BC News

New ‘Talent Hub’ Focuses on Semiconductor, Nanotech | Community College Daily

Mary Slowinski, principal investigator of the Working Partners Research Project and Workshops at Bellevue College (Washington), said connecting with alumni can help strengthen employer relations and provide potential candidates to serve on advisory boards.

“Using alumni is one of the most important things,” she said.

Responding to a question about the loss of employer partners given industry turnover during the pandemic, Ashcroft told the project principal investigators, “If you are having trouble connecting with industry, find out what national center you are in. I promise you those national center principal investigators will have good industry contacts.”

Residence Halls Designed to Help Students Succeed | Journal of Business

First and foremost, residence halls, unlike dormitories, are designed to support students in building community. At Bellevue College, in Western Washington, a new residence hall created a hub for campus residents and commuter students together.

The community-oriented ground floor became a living room where the entire campus community could connect, unwind, and grow. A café, study spaces, large meeting rooms, and a large deck with spectacular Pacific Northwest views actively enrich academic experiences right where students live and provide the basis for a new on-campus culture.

Two New Members Appointed to Bellevue College Board of Trustees | 425Business

Bellevue College announced this week that Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed two new members to its board of trustees.

The new members are Advocat AI CEO Pradnya Desh and BC student Conor O’Meara. 

The board, which comprises six members, is responsible for setting the college’s strategic direction, establishing college policy, and approving budgets, the release said. Five members are advisors living and working within the college’s district boundaries. Every member serves a five-year term; one member is always a Bellevue College student who serves a one-year term. 

Besides her work with Advocat, Desh has served as a U.S. diplomat in the State department, been a U.S. trade negotiator with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and served as the U.S. representative for the World Trade Organization and the U.N. Committee on Trade and Development, the release said. She also joined former Gov. Christine Gregoire’s trade delegation to India and Korea; four years later, she became a member of Inslee’s trade delegation to Korea and Japan, the release said. In her work as an attorney, Desh previously was the managing partner of Desh International and business Law and now serves as the chairperson of the board of Music works Northwest. 

Inslee Appoints Two New Members to Bellevue College Board of Trustees

Bellevue College (BC) announced that Governor Jay Inslee has appointed two new members to its board of trustees — Pradnya Desh, CEO of Advocat AI, a software platform for AI contract generation, negotiation, and management, and Conor O’Meara, a BC student. The six-member board’s duties include setting the college’s strategic direction, establishing policy for the…

BC Invites the Public to Learn More About the College at Discovery Day | Patch

Want to find out what’s new at Bellevue College (BC)? Then join us for Discovery Day on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., an open house event for current and prospective students, parents, and community members who’re interested in exploring BC’s programs and services. Experience an open door to our Student Success Center…

Cloud Computing Degree Programs Help Fill Workforce Gaps | EdTech

Bellevue College in Washington named its continuing and career education arm the Tombolo Institute, after the word for a sandbar that joins an island to the mainland. The institute aims to similarly serve as a bridge, helping working professionals build their careers. When it comes to the cloud, officials are leaning on an ongoing partnership with Microsoft to help midcareer students grow their skills.

“We get input from the job marketplace — from the students and also from our advisory council made up of employers — and there’s definitely a gap in terms of the talent that employers are looking for and the people that want to get into the field,” says Ray Chew, director of technology at the Tombolo Institute. “There are all of these job openings, but you can’t just take a course and then expect someone to hire you tomorrow, so we’ve helped students to bridge that gap.”

Bellevue College’s partnership with Microsoft gives the school access to the vendor’s content and resources. It also provides training for Bellevue College instructors, ensuring that courses are led by professionals with thorough knowledge about the latest tools and practices in cloud computing. Students in the program pursue Microsoft cloud certifications, making them more competitive job candidates, Chew says.

Amazon Donates $3M to Seattle-Area Colleges to Support Computer Science Degrees | Geekwire

Amazon is donating $3 million to Seattle-area colleges to bolster their computer science programs.  Bellevue College, located east of Seattle, will receive $1.5 million over three years to support its bachelor of science in computer science. There are 187 undergraduates currently enrolled in the degree program, which launched in 2017. The gift will increase financial…

Bellevue College Looking to Fill Space for Healthcare Management and Leadership Program | Bellevue Reporter

At the start of the pandemic, many educational institutions had to shift from in person learning to online learning, but Bellevue College’s healthcare management and leadership (HCML) bachelor’s degree program has exclusively offered remote learning since its inception in 2016. “Our faculty didn’t miss a beat. We’ve been doing it for six years,” said Shana…

Discovery Day at BC Invites the Public to Learn More About the College

Want to find out what’s new at Bellevue College (BC)? Then join us for Discovery Day on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., an open house event for current and prospective students, parents, and community members who’re interested in exploring BC’s programs and services. Experience an open door to our Student Success Center…

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.