BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Some big changes are on the horizon for Western Washington University.

WWU President Sabah Randhawa delivered his annual state of the university address on Thursday, Sept. 17.

He announced that the school has established a task force to create a college of health sciences.

“Through partnerships with regional community health organizations, Western has a unique opportunity to expand its footprint in the health science area,” Randhawa said. “Expanding Western’s academic programs in the health sciences will position the university to develop new programs that respond to regional workforce and community needs.”

Randhawa also says Western is beginning talks to possibly transition from a quarter system to semesters, a change that other public universities across the state are also considering.

In an effort to keep up with artificial intelligence, the school is appointing a work group to better regulate AI and determine how the school can use it most effectively.

“The field of AI is developing rapidly with major implications for higher education,” Randhawa said. “While AI offers tremendous opportunities to drive innovation and solve some complex problems, it also creates ethical dilemmas ranging from student data privacy to the confidentiality of intellectual property and perhaps most concerning, the loss of human connection.”

Randhawa also noted recent challenges Western has faced, including the budget problems posed by an unexpected drop in last year’s freshman class.

He says recent enrollment initiatives are aiming to return the school to pre-pandemic levels of about 16,000 students by 2030.

Along with that, Randhawa says the school is asking for state funding in the upcoming legislative session to build a new academic building in Poulsbo in an effort to expand its presence on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas.

Students have already started moving into their dorm rooms on Western’s main campus and classes are set to begin on Wednesday, Sept. 23.