BC has recently hired a new Director of Applied Baccalaureate Development, Chris Bell. He joined BC after working at Edmonds Community College in the Student Enrollment Services Office. At Edmond Community College, he was the interim dean of student life and development. Preceding Bell’s time at ECC he held “administrative positions at the Claremont Graduate University, and the University of San Francisco,” according to an all-BC email from VP of Instruction Tom Nielsen.
Bell has lived in Bellevue for the past 23 years. When he started working at ECC, he had been a history instructor for 17 years. Following that, Bell’s position was moved to arts and culture on campus. In this position, grants were awarded to faculty and staff to piece together arts and culture programming and have visitors on campus. From there, Bell moved into Student Services at the Enrollment Services office, where he worked as reporting director, as well as keeping track of records. After two years of working in the Enrollment Services Office, he learned that his passion was in instruction. Bell decided to pursue other positions that would bring him back to his path of instruction. Positioned as the director of applied baccalaureate development, he is returning to his true passion of working in curriculum, teaching and student success. “I’m just happy to be on the path of the instructor side of the institute,” stated Bell.
As the director of applied baccalaureate development, one of Bell’s current duties is to coordinate and facilitate the design and development of the new Baccalaureate of Science and Baccalaureate of Art degrees. Students that work towards their BA must exhibit success in earning an AA degree in a specific area of study. In coordination of these programs, Bell’s job is to work with faculty, deans and other administrators to plan out the curriculum, development of student services, and marketing of the program. Through coordinating people working on each component, he will bring the plans of the program together and get them initiated.
Bell said, “The BA programs are very similar to the AA programs. There is faculty on board trying to teach cutting edge curriculum, and courses so students are prepared to enter the working world.” Other programs are designed to help student success, such as financial aid, student services, advising as well as multi-cultural services. These programs give opportunity to students for the future.