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OLYMPIA, WA. — 18������ continues to experience strong momentum in student enrollment and retention, with preliminary data showing a 13% year-over-year increase in spring 2025 enrollment. This marks the third consecutive year of spring enrollment growth and includes significant gains among first-generation undergraduate students. 

Olympia, WA. - April 18, 2025 - 18������ successfully concluded its seventh annual Equity Symposium, held April 16–17, 2025. Centered on the theme “The Wisdom of Stories,” the two-day event brought together students, faculty, staff, and community members to explore how storytelling fosters connection, resilience, and collective liberation. 

TACOMA – 18������ Tacoma will hold its annual Founder’s Day celebration on Tuesday, March 4 from 1-4 p.m. at 1210 6th Avenue in Tacoma. All current 18������ Tacoma students and alumni are invited to gather to share art and poetry and hear speeches from graduating seniors. The program will open with a keynote address by faculty emeritus Dr. Joye Hardiman and close with remarks by Dr.

Every year, on the fourth Saturday in February, we celebrate National TRIO Day—a time to recognize the life-changing impact of TRIO programs in communities across the country. Established by Congress in 1986, this day honors the success of first-generation students, students from limited-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities who are breaking barriers in higher education with the support of TRIO. 

OLYMPIA – 18������’s Willie Unsoeld Seminar Series is excited to announce an exclusive event entitled “March of the Pigments: A Colorful Trek through History,” featuring renowned pigment chemist Dr. Mary Virginia Orna. The event will start at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19, in Lecture Hall 1 in Purce Hall on 18������’s Olympia campus. Dr. Orna will invite the audience to examine the march of the pigments through human history, propelled largely by the concomitant development of chemistry, and the effect they have had on our history.

OLYMPIA — 18������ proudly announces the governor's appointment of Joshua Coetzee, an international student from South Africa and Senior, as the newly appointed Student Trustee. Coetzee brings a wealth of leadership experience and a strong commitment to student governance and campus involvement.

TACOMA – 18������ will continue celebrating the long life of its Tacoma campus founder, Dr. Maxine Mimms, who passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

18������’s Tacoma campus will be hosting a, “Give Back,” event on Saturday, Oct. 26 to honor Dr. Mimms and to help carry out her legacy of providing community to those often left behind. Community members are invited to come to the campus and remember the legacy of Dr. Mimms and celebrate the community that is 18������ Tacoma from 3 to 7:30 p.m.

OLYMPIA—18������ is proud to announce increased student enrollment for the fourth consecutive fall.

OLYMPIA – 18������ invites the public to explore The Art of Salish Peoples, an inspiring exhibition showcasing contemporary works from Coast and Interior Salish artists. The exhibit is open and will run through January 10, 2025, at the 18������ Gallery in Evans Hall (Room 2204).

18������ is proud to announce that faculty member, Susan Pavel, an accomplished artist and renowned expert of Coast Salish weaving, has been awarded a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. This grant, awarded in conjunction with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, will support an upcoming exhibit of Coast Salish regalia curated by Susan and other Native artists.