The Nov. 15 report to the Washington State Legislature listed Pacific Station in Everett as the best site for the University of Washington North Puget Sound Campus.

The report, compiled by months of evaluation from Seattle consulting firm NBBJ and members from the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) and University of Washington, ranked the four possible locations. Pacific Station, a metropolitan Everett location, is the committee's first choice, followed by a rural 369-acre location in Marysville, and another Everett site. The fourth site in Lake Stevens is situated on wetlands and is much smaller, therefore making it last on the list.

The sites were evaluated based on their accessibility, proximity to I-5 and commercial services and housing opportunities. The cost to develop the land was also taken into consideration.

According to the report, the Pacific Station site was chosen because it "leverages the region's existing urban infrastructure and current and forecasted employment opportunities, promises the most sustainable campus development ... and is among the least costly solutions for on and off-campus infrastructure improvements."

Drawbacks to the Pacific Station site include the need for purchasing land for possible expansions in the future.

The Nov. 15 report also included a preliminary academic plan by the UW. According to the proposed plan, the North Puget Sound campus would focus primarily on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

The need for a campus with a STEM focus comes from the "disconnect between the needs of our workforce and what our universities produce," said Randy Hodgins University of Washington director of state relations.

Although the state of Washington has a high level of bachelor and advanced degrees among its citizens, the higher education institutions produce a relatively small number of those degrees. According to the UW Executive Summary Report to the state Legislature, Washington is fifth in the nation in terms of science or technology employment, however 38th in levels of science or technology degrees.

"The enrollment capacity in ... STEM fields is especially low compared to employer demand," the report stated.

In order to meet those needs, the Legislature asked the UW to develop an academic plan for the campus that would specifically focus on the STEM areas.

"We hope to build a campus that has a concentration of about 25 percent in technology, engineering, type areas," Hodgins said.

Hodgins explained that a campus that had about a quarter of its students focusing on science degrees would be similar to the concentration found at a university like the California Poly-Technic School at San Luis Obispo.

Another component of the North Puget Sound campus is the incorporation of student residency. Unlike UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, the campus, when it's fully built up, would be a four-year university that would include student housing.

"We determined from the very beginning from our planning process that this campus would have to have some sort of residency component to it ... especially if we want to attract students," Hodgins said.

The Washington Legislature session will begin considering the North Puget Sound campus recommendations and make a decision by June 2008.

[Reach reporter Erika Cederlind at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]