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Community colleges gradually drop the word "community"

By Natasha Chen
By Natasha Chen

SEATTLE — A growing number of community colleges have started offering four-year degrees, sparking a number of name changes that drop the word “community.”

Bellevue College made the change in 2009.
Of the 34 community and technical colleges in the state of Washington, about one-third offer four-year degrees. Some of them have “community” in their names; some do not.
Now, Seattle Community Colleges may soon become Seattle Colleges.
Their board of trustees meets next Thursday to consider a proposal, and possibly vote, to drop "community" from the names of their three community colleges.  Across the three campuses, the schools offer seven different baccalaureates of applied science.
The chancellor, Dr. Jill Wakefield, said some alumni were coming back to the administration, telling them of employers’ comments like this:
“Now I don’t understand how South Seattle Community College can offer a baccalaureate degree. And the student had to explain,” Wakefield said.
She also heard from high school principals who said graduating seniors would be more interested in applying if the word “community” was left out.
“It actually is more clarity, about what we're doing,” Wakefield said.
Clarity on offering four-year degrees is why Bellevue College made the switch in 2009. It currently offers five BAS degrees.
Michael Reese, the assistant director of experiential learning at Bellevue College, oversees internships and work studies for students.
“I don't know that it was a watershed event, so much as an evolution in the process,” Reese said.
He said the name was more of a symptom of their change in curriculum rather than the impetus for change itself.
Reese said those employers familiar with Bellevue College continued their strong ties to the school, while those less familiar got a more accurate image of what the school offers.
“It does make something of a difference to employers that are maybe not on the east side, new to our region, start-ups, things like that,” he said.
Some students at Seattle Central Community College protested the name change Wednesday.
Student Nikkie Cardona-Rigor said she will soon be transferring to the University of Washington.
Cardona-Rigor told fellow students she learned a great deal and made strong friendships at the school.
“I'm not ashamed to say I found all of this at a community college,” she said.
She and other students said they hoped to maintain their school’s identity and history.
They also worried tuition may increase. But Wakefield told KIRO 7 the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges said the name of the schools would not change the funding structure.
If the board of trustees approves the name change, Seattle Community Colleges plans to use scheduled building funds to gradually change the signs. There is currently no estimated total cost.
Bellevue College has not yet responded to KIRO 7 about the cost of changing its signs.

KIRO

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