Eastern Washington University

The city of Cheney, then known as Depot Springs, was surveyed in 1880 along the tracks of the Northern Pacific Railroad; expressman Benjamin Pierce Cheney was a member of that railroad's board of directors. Officials renamed the city for Cheney by October 1880, The campus was almost totally destroyed twice by fire in 1891 and 1912, but was rebuilt each time. On August 27, 1891, while the original 1882 Cheney Academy building was being expanded, the first fire destroyed the building and unfinished addition, In 1992, the core of the campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In July 2024, amid a continuing drop in enrollment and inability to differentiate itself with the other regional universities in Washington (Western Washington University and Central Washington University), university president Shari McMahan announced that EWU would rebrand to a polytechnic university, emphasizing applied and experiential learning over theoretical discussions. The change drew criticism from students and faculty in the humanities, fearing that arts-related programs would be reduced or overlooked in the change. The university plans to expand internship opportunities and work with employers to offer more degrees for in-demand fields. ==Campus locations==

The main campus of Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney. A branch campus, known as the Riverpoint Campus is located nearby in Spokane and is shared with Washington State University. EWU also offers degree programs located in Bellevue, Everett, Seattle, Longview, and Vancouver (Washington). ==Academics==

EWU offers over 100 fields of study, 10 master's degrees, seven graduate certificates, 55 graduate programs of study and an applied doctoral program of physical therapy. A master's in social work is offered in Everett and Vancouver, and a master's in education is available in Kent. A creative writing Master of Fine Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies, Child & Family Outreach Program, Communication Studies, Social Work Program (part-time Master's), Journalism, Alcohol & Drug Studies, and Counseling Education & Developmental Psychology programs are offered in Spokane. Admissions The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies the university as Inclusive, since the university admitted eighty-two percent of those who applied to be freshmen in 2010. The average incoming freshman had a combined SAT score of 970 and a high-school weighted grade-point average (GPA) of 3.17 in 2010. 86% of freshmen in 2010 were from Washington. Rankings Research institutes & centers Eastern Washington University is home to a number of research institutes and centers, including: • Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis—created in 2002 to "provide data and analysis about a variety of factors in the region that will be useful for businesses, communities and others as they plan for the future." • Women's and Gender Education Center—The Women's and Gender Education (WAGE) Center supports the Gender, Women's & Sexuality Studies (GWSS) program's efforts in offering students the skills to critically and actively engage with the world. • Eisenhower Center/International Field Study—A program designed for students to travel abroad while earning college credit. • English Language Institute—ELI. • Center for Farm Health & Safety—Conducts research and demonstration programs involving Health and Safety of Farm-based population groups. • Fisheries Research Center— Performs a great variety of salmonid restoration studies including but not limited to: diet studies, population modeling, telemetry, bone regressions, bioenergetic modeling, water quality assessment, ecosystem modeling, surgical implantation of radio, acoustic and ultrasonic tags, and tributary sampling. ==Student life==

Pence Union Building (PUB) The Pence Union Building, or PUB, is the community center for Eastern Washington University. University Recreation Center (URC) The University Recreation Center (URC) is a three-level recreational facility that was opened on campus in 2008. The facility has a multi-purpose arena that can operate as an ice rink and general-purpose sports floor, indoor climbing wall with 11 routes (one simulating ice climbing) and two bouldering walls, an indoor parking garage, fitness center and gymnasium, campus dining facility known as "The Roost" and a two-Lane 200-meter running track. The Easterner The Easterner is the student newspaper of Eastern Washington University. The paper is distributed in print form during the fall, winter, and spring quarters on a weekly basis. The Easterner maintains a website and Facebook page, both independent from the university. The first student newspaper, The State Normal School Journal, was first in 1916. The weekly publication changed its name to The Easterner in 1951. Student organizations and Greek life The student body's government, the Associated Students of Eastern Washington University, dates to 1919–1920, and organizes the work of a wide range of student committees. The Office of Student Activities oversees more than 100 student clubs and organizations on campus that cater to a wide variety of interests and activities. EWU is the only regional university in Washington that has an active Greek system on campus. ==Athletics==

Eastern Washington University offers club, intramural, and varsity sports. Its twelve varsity men's and women's sports teams compete in the Big Sky Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as the Eastern Washington Eagles. The most-prominent athletics facilities on campus are Roos Field, Reese Court and the Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse. EWU has three national championships, including football (2010 – NCAA Div. I FCS), wrestling (1977 – NAIA) and men's cross country (1982 – NCAA Div. II). FIRST Robotics Competition events have been held there, including the Pacific Northwest District regional, since 2014. The venue has since been switched to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon). ==Notable alumni==