WASHINGTON STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES About

WASHINGTON STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGES About Us

Our Agency ■ Governed by a nine-member, governor-appointed board (click here). ■ Responsible for administering the Community and Technical College Act (click here) and providing leadership and coordination for Washington State's system of 34 public community and technical colleges. ■ SBCTC is headquartered in Olympia, Washington with an e. Learning office in Spokane.

Our History Dedication to Excellent Education ■ Early in the 20 th century, junior colleges launched independently of one another. ■ Today, the state's 34 community and technical colleges serve about 370, 000 students every year. – 59 percent (includes Running Start students) of all students enrolled in Washington’s public higher education system.

How it Began (1915– 1945) ■ Washington's first junior college started in 1915 in Everett when 42 students began a oneyear college program on the top floor of Everett High School. It closed in 1923 for lack of students. Centralia College, the state's oldest existing community college, opened in 1925.

How it Began (1915– 1945) ■ By 1941 eight junior colleges were operating in Washington State, all locally administered and locally funded. Combined enrollment was about 1, 000 students. ■ In 1930, the Seattle School District opened Edison Vocational School. – The Spokane School District followed in 1939. – The oldest existing vocational technical institute, Tacoma's Bates VTI, opened in 1940. – Subsequently, VTIs opened in Clover Park, Pasco, Renton, Vancouver, Kirkland, Olympia and Bellingham. The VTIs in Pasco, Spokane, Vancouver and Olympia eventually became community colleges.

How it Began (1915– 1945) ■ Today, the VTIs (now called "technical colleges") are Bates Technical College, Clover Park Technical College, Renton Technical College, Lake Washington Institute of Technology and Bellingham Technical College. ■ State support was provided for the first time by the 1941 Legislature; however, that act restricted the number and location of junior colleges, prohibiting establishment in counties having either a public or private four-year institution. ■ In 1945, junior colleges were made a part of their local school districts and supported through their funding.

Expansion Restrictions Removed (1945– 1967) ■ In 1961, the state Legislature removed restrictions against expansion of community colleges. The same year, junior colleges were designated as "community" colleges, a term which first appeared in a 1947 Commission on Higher Education report to President Harry Truman. ■ The financing of community colleges was separated from that of local school districts in 1963. ■ In 1965 the Legislature declared that it intended to establish a separate, independent community college system. ■ In 1967 the Legislature adopted the Community College Act of 1967 which was signed on April 3 of that year.

Community and Technical College Act (1967– 1991) ■ The structure of the community college system remained largely intact until 1991 when, as part of the Work Force Training and Education Act, the Legislature amended the Community College Act of 1967 and re-designated it as the Community and Technical College Act of 1991. ■ The state's five remaining public vocational technical institutes were designated as "technical colleges, " removed from the jurisdiction of their local school districts, and merged with the community college system. ■ The Community and Technical College Act of 1991 brought the Seattle Vocational Institute (SVI) into the Seattle College District. ■ The State Board for Community College Education was renamed the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges by the 1991 act.

The System Continues to Grow (1991 – 2000) ■ In 1994, the Legislature approved the establishment of the 30 th college district, Cascadia Community College, now Cascadia College. The new district began enrolling statesupported students in fall 2000. ■ Pierce College Puyallup became the system's 34 th college when the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges granted it college status as part of the Pierce District in June 1999. Pierce College Puyallup

Increasing Educational Pathways (2000–Today) ■ In 2005, the Legislature gave the State Board authority to offer applied baccalaureate programs in a pilot program at selected community and technical colleges. ■ The 2010 Legislature removed the pilot status and gave the State Board authority to approve community and technical college applied baccalaureate degree programs. ■ In 2009, the Legislature allowed the five technical colleges to offer transfer degrees that prepare students for professional bachelor's degrees in addition to offering technical degrees. ■ Today, the Washington state system of community and technical colleges embodies its charge to “offer an open door to every citizen, regardless of his or her academic background or experiences, at a cost normally within his or her economic means. ”

Transfer Successes % Transferring with AA degree Washington Nationally BA within 3 years post-transfer with AA degree 66% 20% BA within 3 years post-transfer without AA 68% 41% BA within 6 years post-transfer with AA degree 81% 72% BA within 6 years post-transfer without AA 75% 56%