Minutes

A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Community College District VIII, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, state of Washington, was held on Wednesday, May 27, 2025. Pradnya Desh, chair, presided. This meeting was held in B201 and on Zoom. A telephone line was also available. Chair Desh called the business session to order at 2:02 PM.

Roll Call

A quorum of the Board was present.

Present: Chair Pradnya Desh, Vice Chair Rich Fukutaki, Trustee Richard Leigh, Trustee Greg Dietzel, Trustee Michelle Flowers-Taylor, President David May, Assistant Attorney General Tricia Boerger, and Board Secretary Alicia Keating Polson.

Absent: none. There were 110 guests in attendance.

Approval of Agenda and Minutes

Trustee Fukutaki made a motion to approve the agenda (May 27, 2026) and minutes (April 22, 2026.) Trustee Flowers-Taylor seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Recognition of 2026 ACT Faculty Member of the Year Awardee Sara Farag

Chair Pradnya Desh recognized faculty member Sara Farag who was recently awarded the 2026 ACT Faculty Member of the Year recognition.

Constituent Reports

Student Report

The Student report was provided by Alarick Alfredo-Sorto, President of Associated Student Government of Bellevue College (ASGBC.)

• Several events for elections have been held over 3 weeks to increase student engagement including tabling, panels, and food trucks.
• The application for next year’s student trustee was released last month. The ASGBC Board of Directors is reviewing applications and will send their selections to Governor’s office for appointment.
• Applications have opened for cap and gown loan program and hopefully regalia will be distributed over the next month, prior to commencement.
• Applications opened for the student commencement speaker. Currently applications are being reviewed and interviews begin next month.
• The current Board of Directors has also been conducting interviews for next year’s Board of Directors and Student Senate. Next year’s team will be announced at the June 5 Gala in U301.
• Student at-large members provided input at College Assembly, Budget Review Advisory Committee (BRAC), Tenure Review Committee, S&A Fee Committee, Sustainability  Fee Committee, and the Technology Fee Committee.

Classified Report

The Classified report was provided by Valencio Socia, WPEA co-Chief Shop Steward.

• Classified staff have concerns about the proposed Connection Project including the impact on parking availability, convenient access to parking and transportation routes, safety, and accessibility.
• Regarding the Program Viability Task Force, classified staff appreciate College Assembly discussion and the compromise and understanding from college leadership. Concerns about equitable labor representation remain, however, as faculty representation by BCAHE was permitted but WPEA representation was not.
• The Labor Management Communications Committee discussed workplace compliance, union communication boards, sick leave concerns, supervisory practices, and orientation concerns.
• Excited to meet with the president in June and glad to hear the WFSE union leadership are invited to their own meetings with the president.
• WPEA continues to monitor accreditation related concerns, specifically those that are connected to governance, communication, and representation.
• WPEA is looking into a union steward leadership election process for Bellevue College represented classified employees that are current stewards.

College Assembly

The College Assembly report was provided by Judith Paquette, Vice Chair of College Assembly.

• Councils are close to wrapping up their goals for the year.
• Constituent councils have appointed members to serve on functional councils.
• Constituent councils have elected members for the Program Viability Taskforce. The acting provost provided a draft charge, and College Assembly recommended a process for selecting representative members from campus. This was a good example of collaboration that Assembly is looking forward to continuing.
• The Resources and Planning Council has concerns about the accuracy of a line in a recent campus email. The last Budget Town Hall was April 13 and BRAC sent its Budget Recommendation Report to the President’s Cabinet on April 23. Since that date, BRAC has not received regarding its recommendations. Additionally, the council is concerned that the time between the budget first read on June 17 and the vote on June 22 is too short.
• Classified Council has approved a proposal, the Staff & Faculty Safety Net Program Proposal, which is making the rounds at other councils for feedback before returning to Assembly for a vote.
• The Student Success Council has approved a proposal to centralize campus communications regarding student job openings to create a one stop way for students to find jobs internal and external to campus. This proposal is also making the rounds at other councils before it returns to Assembly.
• Thank you to Michael Broome for service to Bellevue College as this year’s College Assembly Chair.
• Congratulations to Alicia Brender, who was just elected as next year’s College Assembly Chair.

Faculty

The Faculty report was provided by Lindsay Haney, President of the Bellevue College Association of Higher Education (BCAHE.)

• Faculty continue to be concerned that the administration does not respond in a timely or urgent fashion to changing or emergent pressures.
• BCAHE grieved the approach to program closure as a disregard for the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA.) The grievance settlement addressed how the college would execute existing CBA language if contemplating future program cuts. BCAHE is waiting for a clear timeline and communication plan regarding any future changes to be provided.
• The college has not identified, to BCAHE or campus, the specific program cuts that are proposed. This step is necessary to provide feedback. A broad list of potential programs for elimination or consolidation was circulated prior to the last Board of Trustees meeting. Afterwards, a budget town hall provided an update on the improved budget outlook and parameters for a narrower understanding of the kinds of programs which might be eliminated.
• Faculty were told that deans should be the primary source of information on whether a specific program was planned for closure. When deans shared that information, including programs that did not fit the parameters shared in the town hall, faculty were told this was in error. When BCAHE followed up on the status of some of those programs, the response was that they were still under consideration as they had not received the same defense as others which came to the last board meeting in force or which community partners sent letters about.
• Administration has acknowledged that the program viability process rolled out earlier this year doesn’t yield the information necessary to make informed decisions. They have committed to a timeline for creating a more effective process. The Program Viability Task Force will meet at the start of next month and work through summer and into fall to establish metrics by which cuts could be assessed.
• Faculty are not opposed to budget reduction or change but these kinds of changes need to be made right and faculty have the programmatic expertise and historical context to avoid complications and ensure student success. For faculty to give meaningful feedback, the administration needs to provide a specific proposal or set of proposals.
• Program consolidations and cuts do not flex well. It is irresponsible to identify program cuts without meaningful analysis and before implementing administrative furloughs or serious cuts in goods and services.
• BCAHE is looking forward to a productive bargain.

Foundation

The Bellevue College Foundation (BCF) report was provided by Sean Marsh, Executive Director of the Bellevue College Foundation.

• The Diamond Jubilee was a success, raising $420,000. The student showcases were very popular and the online auction increased accessibility.
• Of $54,000 of requests, $15,000 were awarded in Lockwood grants.
• During scholarship Read Week there were 137 volunteers and over 2,000 application reviews. Recipients will be announced next month.
• The Year End Employee Celebration, June 3, will honor the Excellence Award recipients and nominees.
• Foundry 10 has expanded their partnership, donating $420,000 in medical equipment and scholarships. Thanks to Grace Lasker, Dean of HSEWI.

Public Comment

Stacy Woodruff, faculty at Bellevue College, provided public comment on HCML bachelor program.

Jack Towey, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Annie Walker, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Teresa Descher, staff member at Bellevue College, provided public comment on economic and social impacts on students, faculty, and staff.

Jessie Parhove, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Shengtao Xu, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Thomas Almli, faculty member at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Amy King, faculty member at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Charlene Freyberg, faculty member at Bellevue College, provided public comment on interdisciplinary studies.

Aldonna Musabekova, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Ava Casas, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on department cuts.

Danielle Kyony, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on budget cuts.

Yunn Myat Thwe, student at Bellevue College, provided public comment on budget cuts.

Quarterly Reports

Enrollment

Steve Downing, Dean of Enrollment, provided a review of Spring 2026 enrollment results, including year‑over‑year and multi‑year trends, comparisons to projections, and key implications for the closeout of the 2025–2026 academic year and planning for 2026–2027.

As of mid-May 2026, Bellevue College is serving 14,819 students, representing 10,375 full‑time equivalent (FTE) students. Spring 2026 enrollment reflects continued and sustained multi‑year growth:

• Headcount increased from 14,213 in Spring 2025 to 14,819 in Spring 2026 (+606 students).
• FTE increased from 10,169 to 10,375 (+206 FTE).
• Since Spring 2024, the college has grown by +1,777 students and +1,096 FTE, indicating strong recovery momentum.

Spring 2026 FTE of 10,375 is 2.1% below the projected 10,601 FTE, reflecting modest underperformance relative to forecast despite overall growth. At the annual level, however, enrollment remains closely aligned with projections:

• 2025–2026 projected FTE: 12,047
• 2025–2026 actual FTE: 12,037

This indicates that quarterly variability has not materially affected full‑year performance.

Finance & Budget

Ty Bergstrom, Executive Director of Finance and Auxiliary Services, provided an updated end-of-year forecast based on the spring quarter enrollment and current spending trends.

Currently the end of year forecast is higher than previously anticipated due to a higher than forecasted annual Running Start enrollment. It also factors in the COLA and retroactive pay adjustments for the WPEA contract. Another assumption is that lapse salary or unfilled positions is reduced to 4% down from 7%. This is due to the removal of unfilled positions as part of the budget reduction process and to increased hiring of staff for the retained positions.

The forecast for the Fiscal Year 2026 year-end includes a higher than forecasted net margin due to higher than anticipated Running Start enrollment and the effect of the budget reductions conducted in Fall quarter.

First Read

Off-Cycle Tenure

A recommendation from the Tenure Review Committee regarding tenure appointments for full-time faculty members listed below has been submitted to the College President, in accordance with the “Collective Bargaining Agreement By and Between the Board of Trustees of Bellevue College – Community College District VIII and the Bellevue College Association of Higher Education.” On the basis of this recommendation and in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement, it is the recommendation of the President and the Tenure Review Committee that the faculty candidate listed below be granted tenure:

• Muntaha Alibrahim, Health Science, Education, and Wellness Institute (Nursing)

The reason for tenure, as stated in the Revised Code of Washington, is to protect faculty employment rights. Further, tenure protects academic freedom and promotes collegiality and professionalism among faculty.

The tenure process at Bellevue College involves four levels:

1. The Tenure Evaluation Subcommittee (TES) gathers information, mentors the candidate, and prepares the tenure document.
2. The Tenure Review Committee (TRC), including six faculty members elected by the faculty at large, reviews the documentation prepared by the TES to ensure that similar standards and expectations are met across the many disciplines. The TRC provides an objective look at each document to make sure that the case supporting the recommendation of the TES is sound.
3. The College President, after reviewing the recommendations of the TRC, submits those recommendations and accompanying materials, along with his/her own recommendation, to the Board of Trustees.
4. Finally, the Board of Trustees, giving serious consideration to the recommendation of the President and the TRC, decides to grant or not grant tenure or extend the probationary period.  During the first two years of candidates’ employment, the President uses the recommendation of the TRC to decide whether or not to continue the probationary period.

Required documents have been gathered by the TES and the tenure candidates that provide evidence that the process described above has been strictly followed.

Action

Revision of Policy 6720: Bookstore

Motion 14.26

Trustee Dietzel moved that the Board of Trustees of Community College District VIII approves the revision of Policy 6720: Bookstore. Trustee Leigh seconded.

The motion passed unanimously.

Revision of Policy 3655: Use of Human Participants in Research Activities

Motion 15.26

Trustee Leigh moved that the Board of Trustees of Community College District VIII approves the revision of Policy 3655: Use of Human Participants in Research Activities. Trustee Flowers-Taylor seconded.

The motion passed unanimously.

Reports

President’s Report

David May, President, provided the President’s report:

• The budget process is a lot of hard work and conversations. The timeline has changed in part due to personal health issues and to allow time to hold a Budget Town Hall to talk in more detail about the plan currently intended to propose to the Board of Trustees.
• The end of the academic year is approaching. This is a very busy time and also there are many celebratory events. Examples include the Tenure Reception, Year End Employee Celebration, and Commencement.

Board Report

Chair Desh echoed Dr. May’s recommendation to participate in the end of year celebrations.

Unscheduled Business

There was no unscheduled business.

Executive Session

At 3:52 PM, Chair Desh announced the Board would convene for 75 minutes in executive session under RCW 42.30.110(1) for the following purpose: (g) To review the performance of a public employee; and (i) To discuss with legal counsel representing the agency litigation or potential litigation. Assistant Attorney General Tricia Boerger was present for the litigation-related discussion. Chair Desh announced that no final action would be taken during the executive session.

At 5:04 PM, Chair Desh extended the executive session by 10 minutes (for a total of 85 minutes in executive session).

The executive session ended at 5:18 PM

Adjournment

There being no further business, Chair Desh adjourned the Board of Trustees meeting at 5:20 PM