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William (Bill) Davis has been appointed interim vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement and will begin a one-year term on July 1. Davis will succeed Mary Wack, who has served as vice provost since 2007. She is retiring, but will stay on through August as Davis transitions into his new role. “We are fortunate to have such a strong leader like Bill Davis to serve in this role, one that is critical to our educational mission at WSU,” provost Elizabeth Chilton said.

What do you get when you make pizza, pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins, and ice cream all on a Saturday? Plates and bowls of deliciousness plus an introduction to college-level science, if you are a lucky high-schooler who attended a virtual cooking class hosted by Washington State University’s Office of Academic Engagement and the School of Hospitality Business Management. For three hours, dozens of OAE student participants across the state followed along in their own home kitchens while three HBM instructors in chef’s whites worked in front of cameras set up throughout Todd Hall’s commercial kitchen in the Carson College of Business.

The Washington State University Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement (DAESA) celebrated faculty, staff, and students whose contributions through academic year 2020-21 promoted students, teaching, and learning success and excellence university wide. The awards announced are being made by DAESA units that include the University Common Requirements (UCORE) program, the Academic Success and Career Center (ASCC), the Transfer Center for Policy and Resources, the Office of Academic Engagement, and First-Year Programs.

With a goal to better understand graduates’ immediate plans, Washington State University has emailed a questionnaire to 5,748 seniors asking about what they will do following graduation. “It’s important to understand that this is the first time we have conducted a university-wide survey to gather this type of statistical data,” said Mary F. Wack, vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement. “The new ‘Undergraduate Placement Survey’ will give the university its first comprehensive picture across the institution.”

Washington State University faculty with innovative ideas to enhance teaching and learning are encouraged to apply by March 15, 2021 for a Smith Teaching and Learning Grant of up to $5,000, announced Mary F. Wack, vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement. There are two focus areas of this year’s awards: increasing course completion and student progress by reducing high C-DFW rates and redesigning large lecture courses for active student engagement in a flipped or hybrid course design.

Former student body president and student regent and current Washington educator Jordan Frost received Washington State University’s inaugural First-Generation Alumni Excellence Award, presented by the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE). Frost earned two degrees at WSU—a B.A. in history in 2018, and a Master’s in teaching in 2019. “We envision this award as a way to celebrate exceptional WSU alumni who were first-generation students themselves,” said Ali Bretthauer, director of OAE College Success Programs.

Ten finalist teams from 12 sections of the Washington State University’s First-Year Success Seminar/University 104 course presented apps on the theme of “resilience” at the third Adobe Creative Jam, and three teams took home top awards, said Cynthia Williams, program director. “Thanks to our ongoing partnership with Adobe, our students were once again able to demonstrate the skills learned in UNIV 104 to creatively identify and communicate their innovative solutions to a complex problem,” said Williams.

The top 10 teams from Washington State University’s UNIV 104 freshman seminar course will compete virtually for prizes at 6:00 p.m., Wed., Nov. 4 as part of the third Adobe Creative Jam, said Cindy Williams, program director. The top teams were chosen from a field of 60 teams of two to three students each across 13 sections of the popular first-year course. Finalists will present apps they created that are centered around this year’s theme of “resiliency.” The public is invited to watch the presentations online.

Several events, Nov. 2-9, allow Washington State University to join in the national celebration of a key population segment–first-generation students, the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) said. Across three dates, the OAE will host a story share on social media, a faculty roundtable on student support, and a presentation by an accomplished alumnus. All events are free and open to the public. “There are first-gen celebrations planned nationally around this time, and we joined in because we realize that there are thousands of WSU students systemwide who identify as first-gen,” said Ray Acuña Luna, director for OAE’s College Access Programs.

Renewals of University Common Requirements (UCORE) courses at Washington State University have been postponed during the 2020-21 academic year. The decision was made by the 23-member UCORE Committee, which approves such general education courses and assesses the effectiveness of the UCORE curriculum. All existing UCORE courses must be renewed through a formal process to maintain alignment and adherence to UCORE learning outcomes.