The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) is required to develop a comprehensive and ongoing needs assessment process to analyze demand for additional degrees and programs [RCW 28B.76.230 (1)]. This report fulfills a portion of that mandate by focusing on employer demand on the regional level, but also includes additional information on…

President Obama is calling for an increase in educational attainment among citizens of the United States (Obama, 2009). Prior to this national call, Washington State recognized the need to increase the educational attainment of its residents to maintain a globally competitive economy. By 2018, 67 percent of jobs in Washington will require a…

Washington's research university branch campuses were created in 1989 to increase opportunities for students in several regions of the state to complete their baccalaureate and graduate-level studies at public universities close to their homes. Currently, the University of Washington operates branch campuses in Bothell and Tacoma. The Bothell…

Revised guidelines for the review of new degrees and new degree programs are presented by the Council for Postsecondary Education of the State of Washington. Elements considered important in the review of proposals for new degrees are as follows: objectives, characteristics and content of the program; student, institutional, and societal need for…

This report includes analysis of student enrollment behavior, employment outlook and training needs, and community needs to understand the supply and demand for postsecondary education in Washington State. The assessment will specifically respond to criteria laid out in state legislation: (1) Projections of student, employer, and community demand…