News
April 30, 2004
Contact: Lorna Sutton, Director of Communications, SBCTC, 360-704-4310
Two-year college role in producing more bachelor’s degree grads on agenda for community and technical college board meeting in Yakima May 5-6
OLYMPIA – Community and technical colleges are working with the state’s universities on a number of strategies to increase opportunities for students to earn bachelor’s degrees in Washington state.
A progress report on these efforts, along with an update on steps being taken to streamline the college transfer process for students, will be presented to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges when it meets Wednesday and Thursday, May 5-6, at Yakima Valley Community College.
With the demand for higher education in the state at an all-time high and the number of high school graduates projected to increase every year through 2008, the number of slots available for students - and especially for students who want to transfer from two-year colleges to universities - is already inadequate.
“We are working with the universities to identify where more enrollment slots are needed, including which majors are most in demand,” said Earl Hale, the State Board’s executive director. “There are a number of options for expanding capacity, and it’s important to look at a variety of choices to see which ones make the most sense for students and the state.”
One of the more cost-effective ways to expand capacity is by placing higher education centers on community college campuses, Hale said. On Wednesday, the State Board will tour the new Deccio Higher Education Center, which is based at YVCC and shared by Central Washington University and Washington State University. The board will hear a panel presentation about the center Thursday.
The board will also learn about plans to standardize freshman and sophomore requirements for selected majors so students planning to transfer from two-year colleges will know which classes they have to take regardless of which state university they ultimately attend. Efforts are also underway to create a statewide course equivalency system among two-year and four-year institutions.
Other items on the agenda include:
- A discussion with Dr. James E. Sulton Jr., the new executive director of the Higher Education Coordinating Board. He will meet with the board at the beginning of Wednesday’s study session.
- Signing of a contract with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Math Transitions Project to more strategically align math entrance expectations, standards, and curriculum with high schools, colleges and universities.
- Approval for YVCC to purchase land adjacent to the campus for student parking.
The study session will start at 1 p.m. Wednesday, with the regular meeting at 8:15 a.m. Thursday. Both sessions will be in the Parker Room of the Deccio Higher Education Center at Yakima Valley Community College, 1000 South 12th Avenue.
The board has also scheduled a dinner meeting Wednesday with the Yakima Valley Community College Board of Trustees. All meetings are open to the public.
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The meeting agenda and background materials are posted on the State Board Web site at: http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/general/a_board/.
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