BC News

Notes from the President

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

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

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

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.”

Notes from the President

Dear Colleagues,

This Friday, November 11, the College will be closed in observance of Veterans Day, a time to honor and pay tribute to military veterans – including members of our own BC community – who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. This day is not only an opportunity for us to honor our veterans, but also a time for us to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices veterans have made on behalf of this nation. Our freedoms and democracy must never be taken for granted.

Response to Tragedy in Colorado

Dear BC Community,

On Nov. 20, Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes transgender lives lost to violence, our nation was rocked by the news of another mass shooting that targeted an LGBTQIA+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and injuring 17 more. Were it not for the heroism of two patrons, certainly more lives would have been lost.

Notes from the President

Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to the BC community for the tremendous participation in the Equity-Focused Professional Development Day last week. A big “Thank You” to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for putting on a thought-provoking and meaningful day for our campus. Between the variety of sessions, the opportunities to learn in community with one another, and the engaging presenters—it was an excellent day.

Statement in Support of DACA Students

Dear BC Community,

I’m writing to share a joint statement released by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, along with presidents and trustees of the state’s 34 community and technical colleges, regarding an October 5, 2022 decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court upheld a lower court’s ruling that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unlawful. The court also ruled current DACA enrollees could renew their status and sent the case back to a lower court to consider a regulation enacted by the Biden administration to strengthen the DACA program against legal challenges.

Notes from the President

Dear Colleagues,

Fall Quarter has started and its been wonderful being able to interact with so many BC students and employees over these past 2 weeks and seeing students and staff on the campus. Our enrollment is looking steady with us reaching 98% of our forecasted enrollment for fall. We are not quite where we want to be, but anticipate this number could climb another percentage point. BC has more than 11,000 students enrolled in for-credit courses and another 450 students enrolled in continuing education (non-credit) courses. Nearly 3,000 students are taking on-ground courses with another 6,000 taking hybrid classes, which means more students on campus. It has been an exciting first couple of weeks!

Notes from the President

Dear Colleagues,

The start of Fall Quarter is almost here! I am looking forward to experiencing that exciting bustling campus atmosphere that comes with the start of new school year.