By Britten Kai Stark
The Board of Trustees met on Oct. 15 to discuss the college’s name change and the impact of the economic crisis on BCC.
The business session opened, introducing discussion of the current financial crisis. The financial difficulties at the state level have trickled down to our campus, explained Jean Floten, BCC president, and will have their toll on BCC students as soon as next wuarter.The financial situation will officially be announced across the campus soon, but cost saving plans will initially depend on volunteer suggestions of where resources can be conserved, said Floten.
Following confirmation of the 2009 meeting schedule. two additional action items were introduced for future consideration.
First, the president’s contract will be reviewed after an evaluation in the future.
Second, the board will vote on the new official name of BCC. The proposed “Bellevue College” is not yet officially decided upon. The name change is intended to reflect the evolution of the college and its four-year degree program.
“At some point, colleges make a transition to a university,” said Floten, explaining that name changes are not uncommon and simply reflect the growth of an institution.
“We’ll still continue to do the two-year programs and have open access to all students,” said Lee Kraft, board chair.
The board honored Celinda Smith, director of educational planning resources and transfer center, and Catherine Kwong, director of evaluations and assessment, by inducting them into the newly created “Team Exceptional.”
Smith was recognized for her work in planning the fall First Year Experience, an orientation program for new students. More than 1,000 students participated in this program.
Kwong was recognized for her development of an electronic portal site to aid in credit evaluations and transfers, among other things.
Rosemary Richardson addressed the board on behalf of the faculty. She addressed the delay in agreeing upon a new faculty contract, mentioning the summer’s negotiations did not go well.