The doors of the Washington State Normal School in Ellensburg opened in 1891. Mr. Benjamin Franklin Barge was the first principal of the school, which was founded to educate future elementary and junior high teachers. Classes were held at the Washington Public School until the normal school's first building, Barge Hall, opened in 1893.
As a public comprehensive university, CWU strives to create an engaging learning environment and therefore places its highest priority on teaching, learning, and student success. The faculty is comprised of scholar-teachers working in the interests of their students, their disciplines, and the region. CWU encourages individualized programs of student success and promotes undergraduate and graduate student-faculty partnerships that are actively engaged in discovery, creative expression, and engaged learning.
The mission of the Office of Undergraduate Research is to promote and support undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities in all academic disciplines. We work with faculty, staff, and students in all departments and programs at all of Central Washington University's campuses.
The OUR's programs include:
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2019. By rating institutions on a scale from 1 to 5, on multiple studies-related questions, we found the top educators in the world.
Learn more about the Global Student Satisfaction AwardsCWU believes that student success is best achieved by providing supportive learning and living environments that encourage intellectual inquiry, exploration, and application. CWU believes that learning is best achieved in small classroom or group settings with ample opportunities for individualized instruction, mentoring, advising, and programming.
CWU believes that state-of-the-art, safe, and attractive facilities enhance the working and learning environments of faculty, staff, and students. CWU also believes that state-of-the-art technologies provide leverage for the efforts of faculty, staff, and students.Safety: CWU believes it has a responsibility to providing a working and learning environment that is both physically and emotionally safe. CWU believes this responsibility extends to the off-campus environment of its full-time, residential students.
University Centers strive to provide library resources accessible to center students. CWU-Moses Lake students have access to the BBCC Library, as well as the online resources the CWU Brooks Library provides.
CWU has invested in providing the highest level of technological support for all of its students, faculty and staff. From expansive wireless access, to individual customer support, to ongoing software and equipment upgrades, Technology Services (TS) seeks to meet—and anticipate—the growing needs of our computerized society. Below is a brief overview of our services.
Central Washington University has eight campuses in addition to the residential campus in Ellensburg. The campuses offer upper division (300-400 level) courses in selected degree areas and are designed for students who have completed their Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degrees or the CWU General Education Requirements.
Central Washington University is a regionally accredited institution through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The NWCCU is one of six regional accrediting associations that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Institutional accreditation is important as it qualifies CWU and enrolled students for access to federal funds to support teaching, research, and student financial aid.
The smaller class sizes and campus made it really easy to know professors and my fellow peers
The college didn't offer many programs.
