News and Stories

Message from President May: Gratitude for College Community 

Bellevue College Dr. David May reflects after extended suspended operations and expresses his gratitude for the college community.

Message from President May: End of Week Reflections

Bellevue College President Dr. David May addresses the community after a power outage caused suspended operations on campus.

Community Colleges Are the Unsung Heroes of American Education

In an era of rising tuition costs and unmanageable student debt, higher education faces intense scrutiny. Debates about whether a college degree is worth the investment are commonplace, as the job market continues to evolve faster than higher education can keep up. As president of Bellevue College, I share these concerns.  

Notes from the President

Interim Bellevue College President Gary Locke:
Dear Colleagues,
I have long been concerned about the growing socio-economic stratification within our society and evidenced within large companies and organizations in our region—largely along racial/ethnic lines. So many of these large companies and organizations are starving for talent and thus recruiting out-of-state to meet their needs.

Notes from the President

Interim Bellevue College President Gary Locke:
Dear Colleagues,

In case you haven’t heard yet, the Washington State Legislature’s budget for 2023-2024 approved Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) for higher education employees. Both classified and exempt employees will receive a COLA of 4% on July 1, 2023 while full- and part-time faculty will receive COLAs of 8.9% and 9.5%, respectively.

Notes from the President

Interim Bellevue College President Gary Locke:
Dear Colleagues,

As the weather has finally transitioned to spring, I find myself enjoying the warmth of the sun and the vibrant colors of nature blooming all around. It's a refreshing change from our cold winter and fills me with a sense of joy and renewal.

Notes from the President

Interim Bellevue College President Gary Locke:
Dear Colleagues, 

Welcome to Spring Quarter! I want to start off my Note today with a big thank you to our colleagues all across the campus who contributed to the newly designed Bellevue College website! The new website offers a more intuitive layout, increased accessibility and usability measures, and an enhanced user experience for our students. Staff have worked for years on this website redesign and it’s great to see the fruits of their labor!

Notes from the President

Interim Bellevue College President Gary Locke:
Dear Colleagues,

This February, Bellevue College celebrates Black History Month, a time to honor the rich heritage of the Black and African American community, and the many contributions they have made to our society. At the same time, we must also recognize the significant, life-threatening challenges they continue to face as the result of systemic racism. The brutal murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police officers on January 7 is just the latest incident that demonstrates we have not done enough to ensure that our Black friends, colleagues, family, and community members are safe during a traffic stop, in their home, or even jogging in the street, and that the culture within police departments—across all racial and ethnic groups—needs reform.

Response to the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Interim Bellevue College President Gary Locke:
Dear Colleagues,
I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the devastating impact of the earthquake and aftershocks that recently struck Turkey and Syria, a disaster that has so far claimed more than 23,000 lives. Such an unimaginable figure. While we celebrate each life saved by the brave first responders who are risking their own to pull victims from the rubble, the death toll is likely to rise even higher as rescue and recovery efforts continue.

Notes from the President

Interim Bellevue College President Gary Locke:
Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday, Bellevue College observed the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday and this week there are events for our community to participate in so we may reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and take action to bring us closer to the realization of his dream. As we rebuild the connections within our own BC community—and deepen our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—I’m reminded of his words: “Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.”