A?University of Washington Bothell?education?is in high demand. Last fall saw its largest-ever enrollment, with more than 1,100 first-year students?pushing?the total student body beyond 6,300.?
“Those trends speak a lot to the experiences our students are having and who we attract,” said Dr. Brian Martensen, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “It’s clear that people care about students here — and they care about each other.”
Six months after joining UW Bothell, Martensen has distilled this essence of the close-knit campus. He is still discovering how best to support what is a still developing and dynamic university.
He?said he is?leaning?into a three-pronged approach: clear information and analysis, streamlined systems,?and collaboration.?“We do a lot of things right,?and now it’s a question of how to scale?them.”?
足彩app哪个是正规的?flipside?of UW Bothell’s growth, noted Martensen, is that?all?the?programs and systems that keep?the campus humming?don’t?always keep up, which makes coordinating across five schools, several hundred faculty, hundreds of?staff?and?more than 6,300 students?much?more?complicated.?
Collaborating to support a dynamic campus
His first order of business: Get the best information to the people who need it.
“We want to put the right tools in people’s hands,” Martensen said. “足彩app哪个是正规的 faculty and staff know the students well, but can we use data more effectively to coordinate our efforts?”
For example, in some majors, sophomore year presents a critical turning point when students are vulnerable to dropping out. How can UW Bothell better uncover potential obstacles and highlight the need for support??
“Guided by the right data,” Martensen said,?“we?can make targeted investments — from reducing class sizes where it would be most effective to expanding mentored experiences?and increasing innovative, high-impact services and resources for students.”?
This approach will also systematize support?and simplify processes?for UW Bothell faculty. 足彩app哪个是正规的 bulk of Martensen’s role,?in fact, involves coordinating academic affairs with?each of the five?school?deans, plus the Campus Library, Office of 足彩app哪个是正规的 Academic Success, Office of Faculty?Success?and?Office of Sponsored?Research.?
“We want to make the systems easy,” he said, “and make sure the faculty’s work is in the places where they can be most effective and use their expertise.”
Building on a UW Bothell strength
With the faculty,?Martensen is also looking to coordinate and scale the rich roster of?community engagement opportunities for UW Bothell students. 足彩app哪个是正规的se include research?projects,?internships, capstones, mentorship opportunities, study abroad and career connections — a full range of offerings to fit the needs of a diverse student body.?
Yet with the systems?now?in place, said Martensen, it?can be?difficult to?know?how many students are participating in?different types?of?community-engaged learning?— and better data?can?enhance this?critical aspect of the?UW Bothell Husky experience.?
“It’s a matter of scale,” he said. “How can we make sure that every student on campus has access to these opportunities? How can we get even more of them involved?”
Since arriving at UW Bothell last summer, Martensen has also dived into joint, long-term planning for all three UW campuses and is excited to see UW Bothell’s strengths lauded and embedded in the University’s overall work.
“足彩app哪个是正规的re are a lot of things we do that the UW as a whole is recognizing and incorporating,” he said. “Community engagement,?training students to talk across differences?… these are being taken on more broadly at the tri-campus level.”?
“We want to make sure the faculty’s work is in the places where they can be most effective and use their expertise.”
Brian Martensen, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs
Planning for statewide impact
Martensen is deeply involved in long-term strategic planning?that’s?specific to UW Bothell?as well. As a veteran of such efforts, he strives to balance the lofty and the tactical by asking, “What’s the thing that we can do that’s unique and that we can maximize?”?
One part of his answer: a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches. “It’s why we’re well-positioned to help the region and the state,” he said.?
From AI and cybersecurity to biotech, aerospace, medical and health — each of these burgeoning fields is interdisciplinary in nature.?
“It’s a real opportunity,” said Martensen. “足彩app哪个是正规的re are lots of experts on this campus who have the ability to look at trends, help shape them and figure out how best to use them.”
Also?distinct?to?UW Bothell? 足彩app哪个是正规的 fact that it?is both part of a research university and has a student-focused mission?at its core. “足彩app哪个是正规的?UW’s?multi-campus model means we can both be ourselves and part of something larger,” he said.?
A shining example of education
A recent?arrival to the Pacific Northwest, Martensen has become a champion of UW Bothell’s strengths: faculty expertise, interdisciplinary approaches, community-engaged?learning?and thousands of enthusiastic students.?
He?said he?doesn’t?even mind the clouds and drizzle that?can?blanket the region for weeks or?months at a time.?
But he does not want UW Bothell to be hidden, he added.
“People often say we’re a hidden gem, and it shouldn’t be a secret,” he said. “UW Bothell is really a gem of a campus in the way we integrate our learning and our impact.”
