Teaching and staff assistantships are reserved for second year students only. Teaching assistants are hired for the Evans School's core courses and computer lab. Staff assistantships include such positions as Hubert Humphrey Fellows Coordinator, Peer Advisor, Evening Degree Program Recruitment Coordinator and Internship Coordinator. When hiring research assistants, preference is often given to students possessing work-study status. The culture of the Evans School promotes the integration of extensive applied research into the academic program.
Students participate in independent research work related to their degree projects.
In addition to supporting the independent research of its faculty members, the school houses the Northwest Forum and several policy centers, which constitute the Institute for Public Policy and Management. Northwest Forum Established in the fall of 1998 with a grant from the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, the Forum promotes vigorous, thoughtful exchanges to aid the Seattle metropolitan area and the surrounding region in advancing a healthy, vital, civil society. A central focus is to strengthen the framework for civil discourse that is an essential ingredient to democracy. The Forum hosts public forums, convenes working groups, and develops a variety of communication tools that recognize the multiple means through which information and ideas reach policymakers and citizens. Through research, consulting, conferences, publications, and training, the IPPM enhances the ability of public sector officials and the general public to understand major public policy issues and to make sound public management decisions.