Eastern Washington University is a regional, comprehensive public university located in Cheney, Washington, with programs offered at campuses in Cheney, EWU Spokane at the Riverpoint Campus and at multiple campus locations throughout the state.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: The College of Arts, Letters & Education; The College of Business & Public Administration; The College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; and The College of Social Science & Behavioral Sciences and Social Work. A fifth college, The College of Health Science & Public Health, is set to open in the fall of 2014 and will be based at EWU Spokane on the Riverpoint Campus.As of fall 2014, Eastern Washington University enrolled over 13,000 graduate and undergraduate students at both its Cheney and Spokane campuses.HistoryEastern Washington University was established in 1882 by a $10,000 grant from expressman Benjamin Pierce Cheney, and was originally known as Benjamin P. Cheney Academy to honor its founder. In 1889 the school was renamed State Normal School at Cheney and in 1937 to Eastern Washington College of Education. The campus was almost totally destroyed twice by fire in 1891 and 1912, but was rebuilt each time, and grew quickly in size following World War II. The school became Eastern Washington State College. During this era, Eastern added various graduate and undergraduate degree programs. In 1977, the school's name was changed for the final time to Eastern Washington University by the Washington State Legislature.
