Bellevue College trustees select president
November 13, 2012
Bellevue College trustees selected a Portland Community College administrator Nov. 5 to lead the local institution.
The choice of David Rule to lead the largest community college in Washington came as Bellevue College envisions a campus in the Issaquah Highlands. City officials said college administrators intended to select a permanent president before delving deeper into the plan.
Rule, president of Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus, oversees 26,000 students.
Bellevue College selects president; Issaquah campus is on horizon
November 6, 2012
NEW — 8 a.m. Nov. 6, 2012
Bellevue College trustees selected a Portland Community College administrator Monday to lead the local institution.
David Rule
The choice of David Rule to lead the largest community college in Washington came as Bellevue College envisions a campus in the Issaquah Highlands. City officials said college administrators intended to select a permanent president before delving deeper into the plan.
Rule, president of Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus, oversees 26,000 students. The campus boasts innovative curricula in solar-voltaic manufacturing, microelectronics and biosciences.
“I am thrilled to have been chosen as the next president of Bellevue College,” Rule said in a statement. “I look forward to beginning this new adventure and working with the trustees, students, faculty, staff, businesses and the community to build on the strong foundation that already exists at this institution,” Rule said.
Bellevue College to host forum about proposed Issaquah campus
April 17, 2012
Bellevue College plans to gather public input as proposals coalesce for a planned satellite campus in the Issaquah Highlands — a long-term goal for city and college leaders.
The college scheduled a May 1 forum to learn what citizens want for potential course offerings, campus planning, building design and more.
Bellevue College to host forum about proposed Issaquah campus
April 11, 2012
NEW — 11:50 a.m. April 11, 2012
Bellevue College plans to gather public input as proposals coalesce for a planned satellite campus in the Issaquah Highlands — a long-term goal for city and college leaders.
The college scheduled a forum for 6 p.m. May 1 at the highlands’ Blakely Hall, 2550 N.E. Park Drive, to learn what citizens want for potential course offerings, campus planning, building design and more.
College officials invited residents from Issaquah, Newcastle, North Bend, Sammamish, Snoqualmie and elsewhere to the forum.
“Our goal is to hear from as many people as possible, because there are so many great ideas out there as to how we should develop this campus,” interim college President Laura Saunders said. “It’s important for the end result to reflect the needs and desires of the community this campus will serve.”
Bellevue College construction in Issaquah could start next year
October 25, 2011
City, college partner to plan Issaquah campus
Bellevue College could start construction on a campus in the Issaquah Highlands as early as next year, college and city officials announced, as the project gains momentum despite budget cuts and a dismal forecast from Olympia.
The college purchased about 20 acres last year in a complicated transfer of development rights designed to preserve Tiger Mountain forestland from construction and open additional highlands land to builders.
“In a time when a lot of the news in our part of world is very depressing, in terms of budget cuts and things, this is something we can look forward to,” Laura Saunders, Bellevue College interim president, said in a presentation to City Council members Sept. 27. “This is a way of building to the future.”
Throughout the summer, crews built and paved a road to access the planned campus.
Keith Niven, city Major Development Review Team program manager, said the timetable for construction is a surprise.
Bellevue College selects headhunting firm in search for president
September 4, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. Sept. 4, 2011
Bellevue College leaders have selected a Florida search firm to find the institution’s next president.
The college selected Greenwood/Asher and Associates, a veteran in Washington State University and Western Washington University presidential searches, to find potential successors to longtime President Jean Floten.
Floten arrived at Bellevue College in 1989 and transformed the community institution into a college offering bachelor’s degrees and educating about 39,000 students each year.
Bellevue College’s next president is expected to play a large role in the institution’s expansion to Issaquah. Floten announced plans last August to open a satellite campus in the Issaquah Highlands and laid out a bold vision for the facility.
County Council honors Bellevue College leader, Issaquah campus advocate
July 26, 2011
Contributed King County Council members join outgoing Bellevue College President Jean Floten (center) during a July 18 recognition ceremony.
On July 18, King County Council members lauded outgoing Bellevue College President Jean Floten, the college’s longtime leader and a staunch advocate for building a satellite campus in Issaquah.
The recognition came as she ends a 22-year tenure at the Eastside campus.
“Jean Floten has been a tireless advocate for higher education in this state,” council Vice Chairwoman Jane Hague said in a statement. “Her tenure at Bellevue College will be a benchmark for excellence. I wish her the best in her new endeavor, but we’re going to miss her on the Eastside.”
Floten plans to resign from Bellevue College to serve as chancellor of WGU Washington, a nonprofit online university.
Floten arrived at Bellevue College in 1989 and helped build the Eastside institution into a college serving about 39,000 students each year. Only the University of Washington and Washington State University outrank Bellevue College in size.
The college administrator earned a reputation for expanding Bellevue College’s degree programs and transforming the institution from a community college.
The college purchased land for a campus in the Issaquah Highlands last year. Late last year, Floten outlined a bold plan for the campus in the decades ahead. No construction timeline has been finalized for the Issaquah campus, although construction is under way on a road to access the planned campus.
Council honors Bellevue College leader, advocate for Issaquah campus
July 21, 2011
Outgoing Bellevue College President Jean Floten (center) is joined by King County Council members during a recognition ceremony Monday. Contributed
NEW — 6 a.m. July 21, 2011
On Monday, King County Council members lauded outgoing Bellevue College President Jean Floten, the college’s longtime leader and a staunch advocate for building a satellite campus in Issaquah.
The recognition came as she ends a 22-year tenure at the Eastside campus.
Bellevue College appoints interim president
June 7, 2011
Former Bellevue College administrator Laura Saunders has been appointed as interim president for the institution.
The appointment came days after Bellevue College President Jean Floten announced plans to serve as chancellor of WGU Washington, the state’s online university.
Saunders is due to serve until a new president is in place. College trustees have started the process of hiring a firm to lead a nationwide search for a new leader.
Floten announced plans last year to build a campus in the Issaquah Highlands. The college has purchased land for a highlands campus, and although no construction timeline has been finalized, crews have started building the access road to the planned campus.
Saunders served as vice president of administrative services at Bellevue College from 2005 until she retired in 2008.
“She is known to Bellevue College’s faculty, administration and to some extent the students,” trustees Chairman Vijay Vashee said in a statement. “Her extensive background with the Washington community and technical college system will provide strong leadership and continuity for the college as we conduct our search for the permanent president. She will provide a smooth transition to the new administration.”
Bellevue College leader, advocate for Issaquah campus, resigns
May 24, 2011
Bellevue College President Jean Floten, a strong advocate for adding a college campus to the Issaquah Highlands, is resigning from the institution to serve as chancellor of WGU Washington, the state’s online university.
Floten arrived at Bellevue College in 1989 and helped build the Eastside institution into a college serving about 39,000 students each year. Only the University of Washington and Washington State University outrank Bellevue College in size.
“Having the honor of serving as president of Bellevue College for over two decades has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” she said in a statement.
The college announced the resignation May 23.
In recent years, Floten focused on adding a satellite campus in a fast-growing Eastside community. The college announced plans last year to build a campus in the highlands, as a complicated land-preservation process neared completion.
The college purchased land for a highlands campus last year, but no construction timeline has been finalized.
The college’s board of trustees plans to launch a national search for a successor to Floten.
WGU Washington is a partnership between the state and Western Governors University.
