ASDP/ARC PROFILE

CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Institution Name:
Central Washington University
400 East 8th Ave.
Ellensburg, WA 98926

Contacts:
Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann
Assistant Professor
Philosophy Department
Director: Asia/Pacific Studies Program
(509) 963-1830 Jeffrey.Dippmann@cwu.edu

Brief Institutional Description: Central Washington University, one of six state-assisted universities, enrolls 7900 students. In addition to 137 undergraduate programs, the university offers 29 graduate programs. Most offerings are based on the Ellensburg Campus. The campus, an appealing mixture of traditional and modern architecture, consists of 83 buildings, stretching across shaded lawns that are framed by evergreens, landscaped malls, and walks. The community prides itself on quality living, and students experience a friendly and safe small-town atmosphere. This is augmented by diverse cultural and social fare offered by the University, the city and our proximity to the Cascade Mountains, Seattle, Puget Sound, Yakima River Valley, Spokane and the Columbia River recreational areas.

In addition to our Ellensburg campus offerings, CWU provides graduate and undergraduate programming at its instructional centers in Lynnwood, Moses Lake, SeaTac, Steilacoom, Wenatchee and Yakima.

Highest Degree Offered: Master's Degree
Institutional Control: Public 4-year University
Academic Calendar: Quarters
Campus Size: 380 Acres
Setting: Ellensburg, Washington
Regional Airport: Yakima/SeaTac

Asia/International Stage of Development: In 1988 the CWU Asian/Pacific Rim Studies Program was established in anticipation of a new "Century of the Pacific" in which the world's political and economic center of gravity is expected to shift to Asia. In 1999, the Program was elevated to an interdisciplinary major. The program was initially developed in 1988 as the result of a U.S. Dept. of Education Title VI grant. Ever since, the program has enjoyed strong support and has flourished due to continuing student and faculty interest. The University now has more than twenty faculty members, from the disciplines of art, foreign languages, philosophy, business, anthropology, economics, sociology, history, religion, education, political science, geography and land studies, doing research and/or teaching on subjects related to Asia and Pacific Rim studies.

Recent/Planned Activities: In 2001, funded by a grant from the Lancy Foundation and NCUR, CWU undertook a pilot program of field site undergraduate research on urbanization and environmental management in Beijing, China. The Lancy/NCUR funding is highly competitive; CWU's program was one of only four funded activities from over 40 applications. The program entailed: the competitive selection of 10 Lancy/NCUR scholars from CWU students; a ten-week course in China's environment and social science proposal formulation; a week of study at the East-West Center in Honolulu; a three-week field experience in Beijing; a three-week session of analysis and writing back at CWU; and presentations at the NCUR meetings and at other venues. In November 2001 CWU hosted "Cultures of Authority in Asian Practice," its first ASDP Regional Workshop. In addition, a grant from the CWU Foundation supported "China in the 21st Century," a series of lectures, presentations and artistic exhibitions that extended across the 2001 calendar year.

Study Abroad and Faculty Exchange Programs: The office of international Studies and Programs (OISP) coordinates all internationally related activities on campus. This includes maintaining institutional linkages, facilitating faculty exchanges, providing study abroad/exchange and academic advising for both international students and American students, promoting English language acquisition through the Asia University America Program and the University English as a Second Language Program, and collaborating with the academic Deans and departments in support of the overall internationalization of the university curriculum.

Central Washington University and the Office of International Studies and Programs maintain active inter-institutional and organizational relationships with the following universities in Asia: Anhui University, China; Gunma Prefectural Women's University, Japan; International Student Exchange Program, various countries; Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan; Northern Jiatong University, China; Shimane University, Japan; Shimane Women's Junior College, Japan; Shimane International College, Japan; Takushoku University, Japan; Pukyong National University, Korea; American Heritage Association, various countries; Beijing University, China; College Consortium for International Studies, various countries; American Institute for Foreign Studies, various countries; Asia University, Japan and Universitas Udayana, Indonesia. Active student and faculty exchange opportunities exist between CWU and these institutions.

Primary Faculty Resources: John Alwin, Geography; James Cook, East Asian History; Jeffrey Dippman, Philosophy; Koushik Ghosh, Economics; David Hedrick, Economics; Raeburne S. Heimbeck, Philosophy; Cynthia Krieble, Art; Michael Launius, Political Science; Chenyang Li, Philosophy; Richard Mack, Economics; Janet Marstein, Art; Joshua Nelson, Foreign Language; William Woods, Business Administration; Hong Xiau, Sociology; Bang-Soon Yoon, Political Science

Grants: Central Washington University expects that the Lancy/NCUR program described above will be funded again for 2002. A proposal to NSF-Research Experiences for undergraduates has been submitted; if funded, it will open enrollment in the Lancy/NCUR program to students from other institutions. Historically, a number of Title VI grants have been secured. For the last two years CWU has received grant monies from the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a program on exporting agricultural products to Asia and Latin America. The program is expected to be re-funded for two more years.