Part of that support comes in the form of the Horatio Alger Scholarships, which the Washington Foundation announced a $1.3 million commitment to fund at the College for the next eight years.
From equipment to facilities and scholarships for student athletes, the Fund will mimic Shines’ tremendous impact on students and the College as a whole.
Around 70 students attended from schools such as Caldwell High, Vallivue, Ridgevue, Canyon Springs, and Elevate, the latter having opened just three weeks ago, attend the Forum.
The College has risen 51 spots over the past two years in recognition of the Best National Liberal Arts Colleges. The rankings are determined by a formula weighting data across 15 metrics of academic excellence, including graduation rates and first-year retention, faculty and financial resources, peer assessments, student excellence and alumni giving.
While 60 people in one class may not register as a large class at a state university, it’s one of the biggest classes on a campus of just over 1,000 students.
The College checked in at no. 156 overall, which ranks in the top 25 percent of all liberal arts colleges nation-wide and among the top six schools in the Pacific Northwest.
Nelson said all RAs go through an application and vetting process that includes group interviews and one-on-one interviews as well. All are trained in conflict resolution, diversity and inclusion, suicide awareness, emergency situations, and are CPR/first-aid certified.