Budget cuts challenge Bellevue College's big ambitions
Bellevue College, the state's largest community college, has scaled back ambitious plans to expand its offerings on top of absorbing $2.3 million in cuts this year.
Seattle Times Eastside reporter
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DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Two-year degrees are the backbone of community colleges. But more of the schools, like Bellevue College, now offer four-year programs.
Bellevue College
Basics: The state's largest community college was founded in 1966. The main campus at 3000 Landerholm Circle sits on 96 acres. Roughly 34,000 students enroll annually.Degrees: Bellevue College offers transfer associate degrees in 58 focus areas; professional and technical associate degrees in 95 areas; a bachelor of applied science in radiation and imaging sciences; a bachelor of applied arts in interior design; worker-training programs; and an associate degree program in occupational life skills for students with learning, cognitive and intellectual disabilities.
Transfers: In 2008-09, roughly 10 percent of all community- and technical-college transfer students who moved to public, four-year universities in the state came from Bellevue College — more than any other college.
Source: Bellevue College
President Jean Floten has big ambitions for Bellevue College. She's taken steps to add four-year degrees to the school's offerings, and she's even dropped the word "community" from the school's name — part of her effort to bring sweeping change to community-college education in the state.
For now, though, those ambitions have run smack into the state's budget problems.
The state's largest community college is figuring out how to absorb $2.3 million in cuts this year. The cuts also have delayed plans for a new health and science education building on the 96-acre main campus, and the school has increased tuition 7 percent for the roughly 35,000 students who enroll every year.
While Bellevue College has hunkered down, it hasn't abandoned its vision. Floten says the school will continue to expand its mix of four-year degrees along with the more traditional two-year programs.
Applied four-year bachelor's programs in interior design