EWU Positions Itself as ‘The Region’s Polytechnic’ 

Eastern recently launched its evolved brand positioning, with EWU President Shari McMahan unveiling a video introducing the university as “the region’s polytechnic”  during her Sept. 24 Convocation speech.

The university also made available a website to help answer questions about the brand-positioning changes, and what they will mean for the EWU community.

As the region’s polytechnic, McMahan told the audience at the annual Convocation event, EWU will expand on what it has done so well for so long — providing students with hands-on experiences that prepare them for professional success. Their successes, she added, will support workforce needs and strengthen local and regional communities.

Currently, 75% of EWU students graduate with experience in their career fields. EWU is working to provide these vital professional experiences to all of its students, mostly by cultivating and expanding upon partnerships with regional employers. (Check out this story about EWU’s polytechnic model for workforce readiness on the KXLY News website.)

The university will continue to raise funds to support research and internship stipends that allow students with outside employment to reduce their work hours. This will provide these hardworking Eagles with the means to participate in internships and opportunities that advance professional skills but might not pay the bills.

The evolved branding provides EWU with the opportunity to differentiate itself and capitalize on what we are already doing, McMahan said.

“Our goal is to make an applied learning experience a hallmark of an EWU degree, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning that prepares them for a good-paying job and a meaningful career.”

With degrees spanning four colleges and encompassing multiple disciplines and community partners, polytechnic experiences at EWU are wide ranging  — and almost always provide direct benefits to the larger community.

Here are just a few examples:

• College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS): Music tech majors learn by developing required projects and participating in service-learning internships with organizations like KPBX, Civic Theatre, Amplified Wax, and local radio drama producers.
• College of Professional Programs (CPP): Professional accounting students work with Spokane Superior Court to audit financials for guardianship files, protecting vulnerable children and adults from financial abuse, and partner with Spokane County United Way to help elderly and low-income residents prepare their tax filings.
• College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CSTEM): Public Infrastructure Security Cyber Education System (PISCES): Cybersecurity classes partner with small, local and regional municipalities to provide security monitoring.
• College of Health Science and Public Health (CHSPH): For more than 50 years, EWU’s dental hygiene students have honed their skills while providing vital services for children and adults, including many who are low-income or uninsured, through the EWU Dental Hygiene Clinic.

As a regional university, Eastern selected this brand positioning after months of discussions. The goal was to help meet critical workforce needs while remaining competitive and relevant in an evolving economy. Research into current and projected regional workforce data — and the results of surveys of potential students regarding the importance of experiential learning — indicated that the polytechnic model, especially when defined as applied learning, was seen as the right direction to continue fulfilling EWU’s mission while providing a pathway for  student success.

McMahan told the Convocation audience that, over the summer, marketing partner idfive conducted a survey of nearly 2,000 stakeholders to get a sense of what they thought of the polytechnic positioning. The survey went to prospective students, current students, and parents and guardians. It generated responses that showed the polytechnic messaging, when centered on the virtues of practical experiences and career preparation, resonated strongly with all audience segments.

As the region’s polytechnic, EWU hopes to build on its longstanding commitment to students and communities in the following ways:

• EWU is adapting to meet current and future workforce needs, partnering with businesses and nonprofits throughout the region to align our academic offerings with employer demands.
• Combining the lowest tuition of the state’s six universities with a focus on creating access to degrees that lead to in-demand careers. (For instance, EWU offers majors in 19 of 20 of the fastest growing industries in the state.)
• Removing obstacles and creating opportunities for social and economic mobility for the region’s students, especially first-generation college students. (The New York Times ranks EWU as a top school for social mobility.)
• Expanding industry partnerships to provide students with career-focused internships, co-op programs and research opportunities to develop professional skills and connections.
• Positioning students for the jobs of the future by adapting degree programs and launching new offerings in collaboration with our regional and state partners to prepare our students to meet critical workforce needs.

To learn more, please visit EWU.EDU/Polytechnic.