Bellevue College (BC) is a public college in Bellevue, Washington, United States. It is the largest of the 34 institutions that make up the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system and the third-largest institution of higher education overall in the state (behind the University of Washington and Washington State University).
The institution offers transfer associate degree programs that cover the first two years of a college education, bachelor's degree programs, professional-technical degrees and certificates, a large continuing education program, and pre-college programs. The college also has a variety of distance education and online learning options.
BC's service district includes the public school districts of Bellevue, Mercer Island, Issaquah, Skykomish and Snoqualmie Valley. The current President of Bellevue College is former Governor of Washington and US Secretary Commerce Gary Locke.
Bellevue College was established in 1966, originally under the auspices of the Bellevue School District, as an institution of higher education for residents of the Eastside of Lake Washington. The college opened with 464 students and 37 instructors, with a curriculum that included classes in the social sciences, trigonometry, physics, botany, and English, among others. Vocational classes initially offered included nursing, basic aircraft blueprint reading, and foodservice management. Dr. Merle E. Landerholm was appointed the college's first president.
The college graduated its first class in June 1967, with 10 students earning degrees and certificates, and 15 earning high school diplomas.
Also in 1967, the Washington State Legislature passed the Community College Act, which created a statewide community college system and separated Bellevue Community College from the Bellevue School District.
In December 1969, Bellevue Community College was dedicated, and in 1970, the institution received accreditation for the first time from the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools (now the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities).
By the early seventies, the college had grown to encompass nine instructional divisions: Allied Health; Business; Creative Arts; Home and Community Education; Humanities; Individual Development; Physical Development and Performance; Science; and Social Science.
The number of students grew steadily through the '80s and '90s as the campus grew, and peaked during the 2000–01 academic year with 39,300 students.
In 2009, the college officially changed its name from Bellevue Community College to Bellevue College, to reflect the fact that it now offered four-year bachelor's degrees in addition to its traditional offerings of two-year associate degrees and certificates.
As of 2017, more than 460,000 people had taken a class at Bellevue College, and 58,515 students had earned 50,562 degrees, certificates, and other awards since its founding in 1966.
In February 2020, the college unveiled "Never Again Is Now", a mural by artist Erin Shigaki that depicts two Japanese American children who were sent to internment camps during World War II. The mural's caption included a reference to Bellevue businessman Miller Freeman, a prominent anti-Japanese activist, which was removed by vice president of institutional advancement Gayle Colston Barge. The change in caption sparked outcry from students and the Asian American community, resulting in Barge being placed on administrative leave. Barge and Bellevue College president Jerry Weber, who defended her actions, announced their resignations on March 2.
Former Washington governor Gary Locke was named the college's interim president on May 28, 2020. Locke was the 21st governor of Washington state and later served in the Obama Administration as U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and as the 10th Ambassador to China.
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