WSU Regent Finds Enrollment Program Worth A Song Alhadeff ‘Not Gonna Take’ Any More Twisting Of School’S Image In Media

It’s rare that a Washington State University regent breaks into song during one of the board’s notoriously dry meetings.

Especially a mid-‘80s heavy metal ditty by Twisted Sister.

But that’s what happened Friday as WSU officials announced a new task force charged with boosting sagging enrollment. WSU Regent Kenneth Alhadeff said the song was fitting given the misrepresentation of WSU by “the media and other sources.”

“We’re not gonna take it. No, we’re not gonna take it. We’re not gonna take it anymore,” Alhadeff sang, as surprised university administrators and fellow regents listened politely.

“Because this place is too good,” he tagged onto the end.

Alhadeff, a well-known Seattle philanthropist and real-estate mogul, lightened the mood with his spontaneous entertainment.

Especially given the somber statements, pre-song: Enrollment is down. Budget cuts are coming. Something must be done to attract more students - now.

“We’re currently under-enrolled and this is causing a problem both with campus climate and the budget as well,” said WSU Board of Regents President Peter Goldmark, adding that budget cuts and reallocations would be necessary.

WSU has identified money to cover $1.4 million of its $2.9 million deficit, but officials must still make up $1.5 million lost due to below-target enrollment on the Pullman campus.

WSU has also been distraught over its loss of minority students since the passage of Initiative 200, which bans affirmative action by state agencies and universities.

The enrollment subcommittee consists of Spokane native Bernadett Buchanan, the first black student to serve on the board; Alhadeff, a longtime champion of diversity and human rights; and Robert Fukai, an Avista Corp. executive who has helped organize diversity efforts in Spokane.

In an effort to make WSU more aggressive in its recruiting, Alhadeff said the task force plans to bring in “all the major players” for a roundtable discussion about how to improve the situation.

“The meeting won’t end until we have specific action items that will be implemented,” Alhadeff said.

The board will then “go to the purse strings” and ask that the program be implemented immediately, he added.

Adding to WSU’s budget problems has been the changing mix of students. Since 1995, WSU has lost millions in base tuition income as the percentage of out-of-state students has dropped. Out-of-state students pay more than three times as much as Washington residents pay.

But board-approved changes in the university’s tuition waiver policy Friday could help. The changes will allow WSU to target specific groups of students with tuition waivers.

WSU officials said they plan to offer more waivers to out-of-state students with grade-point averages of 3.8 or higher, to international students, members of the National Guard, and “Cougar legacy” students, who are children of WSU alumni.