Provost Kristen Jones will be leaving Bellevue College on Jan. 3, 2022. She has been serving as provost since 2018, and during that tenure, she was able to help the college by advancing the College’s Association for Talent Development, Guided Pathways, and Title III initiatives. According to Gov. Gary Locke, the interim president until the completion of the Priorities Project, “Throughout her tenure, she has demonstrated her willingness to accept and take on additional responsibility. Due to the elimination of two vice president positions, multiple new areas were added to her scope of responsibility, including Institutional Effectiveness, Grants, Accreditation, Continuing Education and the Center for Excellence.” Although having her leave the college is certainly a loss, we are very grateful and extend our thanks to the provost for her dedication to Bellevue College. Additionally, she served as both acting president and acting vice president of human resources for Bellevue College in 2020. Every step of the way, the provost has stepped up and gone above and beyond for the college.
Despite her amazing accomplishments and contributions, President Locke and Provost Jones have mutually agreed that it is time for her to open a new chapter and end her employment at Bellevue College. President Locke and the rest of the Bellevue College Cabinet will spend the time before she leaves discussing options for finding a replacement provost. The principal has stated that he will “update the campus when we have a firm plan.”
The provost has been with us for a long time, and her departure will no doubt have a significant impact on the future plans and running of Bellevue College. I hope that the provost will find success in her future endeavors and that she will be able to contribute as much to her next endeavor as she has for Bellevue College. President Locke thanks the provost for her service, and would like to remind us all to “Please join [him] in thanking Dr. Jones for her tremendous leadership to the Bellevue College community and wishing her the very best of luck and the greatest success in her next career adventure.”
