Isolation adds to Evergreen’s problems

As The Evergreen State College prepares to celebrate its 45th commencement exercise shortly, those who love the college are concerned about its future.

Recent cutbacks of 10 percent or more have resulted in several programs being cancelled and less options for students.  Enrollment at Evergreen has declined every year for the past 10 years and administrators are struggling to bring some control to a  minority of the student population bent on demonstrations and destruction.

One of the reasons for the college’s struggle is its isolation.  The school is located miles from the City of Olympia’s downtown core and students on campus have no access to stores providing normal living requirements.

Isolation from the community was recognized as a problem from the first time the location of the campus was announced  back in 1967.  State Representative Hal Wolf said he was “disappointed” at the site.  His seatmate Mary Lux  said she was “stunned” by the location selected.  Other community leaders were disappointed or concerned about the isolation of the students from the community.

While isolation is not the only cause for declining enrollment at Evergreen, it can be seen as a reason the number of students who return for the second year is significantly lower than for other state colleges.

Isolation on campus gives students  little or no understanding of real world problems.  It’s to late to move the college to a more urban location, but it’s not to late to begin a dialogue with the college administration about bringing the community to the college.