UW-Tacoma is getting a new class. Here’s how Tacomans can help them succeed

You’re right if you sense a change in the air in Tacoma. But it has nothing to do with the weather. All of us at the University of Washington Tacoma are excited to begin a new academic year. And we have a lot to be excited about.

“U-Dub T” is a diverse campus that has welcomed students in the heart of downtown Tacoma since 1990. Then, approximately 400 students were enrolled. We are now welcoming 1,700 new first-year and transfer students for the fall term of 2024—a class we haven’t seen since before the pandemic.

Our campus is vibrant and enrolls traditional and non-traditional students with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Some have overcome significant challenges to be here. Our focus is on providing access and ensuring student success, regardless of where students come from or what they’ve been through. Indeed, our goal is to make higher education accessible to all.

Our students come to us for a variety of reasons, but all share the belief that their degree will open doors. Faculty, staff, and alumni are committed to helping them achieve their goals and achieve career and social mobility. It’s also worth the investment; with undergraduate tuition at just under $13,000 and nearly $57 million in disbursed financial aid, US World News and Reports recently rated UW Tacoma as the number one regional institution for social mobility in Washington, with an abundance of resources for help students stay. success in and out of the classroom.

Now, while some of the benefits of UW Tacoma are more obvious, some points of praise are a little less so. In the “more than money” category, students rank the university at the top with “a sense of belonging” and having a supportive network. And for those of you who live in Tacoma, work in Tacoma, worship here, or serve the community here, you deserve a share of the thanks. You might not know it, but students could be serving alongside you as volunteers and interns. And because of you, they understand the impact of being part of an engaged community.

So as we welcome new and returning Huskies to campus, stay close to Tacoma. These students are bright, talented, determined and dedicated.

I am our the students.

I invite you to continue to reach out, offer advice, look for ways to get involved and provide support to university students through time or money. And go ahead and stick your chest out a little – you too can be proud of the purple and gold. As we welcome students to campus, you welcome them to the city – this city of destiny. It’s a place where every Husky can find his.

Mentha Hynes-Wilson is vice chancellor for student affairs and has been for more than six years. The Division of Student Affairs is a collection of programs and services designed to assist students in their academic endeavors and extend learning beyond the classroom. More than a dozen units support student access, student success and social mobility.