UW-Tacoma is welcoming a new class. Here’s how Tacomans can help them succeed | Opinion

You're correct if you sense a change in the air in Tacoma. But it has nothing to do with the weather. All of us at the University of Washington Tacoma are excited about starting a new academic year. And we've got a lot to be excited about.

"U-Dub T" is a diverse campus that has welcomed students to the heart of downtown Tacoma since 1990. Then, approximately 400 students were enrolled. Now, we are welcoming 1,700 new first-year and transfer students for the Autumn 2024 quarter — a class size we haven't seen since before the pandemic.

Our campus is vibrant, enrolling traditional and non-traditional-aged students with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Some have overcome significant challenges to be here. Our focus is on providing access and ensuring student success, regardless of where students come from or what they've been through. Indeed, our goal is to make higher education accessible for all.

Our students come to us for various reasons, but they all share the belief that their degree will open doors. Faculty, staff and alumni are committed to helping them achieve their goals and realize career and social mobility. It's worth the investment, too; with undergraduate tuition ringing in at just under $13,000, and nearly $57 million in financial aid disbursed, U. S. World News and Reports recently rated the UW Tacoma as the number-one regional institution for social mobility in Washington with an abundance of resources to help students stay successful in and out of the classroom.

Now, while some of the benefits of UW Tacoma are more obvious, some bragging points are a bit less so. In the "more than money" category, students rank the university high regarding a "sense of belonging" and having a supportive network. And for those of you who live in Tacoma, work in Tacoma, worship here or serve the community here, you deserve a share of the thanks. Perhaps you didn't know, but students may have served beside you as volunteers and interns. And because of you, they understand the impact of being part of an engaged community.

So, as we welcome new and returning Huskies to campus, stay close Tacoma. These students are bright, talented, determined and committed.

They are students.

I invite you to keep extending your hand, offering advice, looking for ways to be engaged and offering your support to university students via time or money. And go ahead and stick out your chest a little — you too, can be proud of the purple and gold. As we welcome students to campus, you usher a welcome to the city — this city of destiny. It is a place where every Husky can find theirs.

Mentha Hynes-Wilson is the vice chancellor for student affairs, and has been for more than six years. The Division of Student Affairs is a collection of programs and services designed to assist students in their academic endeavors and extend learning beyond the classroom. More than a dozen units support student access, student success and social mobility.