Today, 23 leaders from the State of Washington – from Alberg to Zapolsky … Amazon to Zillow – sent a letter to the Washington State Legislature supporting a $40 million capital appropriation to partially fund a second building for UW CSE, which will accommodate a doubling of our enrollment. (The project is expected to cost $110 million; the remainder will be raised privately.)
The leaders wrote:
“We are writing to express our collective support of the University of Washington’s request for $40 million in the FY 2015-17 state capital budget for the construction of a 130,000 square-foot Computer Science & Engineering building.
“Our region’s computer science community has fast become one of the leading areas for growth and innovation in the country. Home to the world’s largest software company, online retailer, and online travel company, our stellar pool of talent is charting new territory in mobile technology, enterprise software, cloud computing, interactive media and cyber security. The University of Washington is a huge engine for this industry, home to one of the top ten programs
in the nation …
“Please help us make sure Washington state continues to maintain its place at the forefront of the computer science industry and sets a strong base for future growth by ensuring UW can continue to produce the graduates we need …”
The Puget Sound region is literally the software capital of the world: more Software Developers (Systems + Applications) are located here, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, than in the San Francisco Bay Area. Computer Science is also the field with by far the greatest gap in our state between “jobs available” and “degrees granted.” UW Computer Science & Engineering is by far the leading program in the state at preparing Washington’s students for these great Washington jobs.
A few items that may be of interest:
- The letter sent by 23 leaders today.
- A new poll by Washington STEM showing overwhelming voter support for increased investment in Computer Science education at all levels.
- An analysis of LinkedIn data (very noisy, but still very interesting!) finding that 90% of UW graduates who become software engineers remain in the Puget Sound region.
- HB 1813, introduced by Reps. Drew Hansen and Chad Magendanz, which would increase access to Computer Science in K-12. Reps. Hansen and Magendanz are also working on a budget initiative that would expand Computer Science enrollment at UW, WSU, and Western. They have really done their homework and are carrying the torch.
- A presentation to the House Higher Education Committee by UW CSE chair Hank Levy on computer science workforce issues.
Washington’s top students deserve the opportunity to become prepared for Washington’s top jobs!