Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, then dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and faculty were considering dissolving the college's combined bachelor's degree program in architecture and urban planning. When he asked Dennis Ryan, associate professor of Urban Design and Planning, what the results might be, Ryan suggested asking the students. CEP aims to prepare students for active participation in public life in support of the environment and human well being. It is an opportunity for students who don't want to wait until after graduation to find their vocations or to practice their beliefs.
Students always have to reach in many directions to get an education.
Now they are also reaching to alumni. Students also are responsible for helping administer the program by serving on admission and policy committees. Prospective students, who can enter in their junior year, are required to write five essays, including a personal statement of intent, an autobiographical statement, and three general questions. CEP students and a faculty member then interview prospective students. Each academic year begins and ends with a retreat in which alumni, faculty and students participate.