College Name Change
Effective April 13, 2009, Bellevue Community College changes officially to Bellevue College.
FAQ
What is the new name of the college?
Bellevue College.
When did this officially happen?
April 13, 2009.
Why is the college changing its name?
This is a defining moment in our school’s history. The name Bellevue College more accurately describes our school’s current identity as we take it to the next level.
- A community college, almost by definition, is a two-year school and Bellevue now offers bachelor’s degrees with the possibility of expanding the college’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) opportunities. The first BA graduates will receive their diplomas at this spring’s commencement, and they will graduate from Bellevue College.
- Bellevue has long been a place of exceptional learning where great things happen and the name change will signal the latest step in our successful history.
What were the official steps on the name change?
We are a state college, so we filed a “change of rule” with Washington state in February. When that was accepted, our college Board of Trustees voted to approve the name change to Bellevue College.
Will we still offer the programs we have traditionally offered?
Yes, nothing changes on that front because of the name change. We will still be part of the state community & technical college system. We will continue to fulfill our community college mission – to be an open door or opportunity for all. We will continue to meet the needs of students and the community, and to remain touch with community values. Bellevue has long been the top producer of transfer students to the University of Washington. And that’s exactly why we need to explore the opportunities to offer more four-year options.
Will students who started here while we were Bellevue Community College need to do anything special to continue at Bellevue College?
No, students will simply continue their college career here. They will graduate from Bellevue College.
Do instructors and other staff members need to change anything?
No, not right away, except to start referring to Bellevue College instead of Bellevue Community College. Those employees who manage a college website may begin updating their site logos and content to reflect this change. Tips and guidelines for these updates may be located at: www.bellevuecollege.edu/webpublishing.
What is a likely future for four-year degrees at Bellevue College?
We are looking for more opportunities to provide four-year opportunities for students, in disciplines that are not available at other colleges or universities in the area. Bills in the state legislature have addressed giving the college authority to create more four-year programs and there has been considerable public discussion about the future of higher education in our area.
How does the current state budget deficit affect all of this?
It is a serious mitigating factor on the college’s ability to implement some of these ideas. But the college’s view is that we should still be doing ongoing research, development and rigorous analysis of potential programs so that when budget opportunities arise in the future, Bellevue College is ready to take advantage of them.
What is the broader community’s reaction?
Very positive, there is strong support. Frankly, the greater community has long used “Bellevue College” as a synonym for Bellevue Community College. There is a great deal of community enthusiasm for our college’s move to offer four-year degrees. Changing the name gets people’s attention in a good way. It signals growth and will help us in the competitive market for enrollment. This simple change retains all the positive associations that BCC has accumulated over 40 years and captures the ascendancy of Bellevue to most influential Eastside city.
Haven’t a lot of other community colleges already dropped the word “community.”
Yes, it has been a nationwide trend over the past several years. In our state several colleges have made the move, including Centralia, Peninsula and Olympic have made the move.
Didn’t the college already start to address this topic we changed the website URL and email addresses?
Yes. The change to www.bellevuecollege.edu went smoothly, as did the e-mail address transition, with no negative reaction from the college, from students or from the community.
Did the college get an updated logo?
Yes, the updated college logo needs to be a visual representation of all of the values and personality of the institution. It embodies
- More than 40 years of educational excellence
- A re-commitment to our longstanding successful mission as a community college
- A new emphasis on the academic possibilities opened up by offering four-year degrees
- A continuation of our innovative and forward-looking strategy.
Will the mascot change?
No. Go Bulldogs!