State Board to vote on bachelor’s degrees and college allocations
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges will convene its regular business meeting on Thursday, May 5 from 8 a.m. to noon. Board members will give final consideration to seven new applied bachelor’s degrees and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science at Bellevue College.
The board will also vote on budget allocations to each of the 34 community and technical colleges for the 2017 fiscal year starting July 1, and on tuition for the 2016-2017 academic year. The board will also take action on the community and technical college system’s capital budget request for the 2017-2019 biennium.
With the board’s approval, Bellevue College will start offering a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science fall quarter 2016. The state Legislature has already provided funding in the state budget and authorized the Bellevue College degree.
Also under final consideration are seven Bachelor of Applied Science degrees:
- Bellingham Technical College: Engineering Technology
- Centralia College and Grays Harbor College: Teacher Education: Elementary Education and Special Education
- Clark College: Applied Management
- Columbia Basin College: Dental Hygiene
- Columbia Basin College: Information Technology
- Seattle Central College: Information Technology: Networking
- Wenatchee Valley College: Engineering Technology
The State Board will also give final consideration to the budgetary allocations to the colleges for the 2017 fiscal year starting July 1. This is the first year a new allocation model will be used to distribute funds to the colleges. The new allocation model was approved by the board at its September 2015 meeting. The impact of implementing the new model will be phased in over four years with final full implementation in 2020. The previous model was in place since 1999.
Prior to its regular business meeting, the Board will hold a study session on Wednesday, March 4 from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Board members will hear a presentation from the Washington Association of Career and Technical Education and review need statements for six applied bachelor’s degrees:
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology: Digital Gaming and Interactive Media
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology: Dental Hygiene
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology: Nursing
- Edmonds Community College: Child, Youth and Family Studies
- Spokane Community College: Respiratory Care
- South Seattle College: Workforce and Trades Leadership
The study session and business meeting will be held at Skagit Valley College, Knutzen Cardinal Center, 2405 Easter College Way in Mount Vernon. The State Board’s agenda and background materials are posted at the State Board’s website.
Both meetings are open to the public.
