BC News

Notes from the President

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Interim President these past three years. As I said at the Year-End Celebration, I never saw my interim position as a placeholder—to hold down the fort—but rather to help bring some stability to the campus, accelerate change, and to help reset the table for the next president. Working with so many dedicated and passionate staff and faculty, we have accomplished a lot. From the Online Excellence Teaching Academy; two pride crosswalks; an outdoor art corridor highlighting diversity and social justice; stabilized and now growing enrollments; strong college finances; funding for a new W building; increased diversity of students, faculty and staff; to finally integrating and operationalizing Guided Pathways and Achieving the Dream.

It has indeed been a great honor and a privilege.

Notes from the President

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

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

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.