Locating branch campuses for the university of Washington

Abstract

A recent decision by the Washington State legislature to authorise branch campuses for the University of Washington and Washington State University in ‘under‐served metropolitan regions’ led to a practical example of the use of optimum location‐allocation models. This task was embedded within the larger problem of measuring need and of evaluating the role of accessibility to higher educational opportunities. Analyses of geographical patterns of college enrolment and attainment, supplemented by a survey of the adult population, revealed a probable substantial level of latent demand for upper division college opportunities in areas far from existing public institutions. This is an ‘unmet need’ associated with a place‐bound population, unable to relocate. The magnitude of this unmet need was independently corroborated by a survey of employer needs and expectations, and information on the net flows of students to and from the State. The application of location‐allocation models to the distribution of the estimated unmet need resulted in the recommendation of two branch campuses for the University of Washington, and these recommendations have been accepted.