As shown, the level of direct participation from high school has
dec 1i ned in a 11 regions.
of decline.

Of perhaps greater significance is the rate

In southwest Washington the rate has declined by 18 percent,

approximately the same as King County.
decline of 16 percent

This compares to a State average

(14 percent excluding King County).

It seems evident

/ that the existence of a new four-year institution serviny southwestern
counties has not served either to reduce the rate of decline or increase
participation directly from high school.

As a subsequent table will show,

Evergreen's entrants from all Washington high schools have declined from 395
when it opened in 1971 to 53 as of fall, 1978.

Although

Historical Enrollment Pattern of Evergreen

The early optimism concerning the enrollment growth potential of The
Evergreen State College was reflected in operational planning efforts through
the 1971 Legislative Session.

As noted, the 12,000 student enrollment objective

was still being used as late as 1970 in support of Evergreen's 1971-73 capital
budget request.
The 1969 Legislature appropriated funds for the new college to hire
an initial corps of faculty and additional administrative staff "to plan
and develop the college physical plant, the organizational structure and
the instructional program, in preparation for its opening during the
6
1971-73 biennium with an estimated 1,200 full-time equivalent students. "

The following observations are based on the preceding figures:
The southwest region is mixed urban/rural with three population
centers - Tacoma, Vancouver, and Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater.
When King County is excluded, the region comprises over 40 percent
of the State's population and maintains a slightly higher income

Evergreen's initial planning faculty were hired with funds appropriated by
the 1969 Legislature.

After assessing likely demands on the beginning

institution, with a curriculum based on a nontraditional approach, the
planning faculty recommended that the initial student body be limited to
800 students. 7 At this time (1970) the state was beginning to feel the

level than averages of the other portions of the State.
~

- 38 -

~

6state of Washington, "1969-71 Biennium Budget", 1968, p. 425.
71970 Council on Higher Education Enrollment Report.
- 39 -

effects of an economic recession accentuated by the federal decision to

The First Two Years

suspend work on the SST project by the Boeing Company and the decline in

The original enrollment growth and ultimate size projections
for Evergreen called for some one thousand students a year reaching
a total population of some 12-13,000 students plus 600-650 faculty
in the early 1980's. Thus, as the first year's instruction was
underway, the selection of an additional 45 faculty and recruitment
of nearly an additional thousand students was also underway. The
first year was one full of joys countered by tribulations, of dreams
rectified by reality, of commitment to a cause accompanied by personal sacrifice, and of the ambiguity that accompanies exploration.
It was a time which few would or could again withstand, but would
never exchange--Evergreen had come to be ..•.

commercial air travel.
In reviewing the economic situation and its likely effects on the
State's higher education institutions, the then new Council on Higher
Education recommended a series of measures designed to produce an orderly
response to student enrollment pressures.

Recognizing the potential

long-term effects of the suggested one-third reduction in opening enrollments, the Council recommended that Evergreen begin with 1,000 students,
with another 1,000 increase in 1972-73. 8 This recommendation was subsequently

Year two started well --a month-long orientation and planning
period involving the first year and new faculty paid off in better
designed programs; ...

the 1972 Special Legislative Session to reflect a somewhat reduced rate

But, mid-year brought an abrupt challenge: legislative
intent for a much slowed growth, an action reflecting the downward
shifts in enrollment nationally and in several of the Washington
State colleges particularly. The most immediate impact was on
administrative structure with the imperative of a streamlined and
thinner administration. This event was a test of many things,
and particularly of Evergreen's primary educational goals and
governance: both not only ~urvived the test, they appear to
have been strengthened ....

of growth in view of the State's fiscal condition and the enrollment

In 1973, the Governor and the Legislature were faced with continued

employed in the Governor's 1971-73 request and by the Legislature in its
appropriations for The Evergreen State College.
The second year enrollment figure was subsequently modified by

declines at the older state colleges.

At the same time, Evergreen's

fiscal austerity as the State began its recovery from the recession of the

enrollment was exceeding initial estimates, and waiting lists were

previous two and one-half years.

necessary.

with its troubles accentuated by a decline in college attendance among the

Actual 1971-72 enrollment was 1,090, ninety more than budgeted.

Higher

ed~cation

shared in the problems,

The 1972-73 enrollment totalled 1,952, close to the original forecasts and

18-24 year old population of the State.

in excess of the amount encompassed through funds provided by the 1972

that, "In 1971, public university and college enrollments as a percentage

Legislature.

of population ages 18-24 was 16.6%. This measure declined to 16.4% in
1972." 10 The budget projected participation to return to the 16.6% rate

This rather traumatic period is well summarized by Dr. Edward

J. Kormondy, in Evergreen's 1974 self-study report:

by 1974.

The 1973-75 biennial budget notes

Of note to Evergreen was the continued assumption that "The

8 Ibid.
~

- 40 -

9
The Evergreen State College, "Self-Study Report", March;'1974, p. 8.
10
state of Washington, 1973-75 Biennial Budget, 1972, p. 439.
- 41 -

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Evergreen State College has been assumed to grow at a slower rate of
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12
This comparison is not intended as criticism of those responsible for
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in which they were made, the projections were reasonable.
13
Letter to Orin Smith, February 25, 1977.

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enrollment level of 2,550 FTE the first year and 2,700 FTE in 1978-79.

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optimism in terms of the growth potential of the institution, a potential
which has not yet been realized. 12

February, 1977, then President McCann strongly argued for a 1977-79

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Evergreen itself contributed somewhat to the optimistic outlook.

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State College since its opening in fall, 1971.

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TABLE II-6A
1978-79 MINIMUM UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
WASHINGTON FOUR-YEAR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Grade Point Average

uw

Tests*

. GPA must predict 2.0 I SAT, ACT or WPCT.
or higher at the UW.
(Average GPA for fresh
men entering from high
school in fall, 1977
was 3. 35; for advanced!
students, 3.03.)
Grades and test scores
together determine
probabilities of
achieving a GPA higher
than 2.0. Offers of
admission go first to
those with the highes
probabilities.

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WSU . It is the
po 1icy of HSU to admit
all applicants if the
total evidence (academic records, tests,
recommendations, inter
views) indicates a
reasonable probability
of success.

2.5 Freshmen
2.0 Transfers

WPCT. Applicants
with 24 or more semes
ter hrs. of transfer
credit will be considered for admission
on the basis of the
college record alone.

13 units of specified
courses: 3 yr.English,
2 yr. Foreign Language,
2 yr. college-prep Math
2 yr. Social Sciences,
1 yr. Lab Science, and
3 yr. Electives from
above areas.

Applicants seeking admission
to the foll01•1ing departments
or programs must complete
a supplemental application:
Architecture, Art, Building
Construction, Business Administration, Clinical
Dietetics, Communications,
Computer Science, Dance,
Dental Hygiene, Drama-BFA,
Education, Engineering -Aeronautics &Astronautics,
Ceramic, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical & Industrial,
Metallurgical; Environmental Health, Fisheries,
Health Education, Landscape Architecture, Medical
Technology, Music, Nursing, Occupational Therapy,
Pharmacy, Physical Education/Human Movement, Physical
Therapy, Prosthetics-Orthotics, Social Welfare,
Speech &Hearing Sciences, Textile Science &Costume
Studies, and Urban Planning.
None. Recommended:
3 yr. English, 2 yr.
Math, 2 yr. Natural
Science, 3 yr. Social
Sciences; and 2 yr.
Foreign Language if
entering the College
of Sciences and Arts.

*SAT= Scholastic Aptitude Test. ACT= American College Testing Serv1ce exam.
Out-of-state applicants may submit ACT or SAT in lieu of WPCT.

Grade Point Average

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Freshmen: 2.5 or
ranking in upper
half of graduating
class.
Transfers: 2. 5 on
30 transferable
credits or 2.0 on
40 credits or more.

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Applicants seeking admission
to the Nursing and Architecture programs must
complete a supplemental
application form.

WPCT =Washington Pre-College Test.

Academic

Tests
WPCT.

Supplementary
Application Forms

Academic

None. Recommended:
3 yr. English, 2 yr.
Social Studies, 2 yr.
Math, 2 yr. Science,
3 yr. academic elective
and 2 yrs. Foreign
Language.

Supplementary
Application Forms
None.

cwu

Freshmen: 2.5
Transfers: 2.5 on
30 transferable
credits or 2.0 on
40 credits or more.

WPCT required of all None
freshmen & transfers
with less than 35
transferable credits.

None

EWU

Freshmen: 2.5 or
ranking in upper
half of graduating
class.
Transfers: 2.0 on
16 or more credits.

Freshmen and trans- None
fers under 25 -years
of age and with fewer
tha~ 36 quarter credits must complete the
WPCT.

None

TESC

Freshmen: Upper half
of graduating class.
Transfers: Good academic standing at
previous college. Students transferring
less than 15 hrs.
will be considered
freshmen.

None

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CPE
Jan.l979

None

The Evergreen State
College Supplemental
Admissions Form (sent
upon receipt of the
uniform application of
admission).

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- 53 -

TABLE II-10

.,·~

TABLE II-9
The Evergreen State College
Enrollment by Other States

The Evergreen State College
Enrollment for Foreign Country

;

!

i

Country
Name of State

1971

Alabama
0
Alaska
6
Arizona
0
Arkansas
0
California
36
Colorado
3
Connecticut
4
Delaware
0
District of Columbia 1
Florida
2
Georgi a
0
Hawaii
0
Idaho
0
Illinois
9
Indiana
1
Iowa
1
Kansas
0
Kentucky
0
Louisiana
0
Maine
1
Maryland
0
Massachusetts
5
Michigan
0
Minnesota
4
Mississippi
0
Missouri
3
Montana
0
Nebraska
0
Nevada
1
New Hamps ire
1
New Jersey
0
New Mexico
0
New York
7
North Carolina
1
North Dakota
1
Ohio
8
Oklahoma
1
Oregon
56
Pennsylvania
10
Rhode Island
1
South Carolina
0
South Dakota
0
Tennessee
1
Texas
0
Utah
1
Vermont
0
Virginia
0
West Virginia
0
Wisconsin
2
Wyoming
0
Total by Other
States
SOURCE:

167

American Samoa
Australia
British Columbia
Canada (not B.C.)
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Indonesia
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Lebanon
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Nysaland Rhodesia
Pakistan
Panama
Panama Canal Zone
Puerto Rico*
Spain
Sweden
Thailand
Viet Nam
TOTAL

;

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

!
I

{

l

2
7
2
0
123
13
5
1
2
6
1
2
7
24
3
4
1
0
1
0
7
12
4
6
0
0
5
4
0
3

4
2
21
2
1
11

2
111
8
0
0
0

4
12
3
0
215
24
15

4
3
5
2
3
11
37
4
7
2
1
1
4
19
25
7
19
0
6
7
2
0
3
15
5
43
1

2
17
1
126

14

2

0
1
0
1
7
3
1
14
1
5
3

430

705

2
5

2
0
9
1

2

0
7
1
1
193
22
21
3
6
4
3
3
10
41
4
8
2
1
0
3
18
39
11

11
0
7
6
0
0
6
21
8
59
1
l
20
1
109
16
0
1
0
3
10
3

4
11
0
2
4
705

6
8
8
1
154
23
26
0

4
9
12
3
138
25
26
0

4

1

2

4
9
4
7
58
5
5
4
0
3
7
18
30
6
19
1
9
2
2
0
7
21
9
54
1
3
42
1

8

4
2
9 .
54
3
4
1
2
3
5
19
29
9
9
0
12
3
2
0
7
21
7
66
1

4
33
1
96
21
1
0
1
1
10
6
5.
12
0
11
4
714

8
4
7
0
3
2
17
33
10
22
1
6
3
4
0
4
23
10
50

2
2
42

0
9
3
691

634

17
3
0
1
3
14
2
10

8

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6
3
5
47

1
65
17
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3
7
3
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9
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72

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6

Home Address, Registrar's Fall-Quarter Computer Print-out- All Years.

- 54 -

6
5
10
1
116
21
21

j
I

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

-

-

-

-

1

1
2
2

1

-

-

3

3

-

-

-

2

1

-

1
4
1
1
2

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

1976

1977

3
3
1
-

3
3

2

-

-

-

-

1
1
1

1

1
1

1

1

2

1

1
1
1
1

-

-

-

-

-

-

1
1
1
1
1
2

-

-

-

1

-

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

10

5

4

2
17

-

1

-

-

20

* Categorized as foreign in this series.
SOURCE:

The Evergreen State College records.

- 55 -

1

5

~

1

1

-

1
1

2
1

1
1
1
1
17

1
1
1

17

only 25 percent of resident family incomes were in that category.

Con-

versely, '52 percent of resident family incomes were $15,000 or below as
opposed to 30 percent of nonresidents.

In 1974-75, 22 percent of resident

students received some form of financial aid, compared to 15 percent of
14
nonresidents.
By 1977-78 the percentages rose to 36 percent and 23
percent, respectively, but the difference remained. 15
Ethnic status was another area of difference.
indicate~

The 1975 survey

that while non-white students accounted for 12 percent of

resident enrollment, only five percent of nonresidents would be classified
16
as minorities.
The 1978 revision suggests maintenance of about the same
relationship in 1975-76, with 1977-78 data showing residents to comprise
12 percent minorities, with 9 percent of the nonresidents so classified.
A common question concerns the status of nonresident students after
graduation.

The following statements are quoted directly from the 1978

NON-RESIDENT GRADUATES OF EVERGREEN
Out of all students who graduated from Evergreen from
December, 1974, through June, 1977, there were 141 non-resident
graduates. Out of these 141, we have no follow-up information
on 28. Out of the 113 remaining non-resident graduates, 24
or 21% are looking for work out of the State of Washington,
18 or 16% are looking for work in state, 19 or 17% are attending graduate schools outside the state, while three or 2% are
attending graduate schools within Washington. Out of the
remaining, 31 or 27% are employed outside the State of Washington (one is employed outside the Un}ted States), and 18
or 16% are employed within the state.1
As these excerpts indicate, there appears to be a greater tendency
for the reclassified student to locate (or attempt to locate) within
Washington than for those students who retain non-resident status.
Entrants from Washington High Schools - The problem of attracting
high school graduates to Evergreen has been a continuing one for the
institution since its third year of operation.

The contrast is

dra"~tic

between the institution's first year, when entrances direct from high

revised report:
STUDENTS WHO BECAME RESIDENTS WHILE AT EVERGREEN
Out of all the students who graduated from Evergreen from
December, 1974, through June, 1978, there were 214 who started
out as non-residents and changed to resident status while at
Evergreen. Out of these 214, we have no follow-up information
on 67. Out of the remaining 147 graduates, 26 or 18% left the
state after graduation (10 are attending graduate schools, of
which two are working on PhO. requirements and one is working
on a Fulbright Fellowship in Switzerland). Fifty-eight or 39%
of the graduates are looking for work within the state. Sixtythree or 43%of the 147 graduates are employed or attending
graduate schools within the state.

school comprised over one-third of the student body, and Fall, 1978,
when this category made up less than five percent of all new entrances
and an inconsequential amount of total enrollments.
As Table II-11 illustrates, the opening surge of high school graduates
dropped off by nearly 50 percent in 1973 and began a steady decline to
the fall, 1978 low of 53 students.

The heavy early participation from

southwestern Washington and King counties reflect the TACPHE assumption
that Evergreen could serve a useful role in relieving some of the pressure

14

The Evergreen State College,
July, 1975, p. 2.

11

A Profile of Non-Resident Students .. ,

15 Ibid., 1978 update, p. 8.
16 Ibid., 1975.

on the University of Washington.

17 1977 Update, p. 7.

~

- 56 - 57 -

~

TABLE II-11
Number of High School Seniors
Attending The Evergreen State College by Year
(Fall 1971 - Fall 1978) for Selected Counties
County
Thurston

Fall
1971

Fall
1972

Fall
1973

Fall
1974

Fall
1975

Fall
1976

63

22

21

24

16

18

7

11

Fall
1977

1

2

2

1

2

0

Mason

16

2

3

2

0

2

1

1

4

0

3

9

1

1

0

0

22

12

Cowlitz

6

2

2

2

6

1

0

4

1

1

2

1

2

Pierce

· 45

28

15

17

12

8

3

10

Kitsap

17

11

7

12

1

3

4

0

King

148

All Others
TOTAL

70
395

SOURCE:

158

81

90

38

326

172

47
12

39
24

30

14

30

~

Fall
1978

1

1

21

10

7

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Tables II-12 and II-13 present a different perspective.

The first

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presents a view of which public four-year schools those west and southwest
Washington high school graduates have chosen to attend.

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State University (35.6%) followed by the Un1versity of Washington (29.4%)

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and Western Washington University (16.2%) over that period.

Evergreen

attracted only a slightly higher percentage than Eastern; since 1975, it
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of southwest Washington reviewed earlier, it is evident that a substantial
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Two-thirds of Evergreen's 1978 community college transfers came from these

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Clark (16); and Centralia (12).

While its attractiveness to this clientele

group is evidently greater than to high school students, its proportion of
total transfers nevertheless has been disappointing to date.

outlines the four-year institutions receiving transfers from these eight
cmnmunity colleges.

Except for one year (1976), Evergreen has trailed all

institutions other than Eastern in the proportion of such transfers.

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- 60 -

Table II-17

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the transfers from the eight community colleges in its regional service area.

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institutions' entrances.

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is clearly the first choice.

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- 61 -

1/'"\UL..L

Number of High School Seniors
Attending Eastern Washington University by Year
(Fall 1971 - Fall 1977) for Selected Counties

Other Local Area Service - The majority of new students entering
Evergreen fall into the category "Other New Students."

11-.L;J

The l'argest number
Fall

1971

Fa 11
1972

Fall

Fall

1973

1974

472

394

456

King

37

27

TABLE II-14

Whitman

32

Number of High School Seniors
Attending Western Washington University by Year
(Fall 1971- Fall 1977) for Selected Counties

Yakima

of these students are from Thurston and the twelve other Southwest Wash-

County

ington counties, as the comparison on Table II-18 {page 61) indicates.

Spokane*

Fall

Fall

1975

1976

435

438

349

315

43

44

40

45

41

43

29

31

23

71

14

32

23

19

24

47

27

20

Wa 11 a Wa 11 a

29

14

23

18

16

24

26

Okanogan

24

27

31

23

25

5

8

Lincoln

22

13

18

15

19

19

10

All Other

180

248

242

236

271

192

262

828

789

861

826

879

732

696

Fall
1971

Fall
1972

Fall
1973

Fall
1974

Fall
1975

Fall
1976

Fall
1977

King

650

491

432

397

422

500

484

Pierce

190

148

158

90

129

146

149

TOTAL

Whatcom*

180

149

179

160

152

176

164

Snohomish

90

66

68

82

76

90

* Home County.
SOURCE: OFM, HEEP Reports.

72

Thurston

50

38

48

39

35

46

59

Skagit

43

23

27

17

21

29

29

Spokane

40

35

34

23

32

30

36

273

185

209

178

203

216

246

· 1,516

1,135

1,155

986

1,070

1,233

1,239

County

Fall

1977

TABLE II-16
Number of High School Seniors
Attending Central Washington University by Year
(Fall 1971 - Fall 1977) for Selected Counties

1971

Fa11
1972

Fa 11

Fall

1973

1974

King

347

342

279

277

224

215

1977
187

* Home County.

Pierce

144

113

75

101

83

94

68

SOURCE:

Kittitas*

105

75

100

81

52

70

78

Yakima

101

79

68

54

71

64

81

Snohomish

62

57

28

36

27

31

23

Benton

43

40

17

14

8

26

21

Grant

42

23

8

8

12

18

8

303

278

210

260

216

199

206

1,147

1,007

785

831

693

717

672

All Others
Total

OFM, HEEP Reports.

County

All Other
TOTAL
- 62 -

Fa 11

* Home County.
SOURCE: OFM, HEEP Reports.

- 63 -

Fall

Fall

1975

1976
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385 (61.2%)

Southwest Washington
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120 (27.3%)

133 (23.7%)

170 (22. 7%)

139 (22.1%)

84 (15.0%)

135 (18. 0%)

105 (16. 7%)

749

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All Other

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TOTAL

440

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a detailed view of all of the students categorized as being from Thurston
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1977

Tables II-19 and II-20, derived from the registrar•s records, provide

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Fall 1974 - Fall 1977

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time), the Thurston County students are more heavily weighted to the
part-time category.

In fa 11, 1977, 42.3 percent of the.se students

enrolled for one or two units or were auditors.

Of credit students,

38 percent were part-time as compared to the 18.7 percent institutional

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approximates the institutional average (18.1 percent to 18.7 percent part-

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- 65 -

....-

TABLE II-19

TABLE II-20

Thurston County
Fall Term

Headcount
FTE (CH t 15)

Other Southwest Washington Counties (12)
Fa 11 Tenn

1974

1975

1976

438
311

691
558

856
646

871
645

823
33

822
49

Resident
Nonresident

424
14

Freshmen
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Special

197
81
85
50
25

194
122
117
81
177

,.

1974

1975

1976

1977

Headcount
FTE {CH t 15)

421
335

437
434

499
486

485
450

Resident
Nonresident

419
2

435
2

490
9

464
21

Freshmen
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Special

169
70
95
85
2

40.1%
16.6%
22.6%
20.2%
.5%

146
82
102
77
30

33.4%
18.8%
23.3%

19 and under
20 - 24
25 - 29
30 - 39
40 - 49
50 - 59
60 - over
Not indicated

65
187
92
39
26
5
1
6

15.4%
44.4%
21.9%
9.3%
6.2%
1.2%
.2%
1.4%

52
167
86
76
31
16
2
7

Median Age (rounded)

{22)

I

665
26
45.0%
18.5%
19.4%
11.4%
5.7%

1977

28.1%
17.7%
16.9%
11.7%
25.6%

227
161
125
89
254
55
272
196
176
87
, 37
13
20

26.5%
13.8%
14.6%
10 ..4%

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217
136
145
100
273

24.9%
15.6%
16.6%
11.5%
31.3%

6.4%
31.8%
22.9%
20.6%
10.2%
:4.3%
1. 5%
2.3%

57
259
191
202
94
36
20
12

6.5%
29.7%
21.9%
23.2%
10.8%
4.1%
2.3%
1.4%

;

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19 and under
20 - 24
25 - 29
30 - 39
40 - 49
50 - 59
60 - over
Not indicated

52
186
98
53
22
7
4
6

Median Age (rounded)

{23)

1 Unit
2 Units
3 Units
4 Units
Auditors

44
1
1
392

-

10.1%
.2%
.2%
89.5%
0.0%

116
15
5
482
73

16.8%
2.2%
. 7%
69.7%
10.6%

168
167
24
462
35

19.6%
19.5%
2.8%
54.0%
4.1%

184
124
20
482
61

21. 1'.t
14.2%
2.3%
55.4%
7.0%

Transfers

1 Unit
2 Units
3 Units
4 Units
Auditors

89

0
1
409
0

20.3%

2.6%
0.0%
.2%
97.2%
0.0%

73

10.6%

98

11.4%

89

10.2%

Transfers

76

18.0%

11.9%
42.5%
22.4%
14.4~;

5.0%
1.6%
.9%
1.4%

61
249
128
123
67
30
16
17

8.8%
36.0%
18. 5~;
17.8%
9.7%
4.3%
2.3%
2.5%

{26)

Washington Colleges 60
Out-of-State
27
Foreign
2

{27)

57
12
4

{27)

82
14
2

69
20

11

Washington Colleges
Out-of-State
Foreign

-

6.9%

124
90
173
71
41

24.9%
18.0%
34. n.
14.'2%
8.2%

145
67
122
105
46

29.9%
13.8%
25.2%
21.6%
9.5%

11.9%
38.2%
19.7%
17.4%
7.1%
3.7%
.4%
1.6%

26
167
124
101
49
22
1
9

5.2%
33.5%
24.9%
20.2%
;9.8%
'4.4%
.2%
1.8%

36
143
118
99
54
23
0
12

7.4%
29.5%
24.3%
20.4%
11.1t
4.8%
0.0%
2.5%

17.6~

{24)

62
13

15

{26)

6
393
12

3.4%
2.5%
1.4%
89.9%
2.7%

26
36
18
418
1

5.2%
7.2%
3.6%
83.8%
.2%

39
49
29
366
2

8.0%
10.1%
6.0%
75.5%
.4%

93

21.3%

134

26.8%

85

17.5%

11

87
4
2

1

{27)

115
17
2

75
9
1

Retained Students
(Previous Fall)

158

36.1%

218

31.5%

247

28.9%

305

35.0%

Entrances

Retained Students
(Previous Fa llT-

191

191

45.4%

43.6%

187

42.8%

400

171.

34.3%

220

57.9%

45.4%

511

59.7%

477

54.8%

Entrances

154

36.6%

157

35.9%

194

38.9%

180

37. a

Wash. H. S.
27
Out-of-State H. S.
0
Out-of-State Trans.
5
Military
0
Other New
145
Former Ret.
14

16
2
16
1
344
21

18
0
21
3
444
25

9
3
29
2
385
49

Credit Hours
On Campus
Off Campus

SOURCE:

Wash. H. S.
29
Out-of-State H. S.
0
Out-of-State Trans.
0
Military
2
Other New
120
Former Ret.
3

22
0
1
1
133
0

15

12
0
20
0
139
9

2

4
1
170
2

Credit Hours
4,660

-

8,368

-

Registrar's Records.

9,672
16

.· 9,680

-

On Campus
Off Campus

SOURCE:

- 66 -

5,024

-

6,508

-

Registrar's Records.

- 67 -

6,100
1,196

~

5,856
896

Table II-21 outlines the relationship between enrollment by age
group and the percentage enrolled full-time for the two areas under review.

to enroll in a course, but rather their attendance was advised or selfsought in conjunction with and as

In the early years of the institution, enrollment of part-time

Evergreen Enrollments by Age and Area
Count~

Other SW Washington

Number

%Full-Time

Number

% Full- Time

18-24

316

70.6%

179

88.3%

24-29

191

55.0%

118

60.2%

30-39

202

54.0%

99

42.4%

40-49

94

40.4%

54

77.8%

50-59

36

36.1%

23

78.3%

60 and over

20

25.0%

0

Age

Categor~

part of their coordinated studies,

group contract or individual contract.

TABLE II-21

Thurston

~

students was accepted though not encouraged through advertising their
existence and availability on part-time basis in the community

As

Table II-22 and Figure II-1 indicate, the growth of part-time enrollments at The Evergreen State College was substantial in 1976.

The

number of students enrolled for one or two units increased from 197
in fall, 1975 to 492 in fall, 1976.

Since 1976 there has been a slight

numeric decline in part-time enrollment; however, the proportion of the
total enrollment grew to 18.8 percent in fall, 1978.
Until fall, 1976, two units were considered full-time for tuition and

Excludes students not indicating age.

fee purposes.
As the figures indicate, Evergreen has been making a concerted effort
in recent years to attract additional students from the local area.

Until

Thus students enrolled for two, three, or four units were

charged full-time fees.

Cost considerations from the student's standpoint

did not stimulate part-time enrollment under this system.

As of fall, 1976,

fall, 1976, students attending The Evergreen State College could only enroll

the fee structure was changed to a differential charge between two units

in one program, either coordinated studies, group contract, learning

(part-time) and three and/or four units (full-Lime), depending on the specific

contract or "module" (course).

number of units for which enrolled.

The module, as a one unit course for

With this change the system encouraged

which a person could enroll as a part-time student, was a gradual outgrowth

"part-time" participation, and increased part-time enrollments have occurred

of the other full-time programs.

since then.

While now classified as "courses", their

explicit purpose was to facilitate the interests and needs of existing

Simultaneously, part-time enrollments were encouraged through the wide

full-time students, and they !;;ere not initially considered an entity for

distribution of information on the availability of courses and the imple-

the enrollment of part-time students.

mentdtion of policies to provide courses of interest and need to both full-

A single course drew its creation

and its student attendance from enrollments in one or all- of the other

time and part-time students, thus encouraging greater patticipation from

program modes.

residents of surrounding communities within and without Thurston County.

As such, students did not go through the registration process
- 68 -

- 69 -

TABLE II-22
Headcount Enrollment
by Number of Units
Fall Terms 1971 - 1978
1 Unit (%)

2 Units (%2._

3 Units ( %)

4 Units (%)

Total (%)

1971*

75 (6.4)

- - - - - f u11- t i me - - - - -

1,103 (93.6)

1,178 ( 100)

1972*

87 (4.3)

- - - - - f u11 -time - - - - -

1 '948 ( 95. 7)

2,035 (100)

1973

124 (5.3)

- - - - - fu 11- time - - - - -

2,203 (94. 7)

2 '327 (100)

1974

86 ( 3. 5)

12 ( . 5)

2,347 (96.0)

2,446 (100)

1975

156 ( 6. 2)

41 (1.6)

20 ( . 8)

2,290 (91.3)

2,507 (100)

1976

231 (8 . 8)

261 (9 . 9)

74 (2.8)

2,070 (78.5)

2,636 (100)

1977

248 (9.8)

226 (8.9)

95 (3. 7)

1,975 (77.6)

2,544 (100)

1978

227 (9.8)

210 (9.0)

100 (4.3)

1,785 (76.9)

2,322 (100)

1

-.....J

0

*Each unit equal to 5 quarter credit hours; 2 or more units were considered full-time.
Since 1973 each unit is equal to 4 quarter credit hours .

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While much more could be written and more data provided concerning

While there is a decided population difference (the southwest region has

aspects ·of Evergreen•s enrollment patterns, the foregoing discussion has

approximately double the population of the east), other measures support

concentrated on the major aspects of enrol1ment and their relation to

the use of this comparison.

principle categories of service:

from Canada to Oregon.

national, state, regional and local.

Both are far-flung geographically, ranging

Both contain one public four-year institution with

The picture that emerges is one of an institution oriented toward the

regional responsibilities, Eastern Washington University and The Evergreen

older, more independent and mobile student.

State College.

Both contain several four-year independent colleges and

an institution that is not especially attractive to the majority of

universities:

Gonzaga, Whitworth, Fort Wright, Whitman, and Walla Walla

local and regional high school graduates and community college transfers

in the east; and Pacific Lutheran, University of Puget Sound, and St. Martins

but which is making an effort to reach other segments of the local

in the west.

conmunity.

University and Evergreen is approximately 70 miles south of the University
20
of Washington.

D.

The picture also suggests

The Outlook for the Future

The Evergreen Stdte

Colleg~

requires an enrollment of between 4,000

and 4,500 to fully utilize its physical plant and library resources.

Enroll-

Eastern is approximately 80 miles north of Washington State

Other similarities are per capita income (within two percent) and high
school completion by persons 25 and over (within four percent), and a mix

ments in this range would bring its support costs per student to a level

of urban/rural populations, with one large population center within a half-

equivalent to undergraduate costs at the regional universities.

hour drive of the public four-year school.

As Figure

While no comparison group would

II-1 indicates, the recent trend is one of enrollment decline, particularly

fit perfectly, it is felt that there are enough points of similarity to

in the full-time student category.

allow for reasonable judgments to be made.

Full-time equivalent enrollment stabilized

from 1974 to 1976 and has since declined by 12 percent.

If these trends con-

Entrances from High School - Table II-23 illustrates the high school

tinue, the institution will ultimately approach a point of non-viability,

entrances to public four-year institutions from Eastern Washington counties.

prohibitive unit costs, and declining service capability.

Similar information for southwest Washington was presented earlier on Table II-12.

It is important,

therefore, to consider the potential for reversing the pattern.
In approaching this question, it was decided to undertake a compurative
analysis of the Eastern Washington 18 and Southwest Washington 19 regions.

In fall, 1977 Eastern Washington University received 35.7 percent (467)
of all Eastern Washington high school graduates who entered four-year public
institutions.

Evergreen received 1.4 percent (24) of all Southwest Wash-

ington students in the same category.
18 oefined for this review as Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Grant,
Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman Counties.
19 oefined as Pierce, Clallam, Mason, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Lewis,
Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Skamania, Clark, Kitsap, and Thurston Counties.
- 72 -

Were The Evergreen State College to

20 one should also note the proximity of Eastern to the City of Spokane,
partially balanced by the relative proximity of Evergreen to Tacoma.
- 73 -

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receive 35.0 percent of the Southwest Washington entrances, an increase

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of 580 freshmen students would be realized.

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to all four-year public institutions, maximum impact on other institutions



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would be:
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uw
wsu
cwu

553

(32.1%)

365

(21.1%)

188

557

(32.3%)

367

(21. 3%)

190

178

(10.3%)

117

( 6. 8%)

61

EWU

55

( 3.2%)

36

( 2.1%)

19

wwu

358

(20.7%)

236

(13.7%)

- 122

TESC

24

( 1.4%)

604

(35.0%)

+ 580

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Based on fall, 1977 entrances

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1-

Such an estimate presumes only a redistribution of entering freshmen
now committed to attending a four-year public institution, and it does not
consider either an increase in the participation rate of the high school
graduates or a crossover of entrances from community colleges to four-year
institutions.

Using recent retention rates, if Evergreen were to increase

its high school entrances by 580, a four-year average enrollment increase
would be approximately 1,200 students.
Of lesser numeric significance, Eastern received 4.2 percent of
southwest Washington high school entrances and 3.2 percent of high school
entrances from all other counties.

If Evergreen were able to raise its

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share to those levels, an additional 188 entering students could be

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expected.

Using the same overall attrition rate, this could result in

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3

an additional cumulative enrollment of approximately 390 students.

- 74 - 75 -

sufficient to balance the anticipated future decreases in high school
graduates, without diverting very many students from Western.

While this exercise is restricted to the potential for enrollment

Overall, assuming that King County increases could offset a decline

increases at Evergreen assuming only a redistribution of fall, 1977
high school entrances to approximately the percentage received by Eastern

in graduation rates, Evergreen could look to over 1,000 additional

Washington University, another potential exists among students not now

entrances from high school and an added enrollment potential of nearly

continuing their education.

2,200 students.

As was pointed out in the first section

this estimate would still be less than the number now received by Western.

of this chapter, while community college entrances are at about a state

Transfer Potential - In fall, 1977, Eastern Washington University

average level, only 11.1 percent of southwest Washington high school
graduates enter four-year public institutions.

The total annual entrants from high school assumed in

received 57.3 percent (347) of the students transferring from an Eastern

This compares to 18.2

Washington community college (Big Bend, Spokane, Spokane Falls, and Walla

percent from Eastern Washington and 19.1 percent from all other counties.

Walla) to any public four-year institution.

Were southwest Washington high school graduates entering four-year

Evergreen received 9.1 percent

institutions to increase to the state average participation rate, an addi-

(91) of the same category of students from southwest Washington community

tional 838 students would enroll from these 13 counties.

colleges (Peninsula, Grays Harbor, Olympic, Fort Steilacoom, Centralia,

11

Applying the

Olympia Technical, Lower Columbia, Clark, and Tacoma).

potential 11 distribution cited -on the previous page, Evergreen could be

Using the analogous

expected to receive 293 additional entrances while the other institutions

simple redistribution among four-year institutions, were Evergreen to receive

would make up virtually all of any decreases resulting from redistribution.

57.0 percent of the southwest Washington community college transfers, its

The additional 293 entrances would be converted into an enrollment of

transfers would be increased by 477, for a total of 568 in this sector.

approximately 600 students, using the experienced attrition factors.

Maximum potential impact on other four-year institutions would be:

One additional point is worthy of note.

Evergreen is the closest
Actual Fall, 1977

public four-year institution geographically to the University of Washington;

(+or -)

Potential

310

(~1.1%)

146

(14.7%)

- 164

165

(16.6%)

78

( 7.8%)

-

ment pressures increase on the University of Washington (the University

uw
wsu
cwu

141

(14.2%)

67

( 6.7%)

- 74

serves 60 percent of King County graduates), Evergreen could also look to

EWU

42

( 4.2%)

20

( 2.0%)

- 22

that county for substantially increased entrances in numbers at least

wwu

247

(24.8%)

117

(11.8%)

~

- 130

TESC

91

( 9. 1%)

568

{57. 0%) .

+ 447

yet it receives only 30 entrances annually from King County high schools.
1977, Western Washington University received 484 such entrants.

As enroll-

In

- 76 - 77 -

87

Eastern Washington University receives 3.1 percent of Southwest
Washington community college transfers to all four-year public institutions.
This cross-state percentage would translate into an additional 15 transfers
to Evergreen.

This would have no noticeable effect on other institutions.

In fall, 1977, Eastern received 5.2 percent of the transfers from the
other 14 community colleges in the state.

Increasing Evergreen's enroll-

ment from these sectors to the same percentage would result in an additional
81 entrances.

commuting distances, but this was not possible because of data limitations.
As of fall, 1977 Evergreen enrolled 1,020 persons between 25 and 49
(40 percent of its enrollment).

When compared to the 29,681 persons of

the same age in Thurston County in 1975, this amounted to 3.44 percent
of the county population.

In the same period, Eastern enrolled 2,204

persons of the same age category (26 percent of its enrollment).

Spokane

County's 1975 population in this category was 83,522 providing a rela-

The total number of additional transfer entrants possible if Evergreen
were to attract at the same rate as Eastern would be 573.

Assuming that

half entered after one year of community college and half after two years,
and applying recent attrition rates, an additional 1,000 students could
be anticipated from this source.

to the statewide average, no increased participation from Southwest Washington
community college transfers to four-year institutions or other community
colleges have been included in this analysis.

has made a notable effort in recent years to attract other new entrances
from the local area and the geographic service region.

Currently, over half

older students is from these areas at time of admission.

While the county b.oundaries make a comparison difficult, Evergreen's
age 25-49 year old enrollment was compared to Thurston County population
in the same age group and a similar comparison was made between Eastern
and Spokane County.

This material suggests that, while some additional potential may exist
in southern portions of Pierce County, extensive growth in this cateqory
should not be anticipated.

However, by providing an expanded array of courses

government, some growth in this area is possible.
Other Areas - Potential for enrollment growth exists in two other areas:
Off-campus programs and graduate studies.

In the former area, Evergreen now

offers a program in Vancouver and contemplates future initiation of other

Older Age Populations - As indicated in the previous section, Evergreen

o~

tionship of 2.64 percent.

designed to meet the particular needs of the local area, including state

Since Southwest Washington participation in community colleges is close

the enrollment

portion of Pierce County in the Evergreen comparison to reflect similar

It would have been desirable to have included a

efforts within its service area.

The 1979-81 capital request includes

enrollment projections which show a two-thirds growth in FTE enrollments
(+ 124 FTE) in areas other than

11

day on campus

11


While not all of this

is necessarily related to off-campus programs, it assumes some modest potential for enrollment growth.
Evergreen has submitted a planning proP,osal for a master's degree
program in the field of public affairs to the Council for Postsecondary
Education.

Should the proposal be favorably reviewed ang the master's

degree authorized by the Legislature, enrollment growth associated with
- 78 - 79 -

the new graduate program or programs would occur.

CHAPTER I II

However, it would be

COST ANALYSIS

premature at this time to make a specific estimate of the amount of such

Unit costs at Evergreen are higher than at other institutions.

growth.
The other significant area in which a change in enrollment could occur
is in the nonresident category.

As the earlier section on enrollment char-

At

the same time, direct instructional costs, exclusive of support costs, are
comparable among these institutions.

All other elements equal, it is

acteristics indicated, Evergreen has a higher percentage of nonresidents than

estimated that Evergreen would have to attain an enrollment level of

any other Washington institution.

4,250 FTE students to maintain total unit costs comparable to those of

Significantly, this is the only area of

enrollment which grew in fall, 1978.

With the exception of Western, the

other regional universities receive comparatively few out-of-state entrances.

the three regional universities.
The fact that the unit costs per student at The Evergreen State College

A precipitous change in program by Evergreen could result in a decrease

are higher than at other institutions has been known for some time.

in nonresident enrollment; the extent would be dependent on a variety of

difference has been reviewed and discussed by the Council for Postsecondary

factors, and it cannot be estimated at this time.

Education in its Unit Expenditures Studies of 1972-73, 1974-75 and 1976-77.

It should be mentioned

The

that this review does not suggest that Evergreen look to a national campaign

It has been discussed by the fiscal committees of the Legislature, and it

to solicit additional enrollments.

figured heavily in the framing of the appropriations act proviso which directed

The current ability of students to

reclassify as residents could result in substantially increased expenditures
with little, if any, growth in service to current state residents, parti-

The Council's 1976 study of tuition and fees recommended a higher rate
for Evergreen because of its higher costs.

cularly those in southwest Washington.
In summary, it can be seen that Evergreen has a potential to grow and
provide increased service to Washington.

this study.

High school entrances and transfers

alone could provide up to 3,200 additional students, and additional growth
is possible in added local, off-campus and graduate programs.

Even allowing

for some possible decline in nonresident enrollments, sufficient numbers of
students could be available to allow the institution to optimize its facilities
and library and bring its overhead costs into balance with other institutions.
Such growth in Evergreen enrollments would represent a

n~eded

increase in

service and some relief in the enrollment pressures on the University of

because it was expected that Evergreen's enrollment would grow to the point
where 'its costs would be in balance with the regional universities by the mid1980's.

In the two ensuing years, however, Evergreen's enrollment has declined.

The appropriations act proviso should be repeated here:
" ... The study shall determine the actions necessary to broaden
the institution's clientele base by introducing traditional .
undergraduate and graduate course offerings and reduce the institution's total operating costs per FTE student to the average
cost er FTE student at the other three state colle es (now
reg1onal umversities . Emphasis added
The wording of the proviso is important since it implies that the
objective of unit cost equalization should be achieved, at least in the

Washington.
- 80 -

This recommendation was not accepted

- 81 -

main through program changes and enrollment 9rowth.

It does not direct

in support program appropriations, wou1d have been required to reduce

the Council to recommend specific ways that the budget can be cut to bring
down costs.

This review, therefore, .focuses on existing patterns and

the per student overhead costs to the three institution average.
When, as part of the tuition and fee analysis, the 1974-75 cost factors

conditions and suggests enrollment levels at which a unit cost balance

were applied to 1975-77 budget levels, the overhead difference narrowed,

could be achieved.

partly because of the enrollment increases budgeted for Evergreen and partly

The year in which Evergreen's full-time equivalent enrollment was near
a high point was 1974-75.

The results of the 1974-75 Unit

Expendit~res

because of the larger appropriation increase for support programs at the
three older schools.

Study for the three regional universities and Evergreen were as follows

support program expense at Evergreen.

for the undergraduate level:

Institution

At 1975-77 budgeted levels, the

enrollment level required to equalize per student support costs was 4,300
FTE students.

Faculty Salaries
And Benefits/FTE

The 1975 Legislature funded virtually no increase in

Direct Support
Costs/FTE
Student

Indirect
Costs/FTE
Student

Total
Costs/FTE
Student

cwu

$1,025

$277

$911

$2,213

EWU

915

247

968

2,130

wwu

861

202

863

1'926

AVERAGE*

927

238

909

2,074

TESC

863

304

1,908

3,075

Again, it would have been necessary to hold support program

funding constant to achieve that 11 break-even 11 point.
In November, 1977, the institution conducted an analysis of the enrollment
level necessary to achieve parity in per student costs.

This analysis was

carefully done and was supplied to the Council staff as part of the overall
Evergreen study.

The analysis contained b1o types of comparisons: (1) A

projection of costs to 1986-87, and (2) A current cost comparison with
selected cost increases in Evergreen support programs.

Both comparisons

utilized factors from the 1974-75 Unit Expenditures Study.

* Sum of dollars divided by SCH.

The first

analysis concluded that Evergreen could achieve a balanced cost position
The analysis also showed that the direct costs of instruction (the sum
of the first two columns above) were approximately the same for Evergreen
($1,167) as the three older schools ($1,165) with the difference occurring

in the support areas.

Evergreen's indirect costs allocated to instruction

were 2.1 times the amount per student for the other schools combined.
proportional increase in enrollment, to 4,920 FTE
- 82 -

studen~s,

A

with no increase

with 4,000 students by 1986-87.

The second analysis indicated that at

1977-78 levels and a 4,000 student enrollment, Evergreen's per student

cost would still be higher than the average of the three older schools.
Under that analysis, an enrollment level of 4,120 would be needed.
Council staff review of each of the analyses calls both into some
question.

In the case of the first analysis, the
- 83 -

crucial~

issue is the

basic assumption of differential annual inflation rates among the institutions.
This factor was based on a comparison of the extent to which the Legislature
funded

11

net inflation costs 11 at the four schools from 1974-75 through 1978-79.

The use of this approach results in differential adjustment factors for future

including the budget adjustments Evergreen estimates to be needed for
4,000 students, a total enrollment level of 4,722 students would be needed
by Evergreen to equal the average of the other schools.

For example, between 1978-79 and 1981-82 the analysis

years for the schools.

assumed that Western's support costs would rise by 7.1 percent per year,
Eastern's by 6.6 percent, Central •s by 6.4 percent and Evergreen's by slightly
less than 6 percent.

If the second Evergreen analysis is directed to the support programs,

While the analysis is straightforward and appears to be

reliable through 1978-79 budget assumptions, the extension of the sum of individual budget actions to a projected pattern is not a reliable guide to
future legislative action.

These comments are not intended to suggest that it is impossible that
the conditions assumed in the Evergreen analysis will occur, only that they
are unlikely unless enrollment declines or increases in funding for the other
schools serve to raise their per student overhead costs.

fore, should be considered as representing the lower end of a spectrum of
possibilities.

The effect of using higher rates of inflation

for the three older schools is to reduce the number of students needed to
achieve unit cost parity by Evergreen.

A further perspective is provided by the 1976-77 Unit Expenditures
Study.

The institutional undergraduate cost patterns emanating from this

study are as follows:

The second analysis is questionable only to the extent that it reflects
a parity position with Evergreen's direct instruction costs estimated to be
$128 per student lower than the other three schools.

Since the 1974-75

study showed virtually no difference in direct instructional costs between
Evergreen and the other schools at the undergraduate level, it is appropriate
to calculate the point at which parity would be achieved in support of overhead costs per student.

The figures, there-

The latter approach is further supported by the fact

Institution

Direct Instructional
Costs/FTE Student

Overhead
Cost/FTE
Student

Total
Cost/FTE
Student

cwu

$1,392

$1,179

$2,571

EWU

1,189

1,176

2,365

wwu

1,225

986

2,211

AVERAGE*

1,263

1,099

2,362

TESC

1,325

2,057

3,382

that instructional funding is accomplisbed through a formula intended to
equalize support.

In addition, the 1976-77 Unit Expenditures Study shows

that Evergreen's direct costs in that year were somewhat higher ($62) than
the three school average.

* Suin of dollars divided by SCH.
This analysis found that the direct cost of instruction was slightly
higher at Evergreen ($1,325} than the average of the other three schools

~

- 84 -

($1,263).

The overhead associated with support programs reflected a
- 85 -

slight narrowing of the ratio between Evergreen and the other institutions
from 2.1 to 1 in 1974-75 .to 1.87 to 1.

A proportional increase in enroll-

ment, to 4,475 FTE students, with no increase in support program appropriations,

Primary Support and Student Services, Evergreen's 1977-78 budgeted cost
per undergraduate FTE_student was estimated to be less than those shown
for one other institution - Central Washington University.

would have been required to achieve overhead parity based on 1976-77 data.
Budgeted Undergraduate Costs Per FTE Student
1977 - 78

Increases in Student Services would raise the break-even point to approxi11

11

mately 4,950 students.
Sueeort Programs

Central

Eastern

Western

Regional
University
. Weighted
Average

Primary Support

$ 179

$ 171

$ 103

$ 145

$ 174

+ 20%
+109%

It is important to clearly understand the dynamics of unit cost comparisons.

Such comparisons are subject to changes in enrollment and funding

levels at each of the institutions being compared.

In other words, deter-

TESC

Percentage
RelationshiE

mining an exact point at which Evergreen would achieve parity with the other

Libraries

230

174

192

198

413

institutions is dependent not only on Evergreen, but on the enrollment and

Student Services

225

193

188

200

201

funding patterns of the other schools.

Institutional Support

276

284

271

276

503

+ 82%

the results of the most recent cost analysis to budget and expenditure

Plant 0 &M

393

545

356

422

711

+ 68%

patterns which are as current as possible.

Subtotal
(lndi rect Costs)

$1,303

$1,367

$1' 110

$1,241

$2,002

+ 61%

1,411

1,395

1,353

1,382

1,436

+ 4%

$2,623

$3,438

+ 31%

Therefore, it is necessary to apply

To accomplish this goal, the

current Unit Expenditures Study project included the development of a refined
computer program which identifies the source of overhead directly with the
various budget programs.

Through the use of this program, the staff is able

Total Direct
Instructional Costs*
Total Cost

$2 '714

$2,762

$2,463

to determine the percentage of each support program allocated to the cost of
undergraduate instruction; whereas is the past, only the total amount was
identified.

* Includes Departmental Administration.
The Student Services costs at Evergreen remain consistent with past

The decisions made by the Legislature for the 1977-79 biennium are
reflected in the authorized spending patterns for 1977-78.

Using the ratios

developed from the use of the new computer program to analyze the data in
the 1976-77 Unit Expenditures Study, the following table shows the expendi-

observations in that these costs are very close to those recorded in the
regional universities.

The newest program area (Primary Support) indicates

cost differences that are approximately 20 percent higher when one compares
Evergreen's cost to the weighted average for the three regional universities.

tures for FTE undergraduate students for each of the support programs at
Central, Eastern, Western, and The Evergreen State College.

"

In two instances,
- 87 -

- 86 -

Calculation of FTE Enrollments Needed to
Equal the Weighted Average
for the Regional Universities Budgeted
1977-78

The costs that continue to reflect the greatest divergence are in the
Library, Institutional Support, and Plant Operation and Maintenance
Programs.
The per FTE student cost for the Library Program is more than double

Evergreen Cost
Per FTE Student

the amount observed for the three regional universities with Institutional Support and Plant Operation and

~1aintenance

being 82 percent and

Primary Support

Regional University
Weighted Average
Per FTE Student
1977-78

Enrollment
Needed to
Equal Average
Cost

TESC 1977-78
Contracted
Enrollment

$ 174

145

3,000

2,500

68 percent higher at The Evergreen State College as compared to the

Libraries

413

198

5,215

2,500

weighted average for the three regional universities.

Student Services

201

200

2,512

2,500

to note that in the Plant Operation and Maintenance area, Evergreen's costs

Institutional Support

503

276

4,556

2,500

range from a difference of 30 percent in the case of Eastern to about

Plant 0 &M

711

422

2,500

$2,002

1,241

4,212
4,033

It is significant

double the costs of Western.

Total Support

In looking at the overall totals for the support programs, Evergreen's
As the table indicates, an enrollment total of 4,033 would be needed

total was 61 percent higher than the average of the three regional universities.
This compares to relationships of + 101% and + 87% in 1974-75 and 1976-77

to reflect the three institution average with no increase in support program

respectively.

expense.

The following table provides another perspective of the 1977-78 support
program cost profile.

Again, the Library Program reflects the largest

11

When student services increases are included, the enrollment

break-even 11 point grows to approximately 4,300 FTE students.
The foregoing analysis was applied to 1977-78 actual expenditures

difference, indicating an expenditure pattern sufficient to accommodate

and 1979-80 amounts contained in Governor Ray's budget.

5,215 FTE students at regional university cost rates.

Student services

produced approximately the same results in both cases.

show approximate parity with the other institutions.

It is interesting

The analysis

The range of 11 break-even 11 points suggested by all of the analyses

to note that Plant Operation and Maintenance patterns indicate a capacity

outlined above is from 4,000 to 5,000 students.

The physical capacity of

of 4,212, approximately the same as the estimated physical capacity of the

the institution has been estimated to be from 4,250 to 4,500 students.

institution.

In view of the review of the most recent data, and recognizing the need
for student services to be provided for the added students at a level
;

- 88 -

similar to those of other institutions, a working hypothesis that Evergreen

- 89 -

2,500

CHAPTER IV

needs approximately 4,250 FTE students to achieve parity appears reasonable.

THE EVERGREEN CURRICULUM

This would allow virtually no growth in current dollar expenditure levels
in support areas, other than student services.

Growth in that formula-based

Evergreen's approach to education is unconventional in form but
Lectures, seminars, classes, field study, labora-

program is felt to be essential if the enrollment is to be attracted to

conventional in essence.

the institution.

tories, and other established learning modes are arranged differently than

In addition, the per student costs in that program are

not out of balance with similar programs in the other institutions.
The individual program analysis would seem to indicate that Evergreen

is the case at other institutions.

Evergreen does not utilize grades but

awards credit upon successful completion of program requirements.

Contrary

has the potential to bring about cost savings in the Libraries, Institutional

to what seems to be the popular view, there is structure in the curriculum.

Support, and Plant Operation and Maintenance Programs.

Evergreen's approach to education has undergone significant changes since

Any cost savings in

these programs would have the effect of lowering the enrollment amount needed

the College was established, and it is evident that changes are still oc-

to bring the support costs at Evergreen into line with the patterns that

curring.

exist in the three regional universities.

since it was established, and both, while presenting particular recommenda-

One consideration in the Plant

The College has been evaluated by two external reviewing bodies

Operation and Maintenance area which could be explored is the feasibility

tions for modification, gave the College high marks.

of relocating offices of state agencies which deal with higher or postsecondary

recommended by these bodies have been implemented.

education* to the Evergreen campus.

These agencies currently lease 38,581

square feet of space at an annual cost of nearly $200,000.

Based on current

A.

Many of the changes

Evergreen's Educational Program

The study directive specifically refers to the instructional curriculum

estimated expenditure data, Evergreen's per square foot cost for maintenance,

at Evergreen, posing a question of its conversion to a more conventional form.

janitorial service and utilities totals $2.61 per square foot.

While the Evergreen curriculum is unconventional in terms of its structure,

It would

appear that approximately $100,000 of Evergreen's costs would be charged

it is less so in its essence.

to other state agencies if a move to the campus were feasible.

laboratories, field study, etc., as is the case at other colleges and uni-

This would

versities.

result in a reduction of $48 in current per student costs.

It continues to employ lectures, seminars,

The curriculum has been changing, both in a planned manner,

following periodic evaluation, and in an evolutionary manner, as adjustments
are made each term.
Since this report must concern the educational program at Evergreen,
~

* Council for Postsecondary Education, State Board for Community College
Education, Commission for Vocational Education, and the Higher Education
Personnel Board.
- 90 -

it is important that the program be clearly understood. Jssentially,
Evergreen has taken a number of proven pedagogical techniques and wrapped
- 91 -

them in a different package.

In so doing, it has developed a number of

terms that may be unfamiliar to the average observer.

For these reasons

There are several advantages to this system.

It is fairly economical.

The institution, with its faculty, can provide a general listing of courses

it is necessary that a few paragraphs be directed to a description of the

which, in the aggregate, outline a comprehensive range of studies.

instructional process at Evergreen.

can be assigned by their departments to teach courses from this general

Evergreen provides instruction in many of the undergraduate disciplinary
fields offered on the campuses of other institutions its size. 1 A student

listing.

manner that allows the institution to make planned and efficient use of its

wishing to pursue an undergraduate major in the natural sciences, for example,

space and its faculty resources.

can do so at Evergreen, as at the other public and private accredited four-

himself or herself to this general schedule.

year colleges in the State.

clear structure to the student's program.

The major differences lie in the manner in which

those studies would be pursued.

At the more conventional institution the

Faculty

The courses can be scheduled (or not scheduled) each term in a

In effect the student then accommodates
Moreover, there is a rather

The disadvantages of such conventional approaches have been described

student would proceed through a series of terms (12 quarters or eight semes-

in considerable detail in the literature on nontraditional · education and

ters) selecting requirements, electives, and major courses from a series of

need not be fully summarized here.

listings in the catalog and organizing a schedule each quarter around the

reference, "clock and bell," which is applied to this method (courses are

times when those courses are offered.

taught in discrete time increments, with the start and completion each

Field experiences, laboratories,

Perhaps they are best implied by the

seminars, etc., would be provided in this manner. If for some reason a

signaled by a bell) and with the statement that it is left to each student

course that is desired or needed is not offered during the quarter or time

(albeit with the help of an advisor if one is utilized) to integrate the

desired, or if the course is filled, the student must select an alternative.

various, and sometimes disparate, courses of study into a meaningful whole.

The term schedule is arranged accordingly, with normally between fifteen

There can be duplication, as different courses, and different instructors,

and eighteen quarter hours (or credits) deemed an average full-time load.

overlap and replicate the subject matter of each other.

Thus, a student

During the term the student meets in the scheduled classes at the designated

in Political Science, for example, could find himself assigned two separate

times and places and proceeds to acquire the credits necessary for graduation.

translations of Artistotle's Politics for use in two separate courses employing the work in different ways.

1
The major exceptions to this generalization are those disciplines which
by state law are limited to one, or both, of the two state universities-the University of Washington and Washington State University. Thus,
Engineering, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries represent programs
that would not be offered at Evergreen--though some of their component
courses may--but they would not be available at the other regional institutions either. Evergreen also does not offer graduate education, although
plans are in progress for the development of master's level studies.
Similarly, Evergreen does not offer programs in Teacher Education.
- 92 -

The final observation, since the objective is to provide contrast with
the Evergreen program, is that grades or some other mechanism for measuring
and awarding credits for completion of course requirements are usually
'

employed ("pass-fail", in this instance, is also a measure of completion
- 93 -

of the required work).

These grades and course listings (with appropriate

credits) are reported cumulatively on a student's record or transcript.

When

Credit.

In

a 1971

report to the Legislative Budget Committee, Evergreen

the required distribution, major, and total credits are accomplished (on a

divided these modes into two major categories:

quarter basis this is usually approximately 180 quarter credits--twelve

vidual Instruction.

fifteen-credit quarters, usually, and 45 credits in the major) the student
qualifies for graduation. 2

and Courses.

Perhaps the best place to begin one's search for a descriptive narrative
on the Evergreen educational pregram is the College catalog.

The opening

Group Instruction and Indi-

The first includes Coordinated Studies, Group Contracts,

The second encompasses Individual Contracts.

For purposes of

the present report, a third category, Special Study Forms, is also discussed.
1.

Group Instruction
a.

A Coordinated Studies program usually involves a group of

statement in the section of the catalog describing the curriculum is in-

students and faculty members working in a comparatively broad

structive:

interdisciplinary study area centering on a common theme or
problem.

Study at Evergreen has some distinctive features which
are hard to find elsewhere. Our basic goals are the
same as most colleges and universities--to help students
become competent individuals with a strong sense of purpose and a deep understanding of their potential role in
society and of the skills and concepts they have learned.
However, we try to reach these goals in special ways.
Students at Evergreen work on the same subjects found in
most colleges and universities--the arts, humanities,
natural and social sciences--and they read books, attend
lectures, write papers, take part in la~oratory and
field projects as students at other institutions do. But
Evergreen organizes these subjects and activities differently from other places so as to help students get
more out of them
11

inter-related nature of phenomena in the real world.

team of three or four instructors from different subject
matter areas working intensely with sixty to eighty students
in an integrated program of study).

Coordinated Studies

programs are usually considered full-time endeavors, and may
last for one, two, or three terms.



Shortly after Evergreen began operation in 1971, three major study modes
Coordinated Studies, Group Contracts, and Individual Contracts. 3

More recently two additional -modes were added:

It

involves an interdisciplinary team of faculty (usually a

11

were employed:

Its avowed purpose is to direct attention to the

Courses ( Modules
11

11

and External

)

An example of a coordinated

studies program, drawn from the current catalog, is

11

Life and

Health,.' in this case a program offered on a full-time basis
(as is characteristic of such programs) for Fall term only.
It emphasizes human biology and human development, providing

2This summary should not be taken to imply that conventional institutions do
not offer honors programs, seminar projects, and so on, or that there is nothing
more involved than the simple accumulation of credits. They do, and there is.
3A cogent description of the Evergreen study modes appears in McHenry, Dean,
et ~·, Academic Departments, Jossey-Bass, 1977, in Chapter Eight, Academ.i c
Administration Without Departments at The Evergreen State College, by former
President Charles McCann. Other sources for this section include The Evergreen Self-Study Report for NWASHS accreditation (November, 1971), Report to
the Washington State Legislative Budget Committee: Utilization of Faculty,
1975-76, TESC, March 21, 1977 (Edward Kormondy), and a recent report by
Ehrmann, Stephan C., Final Report: Evaluation of Evergreen, two volumes,
August 31, 1977.

a general introduction and orientation to these areas

(Note:

the example program is drawn from the listing of Basic Programs,
those offerings that provide introductory work in the area,

11

11

11

aimed primarily at beginning students; the various program
levels are described in more detail below).

11

11

11

- 94 -

- 95 -

Aside from human

biology and development, the program also stresses health

disciplinary area, although some are problem-centered ,and

and physical education, and it is considered preparatory for

interdisciplinary.

further study in the sciences and humanities, especially the

any given time.

health-related fields.

ties for students to pursue topics further than might be the

The faculty/student ratio in such pro-

grams is a normative 1:20.

Since by definition several faculty

About 25 group contracts operate during

Essentially, group contracts provide opportuni-

case in a coordinated studies program, and they also may permit

would be involved, the total enrollment in any one program may

students who can handle the work to move more rapidly than normal

exceed 100.

through their college experience.

Specific program emphases change from term to term,

but the Coordinated Studies program represents the essence of

c.

Courses (or

"~·1odules")

are usually offered in the late

the Evergreen educational philosophy, emphasizing as it does

afternoon and evenings, often for area residents wishing to attend

interdisciplinary study around a common theme.

on a part-time basis, but also for full-time regular students

b.

Group Contracts describe a situation in which several

desiring to acquire certain skills or knowledge.

Courses may

students and a faculty member agree to pursue and accomplish an

also be required components of regular (coordinated studies)

educational objective within a certain time (former President

programs.

McCann cites an example wherein a group of students acquired
a major in economics over the course of a year). 4 Much of the

are examples of courses offered at Evergreen.

descriptive narrative pertaining to Coordinated Studies applies

courses are offered for several reasons:

also to group contracts--small groups, employing seminar/discussion

Mathematics, Music Theory, and Foreign Languages

courses are listed each quarter.

1.

More than forty

According to the Catalog,

Some are offered by the faculty of a coordinated

techniques, studying a common theme for one or more terms, on an
intensive basis. 5 The major difference is that a smaller group

studies program or a group contract as a component of the

of students (usually 25 to 45) and a lesser number of faculty

general appeal, the enrollment may be opened to students

(one or two) work together in more speci a1i zed, and frequently

not otherwise enrolled in the program.

more advanced, areas.

As with the example pertaining to an

economics major, many group contracts fall within a single

larger program.

2.

In such cases, where the course has a

Some are designed specifically to meet the

part-time needs of community residents (e.g., scheduled
and designed to meet the needs of working professionals).

4McCann, op. cit.
5catalog, op. cit .• p. 25.

~

- 97 -

- 96 -

3.

Some are regularly available because of the
A more common term is internships, which are planned and supervised

particular nature of the subject matter (e.g., mathematics,
music theory, and some foreign languages, as noted previously).

opportunities for work (on-the-job) that should fit into the student's

The earlier catalog references to such endeavors were to

long-range goals, and for which the student is qualified.

11

modules,

11

but since the present lexicon utilizes

11

Courses,

The major

difference between the two forms (cooperative education and intern-

11

which is what they are, it is assumed that the new term will

ships) seems to be that in order to participate in an internship,

~pply in the future. A significant portion of Evergreen

a student must be enrolled in one of the three major study modes

students, both full and part-time, are enrolled in courses.

(coordinated studies, group contract, individual contract).

Involving as they do discrete subjects offered at scheduled

employer has the task of evaluating the student's progress, and

intervals, courses extend to students further latitude in

a contracting faculty member determines the value of the experience

structuring individual studies programs.

in terms of learning progress.

Individual Instruction

tant nexus for many students between the liberal arts education

Individual Contracts are designed to help students learn on their

and preparation for a subsequent career.

The

r

2.

own, with faculty oversight, by rursing a specific project, mastering
a specific skill, or covering a specific body of subject matter.

Con-

b.

Internships also provide an impor-

The Career Learning Program refers to an opportunity for

students to enter a planned sequence of learning activities designed

tracts can last from a few weeks to a few months, and they can assume

to help them:

virtually any form, limited only by legal constraints, the available

related background and skills, (3) make tentative career decisions,

time, interest, and expertise of the faculty, and the needs and

and (4) take career-related factors into account when planning for

interests of the contracting student.

and finding internships.

3.

seminars, development workshops, short-term internships, volunteer

Special Study Forms

The College catalog also identifies several special study forms,
as follows:
a.

Cooperative Education pertains to individually-tailored,

practical learning experiences, usually available off-campus.

(1) explore career optiogs, (2) assess their career-

It entails counseling, career education

assignments, and for advanced students, career learning field
placements (for selected third and fourth year students) altP.rnating with periods of on-campus study.
c.

The Community Volunteer Service Program provides an

A student may obtain personal experience on the job, arranged

arrangement whereby students may engage in community service

in cooperation with representatives of business, industry,

activities on a volunteer basis, with or without pay.

government, and community organizations.

serve as counselors in community clinics, assist homebound senior

- 98 -

- 99 -

Volunteers

~

citizens, work with children, visit residents in correctional

The three major study forms (coordinated studies and individual and

institutions, etc.

group contracts) are overlaid with a generally hierarchical structure.

Finally, the College also has options for credit by examination or credit for prior learning, 6 by which older students returning

It begins with the Basic Programs, designed particularly for entering students

to college may be able to qualify work experiences for college

coordinated studies programs, ranging in duration from one term to one academic

credit.

year.

In this regard, the College relies on College Level

(but open to students at any level).

The present Catalog identifies ten basic

Further up the ladder are Advanced Specialty areas.

The Catalog lists

Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Entrance Examination

twelve such areas.

Board.

disciplinary program offered each year at the introductory level in each area.

As long as they do not duplicate advanced placement for

These are continuing offerings, with at least one inter-

introductory work, students entering the College may offer accept-

Thus, for example, Expressive Arts, one of the twelve areas, has embraced

able CLEP scores to the Registrar.

more specific group studies programs entitled as follows:

Two Evergreen credit units are

awarded for each test successfully taken.

The Upside-Down Degree

The Arts in Social Perspective
Design in Music
Alternative Theaters
Recording and Structuring
Light and Sound
Images in Sequence
Collaborative Arts Consortium
English Theater
Exp 1oration in Twentieth Century Music

provides students who have completed a lower-division technical
or vocational program in a community college, and who wish to
complete a baccalaureate degree, with the opportunity to do
so with two additional years of college work.

The catalog also

identifies an External Program Option, designed particularly for

Runn·ing parallel with Basic and Advanced programs is a third form,

older students who wish to combine their work-related experiences

Annual Programs.

with academic study at the College.

itself able to respond to temporary educational needs while providing some

Finally, the Center for the

Through its annual program offerings, Evetgreen considers

Development of Reading and Writing (C-DRAW) program exists for

latitude for curricular subject experimentation.

students who need skills development in these areas.

to be offered for only one year.

The College

Annual programs are intended

This category includes programs designed to

also provides opportunities for self-paced learning (with two

meet a specific limited need of a particular group of students, perhaps as an

self-paced learning centers), foreign language study, and

outgrowth of a group contract or in response to a program request from out-

study a.broad.

side the campus.

It can also include programs of an experimental nature,

which, if successful, may become part of the offerings in one of the specialty
6
The External Credit Office has been renamed the Office of Prior Learning
Programs.

areas.

"

- 100 - 101 -

1
1'i

Evergreen does not employ grades.

Students are evaluated by their

faculty upon completion of each work unit (regardless of its form)

Successful

this ratio by the end of the second three-quarter period would lead to a

completion of the required work, as described, for example, in the goals of a

required leave of absence from the institution.

coordinated studies program or in the group or individual contract, will lead

progress upon return could lead to dismissal.

to award of credit, in the form of Evergreen Units (each unit is approximately

the obvious here:

equal to four quarter credits).

no credit for the activi ,t y.

result in no credit.

Failure to complete the required work will

Again, there are no grades, either in terms of a grade-

Each student has both.

is a listing of the .work completed and the credits awarded.

The transcript

at that institution, taken from the Catalog:

It also contains

First Year
Basic Program (e.g., Overcoming Math and
Writing Anxieties)

along with a detailed description of each program or contract completed by

Second Year or Third Year

Especially for the use of students wishing to transfer to an

Foundation Program
or
Advanced Program
or
Second Foundation Program
in another Specialty area

institution employing a more conventional grading system, the work described
in the transcript is converted into course equivalencies.
The second record--the student portfolio--must be maintained by the
It includes detailed material on the completed course work and the

copies of the faculty and student evaluations of that work.
also includes examples of the student•s

~ork,

Third or Fourth Year

The portfolio

Group Contract
or
Second Foundation Program
Research (Individual Contract)
or
.
Advanced Interdisciplinary Program
or
General Interest Study

such as copies of major papers,

etc., along with other material pertinent to and descriptive of the student•s
educational experience at Evergreen.
Students must meet standards of accomplishment in order to remain at
Evergreen, as at other institutions.

Hithout the acquisition of credits, graduation

demonstrated in the following diagram of a 11 typical 11 program of study

both the faculty member•s and the student•s evaluation (optional) of that work,

student.

A student failing to 11 pass 11 a program would receive

The structural characteristics of the Evergreen program can be

Contrary to popular impression, Evergreen employs student transcripts.

the student.

One should also restate

cannot occur.

point or a pass/fail notation.

It also utilizes student portfolios.

Failure to make normal

Thus, a student earning less than

three-fourths of the credits for which he/she was registered in three
~

successive quarters would receive an academic warning.
- 102 -

.

Failure to improve

B.

Program Developments and Changes
Student enrollments in the Coordinated Studies, Group Contract,

Individual Contract, and Class modes have changed over the years from a
~

- 103 -

time when the Coordinated Studies programs dominated to one in which

the College opened its doors in 1971.

participation is more evenly spread across the four types, as is apparent
in Table IV-1: 7

studies, individual and group contracts, and classes are offered, and a speci-

It is clear that the growth process
has not ended, and in part this is the nature of the system. 8 While coordinated

fied range of specialty areas are listed each year, the offerings within
TABLE IV-1

the various modes and areas change, as is the case with the faculty involved

Percentage Distribution by Mode
Mode of Study

Fall 1971

in each.

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976
-

flexible curriculum

tured and often hierarchical.

Coordinated Study

93%
(1093)

61%
(1236)

56%
(1294)

57%
( 1400)

41%
(1065)

41 %
(1098)

Group Contract

1%
(8)

18%
(376)

24%
(551)

15%
(361)

26%
(678)

18%
(488)

6%
(76)

21%
(423)

19%
( 434)

27 %
(669)

23%
(602)

25%
(685)

0%

0%

2%
(42)

1%
(16)

10%
(269)

16%
(423)

100%
(2321)

100%
(2446)

100%
(2614)

100%
(2636)

Individual
Contract
Courses
Total

confro~ts

the assumption that learning must be strucThis issue has not been resolved; nor is it

clear how it can be, short of fundamental changes in either the curriculum
or in the minds of those who feel that more structure is essential.

For

its part, Evergreen•s designation of specialty areas to serve as general

100%
(1177)

SOURCE:

This creates particular problems as the institutional goal of a

100%
(2035)

Ehrmann, op. cit., Vol. II, p. IV-29.

frameworks for more particular offerings appears to be a recognition of a
need among students for some predictability and structure (one can, for
example,

11

majcr 11 in Political Economy).

Much of the early curriculum development work at Evergreen (1970-71)
centered on the coordinated studies mode, 9 which was considered the essence
of the new college•s curriculum, providing as it did, for interdiscip·linary

These shifts are not the only changes apparent in the curriculum; rather,
in many ways they are the results of other changes that have occured since

studies, small class sizes, close student/faculty contact, and the narrative
evaluation ( 11 portfolio 11 ) process.
The opening year•s program offerings, primarily coordinated studies,
were based on an expectation of 750 freshmen and sophomore students

7
In all modes but courses, headcount and full-time equivalent are the
same. In courses (in these figures) full-time students registered for
a coordinated studies program for 75% of their time, and a course for
25%, are counted ~under coordinated studies. If a part-time student
is registered for two courses, the student is counted only once in the
course total . Because of these two factors, the percentages reported
in the courses• total may be somewhat understated.

- 104 -

8The remarks on curricular planning are taken from a paper prepared
by Kormondy, Edward J., .. Governance and The Evergreen State College,"
for the Lilly Endowment Project, February, 1976, especially pp. 12-13
and p. 25.
9The material in this narrative is based on a paper prep;red for the
Council staff by Dr. Byron Youtz, Acting Vice-President and Provost
at Evergreen; "An Evolutionary History of The Evergreen State
College Curriculum," October, 1978.
- 105 -

enrolling in seven or eight programs.

Some individual contracts were

policies.

The point was made that the College would enroll some high

anticipated for the 20 or 30 advanced students that were expected to register.

school graduates whose basic skills, particularly reading and writing,

During the first full year of operation (1971-72) the College registered

would be inadequately developed to operate in an educational mode that

nearly 1100 students, with about one-half in the upper division.

might not·provide for remedial instruction.

The exist-

It was suggested at the

ing coordinated studies programs had to be restructured and new programs

time that the College could resolve this problem with an entering

developed for offering at the upper division.

year coordinated studies program preparing students for advanced work

The individual contract mode

was expanded to accommodate approximately 75 students.

It was also during

that year that the faculty recognized a need for an additional mode--Group
Contracts--for handling advanced work in some of the fields.

the curriculum and make recommendations based upon an evaluation of the first
The committee recommended further development of

the Group Contract mode for advanced work, development of the fledgling
internship program, and the offering of "modules" (courses) in the late
afternoon or evening.

The timing of the course offerings was premised on

the belief that they would serve part-time students in the Olympia community
and provide additional opportunities for regular students. 10 The committee
also recommended development of a

L~arning

Resources Center to assist

students in developing reading and writing skills.

(NOTE:

One of the

initial criticisms of the Evergreen instructional mode was that it was
more appropriate to an exclusive private college than a public institution,
since the latter would have an obligation to be open in its admissions
10 It has also been suggested, but not in Dr. Youtz's paper, that the timing
of the course offerings had the effect, intended or not, of preserving
the integrity of the coordinated studies programs, sine~ regular daytime
students would not be induced away from the interdisciplinary offerings
into the course offerings.

committee's recommendation appears to represent an alternative method

These modifications notwithstanding, the Committee reaffirmed a
commitment to the coordinated studies program, and particularly to interdisciplinary teaching as the core of the curriculum.

It made one additional

recommendation of considerable importance, given the nature of the present
curriculum.
by level:

This was for the sequencing of coordinated studies programs
Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.

The changes were reflected

in the 1973-74 curriculum.
During the following year (Fall, 1974) a second curriculum review
committee was empaneled.

This committee recommended few additional changes

in the curriculum structure; rather, it cautioned against too rapid change,
expressing concern that the College had moved too far from coordinated
studies as the principal mode.

It urged more attention to basic skills

training, and it pressed for greater control over the quality of individual
contracts and their limitation to advanced students.

These changes were

eventually put into effect.
"

- 107 - 106 -

The

for coping with the problem.)

During the Fall, 1972, a curriculum review committee was formed to study

full year of operation.

through the provision of instruction in English composition, etc.

During the 1975-76 academic year, the College mounted its first
comprehensive long-range curricular planning effort.

The model developed,
and nearly unanimously accepted, set the stage for the present system. 11
There would be (then) nine interdisciplinary specialty areas in which the
College would guarantee the availability of advanced work every year (with
each area employing a combination of the various study modes).

There would

be a basic coordinated studies area (nine or ten programs per year), providing the entry point for the beginning students.

programs for particular student groups (e.g., returning women) and experimental efforts that might be proposed by the faculty would be accommodated.
These changes were not put into effect until 1977-78.

However, during

the intervening year, the College tightened its procedures with regard to
individual contracts, internships, and the narrative evaluation (portfolio)
Part-time offerings (classes and coordinated studies) were expanded,

with the number of classes nearly doubling.

The Evergreen off-campus program

in Vancouver was also inaugurated that year.

year have provided more predictability in the curriculum.

Students are able

to more effectively plan courses of study which permit greater specializaMore programs are being repeated and improved thereby, rather than

dropped after being offered one time.

Since these faculty would change term by term or

program by program, there was no continuity over the period of the student's
presence at Evergreen.

The new system provides one academic advisor for

the full period of the student's presence at the institution.

This change

addresses a recurring concern expressed by students interviewed during the
course of this study.
The consensus on campus toward these changes appears to be positive,
but there is some evidence of concern among faculty and current students
that the commitment to coordinated studies and innovation is being threatened.
At the same time, recent proposals for curriculum change that would require
students to take four quarters of coordinated studies programs and complete
a senior project as a prerequisite for graduation appear to be encountering
resistence among current students at the institution.

From the faculty's

perspective, the changes are aimed at ensuring adequate rigor in the educational process and making these expectations clear to students.

The

coordinated studies requirement is designed to ensure breadth in the stu-

The curricular changes that were implemented during the 1977-78 academic

tion.

teaching the student.

Annual programs would

comprise the third segment, which would encompass the area in which special

process.

Previously, the College relied upon advising by the faculty actually

New controls on individual contracts

have also been imposed.

dent's educational program, and the senior project is designed to cause
students to more effectively integrate the things they have learned before
they graduate.

Before these changes are implemented at the College they

will undergo further review and discussion.

c.

External Evaluations
Since its establishment, Evergreen has undergone two major evaluations

The most recent change occurred during the Spring, 1978 term with the
initiation of improved procedures for academic advising of students.
1111 Report of the Long Range Curriculum Planning DTF Report, 11 (February-

June, 1976), TESC.

by outside boards.

The first was by an evaluation committee of the Northwest

Association of Secondary and Higher Schools for accreditation purposes
(April/May, 1974).

The second was by a citizens group appointed by the

Board of Trustees of the College (May, 1976).

- 108 - 109 -

1.

The Evaluation Committee Report to the Higher Commission
of the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools. 12

The College awards one degree, the B.A., upon
completion of 36 Everqreen units. Wherever possible, Evergreen units will represent accomplishments, not accumulations of time. Units may be
earned in ways designed to foster development of
behavior reflecting the above goals: by participation in coordinated studies groups, by individually contracted study, by appropriately supervised
experience on the job, and by examination.

As part of the accreditation process, institutions are required
to prepare a comprehensive self-study (involving such matters as
institutional goals and purposes, developmental aspects, governing
structure, finances, facilities, administrative structure, etc.).

In order to achieve the highly individualized programs of study called for by our goals, and best
achieved by our modes of learning, the College
has organized itself to allow maximum concentration
of resources and faculty time at the point of
faculty-student contact. Evergreen will not allow
departments to exist; it will not order particular
experiences in courses to be given year after
year; it will not order courses or curric~la.

The institution's performance is subsequently evaluated in the context
of the self-study.

If its goals, structure, governing processes, etc.

are acceptable for accreditation purposes, and the evaluation committee
finds that the esse"ntial elements of the self-study are being pursued,
the school will probably be accredited.

This is an important point,

EvergrePn will allow the professional, without
the superimposition of committees before the
fact, to do what he is fit to do; it will allow
him to advise and to help the student to learn
and to articulate. It will encourage professionals to learn along with students, thus
teaching by example. Evergreen will blur the
distinctions among who is faculty ~nd who is
not; it will continually realign talents.

for the evaluation for accreditation purposes is mainly a determination
of whether the school is doing what it has indicated it will do.
evaluation does not normally extend to considerations beyond this.
Evergreen prepared its self-study report in November, 1971. 13
it the institutional objectives were described as

The

11

In

11

follow~:

In its report to the accrediting association, the evaluation

\>Je assume that toward this end the most valuable
service Evergreen can offer is to initiate a
process of continuing learning by preparing a
student with the methods of learning and experimentation, by encouraging independence in pursuit
of inquiries that interest and motivate him, and
by providing him with counsel and resources to
test this knowledge and ability. To put this negatively, we do not intend to stamp a product vlith
the brand of a particular academic elite nor of
a narrowly conceived vocation.

d:ommittee was mildly critical of the TESC Self-Study (

11

11
,

November, 1971,

- llO -

11

•••

a very

clear presentation of the institution as it exists and operates.
But . . . the Study did not sufficiently critique and evaluate the
institution and its operations. . . .

The Report of the Disappearing

11

Task Force of April 24, 1974 did provide something of the kind of
14

12 April 29 to May 1, 1974.
13TESC, Self-Study Report for NASHS

11

In order to achieve the above ends, Evergreen
has committed itself to continuing evaluation
of students, staff, administration, and faculty. 14

[The objective] is to create a college whose
graduates can be undogmatic citizens and uncomplacently confident individuals in a changing
world.

11

11

.QE...:_

cit.

..

Idem. , P • 1.
111

analysis and critique that would have improved the Self-Study itself.").
It was also a little chiding in one other respect:

"Because they set

out from the beginning to offer an alternative educational experience,
there is an understandable tendency for them to assume something of the
role of a crusader for the particular kind of institution they have
created. This posture appeared in the Self-Study report." 15 But
the committee was overwhelmingly supportive of the educational process
and facilities at Evergreen. 16 It even echoed some of the concerns
expressed by faculty that the offering of courses "could undermine ·
Coordinated and Contract Studies;" although it was in agreement that
the provision of courses was a sound idea. 17
The Evaluation Committee•s comments on particular program offerings often contained observations which either were more positive or
which implied more uncertainty over various arrangements than are
suggested in its more sweeping expression of support.

Some of these

comments are quoted in part here.
Basic Program--Matter of Survival: The
program as it developed included less of science
and more of cultural studies than originally
planned or than announced in the 1973-74 catalogue supplement. There were faculty changes
and a change in the level of students to whom
the program was addressed. It is, therefore,
not surprising that there has been significant
attrition in the program during the year (around
35 percent) . . . [These problems] might have
been compensated for by a more active advisement program.18

Basic Program--Nature and Society: "One
problem to be avoided in the future, if possible,
was the need to have a faculty member present a
module [course] in a scientific area outside his
area of professional training. Although teachers
in the program seemed to function adequately in
subjects outside their own areas, especially in
considering interdisciplinary questions, it would
seem desirable if, on occasion, there could be
participation by faculty with expertise not represented on the team. "19
Basic Program--Individual in Contemporary Society: 11 • • • our brief review suggests that the internal coherence in this broad
and· diverse program may be near the minimum
that a coordinated studies group might wish to
adopt, and students may not have received a
great deal of help in interrelating the different themes emphasized by t~ program•s
cooperating faculty members." 0
Basic Program--Democracy and Tyranny:
"[This program] seems to conform to the College•s ideal for coordinated studies: with
adequate detail the faculty proposed it in the
Spring of 1973; students understood its components and made the choice early; the program
suffered no major short circuit during the academic year; the students experienced a significant general education in a style which is
classic but unusual, though not unique, in U. S.
higher education today. Coordinated studies are
probably the strongest component of TEsc•s educational program; Democracy and Tyranny is one
of the more commendable of the coordinated studies. 21
Basic Program--Native American Studies:
"The Native American Studies program raises
some crucial questions for TESC: how autonomous
may coordinated studies be? Is the College a .
catalyst or a structural convenience? Are there
commonly shared and mutually respected intellectual concepts? And concepts of learning? Will
white and minority students genuinely learn from
each other, or will each group be physicall~,
emotionally, and intellel:tually separate?"2

15 Both quotations are taken from page 4 of the Evaluation Committee•s
Report.
16

Idem._, p. 28.

19 i dem. , p. 19 .
20 idem., p. 20.
21 idem., p. 21.

17 Idem., p. 35.
18 Idem., pp. 17-18.
- 112 -

22 idem., p. 22.

- 113 -

Basic Program--Portals: 11 lt is obvious that
meaningful and worthwhile learning experiences are
taking place, for both faculty and staff [sic].
The program gained adherents as the semester [sic]
progressed. Discussion with this group was open,
candid, invigorating, and friendly. One left with
the impression that there was a group whose perceptions of problems and ways to cope with them-was keen, insightful~ incisive, and productive . .
[and] enthusiastic. "d

and faculty evaluations. The student self-evaluations
reveal a high degree of both candor and conscientiousness, which we felt to be unusual. Indeed,
students tended to be more exacting of themselves
than were the faculty. This is not [sic]to be
taken as an i111pl i cation that faculty standards
are inadequate--they certainly are not. It is,
apparently, simply a matter of student standards
tending to be unrealistically high, ~9 they expect
more of themselves than is possible.

Advanced Program--The Ecology of Pollution:
"A sample of the 35 students showed them to be completely involved in the program and fully conversant with all aspects of the work . . . . we were
impressed that students had reached a level of proficiency that is at least on a par with graduates
of other institutions. "24

Contract Studies: 11 The Co 11 ege has not
yet ach1eved a balance between coordinated
studies (largely general education of the very
best sort) [sic] on the one hand, and advanced
study [Note: · meaning contracted studies] on
the other. Some students and faculty voiced the
need for more curritular planning to support
advanced study, which presumably would be based
on contract studies. Careful thought and planning are jmportant for advanced studies because
students must have some assurance what they will
find available as juniors and seniors, and
because the expansion of advanced studies must
not do anything to weaken coordinated studies, one
of the finest and most effective educational patterns in the nation."28

Advanced Program--~1atter and Motion: "A sample
of the students in the Matter and Motion program
indicates that they are articulate, highly motivated, and in terms of knowledge -- at least on a
par with the best undergraduates in physical science
programs in other colleges in the region. "25
Advanced Programs--Freud and Jung and Form
and Function: The instructional staff of the
programs cannot be too highly praised. These
are obviously carefully selected individuals.
Their interest, concern, and enthusiasm for their
teaching and their students was apparent. The
instructional staff with whom we had contact had
obviously mastered the difficult art of melding
their original disciplinary expertise into an
overriding and genuinely interdisciplinary
approach to the topics under consideration.~~ 26
Indi vi dua 1 Contracted Studies: "Contracts
reviewed give evidence of careful planning and
design. Standards are high. Work is substantive,
and achievement is attested by the student portfolios bearing examples of the fruits of the student's labors, as well as by student self-evaluations

Cooperative Education: "In the cominy years
it is planned to encourage increased direct contact between faculty members and field supervisors in the negotiation of student internship
arrangements. Because of the time pressures on
faculty and cooperative education staff, and the
high demand for student internships, a major challenge to the College will be to maintain enough
contact with students and employers in the field
to assure that internships remain tangibly related
to the other parts of students' educational
experience. 11 29

27idem., p. 29.
28idem., p. 33.

2\dem., p. 23.
24 idem._, pp. 24-25.
25i dem.' pp. 26-27.

29idem.' p. 35.
~
~

- 115 -

26 idem., pp. 28.
- 114 -

The Committee's final recommendations had implications for
the curriculum, and they are quoted at some length here.

Continuation of the provision of equivalencies in·
traditional course titles and credit hours for the benefit
of students who wish to transfer to other institutions;

Overall, it

is clear that the evaluation was favorable to Evergreen (and, obviously,
formal accreditation was forthcoming).

The broadening of a positive and creative relationship
with the surrounding Olympia community. The Committee
specifically encouraged the College to take advantage of
the expertise available among state government personnel.

In its conclusions, the Com-

mittee mentioned several topics it felt required special commendation.
Among them were the caliber of the students, which it found to be very

A positive stance in seeking to educate the public on
the opportuniLies it offers.31

high ("students are unusually busy, interested, and personally involved
in their own learning").

It also noted:

"Combinations of lectures,

readings, small-group discussions, individual

tutorials~

2.

The Evergreen State College Report of the Citizens Evaluation
Group to the Board of Trustees.

field intern-

In many respects the citizen group appointed by the Board of

ships, laboratory experiences, group projects, learning contracts, and
other devices are used with unusual creativity and purposiveness by

Trustees for Evergreen to evaluate the College operated in a manner

Ever·green faculty and students.

similar to the accreditation evaluation committee.

As a result, students seem to learn

important skills of analysis, criticism, and cooperative educational
planning early in their Evergreen careers." 30
The Committee's recommendations included:
The establishment of a central institutional research
effort to systematically collect data ar1d make analyses of
the effectiveness of the educational programs;
Procedures to assure the availability of time for
planning for academic programs of future years to increase
the precision of program descriptions in catalog supplements
(and to allow the library more time to obtain supporting
materials);
Periodic review of the distribution of the faculty in
light of team needs in coordinated studies programs, the
needs of students for advanced study, and the provision of
a representative group of faculty skills in each of the
several modes of instruction;
Further faculty and student involvement in the program
selection process;
Simplification of the student evaluation process;
30 idem., p. 41.

That is, it sought

to identify the institution's goals and determine the extent to which
these goals were being met, and, particularly, the extent to which
they were benefiting the citizens of the State. 32
The nine-member group met on the Evergreen campus during the week
of May 10-14, 1976.

Essentially, it viewed its job as one of augmenting

the work performed by the accreditation evaluation committee by bringing
to bear a "different perspective from that of the educators who constituted the accreditation team." 33
Overall, the group agreed that the College's philosophy, with its
emphasis on interdisciplinary and practical experiences was excellent.
It considered the major modes "a valuable and workable combination.

11

It also concluded that the conflict between providing nontraditional
31 idem., pp.41-45.
32 citizens Evalt!;:~.tion Group Report,
33 "b'd
3
~.

~

Q£.:_

cit., p. 2.

p• .

- 116 ' - 117 -

education and serving the needs of southwest Washington was not a
problem, as the two were compatible.

The group did express concern
for effective approaches to tying the two together. 34
The group made nine recommendations to improve the performance

of the College, as measured against its stated goals.
the following: 35
1.

The group considered this critical ., as it felt the student,
especially the less mature or younger student coming directly from
high school is inexperienced in developing his own academic program
design.

They included

Provide a clearer statement of institutional goals.

In attempting this, the group encouraged the College to stress
that it combines the traditional forms of teaching, courses, lectures,

4.

The group felt students need guidance to find the programs that
best suit their needs and a sense of realism as to the extent of
student influence in the content of the curriculum.

and seminars to form an interdisciplinary nontraditional whole, and

5.

emphasize that while the curriculum is student-centered, it is not

The group felt that many students found difficulty in planning

student-controlled.
2.

Emphasize responses to the higher education
needs of Southwest Washington.

in nontraditional ways.

It felt this fact needed to be stressed clearly

in the goal statements of the College.

The second observation here was

that Evergreen's study modes could be effectively applied to characteristics of the service area, such as the importance of fisheries,
forestry, and government.
3.

Develop more continuity in the curriculum,

their paths through Evergreen for more than one year in advance

The group believed that traditional educational needs could be met

Provide incoming students with the opportunity
to develop initiQtive, self-reliance, selfdiscipline, and assertiveness in order that
they may have a chance to succeed in an environment where these characteristics are critical
to success.

because of the almost total reorganization of the curriculum
each year.

i dem. , P· 3·

35 idem., pp. 4-8. Two other recommendations dealt with increasing TESC community
·erogeneity (students, faculty, and staff) and mitigating 11 Faculty Burnout 11 •
The latter was also described in the 1976 DTF Report~ cit., p. 3) as 11 A
state of high anxiety and low morale, brought on by overwork, ambiguity
of roles and standards, uncertainty about the future, and the lack of
effective support ... 11 •
- 118 -

It also suggested that the College establish prerequisites

or their equivalents for later work, and that it not avoid using,
when it is appropriate, traditional modes of teaching.

Publications

should also provide clear descriptions of courses of study.
The group al~o felt the College should put more emphasis on skills
development and remedial training opportunities for students whose
skills level is low.

It felt that such arrangements would reduce the

attrition rate among the less mature students.
The group also suggested that the College actively involve employers
in the development of the academic coiuponent of internship programs.
6.

34

Expand the availability and effectiveness
of academic counseling.

Simplify the registration process and make it
more student oriented .

It noted:

the school claims to have an open e~rollment process.

However, the actual process is a dual one.
- 119 -

The student must be admitted

to the institution and then find an academic program and gain
admittance to it.

This process, the group noted, is oriented to

the more aggressive student, and many other students find difficulty
in locating a program of their choice.

Because an Evergreen academic

program represents a student•s total academic load, students who

them fit the curi ·icular stereotypes inculcated into most observers, students
and non-students.

This creates special problems for the College as it attempts

to convey its message.
Still, once an understanding is

obtained~

it becomes clear that the

take their second or third choice of program are more frustrated

College offers a number of options, both in scope and in style.

Moreover, it

and disappointed than a student in a traditional institution who may

is also clear that the College is not offering a do it yourself thing.

have a second or third choice in individual class preference.

Students must meet College requirements, and they must demonstrate continued

11

The

group called upon the College to seek ways of ensuring that the first
choice is obtained as often as possible, and to that end, it suggested

progress.
External reviewers brought in by the College to review and comment on
the program have reacted favorably, and perhaps with a little awe, when they

the College:
Encourage matriculation throughout the year;

have grasped the full extent of the endeavor.

Provide more orientation for students, faculty and staff; and

improvement, and these suggestions appear to have been seriously considered,

Tighten the evaluation procedures for faculty, students, and

or implemented, by those associated with the institution.

7.

They have had suggestions for

External peer evaluations are one form of review, and they are especially

staff.
Develop among the residents of the State a better
understanding of Evergreen.

It had several suggestions for achieving this, including more

useful because they can bring to bear

~

special expertise on the subject.

There are other evaluations, however, that are also important.

These are

the attitudes of the clients of the institution, actual and potential.

Thus,

interaction. between Evergreeners and other residents of the area,

the views of students, graduates, employers, and others who relate to the pro-

encouragement of the use of campus meeting facilities, and enlisting

gram as users can be helpful, and these attitudes are the major topic of the

the help of Evergreen graduates in talking to high school students

following chapter.

and other prospective students.
D.

11

Summary Remarks
The Evergreen curriculum is difficult to describe · and probably equally

difficult to understand because neither the forms nor the language describing
~

- 120 -

- 121 -

CHAPTER V
CLIENT AND USER IMPRESSIONS OF EVERGREEN
Evergreen students, present and past, appear to be enthusiastic about
and highly supportive of their educational experiences at the institution.
Similar impressions are provided by employers of graduates of the college.
Both groups, however, readily provide suggestions for making improvements
in the curriculum and in the social atmosphere at the College.

Both also

recognize the unfavorable image the College has among residents of the
Southwestern Washington area.

Those impressions are confirmed by surveys

of graduating high school students in fifteen Southwestern Washington high
schools.

Those surveys reveal generally mixed impressions among these stu-

dents, but they also suggest some misunderstanaing of the programs the
College is offering.

Students indicate that they place a high value on

some of the major aspects of the Evergreen curriculum, but they do not
always associate these desirable aspects with the program Evergreen offers.
This problem was confirmed through interviews with high school counselors,
some of whom suggested that the nontraditional education Evergreen provides
may not fit with the more career-oriented aspirations of current senior
classes.

This, too, suggests a misimpression, since the placement experi-

ences of ·Evergreen graduates compare well with those of the three regional
universities in Washington.
Program evaluation can involve the "output" aspects.

In this case,

assessment can confirm the opinions of students, and employers, and the
placement experiences of graduates.

Since Evergreen is a public institution

with assigned responsibilities for educating the graduates of Washington
high schools (especially high schools in the western and southwestern
counties) the attractiveness of the program to those students and the
- 123 -

opinions of their high school counselors are also important considerations.
To accomplish this evaluation, questionnaires were prepared and

This last point is impressive, and 1ts importance should not be dimi-

Students attending Evergreen (both

on the main campus and in the Vancouver program) were interviewed.

There were no opinions expressed by current students that would

involve a wholesale chanqe in the curriculllll'.

administered to a large number of college-bound high school seniors in
western and southwestern Washington.

program.

Students

who had graduated from Evergreen were contacted and surveyed by mail.

High

nished.

However, there was some concern that there might exist a natural

proclivity among students enrolled in an institution under review by an
external entity to speak in supportive terms of that program, regardless

school counselors were interviewed, and employers of Evergreen graduates

of their deeper feelings.

were surveyed on their impressions of the program's capacity to prepare

students, because of their decision to attend the institution, with its

students for employment.

generally more unconventional program, might enter the interviews with a

Finally, placement statistics for Evergreen and

other Washington institutions were collected and reviewed.

The results of

positive predisposition.

Similarly, one might also assume that Evergreen

The uncertainty was that students selecting

these surveys provide additional perspectives on the institution and its

Evergreen might reflect different cognitive and affective orientations than

programs.

students at other schools.

A.

Attitudes of Present Evergreen Students

And, with such a bias, the program might be

considered particularly effective to them because of its congruence with

During September, 1978, the staff conducted interviews with 120 students enrolled on campus and in the Vancouver program. 1 They were asked
a standard series of questions pertaining to such matters as their reasons

these orientations.

Some effort was directed, therefore, to determining

the likelihood of such factors.
The staff was provided with the preliminary findings of a dissertation

for choosing Evergreen, the elements which were most helpful to them at

involving Evergreen in preparation by a student at the University of Oregon. 2

Evergreen, those that were less so, their goals and frustrations, impres-

One of the author's conclusions is that while students may be attracted to

sions of the Evergreen image and steps it might take to improve that image,

an institution because they share similar philosophies and goals or become

elements lacking in the program, their impressions of a successful Evergreen

shaped by its values, this congruence does not necessarily generate satis-

student, and, last, if they had the choice to make over, would they choose

faction.

Evergreen again.

still be pleased with it.

With few exceptions students expressed satisfaction with

their educational experience, and with their choice ot institution.

Negative

One may hold views apart from the norm of the institution and
The converse would seem to hold as well.

The

study, therefore, suggests that students' critical capacities can and do

remarks tended to involve steps the College might take to enhance its

override their institutional allegiance.

1

2
Robert Flor is a Washington resident and PhD candidate at the University
of o-regon. His dissertation centers on an "investigation of the relationship between person-environment congruency and satisfaction with specific
college environments.'' Evergreen, Seattle University, and Oregon College
of Education are his subject institutions. Mr. Flor's gracious offer of
his findings is gratefully acknowledged.

To enhance the readibility of this report, details on methodology, sample
size and selection, statistical analyses, etc., will not be elaborated.
This information is available in the Council office for those who may be
interested.
- 124 -

- 125 -

Returning to the results of the interviews with present students, the

and not intellectually or creatively inspiring. 5 Several adult students

reasons cited by those interviewed for selecting Evergreen were proximity
to home, excellent facilities, opportunities for experiential learning, and
low student/faculty ratios. 3 Other factors cited favorably by the students
were interdisciplinary studies, internships, individual contracts,

11

the

Evergreen philosophy, 11 lack of competitiveness, and an emphasis on learning
rather than earning grades. 4 Students expressed satisfaction with the
control they had over their education and the opportunities for them to

stated they chose Evergreen because other adult students were in attendance,
and the uncertainties of sharing classes with younger participants were
reduced.
The students expressed strong support for the seminar mode, which they
believed to be more prevalent at Evergreen, especially for undergraduates,
than is the case elsewhere.

Other considerations cited included faculty

support to pursue ideas and explore, encouragement to learn beyond program

plan their curriculum.
Some students described negative experiences they had at other colleges.
They felt these learning experiences were simply an extension of high school

3comments about low student/faculty ratios were often encountered by the
staff at different stages of the study. In fact, Evergreen, as a public
institution, is formula-funded, and its institutional student/faculty
ratio, approximately 20:1, is comparable to that of its sister institutions.
As described in Evergreen's report on faculty utilization to the LBC
(op. cit.), 11 During the extensive planning which preceded Evergreen's first
academic year, it was of paramount concern to the faculty that instructional
activity occur in small groups, large enough to provide diversity of view
and experience, small enough to permit maximum interaction of students and
faculty, a format which forces preparation and participation by the student .
. . . Depending on a number of variables, . . . this number was generally
regarded to hover near 15 but ranging from 10 to 12 to 18 or at most 20.
The dependent factor, however, was recognized to be the ratio of students
to faculty as generated in a state-budget system, a force outside of faculty
control. The model which evolved, given the realities of probable budgeting, . . . was to as closely approximate a 20:1 student to faculty ratio
as possible. . . . [The] semi-ideal model was in large measure met . . .
with a ratio of 19.2:1 (or 19.8:1 if only active teaching faculty are counted) ...
(Seep. 4.)
4The difficulties in summarizing comments, albeit with a standard interview,
from disparate individuals are apparent in any study employing the interview technique. Efforts have been made to present only views corroborated
by the comments of several students and to avoid isolated remarks unless
otherwise identified as such.
.

requirements, and the generally supportive attitude of most faculty.
Several noted that the undergraduate program was similar to what they expec6
ted in graduate school, and this was considered a plus.
Every student interviewed in the initial sample stated that his/her
educational goals were being

m~1·

Only three (out of a total of 120 stu-

dents in the initial sample) stated they would not choose Evergreen if
given the choice to make over.

Two of those said the reason was because

of the lack of certifiable programs (e.g., teacher education).

One said

the reason was lack of program continuity.
While it is clear that their general impressions of Evergreen were very
positive, students were also able to identify negative aspects.
program continuity was frequently mentioned.

Lack of

Students felt hindered because

5A followup series of interviews with students who had transferred into Evergreen revealed similar statements. Students described their conventional
college experiences in very negative terms. At the same time, these students tended to more openly criticize structural problems at Evergreen,
since they had experiences with which to compare, than did those interviewed
who had never attended another institution .
6surveys of graduates who went on to other institutions confirmed this. Many
expressed a view that the transition to graduate school was eased, and their
ability to operate in that milieu gave them an advantage over other students.

- 126 - 127 -

they were unable to pursue academic themes in a predictable manner to an
advanced level in most areas.

a few were described as adequate, and a lesser number were considered

A second concern centered on the quality

and quantity of academic advising. Students said it was needed for all
persons attending Evergreen. 7 The third most frequently mentioned complaint

level they sometimes were unable to find faculty who could teach at the level.
A related concern was with the lack of faculty to teach them how to use com-

dents expressing negative comments (and many students stated they could

ber of students who expressed complete dissatisfaction.

students to gain access to equipment were also mentioned ("The staff plays

The Evergreen image is an important issue, and students at the College

favorites in equipment loans," or "faculty tie up equipment for their per-

were asked to comment on it.

sonal projects.").

They felt the school

has a very positive national image, a less positive State image, and a poor

ments, or, related to both, the lack of faculty in some discipline areas.

local image.

A few mentioned a desire for credit hours rather than Evergreen units.



the Evergreen programs to suit their needs (only one such student felt
However, several stated there were insuf-

ficient "constants," with too much depending on interpersonal relationships.
While most Evergreen programs were described as either good or excellent,

The local image was attributed to "a bad press," the physical

separation of the campus from the Olympia community, and a bad start when
8
the College opened.
Several blamed local impressions of students attending Evergreen, reinforced, they felt, by "the Evergreen deadbeats hanging
out in town."

As one student noted, "Most of the good students aren't

seen by the coiTIIlunity because they are busy studying on campus."
While recognizing that the local image is not as favorable as it might
be, most felt it was changing.

7The academic advising problem was mentioned earlier, anq it was noted that
Evergreen is changing its system to provide one advisor for each student
throughout the academic career. This goal, however, has not been fully
implemented, as entering students are phasing into that arrangement while
existing students function under the previous arrangement.
- 128 -

The positive nature of the Col-

lege's image seems to vary inversely with proximity.

particular programs, e.g., teacher education, the lack of academic depart-

there was not enough structure).

Many observed a phenomenon that is apparent

to persons outside of Evergreen as well.

Interestingly, some students cited as negative elements the lack of

Most felt there was sufficient structure in

There was a clear tendency among stu-

In reviewing these comments, one should bear in mind, again, the small num-

by some staff members, particularly in media 1oan, making it difficult for

tutions are important here.

gerated impression will be gained.

find nothing wrong with the College) to return to more positive statements.

Perceptions of "consolidation of power"

The views of students who transferred to Evergreen from other insti-

Academic counseling

It is important that these views be stated, but it is possible an exag-

Students complained that when they reached an advanced

plex and sophisticated equipment.

be "overhauled" as it contributes to disorganization.

was identified as a troubled area by these students, as well as the others.

was lack of faculty, and particularly faculty trained in certain areas of
advanced studies.

"terrible." Administratively, these students felt the structure needs to

Success stories of graduates are beginning

to be heard, and campus events are drawing increased numbers of community
8one hypothesis about declining high school entrances is that the students
in the early years returned to their high schools and told other students
and counselors of their experiences during ·the generally chaotic first year.
These impressions were reinforced in the retelling, and subsequent cohorts
of students selected other institutions.
- 129 -

residents.

They suggested that more outreach programs, such as the Vancouver

program, and more community-oriented programs on campus would help.

They

also suggested holding more school events in town (although some said more
community events need to be held on campus).

More internships in Olympia,

a better marketing program, a master's program (and a BS degree, since

school students and counselors were also cited as steps that could be taken
Finally, many students stated they felt it impor-

tant for the State to let the school alone to work out its problems.

- Expand research and internship possibilities in the community for
selected students; make such experiences available to selected students
as a "reward."
B.

Evergreen only offers the BA), getting graduates out to speak with high

to improve the situation.

- Get graduate student success stories out; work public relations;

They

felt publicity surrounding State-directed inquiries hurt the school in the
eyes of parents and potential students, turning them away.
The recommendations in all areas proposed by the interviewees can be
organized as follows:

Remarks of Evergreen Graduates

A random sampling of Evergreen graduates was prepared from College
files to obtain impressions of the opinions of Evergreen graduates regarding
their educations.

Each (all were from the 1976 and 1977 classes) was con-

tacted for assistance in completing this aspect of the study.

To a person,

the respondents supported Evergreen's alternative approach to higher education.

They felt the strongest points and the elements setting the school

apart from other institutions were its interdisciplinary approach to learning, and the accessibility of faculty through small classes and seminars.

- Implement a course for new students to run concurrently with their
program to help them ease into the Evergreen system;
- Develop consistent standards for evaluations and clearly-defined
portfolio requirements;

They cited the potential for internships and in-depth study of subject areas,
the evaluation system, and (with the help of a better advising system), the
need for each student to be responsible for her or his program.
At the same time, they also indicated belief that the Evergreen system

- Offer a BS degree;

can be improved, making it more compatible with more traditional educational

- Initiate a master's program;
- Assign an academic advisor to each student;
- Restructure the present academic advising office;
- Establish a place on campus, such as a coffeehouse, for students
to socialize;

structures and assisting, thereby, graduates in their competition in the job
market.

They also indicated Evergreen should develop and require programs

expressly for the purpose of familiarizing new students in basic skill areas
and with the Evergreen system.

A stronger academic advising system was also

mentioned, as was the need for greater continuity in academic programs.

-Offer school-wide social events (dances, etc.) and traditional
social occasions (homecoming, etc.);
- Seek more involvement in and with the community;

While they liked the evaluation system, they also recommended a shorter
and simplified transcript {one especially suited to the

~eeds

of employers

and graduate schools). Finally, they also suggested the College institute

- 130 - 131 -

better controls to protect the value and credibility of internships and

1) think in terms of concepts as well as specifics;

individual study contracts.

2) introduce organization to the problem-solving process; and
3) take a more active and, hence, more responsible part in their

Several remarked on Evergreen's image, which they felt was unfavorable,

education.

and which they believe is partly the result of rumors and misunderstandings.

The majority of respondents felt the real innovation at Evergreen

As one graduate put it:
What really needs to change is not Evergreen, but other peoples•
perception of Evergreen. I don~mean to imply that some crazy
things and people don't go on at TESC, which rightfully concern
citizens; but this is simply a price that has to be paid for a
healthy degree of educational freedom. The abundant benefits
outweigh such costs, if they could only be as easily seen . . But
as we all know, negative events sell newspapers and generate
excitement, not positive ...

stems from the combination of interdisciplinary studies and the
faculty ratio ...

ments.

Evergreen, some said, will increase its direct-from-high school

population only when legislators, parents and students no longer believe
an Evergreen degree is a high risk investment.

low student-

(As noted earlier, the student/faculty ratio is similar to

other Washington public four-year institutions.) They felt Evergreen's
emphasis on small classes, personalized instruction and interdisciplinary
studies provided an education unavailable anywhere else in the state.

Graduates suggested the College take steps to disseminate personalized,
positive information about the students and faculty, their goals and achieve-

11

They seemed to recognize the advantage in knowing the faculty and
other students well:

11

Growing with friends is not nearly as painful as

growing with strangers ... Their experiences since graduation from TESC
at educational institutions of a more traditional nature (for those who
went to graduate school) served to intensify their appreciation for the

The letter inviting graduates to .. briefly describe how feature(s) of
opportunity to have worked closely with faculty.
the Evergreen environment either helped or hindered 1) them in obtaining

students or employees•• did not specifically ask for a ranking of the elements

I have found how extraordinary it is to know many professors on
a first name basis and to feel welcome in their offices and homes
for formal and informal discussions. It is a privilege only
graduate students enjoy here ...

about which they felt most strongly.

Several remarked that Evergreen's greatest asset is its faculty-- 11 They

11

a job or admission to graduate school; and 2) their effectiveness as graduate

But almost without exception, respon-

dents made comments favorable to interdisciplinary studies.

Specifically,

are there to teach! 11

Others observed that much of the success one enjoys

they expressed opinions that their experiences in Evergreen interdisciplinary

as a student depends on the faculty with whom one works.

studies programs improved their effectiveness, both as graduate students

faculty were found to be too individualistic; i.e., not well-suited to

and employees.

11

Through the integration of disciplines and a variety of

academic activities--lectures, seminars, labs, field experiences, research-~

they had been trained to:

helping 11 less-than-outstanding students.

Some Evergreen

They suggested two primary ways

in which the College could help to alleviate this problem.

First, improve

the students• ability to choose among available faculty and programs;

- 132 - 133 -

i.e., through orientation in a required coordinated studies program and
better academic advising.

Second, strengthen the faculty evaluation system. 9

Many of the graduates indicated the single most attractive element of ·
education at Evergreen was its internship program, and that a well-directed
internship is central to learning.

They felt internships provided them

"If Evergreen has any weak spots, I think it is in the area of
individual contracts and internships. While I was attending
Evergreen, it was possible to attain a degree by completing a
large amount of field work and very little classroom study.
This is, of course, of great value to people in their search
for employment; but it is an injustice to the Bachelor of Arts
degree."

with practical learning opportunities, enabling them to acquire skills

"Evergreen is not 'tough' enough on most interns and contract
students. Some just con their way through."

important in a competitive job market and to determine their ability and

Some graduates stated that individual contracts and internships were

interest in particular career fields.
These same persons, however, expressed concern that their positive

too frequently given to students who didn't have either sufficient motivation or sufficient knowledge to complete the contract agreed upon.

A few

experiences were devalued through the College's inability to control both

noted that such inabilities apply to faculty as well.

Students feel

the process and quality of internship and individual contracted study pro-

short-changed when they negotiate individual contracts with faculty who are

grams.10

"interested" in the subject, but who have no real knowledge--much less expertise--to offer as a resource.

9During January through June, 1975, Evergreen conducted a Delphi study (Institutional Goals Inventory: ~Delphi St)dy, 1975) asking faculty, administrators, and students three questions: 1 What goals are important to Evergreen? 2) How are we doing in terms of accomplishing those goals? 3) Can
we come to a consensus on the emphasis those goals need to have in the future?
Through the use of three sequential questionnaires administered to 184 students, faculty, administrators and staff, consensus on an inventory of 200
goals and the importance of each was established. · Respondents were asked
to assign an importance rating to each goal by indicating whether they were
"opposed" to the goal or whether it was of "no," "little," "medium," "high,"
or "extremely high" importance. The goal given an "extremely high" importance rating by the largest percentage of the population sampled (58 percent)
was "To maintain quality faculty via vigorous and effective evaluation
systems.
"
1°Field supervisors of TESC interns seem to agree that the internship program
needs upgrading. In August, 1978, Evergreen sponsored a seminar for intern
field supervisors; i.e., employers. A significant portion of the day-long
seminar was directed toward defining the roles and expectations of the student, intern supervisor, faculty, and school (e.g., "What kind of screening
of potential interns does TESC do prior to the negotiation of an internship?"); and the need to develop stronger communication ,systems between all
involved parties. (Some field supervisors expressed concern about the virtual lack of communication between them and the student's faculty sponsor.
Others were seeking ways to strike a balance between their organization's
needs and the student's desires.)
- 134 -

The College has taken steps to alleviate some of these problems.

For

example, the Office of Cooperative Education has described its expectations
of potential interns:

"An ·internship is first and foremost a learning
,

opportunity . . . You must be qualified for the type of internship you are
11
Greater emphasis has been given the contract negotiation
seeking."
process:

II

. . all pertinent matters--including but not limited to learn-

ing objectives, on the job activities, evaluation procedures, and respective
responsibilities of the student, faculty sponsor and field supervisor-will be negotiated and agreed to before you begin your internship." 12
Similar adjustments have been made in individual contracts.

Faculty

will carry only a limited number of contracts, enabling them to give more
and better attention to individual students.
11
AARG! Academic Advising Resource Guide.
12
TESC Catalog, 1979-81 edition, p. 24.
- 135 -

The 1979-81 catalog defines
"

TESC, 1978, p. 15.

the general responsibilities of faculty and students involved with individual
contract learning.l3

2) Without a grade threat the student might not see the benefit

Former TESC students appear to believe, however; that even stronger
controls should be implemented.

of hard work.

Many suggested that coordinated studies

The college should develop an easy-access

training program to explain the portfolio program and aid
students in preparing portfolios. 15

and group contracts should be emphasized for the first two years, and that
individual contracts and internships should be reserved for those who can

The respondents stated the need to plan their own programs was a matur-

present evidence to support their readiness to enjoy the privilege.

ing influence.

Graduates also suggest that steps be taken to better integrate such pro-

self-motivate/direct educational philosophy, they would not be where they

grams into the rest of the College curriculum.

are today.

The graduates overwhelmingly favored the College's policy of evaluations
of coursework completed. 14

Almost without exception, however, they do not attribute their

success entirely to Evergreen's alternative structure.

It is deemed a more complete and fair means of

communicating than is a letter grade.

A few went so far as to say if it had not been for Evergreen's

"Those who profit from their experience at Evergreen are those
who can use the alternative bureaucracy to their advantage. I
feel this is what I and many other graduates have been able to
accomplish, but it was no easy task."

The TESC evaluation system is also

viewed as an impetus for emphasizing the students' sense of responsibility
Surprisingly, many graduates consider Evergreen's "open enrollment"

for their own education.
"The evaluation system at Evergreen is tremendous. Being
required to review my learning and the sessions with my faculty
members continually served as a drawstring for my education in
the previous quarter. I consistently felt a sense of where I
had been and where I wanted to go."

policy and its lower-division curricular design as major obstacles to raising its public image and serving Southwest Washington.

enroll, they say, Evergreen must be prepared to teach the basic· skills
needed for students to survive.

"The evaluation system was far more helpful to me than the
grade point system. It was easier to see that I was working
for myself,. rather than for some grade point."

In inviting all to

fail to take

prop~r

Without adequate preparation, students

advantage of the College's educational services.

Several noted many students were lost and aimless even though they appeared
While graduates believed the evaluation system is good, some suggested
purposeful; further, they did not know where to turn for advice, support
ways in which it would be made more effective:
1) Guidelines should be established which require faculty to

and assistance.

The College had no process or system whereby students unsure

of their direction could succeed.
address identified areas of performance and ability.

The
"I think advising sh.ould be expanded. It's easy to take a
wrong turn. Sure, it's good to make mistakes and to have
to correct them, but learning by mistakes can be very costly."

lack of policy guidelines may not serve the student's best
interests.

"It's not true that 20-25 year-olds are mature and able to
make large decisions."

~

13.b"d
1 1 •

~

14At the end of each quarter, faculty members hold conferences with individual

students and then prepare a two- to four-page detailed evaluation of that
student's work and learning. Written evaluations by faculty, together with
students' self-evaluations for each program taken from a permanent student
portfolio round out the process. TESC Catalog, p. 73.
- 136 -

15

The AARG! Academic Advising Resource Guide, op. cit., describes the evaluation and portfolio systems; pp. 29 - 33
- 137 -

They recommended that Evergreen

academic advising program be streng16
thened to ensure students have balanced and goal-directed curriculums.

might be improved, to create an overall impression of major dissatisfaction

As a mechanical means to improve the educational decision-making process,

expressed satisfaction with the total educational experience, directing

they would like Evergreen to make available lists of the requirements of

their remarks to modifications that could make it still better.

various graduate schools and civil service positions, and ways they can

recommendations for doing so can be listed as follows:

1

S

structure their education accordingly.

with the College program.

Such is decidedly not the case.

The graduates

Their

- Establish a required first-year program to orient new students to

Graduates also expressed the view that Evergreen should clearly define
17
what it is not staffed or equipped to do or teach.
The effects of the

are offered, but they are not required.

lack of course and program continuity, they complained, are frustration,

requirement, one which, presumably, could be waived only through successful

educational deficiencies, and poorly planned programs.

demonstration of proficiency.)

The Evergreen transcript was described by one graduate as a 11 1eviathan

the school and develop their basic skills {NOTE: Programs of this nature
The graduates are speaking of a

- A strong academic advising program for all students;

in the American bureaucracy; 11 i.e., cumbersome and difficult to interpret.

Stronger controls on the individual studies and internship programs;

The graduates perceived prospective employers and graduate school admission

- Increased course and program continuity;

committees as generally reluctant to give individual attention to any appli-

- A shortened, simplified transcript;

cant's transcript.

-A summary evaluation form and evaluation guidelines.

In their experience, some, in fact, react unfavorably

to the excessive amount of reading.
A number of graduates proposed that Evergreen devise a simplified,

C.

Comments of . Employers and Supervisors

As part of the study, letters were sent to 34 individuals in public

shortened transcript, one that more clearly communicates course equivalencies.

and private organizations believed to have hired one or more TESC graduates. 18

Special attention, it is suggested, should be given to how course equiva-

The letters requested assistance in evaluating the College's performance as

lencies are titled, with an aim toward titles that approximate traditional

an educational institution as follows:

college requirements, and to the addition of a summary evaluation form.
As is the case with the comments of current students at Evergreen, it
is possible, by attempting to convey their impressions of matters that
16 This fall (September, 1978), Evergreen implemented a comprehensive Advising
Program for new students. Over the next four years the College will undertake to systematically address the academic advising needs of all students.
Information about the program is available through the office of the Dean
of Enrollment Services.
17 In The Evergreen State College Institutional Goals Inventory, op. cit., the
second most important goal identified was, 11 To communicate more precisely
what Evergreen realistically has to offer to prospective students . . . 11
- 138 -

The Evergreen State College states that its method of education-one that emphasizes interdisciplinary learning--is an appropriate
and effective way to produce competent individuals and employees.
Evergreen's objective is to prepare graduates who:

18 Jt is difficult to get the names and addresses of organizations employing
graduates of any institution. Available information is general rather
than specific; hence, the small number involved in the employer/supervisor survey.
- 139 -

1. Work well in situations requiring both group and
independent efforts;
2. Communicate
personally;

effectively~-writing,

do or teach, and by discontinuities in its curriculum.

speaking and inter-

4. Respond constructively to evaluations of projects they
undertake.
As an employer or supervisor of an Evergreen graduate(s), has
this been your experience? How does the performance of TESC
graduates compare with that of graduates of other schools?
In general, the respondents believed Evergreen•s educational approach
is more closely related to the challenges encountered in work situations
than is that of more traditional schools.

Graduates were judged to be

superior to graduates of traditional schools in self-directedness and their
Employers attributed the development and enhance-

ment of these particular qualities to the College, as do TESC graduates
themselves.

stated TESC graduates sometimes lack specific day-to-day work skills or are
unable to demonstrate an overall knowledge in their self-identified major

3. Demonstrate a better-than-average ability to solve
problems; and

ability to solve problems.

As a result, they

Employers noted, in particular, the willingness and confidence

with which TESC graduates approach new situations.

The following comment

is, perhaps, more enthusiastic than most; but it captures the essence of
these perceptions of the TESC educational concept.

area of study.
A different complaint was directed at Evergreen•s non-specific degree
and transcript system.

One individual who recruits and hires for a major

state agency indicated that although the organization has been pleased with
the performance of Evergreen interns, it cannot hire them if

jo~

specifications

require the graduate to have earned a specific degree (a B.S., for example)
or completed a certain number of credit hours in a specific discipline when
their transcript doesn•t clearly reflect those achievements.

According

to him, Evergreen graduates are hurt in their job search because
compete on paper. 11

11

they can•t

Evergreen, it was suggested, should better describe

course content and TESC units; i.e., equate them to equivalent traditional
courses and to credit hours. 19
Finally, one employer was critical of Evergreen•s policy to allow students to earn a degree almost entirely through individual contracts, regardless of the reason:

0f course there ·are individual differences, and I have had
students from other colleges who did well in these areas, too;
'. but there is no doubt in my mind that the Evergreen approach
to learning does indeed yield consistently [sic] high)y motivated, confident learners who approach new situations with
verve, competence and curiousity. Do whatever is necessary
to maintain Evergreen in its present format--it•s a badly
needed presence in the whole educational scene ...
11

Employers saw some problems with the Evergreen approach.

Some were

critical of the need for students to design their own programs--some of
which are rather traditional--from scratch.

The

problem~is

exacerbated,

in their opinion, by Evergreen•s failure to identify what it can and cannot

The individual contracted studies program appeared to me to be
extremely light-weight. My regard for the value of an Evergreen
degree was diminished by this. If an Evergreen degree is being
considered as a factor in employment, we will need to explore
the manner in which it was earned ...
11

The need to tighten policies on both individual contracted studies and
internships was also identified by current and former TESC students.
In summary, a major impression from the survey of employers is their
endorsement of the Evergreen interdisciplinary approach to learning.
~

In

19 Evergreen has already adopted this practice; but, according to this respondent, it needs further refinement.

- 140 - 141 -

their opinion it effectively improves graduates' abilities to conceptualize
and problem solve.

Employers, however, were critical of Evergreen's failure

to be surveyed; generally two college-prep classes were involved--one

to meet the needs of its graduates through a) the identification of programs

Science/Mathematics and one Humanities class.

offered; b) ensuring the academic ·integrity of some individual learning con-

given one of two questionnaires--a "general" and a TESC questionnaire--on

tracts; and c) the modification of the TESC transcript to satisfy employment

a 2:1 ratio.

screening processes and requirements.

of what they believe to be important in choosing a school with their class-

D.

Survey of High School Students/Interviews of Counselors

Another major survey mode for this report centered on graduating high
school seniors and their counselors.

The objective of the survey was some-

what different from the other efforts.

In this instance the concern was

Students were alternatively

The purpose of the survey was to compare students' perceptions

mates' perceptions of Evergreen.

The first questionnaire, administered to

496 students, asked them to indicate on a scale of one to four the importance of a series of considerations in choosing which college or university
21
The second, administered to 251 students in the same classes,
to attend.

not with the effectiveness of the Evergreen program in terms of its capacity

asked them to indicate to what degree, also on a scale of one to four, the

to educate students but rather with the impressions of that program, and

listed considerations described The Evergreen State College.

of the institution, among students who could decide to attend Evergreen upon

considerations on both questionnaires were identical.

their graduation from high school.

The lists of

Significantly, approximately one-half of the respondents to the Ever-

The interviews with their counselors

provide further insights into the problems Evergreen must resolve if it is

green questionnaire indicated they knew little or nothing about Evergreen.

to succeed in reaching this population.

These students simply completed the remaining portion of the questionnaire

These problems are especially critical

to the College, given the annually reduced numbers of students entering it

(institutional preference, etc.).

directly from high school.

that comparatively large numbers of potential students are not receiving the

It is clear that Evergreen is not attracting

many students directly from western and southwestern Washington high schools
(or from Washington high schools in general), and this contributes signifi-

This finding, important in itself, implies

Evergreen message and know nothing about the College at the time they are
making decisions about which college to attend. 22

cantly to the shape of its enrollment growth curve.
Nearly 750 students ·(mostly seniors) from fifteen Washington high
schools were surveyed. 20 The participating schools selected the students
20 weatherwax, Aberdeen; Bellevue, Bellevue; Central, Centralia; W. F. West,
Chehalis; Hoquiam, Hoquiam; North Thurston and Timberline, Lacey; R. A. Long,
Longview; Capital and William Winlock Miller, Olympia; South Kitsap, Port
Orchard; Shelton, Shelton; Lakes and Washington, Tacoma; and Tumwater,
Tumwater. Forty-six students at Bremerton High School were also surveyed.
Their responses were not collected in time for inclusion in this study.
- 142 -

21

22

once more, to enhance the readability of the report, excessive detail is
being avoided. Further information on the survey and the results is available in the CPE office. For the reader of the report, however, the full
list of statements and the percentage response distribution and related
information is provided in the Appendices.
This·finding also affected the responses. The general effect was to skew
the arithmetic mean. In the analysis, "N" equals 251, minus the number in
the "no response" category. Similarly, when comparing the responses from
the first group with the second, the index figures are calculated so as to
exclude the "no response" category from the first group as well.
- 143 -

The areas of greatest dissonance between what the first group of high
school seniors indicated they want from a college and how the second group

Graduates are admitted to graduate and professional schools; and Tuition
is relatively low.

perceived Evergreen appear to fall into the categories of outcomes and form.
11

Graduates get jobs in their area of interest 11 represented the high school

seniors' first concern.

It received very important ratings by 79.8 percent

These findings, which directly relate to Evergreen's primary goals
and objectives--areas in which the College believes it is successful--rather
clearly reveal the College's failure thus far to get its message across. 23

of the respondents; it appeared second on the list of fairly/very important
elements combined.

It was, however, perceived (incorrectly) as an area in

which Evergreen is least successful.
A comparison of all those elements marked important (both fairly and
very important) by 75 percent or more of the

11

general 11 respondents and the

TESC respondents' perceptions of Evergreen is informative.

Surprisingly,

comparatively few respondents perceived Evergreen's curricular structure
or modes of instruction as very different from what they felt were desirable.
For example, students indicated an interest in planning a significant part
of their own programs, in studying a subject in depth, in basic introductory
courses and internships, and in written evaluations of their course work.
They believed Evergreen offers these opportunities.
An examination of areas in which significant differences exist between
what seniors want from a college and what they believe TESC offers, (TABLE V-1)
indicated that Evergreen may project an image of an impersonal college not
too concerned about whether or not its students are learning- or goaldirected.

The areas in which TESC is perceived to fall short were: Graduates

get jobs in their area of 'interest; Teaching is the most important mission
of the school; Faculty expect students to work; Students are committed to
learning; The college responds to inquiries as though they want you as a

23

These analyses emphasize the students' view of what is important in
making a college choice. A slightly different perspective is obtained
when the various elements are ranked by mean scores; i.e., the value of
the raw scores for each element is averaged. When this is done, the
list of elements important to making a college choice does not change
much. Rather, it becomes more apparent that high school seniors have,
in fact, some knowledge and understanding of The Evergreen State
College. However, certain important aspects of the Evergreen educational concept, as already noted, go relatively unappre~iated.

student; Classes are small; Faculty are accessible to individual students;

- 144 -

. - 145 -

TABLE V-1
CONSIDERATIONS IMPORTANT IN CHOOSING A COLLEGE*
COMPARED WITH PERCEPTIONS OF EVERGREEN
(GROUP #1)
Important in
Choosing
a Call ege

(GROUP #2)
Believed
True About
TESC

Difference
(Column 2 divided
by
Column 1)

Important in
Choosing
a College

Believed
True About
TESC

Difference
(Column 2 Divided
btlo_l_umn 1 )
0.93

The student is helped to develop
the skills required for productive
research and study

Graduates get jobs in their area
of interest

1.11

1.18

1.06

Students are expected to be responsible for their own learning

A variety of programs are offered
which emphasize preparation for
specific careers

1.12

0.89

0.79

Students are committed to learning

1.14

0.98

0.86

Most courses will transfer to fouryear colleges and universities

1.11

1.16

1.05

Basic introductory courses are
offered

0.97

Modern equipment and facilities
available

1. 23

0.93

0.76

1.24

1.12

0.90

0.96

(GROUP #2)

1.04

1. 21

1.17

(GROUP #1)

l. 12

1.25**

1.20

TABLE V-1, Continued:

Academic advisors and career
counselors are accessible to the
student

1.18

0.92

0.78

Teaching is the most important
mission of the faculty and the
school

1.11

0.88

0.79

The college responds to inquiries
as though they want you as a
student

1.18

1.18

1.0

An opportunity exists for the
student to plan a significant part
of his/her program (with an
advisor's help.)

1.11

1.05

0.95

Learning opportunities include
work/internships which will count
toward graduation

1.16

1.05

0.91

Programs support students• efforts
to develop a personal and profess i ana 1 identity

1.08

1.09

1.07

0.83

0.78

Faculty expect students to work

l. 06

l. 12

1.06

Sports and recreation facilities

1.04

0.97

0.93

Grades are assigned as an indication of accomplishment

1.03

l. 20

1.17

Attractive campus setting

1.03

0.84

0.82

Relatively low tuition

1. 01

0.81

0.80

Classes are small

1.03

l. 10

1.07

Individualized instruction is
available (e.g., film loops, programmed texts, computer-assisted

1.17

0.97

0.83

Faculty are accessible to individual students

1.17

1.03

0.88

A wide variety of specialty areas
are offered

1.20

0.96

0.80

Graduates are admitted to graduate
and professional schools

1.13

1. 07

0.95

The student can study a subject
in depth--as an individual or in
a small group _______

*List includes all those considerations important to 75 percent or more of the
.. general questionnaire .. high school survey respondents. **Figures are normalized indices derived by dividing percentage agreement with
the particular statement by the average percentage agreement for all statements.
The average would equate to 1.0.
146 -

1.01

The instructor writes an evaluation
of coursework completed

instruction)~

1.00

1.1 .3

l. 13

The student can take four or five
different subjects at once

1.00

0.94

0.94

The faculty are involved in
research

- 147 -

in the comparatively high scores attributed to elements that tended to be

TABLE V-2
ELEMENTS CONSIDERED IMPORTANT
BY LESS .THAN HALF THE RESPONDENTS

criticized by students attending Evergreen (as noted earlier) by students

(GROUP #1)

(GROUP #2)

who were relating their impressions of the school as high school seniors.

Important in
Choosing a
Co 11 ege

Believed
True About
TESC

The discrepancy between message and perception is further apparent

For example, responding high school students believe that Evergreen students
are helped to develop skills ,required for productive research and study,
but this is one of the areas most persistently criticized by students attending the College.

This is also the case with the statement that basic intro-

ductory courses are offered and the . statement that students can take four
or five different subjects at once.
Surprisingly large numbers of students responding to the 11 general 11

Difference
in Favor
of TESC

Your four years in college will
be spent taking mostly
required courses

0.38

0.35

- 0. 92

College located near home

0.48

0.93

+ 1.94

Opportunities for political
involvement

0.50

1.01

+ 1.02

Instruction is relatively
traditional

0.65

0.60

- 0. 92

survey indicated interest in part-time jobs and intercollegiate athletic
competition.

These findings are supported by data gathered by the Wash-

ington Pre-College Testing Program in its survey of 1978 college-bound
seoiors.

The WPCT staff found that 66 percent held a 11 regular part-time

The open-ended question,

11

Are there any colleges or universities in

the state about which you have formed distinct impressions--favorable or

job 11 and that 52 percent and 37 percent participated in intramural and

unfavorable? Which one(s) and what are those impressions? 11

varsity athletics, respectively.

number of comments, many of which were derogatory, about Evergreen, parti-

(Seventy-nine percent indicated they

regularly attend athletic events.)

invited a

cularly from high school students in the Olympia area.

Only four elements were judged to be important by less than half of
the general respondents:

Many students indicated they received their information about Evergreen
by word of mouth; that unfavorable rumors were so strong, so logical in
their progression, that they are accepted as true.

When such suspicion

gets into the mind, it seems that _small things can confirm it.
remarked, for example,

11

One person

lf you see a person associated with Evergreen who

looks like a hippie, it serves to reinforce your negative expectations; but
"

if the school sends out someone who doesn't fit that image, you think, 'Who
are they trying to fool?' 11

- 148 -

- 149 -

Reviews of other schools were mixed, though mostly favorable.

Interes-

information, although personal visits to the college campus and attending

tingly, the University of Washington appears to have established the most

presentations by college representatives were recognized by some as valu-

favorable impression in many seniors' minds, although they think it's too

able investments of time and energy.

big.

The findings of the survey of high school seniors are revealing for
Finally, students were asked several general questions, responses to

which are offered without comment.

several reasons.

First, many high school seniors know little or nothing

about The Evergreen State College.

1) If you were making the choice today, what school would you most

Second, the areas in which TESC does not

appear to satisfy students' perceptions of an "ideal" college are primarily

likely choose to attend? Schools most often picked as a first or second

those in which the College believes it is most effective.

choice were the University of Washington, Washington State University, a
community college, and a private college or university, in that order; 24

Evergreen's "no grades, no requirements, and no majors" philosophy may have

2) What are your career interests? Student choices were so varied
that space does not permit a summarization.
from the Counci .l office.

A detailed list is available

A more useful source of information concerning

students' career interests may be the report, "State of Washington 1978
College Bound Seniors:

come to mean (to high school seniors) no work and no useful outcomes.
seniors appear to be quite career conscious.

3) Rate publications and other sources according to their usefulness
in providing information related to college choice.

Brochures describing

Third,

But they don't believe Ever-

green's programs, faculty or students will support their efforts to achieve
this objective.

They do not perceive Evergreen as either a career- or

learning-directed institution.

Characteristics and Plans," published by the

Washington Pre-College Testing Program;

Unfortunately,

On the positive side, high school seniors indicate the availability
of modern equipment and facilities is an important factor in choosing a
26
college, as is the opportunity to plan a significant part of their program and the potential for internships.

They appear to be aware that TESC

specific programs and academic offerings were viewed as most useful, fol-

offers these opportunities.

lowed by information on student services (advising, career planning and

provide insights into their perceptions of other colleges.

placement, financial aid, etc.), the college catalog, and the college handbook, "Mapping Your Education" (MYE). 25

that seniors perceive these educational elements to be available at most

As expected, parents, teachers, counselors, and friends who have been
to college are judged to be the most useful

personal-contact sources of

24 Evergreen was not identified in the top five institutio~al choices in the
aggregated responses of any of the 15 high schools surveyed.
25 "A Handbook for Students, Parents, and Counselors," A Cooperative Project
of the High Schools and Collegiate Institutions of Oregon and Washington
(Abbott, Kerns & Be 11 , 1978) ~

At the same time, no data were collected which

schools, as, in fact, they are.

In the end, Evergreen may be perceived

as having little to offer that is unique to that institution except negative values.
26

.
The availability of modern equipment and facilities seems to be a very
important element in influencing choice of college.
- 151 -

- 150 -

It is possible

Finally, a review of the list of negative perceptions suggests that

when he gets there--class time, outside study time, etc.?"

many can be addressed through an improved communications/public relations

courses do they offer?"

effort.

only the highly motivated, exceptional student?"

If these findings are valid, this should be one of the College's

highest priorities.

"Is TESC for

"What kind of graduate

does Evergreen turn out? Their degree seems nonfunctional."

It is at this point that the interviews with high school counselors
become important.

"What is interdisciplinary study?"

"What basic

While visiting the fifteen Southwest Washington high

A number of counselors expressed the need for The Evergreen State College to develop better publications.

Many indicated the College should

schools to administer the survey to college-bound seniors, the staff inter-

recognize that time doesn't allow them to interpret college catalogs for

viewed more than 40 counselors and spoke with a smaller number of teachers

individual students.

and principals about- The Evergreen State College.

cannot understand the Evergreen catalog; therefore, I cannot advise anyone

toward their impressions of the College:

Questions were directed

How effective is Evergreen's

from it, anyway."

Two or three counselors added with some feeling:

Nor, they say, are students likely to read a college cata-

information dissemination? What seems especially effective at Evergreen,

log from cover to cover.

and what doesn't? What can Evergreen do to attract more high school graduates?

stated in clear, concise terms.

Counselors in the Olympia area appear to have been impressed with Evergreen's efforts to ensure that they (counselors) understand the Evergreen
"concept."

For example, two years ago the TESC admissions office initiated

"I

Important information must be identified, then

Counselors' and teachers' responses to the question, What is effective
at Evergreen and what is not? were directed almost entirely to their perception of Evergreen's "no-fixed requirements" curriculum.

Counselors and

a series of lunch-time meetings on the Evergreen campus to talk with local

teachers appear to have strong views about unstructured, "do-it-yourself"

high school counselors about the College--its programs, procedures, etc.
Counselors viewed these sessions as very effective. 27

programs.

Beyond the Olympia area, counselors appear to have a limited understanding of how the college operates and what it has to offer.

They com-

plained of the lack of communication between Evergreen and themselves and
the quality of that communication.

Some have trouble grasping what goes

In their view many high schools have tried the open-learning

concept and have concluded that it doesn't work.

They offered the following

reasons why they believe its chances for success are not great at Evergreen
either.
First, they believe the average 18-year-old expects to "get" an education, not to educate her/himself with the help of teachers as guides.

Second,

on at the college, indicating that neither the staff nor catalog have satis-

student

factorily addressed their questions.

Third, Evergreen is viewed as best suited to self-directed, self-motivated

Some of the unresolved items reflect

how basic the communications problem is:

"What can the student expect
~

in~erest

students.

in alternative learning programs has diminished greatly.

Counselors and teachers appear to believe that a not very high
~

percentage of 18-year-olds possesses these qualities, nor do they appear to
27 still, few high school students from Olympia start college at Evergreen. This
suggests that counselors may understand the College, but they either do not
recommend it or they do not influence students to choose it.
- 152. -

believe TESC works well for highly-structured individuals, especially if

- 153 -

they have not identified an educational goal.
One counselor, when asked specifically what he did when students

Greater emphasis should be given to short publications; few students will
take the time to read the

catalog~

(Publications should include a descrip-

expressed an interest in Evergreen, was surprised to recall that he usually

tion of the process by which TESC credit transfers to other four-year

said, "You'd better be prepared to work on your own, to exercise self-

institutions.)

discipline."

television.

He admitted he said nothing even remotely similar to students

interested in other schools.

An accurate image of the school should be projected through

Second, Evergreen should institute some requirements and majors.

One of the more thoughtful responses to the question came from a coun-

Res-

pondents state that students and parents appear awed by the freedom of TESC

selor who attributes Evergreen's inability to attract the average high

students and the College's apparent lack of identifiable degree or career

school senior to a combination of circumstances.

objectives.

"I could not say Evergreen has 'failed.' Rather it does not
appear to offer a system of instruction which meets the needs
of the vast majority of our students. Concepts such as seminars, no letter grades, no classes in the traditional sense,
are so unique that most of our students have little experience
in these areas to draw from in trying to make a determination
whether or not they would like such a system. They simply have
never experienced such things. I believe the average high school
senior is afraid to take such an instructional approach his first
year out of high school. The average parent is likewise unwilling.
Additionally, many of uur seniors do not have their interest welldefined enough to select even a coordinated studies program.
Perhaps the biggest reason students do not select Evergreen is
the social life there does not appeal to them--from the absence
of interscholastic sports to the physical appearance of some of
the Evergreen students. They simply feel they will not fit in,
and the fact that none of their friends plan to attend only
reinforces · this fact."
High school counselors, teachers and principals suggested a number of
changes Evergreen could make in order to improve high school students' and
their parents' perceptions of The Evergreen State College.
First, Evergreen is both shrouded in mystery and perceived in an
unfavorable light.

It needs to embark on an extraordinary effort to fami-

liarize parents, students, teachers, counselors and principals with the
school.

The personal contact approach is believed to be most effective--

perhaps a good, enthusiastic former student to talk with small groups.

- 154 -

They state that parents want to associate college-going with

familiar, goal-directed programs, and so do students.
Third, Evergreen should describe itself in traditional terms so that
people can be made aware that it is not completely nontraditional.

Accord-

ing to the counselors, all publications must be easy to comprehend; TESC
reaches certain people now, but only the few who speak the same language.
Fourth, Evergreen should reconsider its noninvolvement in intercollegiate sports, such as soccer, tennis, swimming, etc.

Significant numbers

of students are involved with athletics in high school, and this provides
a primary means to develop student enthusiasm, loyalty and spirit.

The

community also relates to athletics, and sports generate positive publicity.
Fifth, in view of the influence parents, teachers, and counselors exert
on students' choice of schools,
get them to the campus.

Evergreen should increase its efforts to

The College is not perceived by counselors as

meeting the educational needs of many adults in Southwest Washington.
part-time and evening programs, the offering of graduate.programs, and
fifth-year teacher certification programs would be steps toward meeting
"
needs and enhancing Evergreen's prestige.

. - 155 -

More

During the process of the CPE staff interviews with high school
teachers and counselors and the survey of seniors, it became apparent that
many are receptive to evidence of change and success at Evergreen.

Interest-

ingly, Evergreen faculty efforts to teach courses to high school students
in the area to acquaint them with the Evergreen concept have been well
received; but mostly the best students enroll, and "they usually end up
going to the best schools--often out of state."

It seems clear that Ever-

green must direct its public information efforts to a larger audience.
E.

the placement experiences of Evergreen graduates.

In order to

obtain information on this aspect of Evergreen's operations it was necessary to rely especially heavily on the College's resources. 28

Evergreen

appears unique among Washington public four-year institutions in its efforts
to survey its entire graduating classes rather than simply those students
who register at the placement office.
major placement surveys.

ment data in a manner as comprehensive as that employed at Evergreen.
These differences are to the College's credit, but they may have the unfortunate effect of rendering the data less than comparable, usually to
Evergreen's disadvantage (since students who register at the placement
office might be expected to find relevant employment earlier than those
that do not).

At least a portion of the differences noted in the data can

be reasonably attributed to this situation.

Evergreen Placements

The final element in the program evaluation efforts also centers on
outcomes:

These surveys also suggested that few other institutions record place-

During 1978 the College conducted two

The first involved 400 regional colleges and univer-

sities throughout the country; the second involved the five other public
four-year colleges in Washington. 29

With respect to the results of the national survey (125 institutions
responded) 73% of the graduates were employed 12 months after graduation;
66% of Evergreen's class of 1977 was working six months after graduation.
Nationally, 8.7% of the graduates of these regional institutions were
attending graduate school after six months.

At the end of 12 months, 13%

of the national sample was seeking employment, while after six months 17%
of Evergreen's graduating class was seeking employment.

Over a longer period,

Evergreen's seven-year percentages (including the class of 1977) show 90%
placement.

There was no national figure that was comparable, although

Evergreen notes that 86.8% of the national sample of 1976-77 found employment.30
When the College sought statewide comparisons, it ran into more diffi-

28

The College provided a considerable amount of information, including the
following: "Summary of Placement Information from the First Run of the
National and Instate Surveys," Memo from Les Eldridge to Daniel J. Evans,
September 15, 1978; "Report on Graduate Placement, TESC," January, 1978;
"Evergreen Graduate Placement: Students in Political Science and Administrative Fields, 1972-1976," January 28, 1977; "Graduate Placement in Health
Fields at TESC," January 27, 1977; "What do Students do After Evergreen,"
a report from the area of biocheiT)istry and molecular Biology," Drs. Kelly
and Guttman, (no date, but the report contains data through 1977); "Reports
I and II to Study Questions of Senator Harry B. Lewis, Washington State
Senate," prepared by Charles J. McCann, dated November and December, 1976.
Some of the detail from the documents appears in the Appendices.
29
"summary of Placement Information . . . , " op. cit., p. 1.
- 156 -

culty.

Again, the other institutions reported only registrants in their

placement offices.

The percentage distributions collected and prepared by

Evergreen, first showing the national figures along with Evergreen for 1976-77
and for the five-year period, 1972-77, and then for the three other regional
institutions, are displayed on Table V-3.

In most cases the Evergreen
~

30ibid.
- 157 -

patterns are comparable to the other schools.

""

Details on the specific kinds

I

\.0

Appendix.

'Q-~

:::::> "0"1
3:

u

of jobs that graduates of Evergreen have obtained have been placed in the

Cl-S!

co

("')

co

.--f

N

\.0

o:;t

"

0"1
0"1

Overall the data suggest that graduates of the institution are

experiencing considerable success in either entering graduate school or

(/)

Q)"

~UI'­

S::I

gaining relevant employment, success that is comparable to other institutions of Evergreen•s type. 31

i<

VlQJ\.0
~ .,.... "

Cl-S!

WC:X::V'Ir-

l!'l

.--f

\.0

N

:::::>

::;::s....um

""

o-~

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31 The appropriate value judgment here depends a lot on an institution•s
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more conventional efforts. If this criticism is valid, then simple
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graduation. Princeton reports 53%. At Penn State the figure is 15%
and that for the other state-related Pennsylvania institutions is 22%.
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1978), p. 71, and Penn State University, 11 Employment Status of 1976 College
Graduates, .. June, 1978, p. 11, respectively. The point here is not to
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Accurate information on Evergreen graduates who successfully complete
graduate programs is limited, since the College relies on the student to so
inform it.

It is estimated that 70 percent of those who complete graduate

programs do not contact the school.

Of the 370 graduates who notified the

school of graduate program acceptance, five reported receiving their PhD's.
Their graduate programs included biology, literary studies, medicine, theology, and child development.

newspaper journalists, graphic art technicians and public information
officers.
Seven percent of Thurston County graduates hold jobs in the categories
of education, social services and counseling, natural sciences, and environment and planning.

Planners, biologists and laboratory managers are employed

at every level of government.

Thirty-six graduates reported completion of their master's degrees:
eleven with Masters of Education, three with Masters of Arts in Political
Science (two of these are currently doctoral candidates), four with Masters
degrees in Psycholoqy, and three with Masters of Science in Biology.
acquired Law Degrees.

hold jobs in communications, such as public relations directors, radio and

Two

Master's degrees are also held in public administra-

tion, art and psychology, English, electrical engineering, film, museology,
child development, social work, urban planning, physical chemistry, journalism, anthropology, and counseling.

Counselor positions include career counseling

and county recreation and probation counseling.

Education graduates teach

in colleges, high schools, and preschools in the county.
Close to six percent of the county alumni own and operate businesses
and employ about two dozen Olympians.
Three percent of the county graduates attend graduate schools in the
area, and twelve percent are looking for work.

According to the report,

that percent is higher than the overall graduate unemployment rate of ten
percent because of the large number of 1977 graduates still living in

In terms of the subsequent location of graduates of Evergreen, according to a Thurston County Alumni report dated May, 1978, over 30 percent of
Evergreen's total graduates have settled in Thurston County.

Approximately

75 percent are employed.

Thurston County.
Again, the information on placements of Evergreen graduates, some of
which is sketchy, suggests that the College is doing well in this area.
Evergreen graduates are entering graduate school or finding relevant employ-

Public Administration positions are held by 13.06 percent of these
graduates--the highest placement percentage.

Those jobs include Thurston

County Commissioners, staff members of caucuses and legislative committees,
and research and program analysts.

Positions include analysts,
~

programmers, accountants, and a printer.

- 160 -

institutions in the State.
F.

Summary

Overall the evidence examined in the preparation of this report sug-

Business, industry and technical services jobs are held by eight percent of the graduates in Thurston County.

ment on a scale either comparable to or somewhat better than other public

Eight percent of the graduates

gests that the Evergreen educational program is effective.
are considered outstanding, both by students who have
and the employers who have worked with those students.

- 161 -

Some aspects

att~nded

the College

The lack of

significant dissatisfaction among these groups, and the presence of con-

available courses, programs and career alternatives.

siderable praise for Evergreen, are especially worthy of note.

frustration with both curricular discontinuity and the absence of an aca-

The problems facing Evergreen in reaching students who have not had
direct exposure to the institution, however, are formidable.

Where, on

Graduates expressed

demic advising program suited to Evergreen's student-designed degree program
concept.

Evergreen's emphasis on the need for constant curricular change--

intended as a means to preclude the premature solidification of offerings

the one hand, the surveys revealed only limited dissatisfaction for the
program among Evergreen students, 33 very few of the graduating high school

and respond to the short-term desires and needs of students--does not seem

students surveyed indicated they desired or planned to attend the College

to have received strong student endorsement.

and Evergreen was not named in the top five of the ranking of institutions
~tudents

to conti11ue to develop straight-forward policies and procedures (stronger

planned to attend.

High school seniors appear to be very career-oriented.
element rated

11

Virtually every

important 11 directly or indirectly reflects their desire to

reach career goals.

Evergreen graduates and employers identified the need for the College

They want the programs offered to lead directly to jobs.

than guidelines) to govern the individual contracted study and internship
programs.

Criticism was directed at Evergreen's attempts to satisfy the

academic interests of all students, resulting in the direction of fewer

They want the individuals who surround them in college to support their

resources to individual contract programs than appears necessary for quality

efforts.

control.

They want academic advisors, career counselors and faculty to be

accessible to them as individuals.

They want other students at the institu-

The Co 11 ege was a 1so cri ti ci zed for its continued use of .. cumbersome, 11
nontraditional transcripts as a means to respond to employers• and graduate

tion to be committed to learning.
Few of the high school counselors or teachers interviewed seemed to
appreciate Evergreen's approach to higher education.

Its emphasis on the

schools' application requirements and processes.
At the same time, strong support exists for Evergreen's basic alterna-

students• responsibility for their own learning has been so convincing

tive approach to learning--to applied/interdisciplinary studies, close

that many believe the College is designed to serve only a limited range of

student/faculty contact, and students sharing in the design and responsibility

individuals.

They feel few high school seniors are ready to accept that

for their own education.

But every group queried by the staff believed the

responsibility, and few teachers and counselors seem willing to encourage

existing Evergreen system can be improved, making it more compatible with

them to do so.

traditional educational structures and a highly competitive job market.

TESC students, graduates and employers of TESC graduates would like to
see Evergreen adopt a more organized approach to the identification of

Those suggestions that received the greatest corroboration among different groups and different respondents may be summarized as follows:
~

- Improved program continuity and structure;
33 only three students indicated they would. attend another institution if
given the choice to make over, and only one of these for reasons directly
associated with the structure of the Evergreen program.
- 162 -

- 163 -

CHAPTER VI
- Improved academic advising;

THE STATUS OF

- Offer a BS degree;

NONTRA~lfJONAL_ID~~ATI~~

Current studies of nontraditional education in the United States con-

- Offer a master's degree;
elude that the pendulum appears to be swinging from self-directed pro-

- Required progrqms for entering students;

grams to programs with greater structure and career preparation relevance.
- Improved student and faculty evaluations;
- More social events and socially-oriented facilities for

They also observe that many experiments have proved considerably more costly
to maintain than more conventional forms.

A survey of institutions created

students;
- Better control over individual contracts and internships;

about the time Evergreen was established appears to confirm these views.
With some notable exceptions, institutions that began with unconventional

Review of the administrative structure;

curricula subsequently experienced enrollment decline.

- Engage in intercollegiate athletics;
- Devote energies to improving public relations and the

Several of these

institutions have reoriented their efforts and encountered enrollment growth.
Institutions that began by offering conventional forms report enrollment

College image.

growth and viability.

These patterns are further confirmed by the experiences
'

of Fairhaven College, Hashington's other major contribution to nontraditional
education, operating as a cluster college at Western Washington University.
Finally, while those who have surveyed the national scene express reservations about the future of nontraditional education, they also consider Evergreen an exception to their conclusions, viewing it as a serious educational
endeavor, which, with some modifications in its program, should be retained.
One of the ironies encountered as the Evergreen program is examined is
that the College's efforts appear highly effective, but those efforts, for
any of a variety of reasons, seem to be appealing to decreasing numbers of
students.

There may be many causes for this, and general attitudes toward

nontraditional education represent one of the major ones.

The comment of

one observer is appropriate here.
~

I have an image of an efficient and potentially seaworthy vessel
slowly capsizing for lack of ballast. I ~lso feel uneasiness
over the possibility the crew of the vessel is unwilling to consider
11

- 164 -

165 -

re-configuring the ship to take on a different, perhaps more conventional cargo, because that would threaten its original purposes.
To press the point a little more, I can see the crew moving over
the hull as the ship rolls over, saluting the wake as it slowly
slips beneath the surface. 11 1
This analogy, while appealing, is probably inexact.

Some might also

argue that the problem is not so much one of ballast and re-configuration
as a need to constantly zig-zag to avoid torpedoes.

Evergreen has at least

partially "re-configured .. its ship; thus, the comment would probably apply
more to non-traditional education in general than to the College.
There is need to determine the general currency of nontraditional education.

An ambivalence among graduating high school seniors toward less

conventional education modes (as distinct from the program of a single institution) could contribute to apparent general disinterest in the College.
The point is crucial, for if the problem is one of perception, i.e.,
students simply do not understand and appreciate the Evergreen curriculum,
it may be corrected through improved communications.

If, however, the prob-

lem is a more general lack of congruence between new forms and educational
interests of potential students, improved communication is not the answer;
rather, a more fundamental reorientation will be required if Evergreen is ·
to reach these students.

To place Evergreen 1 s experience in context the current literature on
educational changes during the seventies was reviewed, 3 a survey of institutions established during the late 1960

1

S

and early l970 s (Evergreen s
1

contemporaries) was conducted, and the experience of Fairhaven College,
generally viewed as Washington s other major public-sector contribution to
1

nontraditional education, was examined.

The results of these efforts lead

to the impression that higher education has absorbed, for now, the major
changes it is going to absorb for awhile, and the focus is shifting to more
conventional forms.

At the same time the term "impression" is used advisedly.

There are intervening variables that cannot be identified and controlled,
especially in the national institutional survey.

While the current litera-

ture on the subject is good, it is fai from exhaustive, and it is a certainty that more work will be done.
and it is changing still.

Fairhaven has changed in many ways,

If these limitations are recognized, however,

there is useful, if tentative, information to be obtained.
A.

The Comparative Institution Survey/The Health of Nontraditional
Education

During the course of the study twenty-two institutions were examined
to determine if they have encountered problems in their development.

It is at this point that a general assessment of the status of non-

conventional and unconventional types were included.
within the same general time period as Evergreen.

vant.

the preparation of a general listing of institutions to be surveyed.

11

thermidor 11 of the

Both

All were established

traditional education in Washington and throughout the country becomes releUnfortunately, since higher education is in the

1

The process began with

nontraditional education revolution, it is denied the advantage of hindsight,

Material was collected on each from current catalogs and other sources,

and an empirical assessment of the present status of the movement is not
possible. 2

especially compendiums.

With the basic information in place, each institu-

tion was contacted by telephone.

For the most part, the person contacted

~

1The speaker requested anonymity.
2The term 11 thermidor 11 comes from the eleventh month of the French Revolution,
a period when there was an emphasis on the restoration of order, a relaxation
of tensions, and some return tp patterns of life considered more normal. But
the revolution had not yet run its course.
- 166 -

"

3
Two books in particular are worthy of note: Grant and Riesman, o~. cit.,
and Mayhew, Lewis B., Legacy of the Seventies, (Jossey-Bass, 1978.
- 167 -

was in the institutional research office (or its counterpart).

Other per-

sons were consulted in those cases where there was no institutional research
officer. 4
Nine institutions were classified as
plinary," ten were classified as

11

11

nontraditional, 11 or "interdisci-

traditional, 11 and the remaining three

were considered "mixed.. (usually a tradition a 1 or depa rtmenta 1 structure
with some

nontrad~tional

aspects, such as arrangements for experiential

report enrollment declines are:

Cal. State-Bakersfield, UC-Santa Cruz, and

Univ. Wisconsin-Green Bay (which labels itself "interdisciplinary .. ).

Sierra

Nevada (a private, liberal arts institution which considers itself nontraditional) reported stable enrollments.
Six institutions experienced enrollment declines but made curricular
changes either by introducing career-oriented programs or modifying the

learning or interdisciplinary studies).
Six of the twenty-two institutions have experienced enrollment declines.
All but one of the institutions in this category, Mid-American Nazarene
College, were considered nontraditional liberal arts institutions.
Prescott College, closed in 1974 because of fiscal problems.

institutions which consider themselves nontraditional, but which do not

One,

Hampshire

College reported image problems similar to those described previously as
applying to Evergreen, and it has embarked on a major public relations
effort to improve its image.

That college has also instituted some careeroriented programs in the Business fields to meet local needs. 5 The three

general method of instruction.

Most reported they started with an educational

concept reasonably similar to Evergreen's but changed because of outside
pressures (either enrollment problems or pressures generated by enrollment
problems).

One may conclude that these institutions have moved toward a

more conventional education form and away from an emphasis on independent
learning systems.

There is also some evidence of a trend toward the offering

of professional and career-oriented programs, especially in Business and
Health Sciences, apparent among the institutions in this category.
An example is SUNY/Old Westbury.

4
The institutions involved in the survey, and their founding dates, were:
Prescott College (1965); Eisenhower College (1968); Hampshire College (1970);
Mid-American Nazarene College (1966}; SUNY-Purchase (1971 ); Southwestern
State (1967); SUNY-Old Westbury (1966}; Ramapo College (1971'); SUNY-Empire
State (1971}; UC-Santa Cruz (1965); California State-Bakersfield (1970);
Stockton State (1971); Univ. of Mass.-Boston (1965); Univ. Maryland-Baltimore
(1966); Auburn-Montgomery (1970); Univ. Colorado-Colorado Springs · (1965);
Indiana State-Evansville (1965); Francis Marion (1960}; Northern Kentucky
State (1968); City College (1975}; Univ. Wisconsin-Green Bay (1968}; Sierra
Nevada College (1969).
5
Hampshire College is also one of the institutions described in some detail
in the Grant-Riesman book, op. cit. A telephone interview with one of the
authors, Dr. Grant, November 21, 1978, prompted an observation that the
College is likely to succeed in its efforts. However, it was also noted
that Hampshire is a member of an interinstitutional consortium which allows
students who are or become career-oriented in their upper-division years
to take advantage of the programs at other institutions in the consortium.

college designed _for 10,000 students.
uncertainties over the concept.

It began in 1966 as an experimental
It was closed in 1970 because of

It reopened a year later, whereupon it

moved into a more traditional vein, although many of the programs it offers
are still interdisciplinary.

Its basic structure centers on four program

areas (American Studies, Comparative History, Politics, and Communications).
Departments are built around these four areas and operate in an interdisciplinary manner.

In 1976 the college instituted several upper-division

career-oriented programs for transfer students from community colleges.
Included among them are Business Management and Urban and~Rural Studies.
Two additional programs, in Computer Science and. Chemical Technology, are

- 168 -

- 169 -

planned.

Each program has a distribution requirement, and, according to the
respondent, the 11 design-your-own-program concept 11 has been abandoned. At
the same time, some independent study is permitted.

Enrollments at the

institution have been increasing at the rate of approximately 400 FTE/year,
and the maximum size (3,800) is expected to be attained in 1981.
The remaining institutions surveyed showed steady enrollment growth.
There were ten institutions in this category, all of which began as traditional schools, not dedicated solely to a liberal arts curriculum.

Programs

offered are in the arts and sciences and in business, health sciences, and
other career-oriented fields.
One should be cautioned about drawing too many inferences from this
information.

There is a relationship between conventionality and growth

and unconventionality and decline apparent in the materials.

Yet there are

other variables, such as location, costs, competition from other institutions, etc. that could affect the results and would need to be weighed.
Overall, however, it seems evident that the unconventional schools have
encountered difficulties, and this impression appears to accord well with
the current reassessments of nontraditional education extant in the national

systems of control, and searching for low-cost delivery systems
became popular at exactly the same time that higher education
began to encounter serious financial difficulties. 11 6
Mayhew attributes these nontraditional developments to a number of
_ forces but notes that they 11 all seem to have been chiefly responses of
institutions and educators to the problem of surviving economically in a
depressed and changing time while simultaneously serving the egalitarian
wishes of many different people to obtain the credentials and values that
higher education had to offer. 117
Mayhew continues:
11 What emerged to assure institutional and professional security
was a paradoxical juxtaposition of academic marketplace behavior
and extreme academic egalitarian rhetoric; and since professional
security and egalitarianism are frequently antithetical, attempts
to respond to both produced some highly unusual practices. New
students were sought so that their needs could be met, but they
were typically served by the least expensive modes of education.
New institutions were created to serve the poor, in the hope
that the poor could pay full tuition to maintain the institutions.
Nontraditional methods of instruction were urged to accommodate
an enormous variety of individual differences, yet for the most
part they were considerably more expensive than the traditional
campus-based techniques. 11 8
If Mayhew's views are accurate, Evergreen and the State of Washington
may take some satisfaction in the observation that the College represents

literature on the subject.
Lewis Mayhew, surveying a wider range of changes brought about during
the 1970's than simply changes in educational mode, helps to explain the
national pattern by noting that:
11 between 1968 and 1970, profound changes were both strongly advocated and actually put into operation on a large scale. These
changes, which were sharply at variance with the ideals, values,
and practices of the past, severely challenged the existing consensus in almost every respect. . . . Not insignificantly, these
changes in serving new students, using nontraditional modes of
instruction, creating new kinds of institutions and statewide
- 170 -

one of the apparently few experiments that were genuinely directed to educational reform and not more basic considerations such as economic survival.
If this is the case, the school may be reaping a bitter harvest, one that
6
Mayhew, op. cit., pp. 2- 3.
7
idem., p. 3. On this last point, Mayhew may have been esp~cially wide of
the mark insofar as Evergreen was concerned, for the major impetus during
the planning stages was not economic (although one early·concern the planning faculty faced, as noted earlier, was how to accomplish institutional
goals within the bounds of formula-funding).
8
idem., pp. 3- 4.
- 171 -

it did not sow. 9 In this case, part of Evergreen's "image problem" may be
attributable to the hard times which have fallen on nontraditional education,
brought about at least in part by the less-responsible endeavors of institutions other than Evergreen.

As one reflects on the faculty workload at .Evergreen and the comments
of students and graduates about stresses in the program, especially the
advising, evaluation, and field work portions of that program, Mayhew's
comments hit home.

Returning to Dr. Mayhew, in his book he states that individuals, institutions, and policy-makers are presented with a number of questions and issues:
"Is nontraditional learning likely to last as a major component
of American higher education? If it is, should established institutions undertake major nontraditional offerings? Again, if it is,
will credits and credentials in the long run be judged as comparable
to those earned in more traditional ways? At a time when the capacity of established institutions of higher education is likely to
exceed demand, what is the future of new kinds of institutions for
the ambitious individual? Where lies wisdom: in attending an
established law school or a new one providing more convenient
schedules and assignments? . . . A broader sort of issue is the
matter of expanding access to higher education on the part of many
new groups of students. Should institutions seek to provide whatever kind of service any group of potential students wish, or
should a more parsimonious view of institutional purpose be adopted?" 10
Mayhew addresses himself to the question of cost in nontraditional
instruction, and his comments are pertinent here.

He disavows the assump-

He concludes that there are no easy answers to the questions he has
posed.

Moreover, he maintains there is little information available on

which to base answers.

There is, he states:

"a great body of opinions, and there are strong feelings regarding every reasonable proposed set of changes. But there is no
real evidence as to how many people actually desire nontraditional education programs enough to pay reasonable amounts to
participate in them. There is currently no generally available
and acceptable means for establishing the validity of educational
outcomes of either traditional or nontraditional study."l2
His conclusion is stated forthrightly:

"Nontraditional learning,

in the sense of a full-blown movement, quite properly should come to an
13
early end."
He does not believe that separate elements should not be
used in appropriate situations.

He does argue ''that the logical exten-

tion that nontraditional modes are less costly than are traditional arrange-

sion of the nontraditional movement in the aggregate so expands the

ments.

concept of education as to render it meaningless ... 14

Rather, he argues the opposite view:

"most of the [nontraditional] techniques, adequately~ into
effect, [sic] are terribly expensive. Clinical or field experience with adequate supervision is expensive, . . . Independent
study, appropriately guided, ·becomes tutorial--again the most
labor intensive and hence expensive kind of education. Reliable
and valid measuring instruments are also expensive to create,
especially if they are to obtain evidence of unusual and deeply
imbedded attributes. It could well be that well-developed nontraditional programs would prove too costly for anyone to afford." 11
'second emphasis added.\
9

This view is somewhat confirmed by the comments of Dr. Gerald Grant during
the telephone interview with the staff. Although Grant did not specifically
do so, there appeared to be some tendency on his part to~separate Evergreen
and one or two other institutions from the rest.

He notes:
"While the literature describing the nontraditional [movement]
continues to grow and radiate hope, it seems highly possible
that the movement has reached its zenith and that forces are
operating to slow it."l5
The awarding of credit for life experience, he says:
"seems to be encountering such resistence as to force the conclusion that the practice will be considerably attenuated in
the relatively near future. . . . The ideal way to handle this
12idem., p. 302.

"

l3ibid.
14ibid.

1Oi dem. , p. 301 .

11 idem.' p. 65.
- 172 -

l 5idem., p. 308.
- 173 -

matter of academic credit would be to identify those skills,
traits, and attributes that are of primary concern to the
limited mission of higher education and that might also be
directly affected by noneducational activities. . . . Similar
forces operate with respect to independent study. Independent
study has typically and ironically taken either of two major
directions. The first has been presenting students with highly
structured courses and modules, individualized by allowing each
student to proceed to mastery at his or her own rate of speed.
But such structured experiences are costly to prepare
and they require specific technical competencies on the part
of instructors . . . . The other direction it recently took is
a highly unstructured situation. Students, singly or in groups,
have been told to discover a problem for themselves and then set
about solving it . . . . Some students did seem to enjoy the
freedom to set their own goals, but the majority experienced
considerable frustration. . . This does not mean that unstructured approaches to independent study are invariably ineffective.
Institutions such as [The] Evergreen State College or the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay have made such independent
study an essential part of degree programs. However, both of
these institutions have also budgeted for sufficient faculty
time to counsel and supervise student activities. 11 16
The solution to the problems, Mayhew maintains, is premised on a belief
that some well-supervised and guided independent study has high educational
value.

The problems could be resolved through a range of modes of instruc-

tion and learning, from relatively low-cost lecture courses to the very
high-cost independent study, with the former subsidizing the. latter. 17
The last major problem he addresses (Note:

Not all of his problem

He continues: 11 This is how it should be. The network of reasonably large and adequately financed institutions in the United
States represents the primary way by which educational services
can best be delivered. There is room and need for other kinds
of institutions to demonstrate patterns that might subsequently
be adopted by the mainstream institutions and f~ serve continuously if securely financed and organized ...
Mayhew•s qualifications, speaking of nontraditional education 11 in the
11
aggregate, and the nontraditional 11 movement, 11 hinder perhaps more than help
in the evaluation of an institution such as Evergreen.

If one seeks guidance

to precise solutions for problems associated with the operation of Evergreen
in his book, disappointment will ensue.
menon mentioned above:

Implicit throughout is the pheno-

Evergreen, because it is considered a nontradi-

tional institution, tends to be tarred with a broad brush.

In many

respects, both directly and indirectly, through the enrollment problems and
the criticisms it encounters as it provides its educational services, it
must confront the critics of the nontraditional movement in general.

Much

\

of this criticism simply cannot be applied to the College.

One may take

some solace from the fact that Mayhew places the College in that select
group of institutions he considers adequately funded and capable of proWhile he does -not specifically identify the College

areas are addressed in this summary) involves the receptivity of established

viding services well.

institutions to nontraditional study.

as such, one is left with a reasonable inference that he would consider it

He observes that past innovations in

higher education have become acceptable only after pace-setting institutions (in this case, the major universities) have adopted them.

According

to Mayhew, until the major institutions seriously embrace the nontraditional,
11 it will remain peripheral to the mainstream of American higher education. 1118

11

one of the other kinds of institutions to demonstrate new patterns that

might subsequently be adopted by mainstream institutions and to serve continuous~y if securely financed and organized.•• 20
The second treatise examined in this search of the literature is also
a 1978 publication:

16idem.' pp. 309 - 310.
17idem., p. 311.
18idem., p. 315.

The Perpetual Dream:

Reform and Experiment in The
"

19ibid.
- 174 -

20ibid.
- 175 -

American College. 21

The authors of the book, while agreeing with Mayhew

a curricular system in which each student designed his or her major, students

generally, appear to differ slightly when they conclude that the modern

commonly felt they had not been as creative or brilliant as their peers.

universities have partially incorporated the major elements of the nontra-

And there was no way of knowing, because there were no common standards

ditional movement.

of comparison. . . . The irony, of course, is that, in a system in which

"Like the Church of Rome after Luther, the modern secular cathedrals we call universities remain strong and retain their hegemony
on the academic landscape. Even the most distinctive reformers
who wrote new creeds . . . won relatively few adherents and met
only mixed success. Yet, like the Protestant reformers, they
sometimes succeeded by partial incorporation as the modern university expanded to take on [their aims]. The multiversity adds
new functions with relative ease. It is a pluralistic cathedral
where different sects may worship at the side alters as long as
most of the offerings support the central tenets of the utilitarian
and research-oriented faiths. 11 22

one keeps all the options open, one option is closed:

the joy of particular

choice. . . ~~ 25
With respect to tenure:

"The premise [underlying the abolition of

tenure] was that options could be kept open for new faculty.
come was otherwise.

Yet the out-

At Hampshire, the rate of non-reappointment under its

contract system, particularly in the early years, was lower than at many

But they point to some of the problems: With respect to interdisciplinary

traditional colleges.

studies:

State College . . . which also had few requirements and operated on a faculty

"The explosion of knowledge in fact made interdisciplinary pro-

The results were especially clear at [The] Evergreen

grams much more difficult to attain, and indeed the more advanced the field,

contract system; no faculty member among the first 100 contracts to come

the more difficult the establishment of its relations with neighboring
fields." 23

up for review was denied reappointment.

With respect to the abolition of requirements:

mediocre or even incompetent faculty member for another three years than

"Without the assured

to make the more agonizing decision for nonrenewal that tenure forces upon
colleagues. 1126

availability of students, faculty found themselves engaged in an exhausting
competition that many came to regard as more draining, and often more
wounding, than the publish-or-perish pressures they had sought to escape."
With respect to the freedom from grades:

"Students, too,

The authors note that Evergreen, Hampshire, and other colleges like them
24

are 11 illustrative of the far swing of the pendulum.

. were

co~pared

with students elsewhere . . . And, in

21 Grant and Riesman, op. cit.
22i dem.' p. 355
23 idem., p. 358
24 idem., p. 360, The authors were citing the experiences of faculty at
Hampshire College, which was being used an example.

But . . . many traditional

colleges and universities have also moved in the direction of reform, reducing
fixed requirements and increasing student autonomy ... 27

not free of competitive anxieties just because they were free from grades.
They wanted to know how they

It was easier to reappoint a

..

25 idem., pp. 360 - 361
26 idem., p. 362
27 idem., p. 363 Viewing the situation as a political scientist, one cannot
but be struck by the similarity between this situation and the pattern of
third-party movements in American politics. Third-party movements begin
as reform movements, drawing to them adherents for change to the point
where the major parties make accommodations in their platforms, eliminating the bases of support for the third parties as the membership finds
their ideological needs more nearly fulfilled in the larger, more dominant,
and more powerful, major parties .

- 176 - 177 -

11
Of particular note was what the authors referred to as the paradoxes
of reform. 11

One of these was the revealed tendency of students given an

opportunity to design their own programs to move away from broad-gauged
courses and to heavily concentrate in one area.

They felt that this con11
Students
firmed other impressions gained from interviews with students:
who were given complete freedom often followed a program that was a variation
of a single theme.

They did not roam or take large risks, but played from

Often the resulting 'concentration' was very skewed, with many
interest. 1128 This also suggests that many
courses in particular areas of
by not taking courses in history,
students avoid the historical perspective,
29
when they plan their own programs.

strength.

The issue goes to the heart of a continuing controversy in higher education, a debate that has raged between the experimentalists and the traditionalists.

According to the writers, "if one believes that history or an

understanding of the languages of mathematics is essential to modern literacy,
one is unlikely to leave this learning to chance.

The experimenters emphasize

the value of choice, of self-motivated learning, of freedom to learn from
one's mistakes.

Traditionalists cite the values of coherence, logical

At the same time the writers return to single out special features of
programs such as those offered at Evergreen, and this further illustrates
the problems such institutions face as they are confronted with the rhetoric
associated with critiques of the non-traditional movement--general remarks
are often qualified by specific reference to these institutions as exceptions to the rule:
"In our discussions of the paradoxes of reform as illustrated
by Hampshire, Evergreen, and the other 'free universities' of
the last decade, we have been unfair to the totality of these
experiments. Many students used options wisely to create
stimulating programs, and while the reduced authority of faculty
created strains, it also gave many students increased access. 11 31
Other references to Evergreen, which the authors consider a 11 be llwether, 11
are especially interesting, for they suggest some of the change, and the
anguish associated with that change~ that the College has gone through: 32
11 When Grant visited Evergreen during its first year, the faculty
scoffed at his suggestion that rotational deanships took too
Panglossian a view of the distribution of administrative talent.
They similarly rejected the idea that there should be any constraints on student choice. Four years later, in 1976, some
faculty had come to regard the quotation on the title page of
the catalog as faintly ridiculous: 'You are your own creator;
you appear in the splendor of your own,' although it could be
taken as a hip translation of Charles Eliot. That spring, the
faculty accepted a proposal to institute a permanent structure
of deans.

sequence, the obligation of a teacher to insist that a student build a firm
foundation before expressing his individuality in the architecture ,of the
upper stories."

30

28 idem.~ p. 364 The authors cite a Michigan study prepared by Robert
Blackman for the Carnegie Commission, Changing Practices in Undergraduate
Education (1976).
J

. 29ibid.
30ibid.

The increase of elective options has often occurred at a time ·
of enrollment stagnation or decline, . . . although this was not
the case in the last decade. But it was a factor in the sense
that relative growth or loss was affected by what one's competitors offered. And the early success of institutions like
Hampshire encouraged others to follow suit~ and a bandwagon
31 idem., p. 365.
32 The author's use of tnis term, idem., p. 366, is interesting, for it has
two related but different connotations. A bellwether iS a male sheep,
wearing a bell, that leads the flock. It is also a leader of a foolish,
sheep-like crowd. The term "Panglossian" may be defined as "all is for
the best in this best of all possible worlds. 11 It is generally attributed
to those who have not only predicted, but who have seen · the millenium.

- 178 - 179 -

developed that over time diffused any competitive advantage.
The Evergreen faculty, in fact, was told by its admissions
officer that what may once have looked appealing to students
now was a distinct disadvantage because there was no assurance
that a successful program could be repeated. Applicants could
not see clear pathways to jobs in the multiplicity of study
options at Evergreen. A faculty survey showed that, while
Evergreen wanted to maintain an experimental posture, most
faculty wanted more emphasis on •academic continuity,•
increased attention to basic skills, and •more precise qualifications for obtaining individual contracts.•
Evergreen seems to us to be something of a bellwether; there is
evidence that the disenchantment with the overoptioned life has
spread rapidly not only among the avowedly experimental colleges
but in traditional settings as well."33
Grant and Riesman conclude, "Many faculty are as tired as students of
•doing their own thing.•

There is a search for new sources of marrow in a

favor a "pluralism of core programs or sub-colleges . . . [to serve as]
integrating experiences." 36
The authors maintain that there should be incorporated "at least one
requirement that is undeniably tough and immune to criticism that the program is slip-shod.

It should be a requirement that encourages students to
work to the hilt, to stretch themselves." 37 "Careful means of assessment
should be developed, so that excellent performance may be convincingly discriminated from that which is ordinary or below par." 38
Other steps should be taken to assure a student market.

"The most

obvious would be to offer a sufficient range of programs to allow and
require each student to choose one that appeals--each core program being

splintered curriculum, new sources of cohesion and community to counter the
sense of solipsism. 34 The escape from the competitive pressures has led

the equivalent of six to ten regular courses.

to grade inflation and an erosion of public confidence; now some faculties

establish a core program as a prerequisite to receiving an honors degree." 39

are seeking ways to restore a sense of •honors• without compromising open
access." 35
The authors then proceed to describe what they call a "modest proposal."
They opt for diversity among institutions and educational forms:

"We do

not think there is any one best form that serves the needs of all under-

Another approach would be to

One of the authors (Grant) was consulted by telephone for further suggestions regarding Evergreen.

He stated that he felt a little apologetic

about their treatment of Evergreen; they were using it to illustrate the
cycles of reform.
not described.

He suggested that some of the virtues of the program were

He believes the school represents a serious experiment, one

graduates, . . . What is needed, and possible, is a set of options that are

that is not indulging in 11 fringies."

larger and more satisfying than . . . the individualized curricula on the

The faculty seminars at Evergreen were especially lauded as a unique and

one hand, or departmental-vocational specialization on the other."

important effort to maintain an effective system of faculty development.

They

He considers the faculty outstanding.

Similarly, he considers many of the programs first-rate.
33 idem., pp. 365- 66. The TESC study referred to is the institutional
Goals Survey, op. cit.
34 Note: According to Webster, Solipsism is the theory that the self can be
aware of nothing but its own experiences and states, or;the theory that
nothing exists or is real but the self.
·
35 idem., p. 367,
. - 180 -

He felt one of

the College•s problems was an early reputation for "being soft."

He also

mentioned that it may have made a mistake by not building into the curriculum
any clear roads to professional or career preparation.

Such options would
;

36 i ctem. , p. 1fi 7.
37 idem., p. 374.
38.b.d
1 1 •
39--:-----b
.d
1 1 •
- 181 -

bring to the institution a wider mix of students which the faculty would
find enjoyment in teaching, and which would also be good for other students.
Another problem he noted was the advising procedures.

Echoing somewhat

(along departmental lines) within the institution.
Grant warned against throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

He

again stated his strong admiration for the faculty and the school and

one of the points Mayhew mentioned, he stated that such arrangements can

observed that students could obtain an excellent education there.

become exhausting.

cated Evergreen must find a way to attract a wider range of students; its

Related to this was the question:

How do you advise in

He indi-

a system when the programs are disappearing programs--when one does not

task is to do this while conserving the contributions it has made to higher

know what is going to be taught three or four years later? To do this it

education.

is necessary to develop a core of programs that are known to be good, and

the function of providing an alternative creative form of education; and

that it is known will be around for awhile.

this it has done.

He felt the image for Evergreen that became fixed during the early

He noted his impression that Evergreen was intended to fulfill

Grant~ both in the telephone interview and in the larger book, seems

years was probably exaggerated throughout the high schools of the State, but

to agree with the impression derived from Mayhew's comments that there is

that changing this image is likely to prove difficult.

an important place for the institution in American higher education.

With respect to the future of non-traditional programming in general,

would appear to separate the College from the perhaps less altruistically-

while expressing reluctance to generalize, he agreed that there has been

oriented institutions as an endeavor worth preserving.

erosion in student interest in these programs.

would suggest that the College is suffering from major image problems,

However, he maintains that

Both

Comments of both

such programs can remain viable if they do not force students to make an

induced in part by the general disfavor into which nontraditional education

"all-or-nothing" choice (presumably meaning if they do not force students

in America has fallen.

to make entirely career-oriented or non-career-oriented choices).

to attract a wider range of students, and doing all of this while· conserv-

Paral-

Reversing this image, providing sufficient options

leling some of the views expressed by Evergreen students themselves, he

ing the finer qualities of its program will be an enormously difficult task

referred to the extra-curricular life of the College and stated that this

for the College, but it is one worth undertaking.

could be affecting Evergreen's ability to draw graduating high school

B.

students.

It is sometimes forgotten that Washington has made two major contribu-

He suggested that Evergreen could do a lot to create clear pathways

The Fairhaven Experience

tions to nontraditional education.

Evergreen represents one.

Fairhaven

to jobs for students within its present educational mode without having to

College at Western Washington University is another.

reorganize along departmental lines.

publically-supported, and both are often cited in the national literature

He was not optimistic about the suc-

Both enterprises are
~

cess of a dual-track curriculum, especially if it entailed reorganization
182 -

on the subject.

A brief review of the Fairhaven experience at this point

may be helpful in rounding out this discussion of the status of nontraditional
- 183 -

education, in the State, and nationwide.
admitting only the most serious of students.

Both Evergreen and Faithaven were created during the educational
turmoil of the 1960's.

Both were established in the context of expectations

The College had a residency

requirement, and the living-learning setting was designed to integrate the

about the enrollment future facing higher education in the State (and the

academic aspects of the curriculum with individual-personal lifestyles.

fears that there would not be sufficient places for college-bound seniors),

dents would pursue a program emphasizing a certain amount of individualized

and both were reflective of contemporary concerns for change in higher

learning, although the curriculum would remain fairly structured.

education, change related both to the perceived need for enhanced effective-

also recognized that Fairhaven students would have the full resources of the

ness and the need for greater relevance.

entire college (now university) at their disposal.

During the mid-1960's, Western Washington University 40 anticipated

It began to plan four or five cluster colleges,

modeled somewhat after the University of California at Santa Cruz.
haven was one; Huxley College was another.
was a third.

established.

Fair-

The College for Ethnic Studies

The original purpose was to maintain small and intimate learning

"clusters" within the larger institution.

Additional colleges were never

The College for Ethnic Studies was subsequently closed.

Huxley

College operates as an upper-division program that focuses on interdisciplinary
study in environmental problems.

Fairhaven, however, continues to operate as

a cluster college, upper- and lower-division with an emphasis on the liberal
arts, interdisciplinary studies, student designed majors and a larger than
usual proportion of independent study.

Thus, it rather than Huxley is

Fairhaven first accepted students in 1967, with a total enrollment of
thirteen. The admissions standards were high, and only a limited number of
students was admitted. The College first operated out of temporary facilities on the Western campus.

y

In 1970 the Fairhaven campus itself was com-

pleted (twelve 50-person residence halls which would accommodate about 600
stud~nts), and the College assumed occupancy.

Fairhaven is examined by Lewis Mayhew in his book. 41

He notes, "the
late 1960's saw a decline in student desires to live in campus residence
halls; instead they preferred to find off-campus housing, free of univer42
sity restraints. "
In May, 1972, the Board of Trustees abolished the
One of the outcomes implemented as a result of a

review of Fairhaven completed by Western earlier this year is that the con-

Fairhaven was originally conceived as an alternative "institution,"
The original goal

Because of these curri-

than the kind of institution Evergreen was seeking to become during its formative years.

residential requirement.

selected for examination in this study.

and it had approached this model by the mid-1970's.

as

trol of certain areas in the residential complex at Fairhaven has reverted

stated earlier, was to preserve the atmosphere that had existed when Western

to the Housing and Dining Department.

was a considerably smaller institution.

gram now uses the third floor of the Fairhaven academic byilding.

40 Then Western Washington Stat~ College.
- 184 -

It was

cular arrangements, administrators at Western felt Fairhaven was different

enrollment growth that would increase the size of the institution to about
15,000 during the 1970's.

Stu-

It was to be highly selective,

41
QE.:_ cit., especially pp. 109 - 119.
42
idem., p. 110.
-185-

Most of the Fairhaven academic proUse after

December, 1979 will be subject to the results of a study to determine the

Washington University.

General University Requirements of Western do not

feasibility and desirability of moving the academic program to the main

apply to degrees offered through Fairhaven.
Fairhaven has advertised several special programs within the College.

campus.
With regard to the programmatic area, Mayhew pointed out,

11

by 1970 the

One is the Upside-Down B.A. degree for students with technical (vocational)

anticipated continued admissions pressures had disappeared, and institutions

associate degrees from state community colleges (ATA and AAS degrees only).

began to court students to entice them to enroll.

Students may transfer their technical specialization as a major and complete

And students found the

prescribed liberal arts curriculum singularly unattractive.

Thus, Fairhaven

two years of general studies at Fairhaven.

had to change if it were to fill its residence halls . . .

If students

widely promoted, since there are only four or five people currently enrolled,

wanted diverse living styles, the various residence units could be modified
to provide them.

and it has never attracted very many students.
Another element administratively connected to Fairhaven is the 11 Bridge

If students wanted greater freedom of curricular choice,

that could be authorized.

And if students wanted greater relevance of aca1143
demic work to the real World, that also was possible.
Mayhew stated it

on campus.

as follows:

degree.

11

Project, .. with one component directed to a 55-plus age group, which resides

What has evolved at Fairhaven then is a patchwork sort of cur-

riculum, its parts being related through a common concern for great individuai latitude to do whatever was most congenial to their interests and moods.
Enrollments at Fairhaven grew steadily from its inception.* Since 1976,

This option may not have been

Many enroll for interest, but they may also work toward a bachelor's

A second component is a day-care facility located on campus which

serves about 45 children.
1144

The Center for Urban Studies. formerly a unit in Fairhaven, is a Seattlebased program which serves the out-of-school urban adult.

In order to

they have declined to the 1977-78 average headcount level of 251, excluding

graduate from Fairhaven through the Center program, a student must complete

the Center for Urban Studies.

the urban studies curriculum.

Center for Urban Studies).

Fall, 1978 enrollment is 210 (again excluding

During the period 1972-1977, the curriculum at

Enrollments in this program have been fairly

significant, but they have not generated many SCH's (because of part-time

Fairhaven changed considerably, becoming less structured than was called for

students) or involved many persons opting for a degree.

in its original design.

Quarter, 1978, the Center was removed from Fairhaven, and the director now

The College was originally conceived as a separate entity within the
Western structure, with its Dean reporting directly to the President of
Western.

The College had its own registrar and admissions functions until

Fall, 1978.

Bachelor degrees are awarded by Fairhaven College of Western

reports to the Vice-Provost for Instruction and Planning.

Effective Spring

In matters of cur-

riculum the Center will report to Western's Academic Coordinating Commission.
Mayhew, who was examining Fairhaven as it existed around 1974, described
the College's program in the following terms:

~

43ibid.
44ibid.
*In Fall, 1974, enrollments, including the Center for Urban Studies, surpassed 500.
- 186 -

The chief Fairhaven curriculum is a requirement of at least fifty
semester [sic] credit hours in a concentration--which can be met
- 187 -

had since its inception.)

through formal courses, independent study, work, or travel. A
mix of these comprises the typical program. The specifics of
the program for any given student are worked out with the chief
advisor and an advising committee. At the end of the program,
evaluation as to accomplishments is made available by faculty
members who have had the student in classes.45

and the fact that the College was operating at 130% of formula during the
1977-78 year, prompted Western to call for a review of Fairhaven early in
the school year.

He was critical of several aspects:

A Fairhaven Evaluation Committee was established in the Fall of

The lack of structure does require a great deal of faculty advising, which uses time that might have been devoted to research and
scholarship. But since the faculty consid€rs itself to be a
teaching faculty, this is not an especially vexing issue. Much
more troublesome is the formal group evaluation of each student
which is supposed to take place but that for the most part does
not. Thus, evaluation of students devolves on the student's
advisor, and those judgments for the most part are not monitored.
A similar lack of monitoring mechanism is found with respect to
the amount of academic credit that should be awarded for life
experiences. This is the responsibility of the registrar--who
uses no generally accepted criteria, however, for making those
judgments. Since the essence of the Fairhaven program is flexibility, which does place unusual demands on people, there is a
constant temptation to make the procedures and processes more
formal, thus easing the demands made on faculty and students.46

1977 and charged to make a thorough evaluation of the entire operation of
the College.

green.

Its work was completed early in 1978.

The Committee presented a

majority report which, essentially, recommended that Fairhaven be put on probation for a period of time, during which some rather extensive changes were
to be made.

A minority report recommended that Fairhaven be closed.

The majority report recommendations were subsequently modified by the

Since then, important changes have been

administration at Western, but the report (as modified) was accepted by the
President and ordered implemented.

The major elements of the final recom-

mendations were as follows:

implemented.
The dean preceding the present head was hired during the Fall, 1975.

1.

A new dean should be appointed, effective March 20, 1978.
(A new Dean has been appointed on an annual basis--all
Deans are on an annual basis);

2.

Fairhaven must reduce its staffing formula to within ten
percent of the University formula, which is 72 percent.
To accomplish this, the part-time faculty have been terminated with no replacement. The faculty complement has
dropped from a peak of 22 FTEF to a current level of fourteen;

3.

Fairhaven faculty should each spend every fourth year
teaching in a department at WWU. (This is an attempt to
bridge the gap between the faculties at Fairhaven and
Western.)

4.

To further improve communications with the main campus, a
five-member advisory board should be formed. Tbe board
would consist of three Western faculty, an administrator
from Western, and a Fairhaven faculty member. The functions of the board are to advise the Dean and the Provost
on matters relating to Fairhaven;

His administrative efforts stimulated internal dissension among the faculty
of Fairhaven, at that time totaling 22 full-time faculty equivalents (including the Center for Urban Studies).
future of Fairhaven.

The Committee consisted of eight persons--six from Western's

faculty, one Western administrator, and an outside representative from Ever-

It is important to recognize that Mayhew was observing the College as
it existed several years ago.

This action, combined with declining enrollments

The faculty apparently disagreed on the

Reportedly, some took the position that Fairhaven should

continue to operate with less structure than conventional institutions.

Others

believed the College should develop more structure and increased ties with
the Western campus.
The faculty during the 1977-78 school year voted "no confidence" in the
dean and asked for his removal.

(He was the third dean that the College
- 188 -

- 189 -

5.

With regard to curriculum, the recommendations are that
it be tightened-up and the goals made explicit. Some of
the highlights of this recommendation are:

of broad area liberal arts seminars, 7-27 credits of additional Exploratory

a)

centers on specialized students, where a student either completes a Fair-

b)

c)

d)

e)

Studies, English Competency, and a Transition conference.

Fairhaven should design a core curriculum of 45
credits. For advanced transfer students, precise standards for waivers of the core curriculum should be stated;

The second stage

haven College Interdisciplinary Concentration or a Western major, depending
on his or her interest.

An appropriate format for independent study projects
(ISP) must be developed to ensure that both faculty
and students understand clearly the work to be accomplished. ISP's of two credits or less can be
approved by the Dean. ISP's of three or more
credits must be approved by the Dean and a committee consisting of two Fairhaven faculty and one
non-Fairhaven faculty member. Students must complete the core curriculum before undertaking any ISP;

A minimum of 50 non-Fairhaven credits must be com-

pleted in the Interdisciplinary Concentration.

The third stage consists of

an advanced seminar to be taken after the completion of the major and an
Applied Activity or Final Project.

(This can be a performance for the com-

munity, a student-taught seminar, or any means whereby the student can
demonstrate the skills or knowledge acquired during the learning process.)

A set of performance standards and procedures for
student-taught courses must be established. Until
standards and procedures are established, there
should be a moratorium on student-taught courses;

Thus, the curriculum is significantly more prescriptive than it was
during the mid-1970's and would appear to begin to approach the curriculum

A required academic orientation program for all
entering students should be developed, and it should
be conducted ~t the beginning of each fall quarter.
An abbreviated program should be given at the beginning of winter and spring quarters;

talking with students (eleven students, in all, were formally interviewed).

Each entering student should be assigned an advisor.

While the sample would not be considered representative, it was apparent

originally envisioned for Fairhaven.
As part of its examination of Fairhaven, the staff spent a day on campus

Fairhaven's Annual Report for the 1977-78 year briefly identifies the
progress it has made toward meeting the recommendations.

The most urgent

that those students who were interviewed were more critical of their experiences than were students at Evergreen.

Among the elements they liked were

problems at this time .according to the Fairhaven Dean are curricular quality,

the pass/no-pass system, the lack of competition, and the strong community

and advisement, in addition to recruiting and outreach.

spirit felt among those attending and working at the College.

Faculty are con-

The negative

tacting prospective students, high school and community college counselors,

observations centered on the lack of a strong orientation program and faculty

and attempting to project a positive image of Fairhaven.

personality clashes.

Fairhaven, like Evergreen, is suffering from an image problem.

One of

the first steps in seeking to reverse this was to publish new brochures that
more clearly describe the new curriculum, which is different from that pub~

lished in the 1977-79 general catalog.
stages.

The present curriculum involves three

The first consists of a required core of 43 credits minimum, comprised

Concerns were expressed over the dropping of part-time

faculty, which students felt provided turnover and kept the academic part
of the College contemporary and alive.
At the same time, all but one of the students had strong positive
feelings about the educational experience.
fied with the program.

They stated that they were satis-

However, they were aware of the College's image,

- 190 - 191 -

which they thought was bad, both on the main campus and throughout the State.
They feel this image is improving.
C.

Summation

This review of issues associated with nontraditional education suggests something of the enormity of the task facing Evergreen (and Fairhaven).
It also suggests some of the steps the College can consider in determining
how its educational efforts can best fit into what is rather clearly
becoming a changed milieu.

It is evident that Evergreen is a cut above

most of the other nontraditional efforts in the country which, in the
aggregate, appear to have vitiated both the effectiveness of the various
elements they comprise and the support they once enjoyed.

Whether the

College can overcome that onus remains to be seen, but it is evident that
those who have examined it believe there is something at Evergreen worth
preserving.

J

- 192 -

II

CHAPTER VII
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
The Evergreen State College can grow in size to an enrollment level
sufficient to reduce its unit costs to the average of its sister institutions by attaining service levels in its region similar to those operative
at the other institutions.

Cost parity at Evergreen can be attained at an

enrollment level of approximately 4250 FTE.

While Evergreen offers a struc-

tured and effective educational program, the College does not now provide the
range of defined career pathways of other regional institutions.

The College

also has a negative institutional image among substantial numbers of graduating high school students in its region.

These problems will have to be

addressed if Evergreen is to substantially increase its enrollment.
mendations concern:

Recom-

a breathing space for the College, with ·stated enroll11

11

ment goals; relating the program to the educational needs of the region, the
Olympia community, and state government; various cost reduction steps; modifications in admissions procedures; the provision of more career pathways and
more structure in the curriculum; improved advising systems; an enhanced social
environment on the campus; more outreach programs; and other measures.
The institutional mission that was either implied by the charter or
assumed by Evergreen consists of three parts:
(1)

To develop as a nontraditional institution;

(2)

To provide service to southwestern Washington; and

(3)

To maintain a special relationship to the seat of State government
in Olympia.

During its early years, Evergreen emphasized the first part, developing
~

a nontraditional educational program.

It was during succeeding years, after

- 193 -

the program was established, that the College was able to direct its attention more thoroughly to the second element of its mission, service to
southwestern Washington.

The Vancouver program, the upside-down degree

program, various annual study areas, and courses that would be available
to part-time students are the most obvious manifestations of this.

The

third component of the mission, the establishment and maintenance of a
special relationship with State government in Olympia, is now coming to
the fore, and it is most directly apparent in the proposed master's program
and Evergreen's interest in assuming a role in meeting the training needs of

Once Evergreen decided to embark upon a different educational route,
the order by which the various aspects of its mission would be approached
It is not clear, however, that this was the

order those who conceived the College envisioned.

Rather, it can be argued

that their major interests were directed first to service to the area and
to the Olympia governmental complex, with the thought of something educationally
different added later, in some respects as a response to the turbulence
then in evidence on various Washington campuses.

It may also be argued

that if Evergreen had followed this pattern it would have been difficult,
if not impossible, for it to move subsequently into nontraditional education,
at least to the extent that it has.

The result would have been an institution

considerably different than exists.

By following the order it did, however,

the College found itself in the position of completing a delicate, and
difficult, curriculum design task with a program that appears to work well,
and discovering that its earlier trials and tribulations
reduced appeal.

~eft

it with a

Whether Evergreen can reverse this situation as it moves

costs within the range of those of other Washington public institutions,
effectively address the educational needs of southwestern Washington, and
establish and maintain a special relationship with the seat of State government is there.

Moreover, there is reason to believe that these accomplishments

can occur without dislocations in its educational mode so severe they eradicate
its positive elements.
Some changes will have to be made, however, if Evergreen is to accomplish

changes are desirable.

There are also other reasons why some

While it is reasonable to believe Evergreen can attain

its optimal enrollment level (optimal in terms of existing facilities and cost
comparisons), it is not certain whether its educational form can withstand
the pressures a virtual doubling of enrollment would create.

Persons within

the institution and those viewing it from without share in the concern
that programs and procedures operating effectively at an enrollment level
of 2,200 - 2,400 may collapse under the weight of an enrollment of 4,200 4,400.

Adjustments in the Evergreen program are necessary both to increase

the enrollment level to a desirable range and to accommodate the expanded
enrollments when that level is attained.
It is important to consider whether a recommendation for increased
enrollment at Evergreen is appropriate in view of current demographic projections.

The national higher education literature is replete with predic-

tions of decreasing populations and declining participation rates.

In general,

enrollments are expected to stabilize, in some cases decline, during the 1980's,
both throughout the country and in Washington State.

to meet the full range of its responsibilities is not certain.
-195- 194 -

The potential for

Evergreen to meet the enrollment level necessary to bring its per student

these objectives and alter its image.

the various agencies.

followed in a logical order.

At the same time, that effort is worth making.

'
In such
a context a

recommendation of enrollment growth, albeit to a level of unit cost parity,
may be questioned.

of additional physical facilities.

One can be in general agreement with the view that growth planning
for the 1980's should be undertaken cautiously.

In the imn1ediate instance,

however, there are other factors that must be weighed.

As noted earlier, Ever-

green has not yet attained the service levels for its region that its sister
institutions have for theirs.

The demographic data for the thirteen western

It calls for interinstitutional coopera-

tion, resource sharing, and selected cost reduction measures at the College.
It is calling for changes, growth in some areas and retrenchment in others,
that will bring Evergreen to the level of cost effectiveness implied by the
Legislature when it called for the study.
The Legislature did not ask the Council to consider closing Evergreen,

and southwestern counties suggest that this region is still under-s~rved; it

nor do the findings of the report indicate such a drastic step would be in

is reasonable to infer that it contains the potential for institutional enroll-

order:

ment growth.

short-run, but population growth of such magnitude as to engender future

In addition, the area of western Washington, along the ''I-5 Cor-

Institutional closure would not only be enormously costly in the

ridor," and in south Puget Sound is marked for inevitable near-term population

requirements for a four-year institution in Olympia is a virtual certainty.

growth.

Accordingly, the conclusion of this report is that Evergreen should grow to

An active aerospace industry, increased new housing starts, and

expanding demands for public utilities suggest the presence of substantial

the limited size proposed.

in-migration to this area; such activity was not anticipated even recently.

clear existing need for services in its region while encouraging its con-

Evergreen was designed to attain a rather modest size.

The physical

capacity and library resources for an enrollment level of the magnitude
necessary for it to achieve unit cost parity are in place.
lities are not necessary for this purpose.

Additional faci-

Moreover, Evergreen needs a larger

enrollment to support an educational program of enough diversity to meet the

tinued operation at cost levels above those of its sister institutions.
It is at thii point that the study directive can be addressed.

along with various changes designed to encourage such growth.
not recommending unrestricted development.

However, it is

The projected enrollment level

called for was assumed as a target when the present physical plant was
approved for construction.

The report is not recomn1ending the establishment

mine the actions necessary:
1.

To broaden the institution's clientele base by introducing
traditional undergraduate and graduate course offerings; and

2.

Reduce the institution's total operating costs per FTE
student to the average cost per FTE student at the three
regional universities.

As noted earlier, the major action necessary to reduce the per FTE
student cost to the average similar cost at the three regional universities,
all other things equal, is to increase the enrollment level to approximately
4,250 students.

Other steps that might be taken include cutting expenditures

"'

J

-197-196-

In the

Appropriations Act proviso, the Legislature directed the Council to deter-

educational needs of a fairly broad spectrum of the population.
Thus, this report is recommending planned enrollment growth at Evergreen,

For it to do otherwise would be to ignore the

for instruction, support, and overhead at Evergreen.
regard are explored.

Some suggestions in this

However, this exploration occurs in light of the reali-

zation that substantial reductions could place the institution in a downward
enrollment spiral with no likelihood of attainment of cost parity until an
enrollment level below the critical mass necessary to justify its continued

The assumption of this part of the report is that Evergreen can achieve
the objectives implied both in the legislative directive and in its educational
mission through changes in its program that would be less drastic than a
complete shift to a conventional curriculum.
To allow it to try will require some further accommodation by the Legis-

operation is reached.
With respect to the steps that may be taken to introduce traditional
course offerings at the graduate and

un~ergraduate

the proviso, a similar point can be made.

levels, as indicated in

The massive introduction of

conventional offerings at Evergreen could create a situation of temporary
enrollment dislocations, as some students currently enrolled interrupt their

lature, the Governor, and the general public they represent.

For their part,

those associated with Evergreen will need to recognize this accommodation and
to demonstrate a comparable willingness to seek solutions and implement those
changes that appear to have the most promising potential for achieving growth.
An implacable stance on the part of either major party could have disasterous
effects on the institution.

studies with the institution and seek other alternatives and faculty seek
other employment.

In view of the image problems Evergreen already faces,

it cannot be predicted when the enrollment pattern would reverse itself

There is a larger question that must be addressed.

In terms of how

these studies could be introduced at Evergreen, the final determination in
such matters has been delegated by the Legislature and the Executive to
the Board of Trustees, which, in turn, looks to the administration and the
The Legislature could direct the Board to establish conventional

studies through any of a series of actions:
or statute.

adjustments that will not have the effect of negating that which is positive,
and which remains exciting.

in such a situation.

faculty.

Again, these goals can be accomplished through adjustments at Evergreen,

House Resolution, Joint Resolution,

At the same time, this would represent a departure from the

relationship that by tradition and custom the governmental branches have

What is especially required is a positive and

constructive attitude on the part of all the participants, and a fair amount
of patience and understanding.
The study supports several conclusions.

First, it is evident that

Evergreen can grow in size by drawing more extensively on the potential
that exists in southwestern Washington.
especially important:

Two sectors, in particular, are

Graduating high school students and the community

college transfer students.

When the adult population, including residents

of areas beyond effective commuting range of the College, who could be
attracted and effectively served through off-campus programs in the major

maintained with public higher education.
~

cities of the area, and adults living and working in the

i~ediate

campus

service area, who could be attracted by graduate studies and programs and
. -198-

- 199 -

courses suited to their professional goals, are added to the equation, the
potential for growth is even greater.

worthy of preservation.

To attain this growth, Evergreen

To these judgments may be added further substance

needs to achieve little more than the levels of service demonstrated by other

from the empirical evidence on Evergreen placement patterns, which are com-

regional universities.

parable to those of the other regional institutions.

Second, Evergreen ran reach cost parity with these regional universities
with an enrollment level of approximately 4,250 FTE students.
require an increase of about 93 percent over its present level.

This will
The College

students and their counselors.

Two points seem pertinent.

Ironically, while

many students state a desire for the aspects of a college education apparent
at Evergreen, not many appear to relate these qualities to Evergreen.

has the physical facilities to accommodate an enrollment level of this
magnitude.

Second, a significant portion of the high school students declined to com-

Third, Evergreen's educational program is unconventional in form but
more conventional in substance.

Fifth, unfortunately these views are not readily shared by high school

The curriculum has a structure, the College

plete the survey instrument because they did not believe they possessed
sufficient knowledge about the institution to do so.

These observations

imposes requirements to assure the maintenance of rigor and quality, and

permit one to infer that Evergreen has not succeeded in getting its mes-

it offers a number of alternative routes to different professional careers.

sage across to graduating high school seniors.

These efforts are also Gonsidered effective by those who have examined and

these students and their reluctance to rank the College high in their

participated in them and by those who have worked with students representing

listing of college choices, suggest that for Evergreen to reach them,

the product of these efforts.

in addition to making changes of substance, it will need to find ways to
. both more effectively explain its educational program and counteract

At the same time, it is equally clear that Evergreen does not offer
the range of career-oriented pathways available at other institutions.

Moreover, the remarks of

If

it may be assumed that large numbers of students are increasingly interested
in such educational preparation, as much of the current literature on the

negative impressions that have formed, for whatever reason, in the minds
of many of these students and their advisors.
Sixth, Evergreen's image problems are not unique to that institution.

subject suggests, they will not consider Evergreen as it presently operates

The survey of institutions established since the mid-1960's suggests that

able to fulfill their needs.

others have encountered growth problems.

Fourth, the "users" of Evergreen, students and employers of these students,
agree with the peer evaluators that the Evergreen program is effective and

Some have been able to weather

these conditions; others have found it necessary to change, or to close.
Fairhaven College, at Western Washington University, is a further example
of a nontraditional educational experiment in Washington that has experienced

- 200 -

..

difficulties.

- 201 -

These experiences correspond with current assessments of the nontraditional movement.

Perhaps because some of the less creditable efforts have

program costs, consistency with apparent educational needs, and harmony

proved ineffective, perhaps because the major universities have not fully

with institutional role and mission.

embraced them, whatever the reason, the pendulum appears to be swinging

comment on the appropriateness of particular requirements in terms of their

toward more educational structure, more career-oriented programs, more

pedagogical import, for this is considered the appropriate province of the

predictability.

program faculty.

Yet at the same time, those who have examined the movement

agree that the efforts of The Evergreen State College are among the more

It does not, as part of those reviews,

In the present case, however, it is necessary that some recommendations

impressive and effective in the country, and that its commitment to these

either approach or cross that boundary.

forms should be preserved.

recommendation is considered ''advisory" to the Board of Trustees

In the face of these findings, one is left with little choice but to
suggest changes that can take the College to its enrollment goals, that

In those instances the particular

administration and faculty of the College.

a~d

to the

Other recommendations are treated

more generally, in the manner usually employed.

would enhance the service level it provides to Southwestern Washington

A.

counties, and that, in turn, would contribute to a reduction of its unit

Evergreen needs a breathing period to make new overtures and adjust-

"Breathing Space"

costs to a level comparable with those apparent in its sister institutions.

ments.

In other words, rather than suggesting a wholesale redirection of the College's

enrollment goals is recommended.

educational efforts, it is necessary to speak of a combination of changes:

A two-biennium period, coupled with annual progress reports and

Students at Evergreen and others have observed that a significant part

some within the general context of its curricular form, and others proceeding

of Evergreen's image problem is associated with uncertainties in the minds

from that form into areas of more visible substance.

of high school students and their parents over the College's

The recommendations that follow are premised accordingly.
them one is cognizant of an important consideration.

In preparing

The Council is a

coordinating board with advisory rather than recommending authority.

f~ture.

Several

noted an unwillingness to make a commitment to the College as long as there
was a possibility the institution might be closed or significantly realigned

Some

of the recommendations . that follow either touch upon or directly involve
matters within the statutory purview of the College's governing board.

during the four-year period for which they would be enrolled.

It was easier

for them to opt for an "established" institution than to gamble on Evergreen.
As

The College needs a "breathing" period, a period during which it can make

a general rule, the Council is reluctant to intrude itself into matters of

overtures and adjustments, a period comparatively free from the dislocations

curricular import.

associated with continuing adverse publicity.

For example, while it examines program structures in
~

its reviews of proposals for new degree programs, it does so to determine
- 203 - 202 -

At the same time, persons not
~

....
~

'!

directly associated with Evergreen need assurances that changes are being con-

0

sidered and implemented by the College.

nium conditioned on evidence of progress during the first.

By the end of the

second biennium, the College should be able to clearly demonstrate evidence
of enrollment growth and cost reductions.

The concept would be further con-

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Accordingly, the first recommendation
of this report calls for a two biennium breathing period, with the second bien-

¢

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However, because the 4250 figure represents hypo-

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among administrators at Evergreen that a failure to achieve the early

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interim enrollment goals might be perceived as a more general failure on
the part of the institution, two growth curves representing between them
an acceptable range are described on Table VII-I.

On this basis, growth

to an enrollment range of 2500-2600 FTE students by the end of the

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patterns respecting the comparison institutions, and because of anxieties

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thetical unit cost parity, and is itself dependent upon changes in funding

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enrollment level of 4250 FTE students by 1984-1985.

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of each year), and subsequent Council reports on progress to the Governor and
the Legislature (to be made the following January).

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ditioned on annual progress reports from the College to the Council (November

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first biennium, and to 3050-3350 FTE students by the end of the second
would suggest reasonable progress.

An enrollment of 2500 FTEs in the

second year of the current biennium i s likely to be above the level
11

Contracted for

11

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by the Legislature, in view of the present 1979-81 biennial

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-204-

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-205-

budget recommendation of the Governor.

Funds for enrollments above the level

budgeted based on contract enrollments should be provided but held in reserve
for a11 oca t ion by OFM upon evidence of addition a 1 growth.

Funding shou 1d be

limited to Instruction, Student Services, and enrollment-driven formula areas

Other support program expenses should be maintained at current

expenditure levels, adjusted only for inflation.

Evergreen representatives have suggested a tolerance band .. of about
11

140 FTE students around the lower figures in these ranges, especially during

The Evergreen figure is based on the current OFM

tolerances in the institutional enrollment contracts.

The Council has sup-

ported the tolerance band concept in the contracts proposed by the Governor,

that during this period Evergreen prepare and present annual progress reports

convey these reports with its comments td the Legislature and Governor not
later than the following January.

B.

Reducing Costs

There are steps such as stringent review of administrative overhead
and resource sharing that Evergreen can take to reduce costs and thereby
reduce the Cost-parity enrollment figure.
11

and it continues to do so.

Implementation of the Governor•s proposed

11

A major assumption of this report is that Evergreen can reach cost

tolerance band would appear to satisfy Evergreen•s concern.
Failure to demonstrate enrollment growth and unit cost reduction by the
end of the second biennium should be considered as serious evidence of the
College•s inability to reverse present patterns within the framework of its
educational concept, in which case a realignment and subsequent retr~nch­
ment, especially in the physical plant area, would seem appropriate.

parity with its sister institutions when its enrollment level reaches approximately 4,250 FTE students.

At the same time, there are steps the College

could take to reduce its costs generally, and thereby in some measure reduce
the total number of students that would be required to
basis of current cost patterns.

It is recommended that the 1979-81 and 1981-83 biennia be dedicated
to an opportunity for The Evergreen State College, through an institution-wide
effort, to increase its enrollment level and reduce its unit costs by making
adjustments in its educational concept and attracting students.

Target enroll-

ments of 2500-2600 FTE students by 1980-81 and 3050-3350 FTE students by 1982-83
It also is recommended that during this period the College con-

tinue to be funded at Instruction, Student Services, and other enrollmentdriven Physical Plant formula levels comparable to those applied to its sister

11

break even .. on the

Moreover, implementation of some recommenda-

tions in this report will require additional funds.

Recommendation 1:

are suggested.

It is further recommended

to the Council for Postsecondary Education each November, and that the Council

where reallocations are not possible.

the first two years.

institutions.

Cost reductions in

other areas will be necessary to accomplish this.
In considering this question, the statements of Dr. Lewis B.
may be recalled.

~1ayhew

In his view, nontraditional instruction, if done well,

will cost more to maintain than more conventional modes.

This occurs as

educational forms require smaller student faculty ratios, with some aspects
operating on a one-to-one basis.

Expansion of the academic advising program,

for example, is bound to have a cost impact as faculty workloads are increased
through that system.

~

There is evidence that Evergreen faculty have accommodated the present
- 206 -

instructional program through a larger than typical commitment of their
- 207 -

personal time to the endeavor.

Past evidence indicates that the faculty at

The point of this section is that the 4,250 FTE student figure is pro-

that institution maintain substantially higher levels of student contact

jected on a current expenditures (plus Student Services increases) pattern

hours than those at other institutions.

base.

In more conventional institutions

Cost savings gained through review and reduction of administrative

·disparities in cost in educational modes can be accommodated by larger classes

costs and resource sharing could contribute to a lower break-even level and

in various, especially introductory, subjects, offsetting the higher costs

also allow the College to implement some of the recommended chang€s without

associated with smaller classes, such as seminars.

increasing its overall costs.

Lacking large lecture

courses, Evergreen does not have much latitude to offset the more intensive
efforts in this manner.

Recommendation 2:
It is recommended that Evergreen seek ways of reducing the costs

As noted at the end of Chapter III, it is possible the College could
cut some of its overhead costs through physical facilities

11

retrenchment.

associated with its support programs.
11

Inter-organizational resource

sharing arrangements and continued review of its administrative overhead

This could include leasing some of its facilities to other governmental

and support program priorities within a context of zero "real dollar"

organizations and charging the pro-rated overhead costs accordingly.

growth should be seriously considered and undertaken.

Such

a step may be particularly appropriate if Evergreen is unable to reach an
enrollment level sufficient for full utilization of its physical plant.
The potential for sharing facilities with other local institutions and

c.

Relating to the Educational Needs of State Government and Pro-

viding Other Degree Programs and Education Options
Evergreen could enhance its relationship to state government through

high schools, such as St. Martin's, OTCC, Capital High School, etc., is

the provision of a master's program and evening credit offerings and by

mentioned as a potentially cost effective approach to the achievement of

expanding its role in the area of state personnel training.

other goals in this chapter.

Science degree would round out its undergraduate program, and teacher edu-

While effective sharing of facilities is not

A Bachelor of

easy to accomplish, the approach nevertheless is worthy of exploration.

cation could be offered on campus without adding education faculty through

Still another possibility concerns more effective utilization of the library

an agreement with another institution or institutions.

resources at the State Library, in Olympia.

The Library maintains an exten-

Comments to the effect that Evergreen must improve its relationship to

sive documents section and a wide array of books that could be used in

the seat of State government in Olympia were received frequently throughout

support of Evergreen programs, particularly programs at the graduate level.

the course of this study.

A review of the State Library's holdings and consideration of ways in which

from the offering of a master's degree program to a closer relationship with

they could be utilized in support of its efforts by the College could contri-

the interagency training needs of state government and the expanded offering

Several particular suggestions were made, ranging

to substantial cost reductions in the estimates associated with new program
- 209 -

initiatives.
- 208 -

of credit-bearing courses in the evenings for governmental employees.

Recent

A second suggestion, that Evergreen provide teacher training programs,

discussions between the Co 11 ege and the appropriate sectors of government

would have far greater impact on the College.

have centered on transfer of the interagency training program to the College.

it establish its own teacher training program.

If such a transfer is feasible, it seems a desirable step the College could

the area educational needs among aspiring and actual teachers for such

take to round out its basic educational role.

educational experiences.

While these steps appear desirable, it also seems evident that if the

It is not recommended that
However, there exist within

The College could help meet these needs through

an inter-institutional agreement with one or more colleges or universities

College is going to relate effectively to the educational needs of persons

within its service region which currently offer teacher training programs--an

associated with state government it must address those needs in terms dis-

arrangement whereby the College facilities and appropriate courses were

cernible to them.

utilized in conjunction with faculty from the participating institution or

While much of what Evergreen does now is similar . to what

occurs in graduate schools around the country--seminars, independent studies,

institutions.

class projects, etc.--much of what it does is not.

Recommendation 3:

State employees will

likely want to obtain a good education at Evergreen, but they will also
require the kinds of certification that Conventional
11

can provide.

11

graduate programs

Thus, a master's degree program leading, for example, to a

Support for the establishment of master's level studies at Evergreen
is reaffirmed.

However, it is recommended that in developing its graduate

studies program, Evergreen pay particular attention to the educational needs

Master of Public Administration is generally more acceptable to this audience

of persons associated with state government in Olympia, especially their

than one leading to a Master of Arts degree in some general area.

needs for the types of certification that specific degree programs provide,

Similarly,

program requirements pertinent to such a degree are probably more desired

and that the institution adopt curricular structures for its graduate pro-

than a general range of offerings.

grams consistent with forms recognized and accepted in the relevant profes-

Evergreen presently awards only one degree:

The Bachelor of Arts.

Frequent statements were heard during the interviews with students, graduates,
and employers that Evergreen needs to expand its practice in this area,
particularly into the awarding of a Bachelor of Science degree.

This is a

sions.
Recommendation 4:
Evergreen and the Department of Personnel, along with other appropriate
governmental authorities, should be encouraged to continue their study of

step that could be undertaken readily by the College, without dislocations

the feasibility of transferring the interagency training function to the

in its present curriculum or requirements for additional courses and programs.

College.

"

If these efforts conclude that such a transfer is feasible, it is

further recommended that the transfer occur.
Recommendation 5:

- 210 -

It is recommended that Evergreen, in conjunction with its graduate
studies efforts develop and offer evening credit-bearing courses especially

- 211 -

related to the educational needs of professionals working in the Olympia
Such courses should also be open to on-campus students.

area.

After a considerable amount of reflection and discussion, however, this
thought was abandoned.

It was not clear, for example, how a "departmentalized.,

a group

faculty could operate alongside

Recommendation 6:
It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that it con-

oriented to interdisciplinary studies

without creating internal tensions, and more than a fair amount of duplication

sider expanding the College's degree-awarding range to encompass the Bachelor

and overlap.

of Science degree.

organization, with little internal communication and coordination.

Recommendation 7:

in turn, would likely contribute to similar splits among the students.

It is recommended that Evergreen study the feasibility of an inter-

In effect, such a system would likely lead to a schismatic
This,

At the same time, the need to establish clear pathways to career

institutional agreement with one or more institutions in its service region

objectives within the curriculum remains.

for the conjoint provision of programs in teacher education on campus.

establishment of additional advanced areas (such as Business, Organizational

D.

Providing Career Pathways and Greater Structure and Predictability

It will also require some greater predictability

and structure in the programs that presently exist.

in the Evergreen Curriculum
In view of expressed student interests, Evergreen could identify
more clea:ly the career pathways in its present curriculum and as needs
for additional pathways become apparent it could augment its curriculum
accordingly.

Administration, etc.).

This will likely require the

Similarly, students expressed needs for greater structure

There are national

models in the form of nontraditional institutions that have successfully
affected such changes, and they can be examined and emulated by Evergreen.
One point seems certain.
oriented.

High school students are increasingly career-

Virtually every statement in the high school survey rated "important.,

and predictability in the curriculum, including the offering of courses

by these students directly·or indirectly reflects their desires to reach

as part of the day program.

career goals.

In view of the rather clearly expressed interests of current high school

If these students are to find ways to fulfillment of these

goals at Evergreen, the College

~ill

have to demonstrate to them that the

students for college experiences leading more directly to career placement,

options exist and, more, that the faculty there will support them fully in

consideration was given in the study to a recommendation that Evergreen

these aspirations.

develop a "dual track" curriculum, one track that would accommodate the

Evergreen has operated under a basic ·concept of changeability in its

interests of students for coordinated studies programs, and another that

curriculum to assure continued growth and preclude stagnation.

would reflect greater structure, more courses, and clearer relationships

intent has been that through this system the curriculum would remain relevant,

with various career fields.

and experimentation would be continued.

The further

There is a pric&. for this, however,

as students entering the College find it difficult to know where they will
- 212 -

- 213 -

be three or four years hence.

Problems also are encountered as students

find it impossible to enter desired programs and are required to seek others,
perhaps less desirable in terms of their educational goals.

Sometimes the

Recommendation 8:
It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that career

experiment does not "work." And for participating students a less than

pathways in the College's curriculum be clearly identified and that student

optimal experience may result.

and employer needs for additional pathways be identified and the curriculum

The College could counteract some of these problems by preserving more

augmented accordingly.

In considering this question, the Board is encouraged

of the experiments that do work, by repeating successful programs, and

to take into account the certification requirements that accompany job offer-

assuring students that those programs would be repeated (especially in the

ings in the various career fields, requirements that must be met before

event the student could not enter the first time around).

graduates will be considered eligible.

While programs

can continue to change, it would be desirable to spread the changes out
over a longer period of time, so that greater predictability could be
assured.

Similarly, more courses in subject matter areas presently encom-

Recommendation 9:
It is recommended to the Board of Trustees that ways be sought within
the College to institute greater structure and predictability in the curri-

passed by coordinated studies programs could provide useful alternatives

culum, including the offering of course options in the day program.

for students desiring the subject, but who are unable to participate in the

also recommended that consideration . be given to additional requirements

interdisciplinary program.

for an Evergreen degree.

Structure can assume other forms as well.

Potential students and high

school counselors continue to operate on an assumption that the College program is lacking in requirements and, therefore, in rigor.

Certain minimal

requirements as a prelude to graduation (in addition to those that presently
exist) could serve to counteract these impressions.

Changes that are pre-

sently under consideration at Evergreen, such as a requirement for a minimal
number of quarters in coordinated studies programs (this would counteract

It is

Requirements that would ensure student partici-

pation in a variety of study forms and a demonstration of educational growth
by the senior year are also recommended for consideration by the Board.

E.

Modifying Admissions Procedures

A review of the student admissions program by Evergreen is indicated, as
is the desirability of the College accepting all applicants that meet stated
entrance

qualification~.

The comparative information on admissions among Washington

publi~'

criticisms that students can get a degree through four years of independent

four-year institutions suggests that in many ways the College, whether

studies) and a culminating, or senior, project would represent positive steps

intentionally or not, is operating as a selective institution.

toward balance between structure and flexibility.

many reasons why a relatively low percentage of applicants are ultimately
"

- 214 -

There may be

admitted to the College, but the size of that percentage in comparison with
comparable figures for other institutions suggests greater direct or indirect
selectivity in admissions.
- 215 -

It has been suggested that one of the causes of the . fall-off between

areas and to facilitate their transition into the institution's programs.

applications and admissions may be associated with Evergreen's use of a
supplementary application form.

In considering other recommendations of this report that pertain to the

This device, designed to determine whether

students have read and understood the College catalog, and, to some extent,
their basic skills, may have the effect of discouraging students who might
otherwise consider the College, who have certainly demonstrated their initial
interest in it, and who might be able to perform well in its programs.

cause is

11

incomplete

applications.~~

especially designed for entering Evergreen students should also occur.
There are two aspects to this concern.

of students to complete the supplementary form; others say it is not.

In

any case, there seem to be other alternatives for the College to obtain the
information about applicants that it gains through the supplementary form,
and the matter is worthy of further careful consideration by the faculty
and the administration.

With respect to the first, the conventional wisdom suggests a belief
that many graduating high school students are not adequately versed in the
basic skills:

There is probably more

The capacity among many students to

express themselves well in the written form (reading capabilities are a less
prevalent problem) is limited.

But the problems may extend beyond these

basic skills into broader areas, such as logic, history, the natural sciences,
11

It is recommended that Evergreen reconsider the need for its supplementary application form as part of a larger review of its student admissions
In doing so it should consider other means for determining whether

students possess basic skills, including the announcement that it will test
new students for possible placement in basic skills courses.

Evergreen

should make all possible attempts to accept all applicants meeting stated
entrance qualifications.

F.

reading, writing, mathematics, etc.

than a measure of truth in this.

Recommendation 10:

program.

The second involves an orientation into the Evergreen approach to

education.

Evergreen officials report that the

Some state this is failure on the part

The first pertains to the estab-

lishment of basic competencies for effective participation in advanced study
areas.

There is a lack of agreement on the reasons for the differential in
the application and admission figures.

Evergreen curriculum, examination of the need or desirability of programs

Civics,

11

etc.

Introductory, and basic, coordinated studies programs and

appropriate courses in the Humanities, the Natural Sciences, and the Social
Sciences, in particular, would seem to be one way that students could spend
their first year at Evergreen in a highly effective and productive manner
preparatory to more advanced studies later on.
The second dimension is also important.
can experience a form of Culture shock,
11

11

Students entering Evergreen

as they move from a traditional

learning environment into one that is more unconventional.

Providing Programs for Entering Students

Consideration should be directed to the provision of first-year
~
~

requirements for entering students to assure preparation in basic skills
- 216 -

- 217 -

A first-quarter

course designed to ease that transition, to explain the Evergreen lexicon,
to show students how the system operates, and what they must do if they are

aspect.

At the same time, in order

t~

operate effectively in these modes,

effective and intensive faculty involvement is necessary.

to operate effectively in it, is a need that was echoed by many of the
students surveyed in the study, both those who are presently at the College,

It is probably

these aspects more than any other form, with the possible exception of
credit for prior experiential learning, that have contributed most to the

and those who have graduated from it.

unfavorable image associated with nontraditional education.

As with so

Recommendation 11:

many other observations, it is ironic, for these modes can be

hig~ly

desirable,

It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that considera-

both as means for avoiding duplication of learning experiences and for intion be extended to the provision of first-year requirements for entering

jecting relevance into those experiences by allowing the students to proceed
students in the form of basic coordinated studies programs and courses direc-

on their own or exposing them to work-related studies off the campus.
ted to preparation in the basic skills areas and in the Humanities, and the

The modes should be retained.

But they should also be employed more

Natural and Social Sciences, and to facilitating the transition of students

guardedly.

Many students, for example, have argued that competition for

into the institution's programs.

G.

college-sanctioned internships should be introduced.

Reviewing Individual Contracts/Internships

go that far is not certain, but it does seem that the College should be able

Review of procedures governing the award of individual studies con-

to ensure that students are ready to undertake an individual study contract

tracts and internships is warranted.
Employers and students at Evergreen often referred to problems with the
individual contract and internship modes.

Whether events should

Most often they pertained to the

lack of adequate direction and supervision for participating students.

The College also should

ensure that the faculty assigned to supervise these students have expertise
in the fields in which they are to act as sponsors.

In

some instances the comments were directed to problems associated with a lack
of student preparation to operate effectively in these modes.

or an internship before they are permitted to do so.

In other cases

the comments involved problems associated with the lack of qualifications
among the supervising faculty to provide adequate oversight and guidance in

Recommendation 12:
It is recommended to the Board of T.rustees that it reexamine the procedures by which students are awarded internships or authorized to pursue
independent study, so that procedures exist to assure that students are
ready to undertake such modes and that the faculty assigned as sponsors are

specific subjects.
It is clear that some portion of a student's educational experience
directed to independent study or to an internship can be

~

highly desirable

qualified for the role.

H.

Reviewing Evaluation and Transcript System

Review of its evaluation and transcript systems by the College is recommended.
- 218 -

- 219 -

The evaluation system employed by Evergreen represents a significant
departure from the norms that operate in American higher education.

Evergreen

Problems with student advising and counseling at Evergreen represent

officials believe the present system is superior to more conventional ones.

one of the most frequently-cited topics heard during the course of the study.

However, there was sufficient unfavorable comment directed to this system

In many respects, student advising is the critical element if Evergreen

and to the Evergreen transcript, among graduates and employers and among

is to continue to offer the kind of program it does while operating as an

some present Evergreen students, to suggest that it needs further work.
documents are cumbersome and difficult to read.

The

While it can be argued

institution oriented to fulfilling a wider range of educational needs, for
a broader spectrum of the population, than at present.

Students repeatedly

that potential employers and graduates need to spend more time reading

noted that they did not knm-J where to turn for advice, support, and

these materials, the fact is that the trend is in the other direction,

assistance.

as prospective employers and graduate admissions committees find them-

long-range uncertainty about coordinated studies programs that may or may

selves with insufficient time to do so.

not be offered two or three years in the future, and the possibility that a

The result, as noted earlier,

The problem is rendered even more critical because of the

at least in terms of some kinds of jobs, is "the College may be killing

student will not be able to enter a program that is desired, or a wrong

its graduates on paper."

program may be selected.

For these reasons, as desirable as the College may feel its evaluation
system to be, consideration should be directed to simplifying the statements
of the results of these evaluations so that they can be readily understood

In these latter cases, as much as a full quarter

can be lost to the student if the options that are open do not readily fit
into his or her educational goals.
Evergreen has made important changes in its advising program.

Students

by persons not associated with the institution.

who are entering the College are now assured of academic advising throughout

Recommendation 13:

the period of their stay at the College.

It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that the College

At the same time, it is unclear

whether this will be totally workable, given the loads presently placed on

reexamine the evaluation system with a goal to retaining it for internal use,

faculty members to advise students enrolled in their coordinated studies

while simplifying the student transcripts so that they may be more readily

programs

reviewed and comprehended by persons not associated with the College.

over a longer period of time.

I.

Expanding Student Advising

as well as a complement of entering students whom they will advise
~1oreover,

students state that this program

does not go far enough, in that upper-class students continue to operate on

Evergreen should reexamine its advising system with a goal of expanding
its availability to all students.

the previous system, and in that career counseling services are still limited.
Overall, one is left with the impression that while Evergreen is

"

-220-

attempting to resolve this problem, it remains as one of the most prevalent
;

- 221 -

areas of difficulty at the College.

For this reason, especially, it is

once more being called to the College•s attention.

reversing negative attitudes.

To quote an earlier statement,

11

The College

is both shrouded in mystery and perceived in an unfavorable light ...

Recommendation 14:

Several steps

It is recommended that Evergreen reexamine its student advising program

we~e

suggested.

They include embarking on an extra-

ordinary effort to familiarize parents, students, teachers, counselors,

with the goal of developing an advising and career counseling system that

and principals in the high schools, especially those in the western and

supports all students' efforts to identify courses and programs which can

southwestern regions of the State, with what the College offers.

fulfill their personal and professional objectives at the College.

personal contact was recommended, · especially encouraging former high school

J.

Changing The Evergreen Image .. and Expanding Community College
11

Relationships

students to return to their schools and discuss the College with potential
enrollees and small groups of students.

An extraordinary institutional effort to modify its image in the high

Extensive

Attention to detail in publications

about the College was also considered important.

It was noted that few

schools of the region is crucial--community colleges in southwestern Washing-

prospective students will take the time to read the whole catalog, so the

ton are also an important source of students to Evergreen, and Evergreen is

important information needs to be conveyed early.

the logical institution to serve those students.

chures was also encouraged.

An equal need to expand

relations with these institutions is evident.

Greater reliance on bro-

Language is an important barrier, and the College needs to consider

The problems facing Evergreen as it attempts to improve its institu-

ways it can get its message across in terms that are familiar to high school

tional image, especially among graduating high school students, have been

students.

mentioned frequently throughout this paper.

It was also suggested that the College · seek ways of getting parents, teachers,

detail once more here.

They need not be recited in

Implementation of many of the recommendations listed

in this report can be an important element in the College•s message to these
students.

There are other considerations to be weighed as well.

vations are pertinent.

Two obser-

The first pertains to the large number of the high

This may require greater utilization of

11

traditional equivalencies ...

and counselors onto the campus, and this includes not only residents of the
Greater Olympia area, but those from throughout the region as well.
Other steps the College might take to enhance receptivity to its message
are dealt with in the sections on structure and continuity in the curri-

school students surveyed who indicated they did not know enough about the

culum.

College to complete the survey instrument.

staff members in the admissions office, working alone, to accomplish this

The second pertains to the per-

In any case, there is some question about the ability of a few

ceptions, many of which are misconceptions, among those who felt they knew

task, and the College should consider utilizing faculty, as well as others

something about the institution.

in the institution, in this important endeavor.

In the first instance, there is a basic

matter of conveying information; in the second there is the problem of

~

The community colleges in the southwestern and western regions of the

-222- 223 -

State represent a potential source of large numbers of students for Evergreen.
consulting with the faculty of those institutions on the Evergreen programs

In many cases students have chosen these institutions for economic reasons,
and ways in which the various institutional efforts can be coordinated.

reasons associated with the opportunity the community college provides for
them to live at home and maintain a part-time job.

K.

Many of these students

naturally look to the closest regional institution to continue their education.

A limited range of intercollegiate athletic programs at Evergreen
would be supported by many prospective students and by the larger community.

Moreover, because they have already attended college, these students are
prime candidates for the upper-division studies Evergreen can provide.
Evergreen presently offers an

11

of community college technical programs.

The subject of intercollegiate athletics at Evergreen is a sensitive
one.

Upside-down degree program for graduates

Providing Intercollegiate Athletics

Many of the present students and faculty have expressed themselves in

11

It has other study options that can

coordinate well with other programs in the community colleges.

An intensive

effort to meet with students in the community colleges of the region is as
desirable as the aforementioned efforts directed to the high schools.

By

meeting current needs of .these students, the potential for expanded enrollments at Evergreen is there; it should be tapped.

opposition to the idea.

These sentiments .can be appreciated.

At the same

time, the topic emerged in so many instances as a factor that could be
employed effectively by the College to broaden its appeal to a

l~rger

range

of high school students and enhance its community relationships that it simply
cannot be igpored here.

The potential for involvement in sports that seem to

be suited to the interests of students at Evergreen (e.g., soccer, tennis,
swimming, track, etc.) is great, and these are all sports for which the

Recommendation 15:

College has or could utilize nearby facilities through an exchange arrangement

It is recommended that Evergreen mount an extraordinary and sustained
effort to inform students, counselors and others in the high schools of its
program and to seek to counteract the negative perceptions of the College

with a nearby high school (e.g., Capital High School in Olympia has fenced
track areas).

Evergreen could not readily field a basketball team using its

own facilities, but through an arrangement with St. Martin's College (for use

held by many of these persons.

of the Pavilion) and with Capital High School in Olympia (for use of its basRecommendation 16:

ketball courts for practice sessions) it might be able to participate in this
It is recommended that Evergreen make a sustained effort to meet the

sport as well.
needs of students in the community colleges of western and southwestern
Washington and to communicate to those students what it offers.

Like the

Evergreen has an excellent swimming pool which it could make

available for use on an exchange arrangement.

These steps, if proved feasible,

could also promote closer relationships between the College and the surround-

other effort, it should be an institution-wide endeavor, involving Evergreen

ing high schools.
students meeting with community college students, and Evergreen faculty
~

Again, the area of intercollegiate athletics is an

e~pecially

controver-

sial one; but it could be explored productively by the College, and it has the
- 224 - 225 -

rather clear potential for an effective approach to reducing the previous
11

town-gown" problem with the Olympia community and broadening the appeal of

the institution to many high school students, especially those for whom
competitive sports is an important aspect of their college aspirations.

It is recommended that Evergreen study the desirability and feasibility
of engaging in a limited range of intercollegiate athletics as one means of
expanding its appeal to graduating high school seniors and enhancing its

However, the need , and the potential effect on students on the

great that it is worthy of mention here.
There is another

rea~on

for doing so, one mentioned in the telephone

interview with Dr. Gerald Grant.

It related to the impression that students

in Evergreen's coordinated studies program, especially need opportunities

Enhancing The Social Atmosphere on Campus

Students have expressed a need for places and events on campus for pur-

to meet and interact with others who are not enrolled in these same programs.
One effect of such programs is their capacity to reduce the size of the

poses of socializing.
A rather plaintive comment ventured by several of the current students
who were interviewed concerned the social atmosphere on the campus.

The

subject is also a matter of concern among many high school students familiar
(It was also recognized by Dr. Gerald Grant,

who had visited Evergreen several times during his research on the book
referred to earlier in this report.)

It centers on the comparative .isolation

students attending Evergreen feel when they are on the campus, in the evenings
especially, with no place nearby where they can meet and socialize with
other students~

as these.

enrolled in intensive interpersonal learning experiences, such as exist

relations with the Olympia community.

with the College environment.

As a general rule, Council reports do not involve considerations such

campus, as well as potential students now in high school, appears to be so

Recommendation 17:

L.

event and similar regular social events) on the campus.

Unlike most other institutions, Evergreen has no student

union where students can gather, and relax, in an informal atmosphere.
Almost every resident student interviewed stated a need for a coffee shop
or a similar place on the campus, open in the evenings, for students to

peer group to those students sharing that educational experience.

The

result is not only a geographic isolation · from the town, but a psychological
isolation from other students.
Recommendation 18:
It is recommended that Evergreen consider ways in which 'it can address
the expressed concerns of students at the College for places and events on
campus for purposes of socializing.

This appears to be an especially pres-

sing need as a means of release for students from the pressures of the College's educational program.

M.

Instituting Procedures for External Evaluation of Evergreen Areas

of Concentration
Proposals for new program areas at Evergreen will be subject to CPE
review procedures.

meet.
J

A related interest expressed almost as frequently was need for more
events, such as dances (many students said they would like to see a homecoming
- 226 -

The Council for Postsecondary Education is required by statute to review
J

and recommend new degrees and degree programs.
- 227 -

All undergraduate and graduate

program proposals from the other four-year public institutions are sent to
Recommendation 19:

it for review and recommendation.
green.

This has not been the case with Ever-

New program areas at Evergreen should be reviewed externally as is the

Evergreen, during its formative years, and because of its constantly

New

case with new program review procedures at other public institutions.

changing coordinated studies programs, was allowed a temporary exemption
from the CPE review procedures.

program areas at Evergreen should accord with review procedures in the

For its part, Evergreen insisted that it

offered only one program, the Bachelor of Arts.

Council's new degree guidelines.

During those formative years

there was no alternative if the College were to develop its curriculum.

Now,

however, many of those growth problems have been settled, and there is more
structure within the curriculum.

Accordingly, it is time for Evergreen to

put its program development procedures in line with those followed by other
institutions.
It is likely that as other

recommendations of this report are implemented additional areas will be
These study areas serve as a surrogate for the degree programs at

other institutions, degree programs that are transmitted to the Council
for review and recommendation before they are implemented.

other public four-year institutions for the review and comment of qualified
reviewers.

N.

Expanding Educational Outreach Programs

The College should study the feasibility and need for outreach programs

As part of the review procedures, other institutions first

circulate their degree program proposals on an interinstitutional basis for
the review and comments of the faculty.

It would seem that a similar exchange

(among qualified reviewers) as Evergreen established new program areas could
not only provide it with useful information, which could operate as a form
of peer review, but could also expand the knowledge of the Evergreen instrucstructional program among faculty at these institutions and reduce, thereby,
some of the insularity that otherwise occurs.

The final topic to be considered in this part of the report concerns
the extension of Evergreen's educational resources to residents living
away from Olympia in southwestern Washington.

The service region for Ever-

green is one of the largest, geographically speaking, in the State.

It

includes the Olympic Peninsula and all of the counties west of the Cascade

There is a reason for such review, in addition to the statutory
requirements.

for new program areas at that institution will first be circulated among the

in Longview, Aberdeen, and Port Angeles.

Evergreen now identifies study areas.

added.

As part of this review process, proposals

~

Mountains and south of King County.

Within that area are several cities

that can serve as centers for an off-campus educational program.

Most of

the cities can readily provide no other four-year educational program alternative for their residents.
three of the more obvious.

Aberdeen/Hoquiam, Port Angeles, and Longview are
Vancouver, the largest city besides Tacoma in

this area, is presently the site of an outreach program offered by the
College.

Students in attendance at the program are as supportive of the

endeavor as are the students on campus speaking of the parent institution.
Effective outreach programs could have the dual benefit of taking
~

- 228 -

education to adults living well beyond commuting range to the College
- 229 -

and enhancing the general image of the institution within the region.
and the Council's action, are to be considered comprehensive.

Thus, com-

Evergreen should give serious consideration to expanding its outreach
ments on campus social events, intercollegiate athletics, and other areas
programs to these cities, and, in doing so, to the provision of educational
are presented here, as are advisory recommendations to the faculty and the
programs most suited to the needs of the residents in each city.

Expansion

should be subject to review as recommended in the Council's report on off-

Board of Trustees at Evergreen on matters pertaining to curriculum structure.
Changes and adjustments on the part of the College are essential if

campus instruction.

it is to relate effectively to the problems it faces, and if it is to

Recommendation 20:

accomplish the full range of its institutional mission.

The changes des-

It is recommended that Evergreen study the possibility of offering

cribed and recommended in this report are based on the assumption that
off-campus programs to serve residents in the Longview, Aberdeen/Hoquiam,

the College has a good base on which to build--a foundation worth keeping.
and Port Angeles areas, and, upon determination of the need and feasibility
of such endeavors, that it proceed to develop and offer off-campus programs
in these cities in accord with the procedures in the Council's guidelines
tor off-campus programs.

CONCLUDING COMMENT
This report represents a departure from other studies conducted by the
council.

In many respects it is an institutional evaluation.

such evaluations are conducted by peer groups.

Generally,

(There is only one other

known instance in the country in which a statewide agency conducted a comprehensive review of a college.)

This has created some unusual circum-

stances for the Council, as it finds itself considering recommendations
on matters that are usually viewed as the province of the institution.

In

this case, however, reflection on such matters is essential if the report
~
~

- 231 - 230 -

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SU~!tiARY OF ALL GENER.\1. RESPONSES
S. W. WASHINGTON HIGH SC 1IOOL SENIORS
IMPORTANCE OF CONSWERATIONS TO CHOOSIN(; A COLLECE OR UNIVERSITY

(N • 496)

0

Graduates get jobs in area*
of interest
Programs emphasize career
preparation

1

2

2.4

.8
1.4

.6

2.0

3

16.9

24.4

APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 1

4

79.8
71.6

i

0

1

2

3

4

Individualized instruction
is available

3.5

4.1

14.3

36.5

41.8

3.09

Relatively low tuition

2.8

3.4

14.5

42.9

36.3

3.06

3.64

Student can take 4 - 5
subjects at once

2.4

1.4

19.3

47.5

29.3

3.00

2.6

2.4

12.7

59.5

22.8

2.97

X

3.75

Modern facilities and
equipment

1.0

.8

.6

28.8

68.8

3.64

Faculty expect students to
work

Advisors and counselors
are accessible

1.6

.8

4.3

32.0

61.3

3.51

College helps find parttime jobs

2.4

4.0

19.8

43.1

30.6

2.96

Faculty are accessible to
students

2.2

.8

6.7

27.8

62.5

3.48

Part-time programs are
offered

4.5

6.7

16.7

34.6

37.5

2.94

Variety of specialty areas
are offered

2.4

1.6

6.3

26.7

62.9

3.46

Basic programs emphasize
learning to write

1.8

5.3

19.8

44.2

28.9

2.93

Programs develop personal
and professional identity

1.2

1.4

6.9

34.5

56.0

3.43

On-campus housing

2.0

6.5

21.0

37.9

32.7

2.93

Group discussions and
seminars

3.7

5.1

17.9

42.2

31.2

2.92

Instructors are involved
in research

4.4

3.2

16.7

47.2

28.4

2.92

Attractive campus setting

2.0

1.6

16.9

61.5

17.9

2.92

.Students can contribute to
program development

6.3

3.1

16.7

42.2

31.8

2.90

Communication and critical
thinking are emphasized

4.1

4.1

18.3

44.8

28.7

2.90

Cultural and social events

2.4

2.8

24.6

49.4

20.8

2.83

After-class social
activities

1.2

6.3

28.4

42.9

21.2

2. 71

Exposure to diverse
students

4.2

4.8

30.2

37.1

23.6

2.71

Interscholastic athletic
competition

3. 2

13.7

30.2

27.8

25.0

2.58
2.46

Student can plan part of
his/her program (with the
help of an advisor
Teaching is most important
mission

2.6
1.6

1.0
1.0

5.5
5.6

35.2

40.3

55.6
51.4

3.40
3.39

Graduates admitted to
graduate and professional
schools

5.7

.6

4.9

28.9

59.9

3.37

Most courses will transfer

5.2

2.8

6.7

22.4

62.9

3.35

and study skills
developed

3.1

1.6

9.6

35.4

50.3

3.28

Student can study a subject
in depth

2.2

2.2

8.8

38.9

47.9

3.28

Students are committed to
learning

2.8

1.8

9.9

40.7

44.8

3.23

Students are responsible
for their own learning

2.2

3.5

8.6

41.1

44.6

3.22

Sports and recreational
facilities

2.0

3.2

12.9

36.1

45.8

3.20

Internships

4.3

3.1

9.0

36.3

47.5

3.20

~esearch

Friendly responses to
inquiries

4.2

2.0

9.9

39.3

44.6

3.J.8

Basic introductory courses
arc offered

3.5

2.9

9.2

41.5

43.0

3.18

Grades are assigned ·

2.4

4.1

13.2

35.0

45.2

3.17

Classes are small

1.0

3.6

16.5

39.1

39.7

3.13

Written evaluation of
coursework

2.9

3.7

11.2

45.2

37.1

3.10

courses combine the
study of 2 - 3 disciplines

~~ny

5.3

7.5

33.6

43.0

10.6

Instruction is relatively
traditional

3.1

15.7

32.0,

37.7

11.6

2.39

College located near home

1.0

22.6

38.7

26.4

11.1

2.24

Opportunities for political
involvement

2.8

22.6

36.7

26.6

11.3

2. 21'

4.5

23.8

43.0

22.6

6.1

2.02

will be mostly
required courses

r~llcce

~

*Elements abbreviated to fit here.
(0 • no response; 1 • not important at all; 2 • not very important; 3 • fairly
important; 4 • very important;

X (mean) is the arithmetic average of the raw scores.)

- 234 -

- 235 -

APPENDIX 1

-

APPENDIX 1

SUMHl\RY OF l\I,L TES\. RESPONSES
S. W. \v/\SI! INGTON III Gil ~ > CI!OOL SENIORS
PERCEPTIONS OF THE f.VEH~HEEN STl\TE COLLEGE
(N

251(-)No Response)

Modern facilities and
equipment *

N

157

1

2

.6

3.8

N

4

3

43.3

52.2

x
3.47

2

3

4

x

On-campus housing

134

8.2

13.4

43.3

35.0

3.05

Programs develop personal
and piofessional identity

135

5.9

11.8.

53.3

28.9

3.05

Communication and critical
thinking are emphasized

123

4.1

16.3

54.5

25.2

3.01
2.99

Students are responsible
for their Ol•lll learning

151

2.6

5.3

35.8

56.3

3.46

Most courses will transfer

132

6.1

17.4

47.7

28.8

Attractive campus setting

168

1.2

4.8

43.5

50.6

3.43

156

5.1

22.4

41.0

31.4

2.99

Sports and recreational
facilities

Teaching is most important
mission

161

1.8

10.6

32.3

55.3

3.41

130

3.8

16.9

56.9

22.3

2.98

Basic introductory courses
are offered

Opportunities for political
involvement

135

1.5

7.4

47.4

43.7

3.33

Grades are assigned

127

11.0

13.4

43.3

32.3

2.97

Advisors and counselors
are accessible

136

8.1

57.4

34.6

3.26

Many courses combine the
study of 2 - 3 disciplines

115

.8

20.0

60.9

18.3

2.97

Programs emphasize career
preparation

151

9.9

47.7

39.7

3.25

140

3.6

20.7

52.1

23.6

2.96

Instructors are involved
in research

130

2.3

23.8

53.1

20.8

2.92

After-class social
activities

130

4.6

20.8

54.6

20.0

2.90

115

5.2

20.0

54.8

20.0

2.90

Student can plan part of
his/her program (with the
help of an advisor)

141

2.6

1.4

6.4

60.3

31.9

, Faculty are acr~ssible
to students

3.23

Individualized instruction
is available

129

2.3

11.6

47.3

38.8

3.22

Student can take 4 - 5
subjects at once

138

1.4

10. 1

54.4

34.1

3.21

Graduates admitted to
graduate and professional
schools

Part-time programs are
offered

138

2.9

9.4

53.6

34.1

3.19

GraduntcR ~et jobs in
area of interest

123

3.3

23.6

53.7

19.5

2.89

Student can study a subject
in depth

138

1.4

14.5

51.4

32.6

3.15

College helps find parttime jobs

127

.8

26.0

57.5

15.8

2.88

Group discussions and
seminars

128

.8

14.8

53.1

31.3

3.15

Students are committed to
learning

14 7

5.4

24.5

49.6

20.4

2.85

Internships

119

2.5

15.1

47.9

34.4

3.14

47.1

21.5

2.82

2.1

11.1

58.3

28.5

121

23.1

144

3.13

8.2

Cultural and social events

Friendly responses to
inquiries
Classes are small

128

4.7

32.0

46.1

17.2

2.76

Exposure to diverse
students

148

5.4

15.5

39.9

39.2

3.13

146

8.9

26.0

47.3

17.8

2.74

Written evaluation of
coursework

Faculty expect students
to work

120

2.5

12.5

55.0

30.0

3.13

Relatively low tuition

120

8.3

25.8

52.5

13.3

2. 7l

Basic programs emphasize
learning to write

122

2.5

13.9

53.3

30.3

3. 11

Interscholastic athletic
competi.tion

143

16.1

25.2

34.3

24.5

2.67

Variety of specialty areas
are offered

137

2.9

16.8

46.7

33.6

3.11

Instruction is relatively
traditional

141

19.9

33.3

37.6

9.2

2.36

Students can contribute to
program development

131

1. 5

13.0

59.5

25.9

3.10

College ~ill be mostly
required courses

141

31.9

38.3

19.8

9.9

2.08

Research and study - skills
developed

136

3.7

14.7

50.7

30:9

3.09

183

14.2

13.1

23.0

49.7

3.08

College located ncar home

~

~

*Elements abbreviated to fit here.

(1 • No, for sure; 2 • 1 don't think so; 3 • I believe this is true; 4 • Yes, for sure;
(mean) is the arithmetic average of the raw scores.)

Y

- 236 - 237 -

· ---

••4-

•••.





~

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

Plac:errent of 1977 Arts

&

Sciences Graduates fran:

PLACEMENT OF GRADUATES WHO STUDIED HEALTH AT EVERGREEN*

Western Washington university
Eastern vlashington University
Central vlashington University
72-73

73-74

Employed in Health Fields 1

74-75

75-76

Total

3

4

8

12

27

Employed in Other Fields

-

1

Attending Graduate or Professional
Schools in Health Fields2

2

Unemployed
No Current Information
Not Looking
Total Number of Graduates \-fuo
Studied in Health Fields

1

2

2

5

3

1

3

9

-

1

-

5

6

-

-

1

3

4

-

2

2

5

9

12

rotal # of
3raduates
~

27

53

Examples of positions held by Evergreen graduates:
Research Assistant for a Medical Care organization
Fire Fighter/Paramedic
Medical Technologist in a hospital
Health Education Specialist
Health Physicist
Dental Hygenist
Women's Health Care Specialist
Respiratory Therapist
EEG and Biofeedback Technician
Nurse Aide
Research Associate at a Medical School
Nurse Practitioner
Therapy Supervisor
Technician in a Blood Center

2

\'estern
Business, Industl:y & Governrrent

Registered or
surveyed

Registered: 380
w/current Info:

Western
- Fairhaven

861

170 (53%)

613 (71%)

537

Registered:

270 (72%)

325 (98%)
118 (69%)

397 (65%)

271 (83%)

266 (66%)

10 (6%)

41 (7%)

21 (6%)

67 (17%)

8 (5%)

22 (4%)

6 (2%)

34 (8%)

34 (20%)

130 (21%)

27 (8%)

38 (9%)

6 (2%)

132 (25%)

304 (94%)

338 (E3%)

rooking for
! ~·;plcryrrent

44 (12%)

tbt Seeking
tzrployrrent

15 (4%)

Graduate or
Professional Sch

41 (11%)

Traveling:

23 (4%)

No Infonnation

1'ol.al Placerrent*

10 (3%)

154 (48%)

248 (29%)

326 (88%)

160 (94%)

572 (93%)

J

*" Graduate Placement in Health Fields at The Evergreen State College," researched by
Janice Wood, Governmental Relations· Analyst

*Includes: Enployrrent, graduate sttxly, and not looking for enployrrent by choice.
- 238 ·>

405 (75%)

w/current Inf .

370 (97%)

# Enployed

'!he Evergr:ecr

State College

331

Examples of Graduate and Professional Programs attended by
Evergreen graduates:
Stanford University (Physician's Assistant Program, Neuro-biological
Behavioral Sciences)
University of North Dakota (Medicine)
University of Washington (Health Education, Medicine, Dent~stry)
Washington State University (Registered Nurse Program)
Yale School of Nursing (Registered Nurse Program)
Olympia Technical Community College (LPN Program)

Central

-BA/BS I::egrees

324.

!-'.i.litary ServiCE

.

Eastern
Arts & ScienCES

Oampiled by Molly Phillips from Annual Placement Reports
Peviewed by Gail Martin
- 239 -

AI

I Lli U I A

APPI:.NUlX 4

'+

A List of Sample Job Positions Currently Held by*
Evergreen Political Science and Administration Graduates
Categorized by their Area of Study at Evergreen
Political Science

A List of Sample Job Positions Currently Held by*
Evergreen Political Science and Administration Graduates
Categorized by their Area of Study at Evergreen
Political Science

State Legislative Librarian
State Legislature, Bill Clerk
State Legislature, Representative (2)
Legislative Reporter, Associated Press
Law

State Legislative Librarian
State Legislature, Bill Clerk
State Legislature, Representative (2)
Legislative Reporter, Associated Press
Law

Legal Secretary
Legal Aide, Attorney General's Office
Registered Law Clerk
Administrative Assistant to Court Information Services Director
Administration, Personnel and Training
Atlas Foundry, Personnel Manager
Rochester, Minnesota Public Utility, Director of Administration
Department of Personnel, Intern Co-ordinator
Thurston County Commissioner
Tacoma Urban League, Personnel/Affirmative Action Officer
Catholic Hospital, Personnel Administrator
Department of Natural Resources, Personnel Assistant
Department of Social and Health Services, Administrative Intern
Washington Employees Association, Employee Relations Representative
Office of Community Development, Consultant Researcher
Administration, Public Service

Legal Secretary
Legal Aide, Attorney General's Office
Registered Law Clerk
Administrative Assistant to Court Information Services Director
AdministrRtion, Personnel and Training
Atlas Foundry, Personnel Manager
Rochester, Minnesota Public Utility, Director of Administration
Department of Personnel, Intern Co-ordinator
Thurston County Commissioner
Tacoma Urban League, Personnel/Affirmative Action Officer
Catholic Hospital, Personnel Administrator
Department of Natural Resources, Personnel Assistant
Department of Social and Health Services, Administrative Intern
Washington Employees Association, Employee Relations Representative
Office of Community Development, Consultant Researcher
Administration, Public Service

Washington State Senate, Research Analyst (2)
American Red Cross, Donor Recruiter
City of Longview, Transit Supervisor
Washington State tibrary, Drug Information Co-ordinator
Washington Council for the Humanities, Administrative Assistant
Washington State Arts Commission, Visual Arts Co-ordinator
Tribal Service, Field Co-ordinator
Portland City Commissioner's Office, Administrative Assistant
King County Office of Budget and Program Planning, Governmental Aide
Pierce County, Manpower Planner
Business Management

Washington State Senate, Research Analyst (2)
American Red Cross, Donor Recruiter
City of Longview, Transit Supervisor
Washington State Library, Drug Information Co-ordinator
Washington Council for the Humanities, Administrative Assistant
Washington State Arts Commission, Visual Arts Co-ordinator
Tribal Service, Field Co-ordinator
Portland City Commissioner's Office, Administrative Assistant
King County Office of Budget and Program Planning, Governmental Aide
Pierce County, Manpower Planner
Business Management

Boom Town, U.S.A., Management Trainee
Legislative Budget Committee, Fiscal Analyst and Auditor
Shopping Center Manager
County Assessor's Office, Assistant Assessor
Seattle Repertory Theater, Sales Worker
Self Employed:
Salmon Farmer
Masseuse
~
Stained Glass Window-Maker
Log Cabin Builder
House Designer
Management Consulting

Boom Town, U.S.A., Management Trainee
Legislative Budget Committee, Fiscal Analyst and Auditor
Shopping Center Manager
County Assessor's Office, Assistant Assessor
Seattle Repertory Theater, Sales Worker
Self Employed:
Salmon Farmer
Masseuse
"
Stained Glass Window-Maker
Log Cabin Builder
House Designer
Management Consulting

*"Evergreen Graduate Placement: Students in Political Science and Administration
Fields ]972- ]976", researched by: Zac Kittell (Student Intern)

*"Evergreen Graduate Placement: Students in Political Science and Administration
Fields ]972 - ]976", researched by: Zac Kittell (Student Intern)

- 240 -

- 241 -

I



APPENDIX 4

Urban Planning

~

.

APPENDIX 4

Graduate Schools Accepting Evergreen Students to Study Political Science (continued)

Evergreen students have been placed as Assistant or Associate Planners in
the following local governments:
Lewis County
City of Tacoma
North Bonneville
Cowlitz County
Clark County
Thurston County
Yakima Planning Department
City of Poulsbo, Kitsap County

Other Graduate Schools
University of Washington - Administration, Personnel and Training (1)
University of Puget Sound - Public Service Administration (2)
Western Washington State College - Administration, Personnel and Training (1)
Pacific Lutheran University - Business Management (1)
University of Hawaii - Urban Planning (1)
York University, Toronto, Canada - Political Economy (2)
Rutgers, The State University, New Jersey - Planning (1)

Also, Evergreen graduates with a major focus in Urban Planning have found
jobs with:
Planners Incorporated
Department of Emergency Services
State of Montana
Yakima Center for Health
Institution of Oceans and Hountains
Department of Fisheries
Office of Community Development
West con
Weyerhauser
Examples of Underemployed Graduates
Restaurant/Waitress (3)
Mayflower/Mover (1)

Graduate Schools Accepting Evergreen Students to Study Political Science
The following is a breakdown of the 21 students in this report attending Graduate
School:
Law Schools
University of Washington (3)
University of Puget Sound (2)
Gonzaga University (1)
Willamette University, Oregon (1)
Lewis and Clark College, Oregon (1)
John Marshall Law School, Illinois (1)
Northwestern University, Illinois (1)
University of California, Irvine (1)
University of Utah (1)
J
J

-242-

-243-

APPENDIX 5

APPENDIX 5
LtSTS OF
Page 2

STUDE~TS

LISTS OF STUDENTS*
Sept. 1973

Sept. 1975, cont.
Elementar y education certificate
Graduate School
Biochemistry

Graduate School
Graduate School
Graduate School
Medical School

U.C.. San Francisco

Graduate School
~1olecular, Cellular, Dev. Biology
U. of Colorado
lab technician, State of Washington
Graduate School
Podiatry
Philadelphia
Graduate School
U. of Illinois
Elementary education certificate
Graduate School
Biophysics
U. of Washington
Graduate School
Forestry Dept.
U. of Washington
Graduate School
Biology
U. of Montana
Medical School
Graduate School
Mycology
U. of Mexico
Anthropologist, publisher of S.E. Alaska "Archipelago"
Advanced study in holistic healing arts
Bank teller, Seattle
Returned to Isreal

~icrobiology

Cellular, Dev. Biology
Cellular, Dev. :3iology
Arctic Biology
Molecular Biology
~~rine Physiology

u.

Graduate. School
Graduate School

Chemical Physics
Animal Science

Washing t on State U.
u.c. Davis

Grcduate School
now

Biochemistry
Biochemistry

u.

School
School
School
School

~1olecular,

~1olecular,

of
U. of
u. of
U. of
U. of

Sept. 1976
Research technician, Weyerhauser, applying for graduate school 1979-80
Teaching nutrition and stress management for Group Health Cooperative
Research on harbor seals
Sailing around the world
Drug counselor, Tacoma Narcotics Center
Naturopathic College, Seattle
Applying to medical school
Research assistant, Dept. of radiation biology and biophysics,
U. of Rochester; apply to graduate school 1979-80
~~king public education films on biochemically related psychological/
behavioral problems
Graduate School
Institute of Molecular Biology
U. of Oregon
Working in Washington, D.C.
U. of Washington
Medical School
Biochemist, Nutritional Research Corp., San Francisco

Colorado
Colorado
Alaska
Oregon
Washington

Se2t. 1975

Graduate School
Biochemistry
U. of Arizona
now
Biochemistry
Oregon State U.
Graduate School
Fisheries
U. of Washington
Genetics Counseling Supervisor, Thurston-Mason Health District
Math/Computer Engineering, International Business Machines
Graduate School
Biochemistry
Computer Programmer, The Evergreen State College

U. of Arizona

Graduate School
Graduate School

U. of Arizona
U. of Geneva,
Switzerland

Biochemistry
Environmental Chemistry

Teaching nutrition and weight management, Group Health Cooperative;
applying to Naturopathic College
still at Evergreen
still at Evergreen
Working on certification in clinical dietetics,
U. of Washington

of Arizona
Oregon State U.

Medical School
~l.D./Ph.D. program
U. of Wash1ngton
still at Evergreen, has published several scientific papers as undergrad.

~

Nutrition

Biology teacher, Yosemite Institute, Calif., grad school 79-80
Driving taxi in Seattle
U. of Texas
Graduate School
Biochemistry
U. of Washington
Dental School
Boston College
Graduate School
Nursing

Sept. 1974
Graduate
Graduate
Graduate
Graduate
now

Sept. 1977
Applying to medical school 1979-80
Applying to medical school
Graduate School
Graduate School
Neuropharmacology
Graduate School
Public Health
Naturopathic College, John Bastyr, Seattle
Computer Engineer, Strobe Data Corp .• Seattle
Employed in Olympia area
Applying to medical school
still at Evergreen
Applying to nursing school
still at Evergreen
still at Evergreen
Graduate School
Physics

Fran the Area of BiochEmistry and t-blecular Biology," by Drs. Jeffrey J.
Burton S. Guttman.

-244-

Texas A & M
U. of Washington
U.C. Berkeley
U. of Washington

Computer Science
~utrition

-245-

U. of Hawaii
U. of Californ\a
Johns Hopkins

~

Idaho State U.

L1STS OF STUDE~TS

APPENDIX 5

Page 3

~

Sept. 1977, cont.
Applying to graduate school
Has not yet graduated
Dental School
still at Evergreen
Medical School
still at Evergreen, applying to medical school

U. of Washington

U. of Washington

~

"

I

- 246-

........._