WSU Vancouver is poised to eliminate a program that has produced many of Clark County’s movers and shakers.
The Salmon Creek campus intends to discontinue its master’s degree in public affairs due to low enrollment, university officials told The Columbian this week. Fewer than a dozen new students have enrolled in the program each year over the last decade.
“It’s just not sustainable to be running a program with such small enrollment numbers,” said Renny Christopher, vice chancellor for academic affairs for the local campus.
Though the program hasn’t been officially canceled, the college is no longer accepting new applicants. Students enrolled in the program will be able to finish their degrees. The university will continue to offer a bachelor’s degree in public affairs. Because the two programs have the same instructors, the program’s staff, including former Democratic congressional candidate Carolyn Long, will remain at the university.
“The faculty are saddened by this moment, but we’re trying to focus on what the program is able to do and has been able to do for the community,” said Mark Stephan, an associate professor of political science who teaches in the program. “We’re trying to have a balanced sense of things.”
The public affairs program is rooted in a theoretical understanding of how policy is developed. Students take a slate of political science and research courses, as well as classes in such topics as criminal justice or environmental policy, with the goal of pursuing careers in government agencies or nonprofits.
In 2018, six students graduated from the public affairs program, up from four in 2017 and three in 2016. The bachelor’s in public affairs, meanwhile, turned out 36 students in 2018, 34 students in 2014 and 40 students in 2016. There are about 3,500 students at the Vancouver campus.
Mike Bomar, director of economic development for the Port of Vancouver, graduated from the master’s program in 2005 and was recognized by the college with a notable alumni award in 2014. Bomar, who was president of the Columbia River Economic Development Council before heading to the port, said he was drawn to the program because of a longtime interest in politics and how communities and government bodies work.
“I think the connection to the local community was great in terms of applying public affairs theory,” he said.
Bomar noted that many of his classmates are working in public affairs in and around Vancouver, creating a “fun network” of Cougars in the community. Bomar said he was saddened by the elimination of the program, but he added that he understands the challenge the university has in offering a program with such small cohort numbers.
“Knowing how thoughtful they are before they get rid of a program, I can certainly empathize and understand why they’re making that move,” he said.
Michael Reyes graduated from the program in 2012 and is now a community engagement officer at the Portland-based Northwest Health Foundation. The nonprofit organization advocates for policy and provides grants for organizations that improve health care access.
Reyes was working at WSU Vancouver when he started pursuing his degree. Reyes said he appreciated the accessibility of the classes and the affordability of the program. He said he still crosses paths with researchers and people he interviewed for his thesis project, which focused on how poor implementation of policies designed to protect farmworkers from pesticides put them at risk.
“In my current field, we pay attention to a lot of the policy landscape here in the region,” Reyes said. “Understanding the history, the nuances, particularly around intergovernmental relations, was such a key thing.”
Renata Rhodes is another local graduate of the program, and a workplace investigator for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families. Rhodes graduated in 2004. At the time she was a young mother, place-bound, and looking to finish her degree at a nearby location and affordable price.
“I just feel like it’s really a disservice,” Rhodes said of the elimination of the program. “It’s a disappointment that more people won’t be able to engage in that education.”
Rhodes said she and her staff write government and ethics policy regularly. Having a foundation of political theory and professional writing has been key in her work, she said.
“I feel very lucky that I was able to get an education near my home from renowned professors,” she said.
Continued Rhodes: “This could be very damaging to the fabric of the community.”
