CHENEY — Eastern Washington University was recently named a College of Distinction, a national designation awarded to institutions that set themselves apart with their commitment to providing an engaged, experiential education, according to an announcement from the university. 

The criteria on which Austin-Texas-based Colleges of Distinction based its designation are engagement, teaching, community, and outcomes, according to its website.  

“What it means to us is that we're on the right track as the region's polytechnic,” said EWU Director of Communications & Media Relations Linn Parish. “We're really focused on outcomes-driven education and student-focused education.” 

In addition to the national designation, EWU was recognized as a College of Distinction at the state level and among public universities nationwide, according to the announcement, as well as in eight specific categories: Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Affordability, Career Development, International and Military Support. 

“Eastern Washington University has a proud history of providing a transformative undergraduate experience that prepares our students to thrive in the workforce and to serve as leaders in their communities,” EWU President Shari McMahan wrote in the announcement. “Being recognized as a College of Distinction across such a wide range of fields reaffirms our strength in hands-on learning, as well as our commitment to affordability and academic excellence.” 

Eastern Washington University was also one of only three institutions in the eastern half of Washington to earn the Higher Access, Higher Earnings designation from the Carnegie Foundation as an Opportunity College and University, the university announced. Central Washington University in Ellensburg and Perry Technical Institute in Yakima were also so designated, according to the Carnegie Foundation’s website. 

“There are only 78 universities in the entire country that have both a research designation and the ‘opportunity university’ designation,” David Bowman, dean of EWU’s College of STEM, wrote in EWU’s announcement. “And only 22 in the entire nation that are simultaneously classified as Undergraduate/Graduate-Master’s (and) Research and Opportunity.” 

“These types of awards tell us that we're on the right track in doing what we say we're doing in walking our talk,” Parish said. “(They’re) one part of a larger body of work that reaffirms that we're doing what we say we're going to do … making sure that our students, regardless of their field of study, are prepared to go out there and become successful.”