Washington State University President Elson Floyd swears that his interest in providing four-year and graduate degrees in Snohomish County is altruistic. It’s about meeting the needs of a region that multiple studies have confirmed is underserved by higher education, he says, a mission best accomplished with the leadership and considerable influence of a major research university.
Twin bills introduced this week in the state House and Senate would give him a chance to prove it. We strongly encourage the Legislature to approve them.
HB 1792 and SB 5636 would launch a formal planning process that, if completed successfully, would culminate with WSU taking management responsibility for the University Center of North Puget Sound, a consortium of colleges and universities, public and private, run by Everett Community College on its main campus.
Concerns that such a change would threaten the progress made under EvCC’s leadership are addressed in the legislation, which enjoys bipartisan sponsorship. WSU, working in collaboration with the other institutions at University Center and the community, would be required to develop a long-range plan, and establish an engineering program before management would be transferred. The plan would have to build on current degree offerings at University Center, and focus on meeting the educational needs of local students, employers and the region.
If the plan and engineering program are in place by July 2013, WSU takes over a year later — presumably at the current site. If WSU overplays its hand in some way, as some apparently fear it might, the deal could fall apart.
The impetus will be on Floyd to show how WSU will move University Center to greater heights, without undermining its collaborative approach.
Having the flag of one of the state’s two research universities planted in Everett lays the foundation for a more robust expansion of baccalaureate and graduate programs in the future. Such opportunities are crucial for students in Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties — particularly in high-demand fields of science, technology, engineering and math — where employers in high-paying sectors often must look out of state to find qualified workers.
For the long term, it also makes sense for a university center to be led by a four-year institution. EvCC, with the leadership of Vice President Christine Kerlin, has by all accounts done a terrific job building the consortium to its current level, which has it serving about 500 students. But a community college has a big enough mission to focus on without moving too far into the production of four-year and graduate degrees.
Floyd’s enthusiasm puts Washington State University in the best position to do that here. Lawmakers should let it.
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