BCC Needs Your Support to Obtain an Interior Design Bachelor's Degree!!!!!!!
Tomorrow, Friday February 6th, BCC President, Jean Floten will be testifying at a hearing to strongly support an interior design bachelor's degree at Bellevue Community College . This is a fantastic opportunity for the college, design students in Western Washington and our professions continued growth. IDCW fully supports BCC's efforts, and ask that you do the same.
PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL THE FOLLWING LEGISLATORS by 10am Friday:
Senator Derek Kilmer (D) 26th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
Chair: Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee
(360) 786-7650
kilmer.derek@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Deb Wallace (D) 17th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
(360) 786-7976
wallace.deb@leg.wa.gov
COPY JEAN & DAN ON YOUR EMAIL:
Jean Floten, BCC President
Dan Beert, BCC Interior Design Department Head
WHAT TO SAY: (Feel Free to Add a Personal Note or Information About Yourself)
I support Senate Bill SB 5575 and House Bill HB 1726, legislation that would grant Bellevue College the authority to offer upper-division classes.
By approving the Bellevue College proposal, the Interior Design program at Bellevue Community College will have the opportunity to successfully continue its mission, and offer its current and former students a decided edge in today's competitive job market. Over 500 students enroll in Interior Design classes at BCC every year. Enrollment in the program grew by 15% in 2007-2008, due largely to the accreditation granted in 2006, attracting students from around the country and overseas to both its campus and online courses.
A bachelor's degree in Interior Design will make its graduates more competitive in a difficult economy. The high quality of BCC's Interior Design graduates is no longer the advantage it once was in the Puget Sound region. Given the competition for jobs, a bachelor's degree in interior design is highly valued. A large number of BCC's Associates in Arts in Interior Design graduates have expressed a desire to complete an interior design bachelor's degree at BCC, as soon as it is available.
The Interior Design program is currently accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), an independent, non-profit accrediting organization for interior design education programs at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada . BCC's program is one of only three non-baccalaureate programs in the United States to hold this distinction and is the only CIDA-accredited program in Western Washington , and one of only two in the state. Its accreditation is due for renewal in 2012, but will be forfeited in January 2010 if the program does not culminate in a bachelor's degree by then. Losing accreditation jeopardizes the future of a vital and successful program, reducing the availability of qualified interior design professionals in Washington , and diminishing the value of students' degrees. The resources expended in building the program and conducting the self-study that led to accreditation represent a significant investment that should not go to waste.
And please take time to write to your districts’ representatives also. Go to http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature to get their contact info.