Year From Hell, A Document:

The Council for Postsecondary Education had been charged by the Washington State Legislature to begin a study of The Evergreen State College in 1977. In Feb. 1979 they published the final version of The Evergreen Study : Report and Recommendations on The Evergreen State College.

An observation from the Report, "Current studies of nontraditional education in the United States conclude that the pendulum appears to be swinging from self-directed programs to programs with greater structure and career preparation relevance ... One of the ironies encountered as the Evergreen program is examined is that the College's efforts appear to be highly effective, but those efforts, for any of a variety of reasons, seem to be appealing to decreasing numbers of students ... The comment of one observer is appropriate here. 'I have an image of an efficient and potentially seaworthy vessel slowly capsizing for lack of ballast. I also feel uneasiness over the possibility the crew of the vessel is unwilling to consider re-configuring the ship to take on a different, perhaps more conventional cargo, because that would threaten its original crew moving over the hull as the ship rolls over, saluting the wake as it slowly slips beneath the surface.' [The speaker requested anonymity]. This analogy, while appealing, is probably inexact. Some might also argue that the problem is not so much one of ballast and re-configuration as a need to constantly zig-zag to avoid torpedoes ..."

The Report went on to make specific recommendations:

Recommendation 1: It is recommended that the 1979-81 and 1981-83 bienna be dedicated to an opportunity for The Evergreen State College, through an institution-wide effort, to increase its enrollment level and reduce its unit costs by making adjustments in its educational concept and attracting students. Target enrollments of 2500-2600 FTE students by 1980-81 and 3050-3350 FTE students by 1982-83 are suggested. It is also recommended that during this period the College continue to be funded at Instruction, Student Services, and other enrollment-driven Physical Plant formula levels comparable to those applied to its sister institutions. Other support program expenses should be maintained at current expenditure levels, adjusted only for inflation. It is further recommended that during this period Evergreen prepare and present annual progress reports to the Council for Postsecondary Education each November, and that the Council convey these reports with its comments to the Legislature and Governor not later than the following January.

Recommendation 2: It is recommended that Evergreen seek ways of reducing the costs associated with its support programs. Inter-organizational resource sharing arrangements and continued review of its administrative overhead and support program priorities within a context of zero "real dollar" growth should be seriously considered and undertaken.

Recommendation 3: Support for the establishment of master's level studies at Evergreen is reaffirmed. However, it is recommended that in developing its graduate studies program, Evergreen pay particular attention to the educational needs of persons associated with state government in Olympia, especially their needs for the types of certification that specific degree programs provide, and that the institution adopt curricular structure for its graduate programs consistent with forms recognized and accepted in the revelant professions.

Recommendation 4: Evergreen and the Department of Personnel, along with other appropriate governmental authorities, should be encouraged to continue their study of the feasibility of transferring the interagency training function to the College. If these efforts conclude that such a transfer is feasible, it is further recommended that the transfer occur.

Recommendation 5: It is recommended that Evergreen, in conjunction with its graduate studies efforts develop and offer evening credit-bearing courses especially related to the educational needs of professionals working in the Olympia area. Such courses should also be open to on-campus students.

Recommendation 6: It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that it consider expanding the College's degree-awarding range to encompass the Bachelor of Science degree.

Recommendation 7: It is recommended that Evergreen study the feasibility of an inter-institutional agreement with one or more institutions in its service region for the conjoint provision of programs in teacher education on campus.

Recommendation 8: It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that career pathways in the College's curriculum be clearly identified and that student and employer needs for additional pathways be identified and the curriculum augmented accordingly. In considering this question, the Board is encouraged to take into account the certification requirements that accompany job offerings in the various career fields, requirements that must be met before graduates will be considered eligible.

Recommendation 9: It is recommended to the Board of Trustees that ways be sought within the College to institute greater structure and predictability in the curriculum, including the offering of course options in the day program. It is also recommended that consideration be given to additional requirements for an Evergreen degree. Requirements that would ensure student participation in a variety of study forms and a demonstration of educational growth by the senior year are also recommended for consideration by the Board.

Recommendation 10: It is recommended that Evergreen reconsider the need for its supplementary application form as part of a larger review of its student admissions program. In doing so it should consider other means for determining whether students possess basic skills, including the announcement that it will test new students for possible placement in basic skills courses. Evergreen should make all possible attempts to accept all applicants meeting stated entrance requirements.

Recommendation 11: It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that consideration be extended to the provision of first-year requirements for entering students in the form of basic coordinated studies programs and courses directed to preparation in the basic skills areas and in the Humanities, and the Natural and Social Sciences, and to facilitating the transition of students into the institution's programs.

Recommendation 12: It is recommended to the Board of Trustees that it reexamine the procedures by which students are awarded internships or authorized to pursue independent study, so that procedures exist to assure that students are ready to undertake such modes and that the faculty assigned as sponsors are qualified for the role.

Recommendation 13: It is recommended to the Board of Trustees at Evergreen that the College reexamine the evaluation system with a goal to retaining it for internal use, while simplifying the student transcripts so that they may be more readily reviewed and comprehended by persons not associated with the College.

Recommendation 14: It is recommended that Evergreen reexamine its student advising program with the goal of developing an advising and career counseling system that supports all students' efforts to identify courses and programs which can fulfill their personal and professional objectives at the College.

Recommendation 15: It is recommended that Evergreen mount an extraordinary and sustained effort to inform students, counselors and others in the high schools of its program and to seek to counteract the negative perceptions of the College held by many of these persons.

Recommendation 16: It is recommended that Evergreen make a sustained effort to meet the needs of students in the community colleges of western and southwestern Washington and to communicate to those students what it offers. Like the other effort, it should be an institution-wide endeavor, involving Evergreen students meeting with community college students, and Evergreen faculty consulting with the faculty of those institutions on the Evergreen programs and ways in which the various institutional efforts can be coordinated.

Recommendation 17: It is recommended that Evergreen study the desirability and feasibility of engaging in a limited range of intercollegiate athletics as one means of expanding its appeal to graduating high school seniors and enhancing its relations with the Olympia community.

Recommendation 18: It is recommended that Evergreen consider ways in which it can address the expressed concerns of students at the College for places and events on campus for purposes of socializing. This appears to be an especially pressing need as a means of release for students from the pressures of the College's educational program.

Recommendation 19: New program areas at Evergreen should be reviewed externally as is the case with new program review procedures at other public institutions. New program areas at Evergreen should accord with review procedures in the Council's new degree guidelines. As part of this review process, proposals for new program areas at that institution will first be circulated among the other public four-year institutions for the review and comment of qualified reviewers.

Recommendation 20: It is recommended that Evergreen study the possibility of offering off-campus programs to serve residents in the Longview, Aberdeen/Hoquiam, and Port Angeles areas, and , upon determination of the need and feasibility of such endeavors, that it proceed to develop and offer off-campus programs in these cities in accord with the procedures in the Council's guidelines for off-campus programs.