Message from President May: End of Week Reflections

Dear Bellevue College community,

On this Friday following an eventful and difficult week, I am reflecting on my gratitude for the community that makes Bellevue College special.

I live near campus, and I have witnessed first-hand the hardship the outage has caused to our students, staff, and our Bellevue College neighbors. It’s been a lived experience like no other, particularly for those students living on campus.

The Bellevue College Foundation – supported by donors and alumni – is working with community partners, like QFC and Tutta Bella, in the delivery of food and non-perishable items to students continuing to live on campus. In addition, the Foundation has provided hats, gloves, blankets, and charging stations. We have been sharing some of our experiences on social media and you can follow some of what’s happening here.

This delivery of food and goods would not be possible without the dedicated staff in student Housing who are also working hard to meet student needs and develop paths forward for each student. I am grateful for the support they provide our students – who are among the most resilient and motivated I’ve seen.

I want to also share my sincere gratitude to the essential staff who are continuing to work on campus in challenging conditions to clear roadways, ensure campus safety, address infrastructure and damage, and maintain our ITS systems. While conditions have been difficult, my time and conversations on campus this week have reinforced my belief in the resilience and grace of the people working tirelessly for our community. While operations are suspended, their commitment ensures that we can recover and move forward as a community.

To our faculty, I am proud of the work you do to support student success. I know these are challenging times for you as you continue to respond compassionately to student needs and a rapidly approaching end of quarter.

In closing, please know that the trustees and campus leadership recognize there are many challenges being faced by the campus community. Our hope is that, despite the challenges that we are working through together, every student, faculty and staff affected by this situation will be able to return to our on-campus community and have a successful end of the quarter. I look forward to seeing all of you on campus again very soon.

Please continue to stay connected to BC Alerts, Bellevue College Social Media, and other campus communications.

Sincerely,

Dr. David May