student success

Transfer student finds community on both sides of the river

When deciding what four-year university he wanted to attend, affordability and proximity to family were primary factors for first-generation student Kyle Kopta (’21). He discovered WSU Tri-Cities, located just 40 minutes from his hometown of Hermiston, Oregon, had a digital technology and culture program that would allow him to apply his passion for photography, video, […]

Major strides in student success

The five-year WSU Transformational Change Initiative (TCI) created an excellent model for boosting student success, and plans are in the works to continue improving the program. “The intention is to help the students connect with opportunities that align with their values, play to their strengths, and move them toward their goals,” said Samantha Swindell, associate […]

Social-belonging exercise improves ESL student success

A study conducted at 19 universities found that a brief social-belonging exercise boosts the performance and persistence of students who speak English as a second language in STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and math. “We found that this fairly brief intervention that involves reading stories from older students and doing a writing exercise had lasting […]

Alumna pursues passion for design

Life preparation. It was the thing that most drove Dana Dollarhyde to get a college degree and the thing that she said she is most grateful for her college experience. One reason Dollarhyde (’18 DTC) chose WSU Tri-Cities was because it was affordable: she received thousands in scholarships and also qualified for the College Bound […]

Library instruction increases student educational success

Clif Stratton knows the difference library instruction makes for his students. For more than five years, he has brought students in his “Roots of Contemporary Issues” class to Terrell Library to meet with Corey Johnson, WSU’s instruction and assessment librarian. Johnson teaches the students how to find suitable primary and secondary sources for their research […]

Undergraduate students’ research opens doors to the future

Alyssa Sperry’s research for her University Scholars Honors thesis on the history of salt in Jamaica earned her the Library Research Excellence Award for 2018. It also changed her life. The library research award is designed to recognize students who excel in using the library and its rich resources. Sperry, who graduated from WSU Vancouver in […]

Exploration emphasized in CAS Week of Welcome kickoff

Trenton Kirchberg wants to “bridge the gap between China and the United States,” and learning to speak Mandarin Chinese is an important first step toward his goal. “I want to help alleviate the cultural misunderstandings and tensions between both countries,” the first-year WSU student said while sampling the diverse fare at the Department of Foreign […]