Western Washington University — Local services in Bellingham

Little to no regard for student safety, well-being, or privacy.

I met a rapist on the WWU campus... The rapist was also a student there. The rapist was on campus for a year later after initially meeting.

The clinic at WWU disclosed privileged records during an active rape case, which was harmful to the victim. This clinic did not have permission to release any records, 3x in a row and still released records by fax to the defense attorney defending a rapist. The response following this issue from WWU was nothing that could actually help the victim. The victim has experienced suicide ideation following these violations and also during the reporting process. There has been no existing support for increased suicide. The university staff who were contacted and questioned for information have provided nothing. The university prioritizes employee privacy more than the well being of people who they are supposed to serve. This was the second known instance committed by WWU during this rape case. The first instance involved the mental health counseling center which also disclosed the documents without the victims consent.

WWU has openly admitted to violating FERPA during this case, which is surprising, but also should entail more accountability than anything that has basically felt like an empty gesture.

Dear WWU, please provide a public apology if you’re really serious about this issue.

To anyone who is interested in using WWU student services, I don’t recommend. These services should all be canceled.

Do yourself a huge favor and avoid this university.

You will feel violated worse by WWU. This university betrays, betrays, betrays students that become victims. I wish this place actually acted like a school.

Not even Sabah Randhawa has responded to this issue. No one at WWU provides the needed clarity so students can defend themselves or at the very least be informed.

This university has ruined lives with zero accountability.

If you struggle with isolation here, you are vulnerable and you should consider switching to a school that will provide a sense of community.

Most of the students who this university refuses to support are not deserving of the low quality care and treatment.

Rape is a serious crime. So is violating FERPA... twice.

Criticism: this university doesn’t do anything to protect vulnerable populations from further harm. And also engages in further harm.

The most egregious things about WWU are always hidden from the public for some reason.

This university should do more to show that it is willing to correct the harm done.

Dear WWU, please stop setting up your students for legally traumatic and life altering outcomes... no one comes here hoping for their lives to be put on a worse path.

You basically have to beg and plead for this university to care more. If no one shows up to prompt this university on how to respond appropriately, no one here will correct the horrendous issues that lie beneath.

This university needs help on an internal level.

Dear WWU: Please stop. Please change. Please correct all the damage and harm...

i’m only a freshman but i’m already having a terrible experience here. from the fair haven dorms that can barely fit two people to the food they claim to be “healthy” when in reality it’s fried macaroni and cheese balls…. i will be transferring out as soon as possible.

first with the dorms, i’ve seen many of the other dorms such as ridgeway and nash, but nothing compares to how small fairhavens is. the wardrobes take up about 20 percent of the room space, every time you back out your chair you bump your roommate sitting behind you, and the heaters are constantly on so even in mid fall it feels like you’re cooking in an oven. it constantly smells like sewage and the neighbors are smoking za constantly at night making everything smell stinky, and if that’s not the worst part it isn’t because when we got to our dorm on move in day the entire dorm was dirty and unclean with strange stains on the floor and dirt almost everywhere. my wardrobe is also sideways and i cant open it all the way since my desk is blocking and i cant rotate it either because there’s a random door stopper in the way.

now for the food. they serve rice almost 24/7 with either stale pizza, unknown meats, or zucchini/mushroom marinara sandwiches that make absolutely no sense. they’re very strict against food waste so i tend to stick with comfort foods like fries. i’m honestly surprised i haven’t died yet due to lack of nutrients. i’m currently typing this review in the bathroom after vomiting up the sausage pattie’s from breakfast this morning

the professors are fine, we honestly learn nothing though and just watch michael jackson music videos the entire class or listen to some professor rant about their personal life, not much different from high school. i wasn’t able to choose my classes because apparently all of the classes that i wanted were full (i didn’t even register late) so i was moved into some first year GUR for that i do not need/want. tried contacting the school about it too but there was nothing they could do about it. which is fine i guess whatever but emailing the professors for help results in a “come to my office hours” despite me usually having class during the office hours.

im just being petty now, but on the bright side, the school location is beautiful and it’s in a pretty big town. students are sweet and kind. if you do want to come to WWU please do everything in your power to NOT get Fairhaven dorms. woke up and there was a toilet on the floor in the lounge area. also walls are super thin so everyone can hear you at all times if you speak at a normal volume. got two complaints so far because i was on call with my mom lol crazy. also if you navigate classes on google maps it makes you walk through like 6 miles of uncharted woodland hiking trails to...

First, know that I had a completely typical experience there and there was no single instance making me go passive aggressive. This institution simply embodies the definition of hypocrisy and cares ONLY about their bottom line, and it's my job as a human to let you know. Now, a list. yay for lists! -They fee you to death and stop being nice the minute you enroll. for example, they make you pay an extra $1000-$1250 bucks to take a course online.... HA! (I can't name the source, but I know that at a meeting, the president said that students "can be looked at as debit cards" in that the only thing you need to do to get money from them is request it.) It does no good to fight any matter of injustice there because if you don't cooperate, they don't let you register or will withhold your degree. -When there was a "riot" at which no students were arrested, they actively searched for students to condemn and expel in the name of saving face instead of trying to help anyone. -Degree and class designs are centered around maximum profit, not preparation for the real world. (This includes using class time (and even entire classes, at times) to sell students on majors they're not in.) The average graduation time there is over 5 years.. this is largely because they loooove making classes which aren't offered year-round pre-requisites, making you take less credits/qtr. -The classes they say they'll accept from other institutions and the ones they actually do accept are entirely different things. If you get stuck here, go to the department heads who don't have as much to gain from you taking more classes than you must. -Like most institutions, they continue to use textbooks despite their out-of-date nature and the department of education's stance that they should no longer be used as they are. The difference here is that western says "sustainability is at the heart of what we do here" and even charges student 5 cents per page to print under this "conviction." -Many, MANY more things (namely everything). I could go on forever about the policies regarding parking, cafeteria, you name it. If you get involved here, you will pay. through. the. nose, and they are anything but upfront. Happy shopping!

(oh yeah, and if you're at the point of college consideration, know there are many online schools cropping up that use industry certifications as rather large portions of degree requirements. Conventional universities are on their way out so if you don't have ulterior motives for going there,...