By Winston Bonnheim

Although sometimes a great thing, growth is not always for the best.  As a member of the UW Bothell community, this fact is important to recognize, because our school is growing and it’s growing quickly.  Proof of this can be found by just looking around.  The library at times is full, the Commons can actually be crowded, classes are running out of room, and at the busiest times in order to get to class, one has to juke other students with moves the Seahawks running backs could only dream of.

Yes we are growing, and with this come some definite positives.  More students equals more demand for campus housing; having this housing increases the closeness of our community and may bring in students from greater distances that before might not have been inclined to move here without the guarantee of housing.  More students has also mean a more vibrant student life component on campus.  The increase in student life is helping to drive the effort to get the student union building up and running.  Another great thing that a growing campus is leading to is that it provides justification for moving forward with the 21^st century initiative by increasing the number of programs offered.

These good things aside, there is also potential downside to the quick growth.  There is the chance that the classes a student needs will not be available.  There is an increased work load on the UW Bothell staff members, who already wear many hats and work extremely hard.  There is the concern of simply running out of space.  Most importantly though is the nature of our environment and the potential impact the growth will have on it.  UW Bothell has long prided itself on the intimate connection between students and their peers, and between students and faculty that was created by the campus’s smaller size.  We must ask ourselves how the intimate environment will be altered by the growth and what the trade-offs are for a lower degree of faculty availability and student to student familiarization.  It is clear in my view that ultimately what will ensure that change on this campus is not superfluous will be whether or not it is sustainable and if it is done in a manner that serves the interests/desires of the student body.  While I cannot really speak to the sustainability factor, I say with a strong degree of certainty that the change will be in the best interest of the students if there is transparency by the administration, a voice at the table for the students, and if the administration listens to that voice.

In regards to those three things, the current administration needs to be commended.  The administration has certainly been transparent.  Chancellor Chan himself holds regular town hall meetings.  The administration has also enabled the students to have a voice at the table by maintaining a close relationship with the ASUWB.  Quoting student body President Xheni Diko, “The UW Bothell Administration works with ASUWB on a daily basis. They are the most student focused administration I have seen.” Lastly, the administration so far has done a great job at listening to the students’ voice.  A couple examples are: there are more food options on campus with a variety of menu options and price ranges, and when disapproval to the idea of moving graduation to the Bothell campus was expressed, the administration decided to keep it at HEC Ed.

The end result of growth, either positive or negative, cannot and should not just be quantified in numbers but must also be qualified by opinions.  UW Bothell students must continue to express our opinions, and the administration must continue to give us the opportunity to express our opinions, and within reason, listen to them.  As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Life is change.  Growth is optional.  Choose wisely.”

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