John Welch

Eastern Washington University is a regional, comprehensive public university located in Cheney, Wash., with programs also offered in Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver. Eastern is a driving force for the culture, economy and vitality of the Inland Northwest region. The university's beautiful campus, NCAA Division I athletics and opportunities for hands-on, real-world learning provide a classic, yet unique college experience. A focus on personal attention, faculty excellence and community collaboration allows Eastern to accomplish its mission for preparing well-rounded students ready to hit the ground running in their chosen career fields.

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) is a private university offering liberal arts and professional school programs located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington, United States. Founded by Norwegian Lutheran pioneers in 1890, PLU is sponsored by the 580 congregations of Region I of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. PLU has approximately 3,500 students enrolled. As of 2012 the school employs 236 full-time professors on the 156-acre (630,000 m2) woodland campus. PLU consists of the College of Arts and Sciences (including of the Divisions of Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences), the School of Arts and Communication, the School of Business, the School of Education and Movement Studies, and the School of Nursing.