How did the idea for becoming a polytechnic university come about?

Eastern is the region’s university, focused on meeting critical workforce needs and remaining competitive and relevant in an evolving economy. After analyzing current and projected regional workforce data and reviewing the survey results regarding the importance of experiential learning, the polytechnic model, defined as applied learning, was seen as the most logical direction to continue fulfilling the mission of EWU while providing a pathway for sustainable success in the region.