State favors satellite campus

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, October 22, 2006

A campus tied to an existing four-year university – not a new independent college – should be built in the Everett or Marysville area, according to a state report released Friday.

That recommendation from staff for the Higher Education Coordinating Board disappoints some local leaders.

Last month, a panel of regional business and elected leaders made an independent four-year university their top choice. That panel envisioned a university with a focus on science and technology, similar to California’s polytechnic state universities in Pomona and San Luis Obispo.

Both recommendations are part of a $500,000 study ordered by the Legislature last year to address the long-term higher education needs of north Snohomish County and Island and Skagit counties.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board will vote on a recommendation in November that will be forwarded to the Legislature by Dec. 1.

Under the state recommendation, the university would start with junior and senior level classes, along with graduate courses, while quickly building a curriculum for lower-division courses.

The phased-in approach could help get a university established, said Jim Sulton, executive director of the state higher education board.

“It’s the crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run phenomenon,” Sulton said.

His staff believes it would get a university open faster, it would make getting accreditation easier and the school would carry name-brand recognition among prospective students.

It would still emphasize polytechnic courses because of regional and statewide demand for math, science and engineering skills, but it would also offer liberal arts majors as well.

“We believe that perceived shortcomings with affiliation may be overcome and that the future of a polytechnic university for the region and state will benefit from affiliation with an existing public baccalaureate institution,” the report said.

Sen. Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek, said several state lawmakers from the region will continue to push for an independent four-year university.

“Theirs is a recommendation,” Schmidt said. “We are the decision makers. We need to convince the other legislators around the state that it is a benefit to them.”

Consultants on the university study say a four-year independent college could open modestly in four years in leased space and grow to 8,000 by 2025.

Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, leads the House committee overseeing building projects and believes the branch campus idea makes most sense.

“If we say we want the moon, we aren’t going to get it,” Dunshee said. “The practical reality is how are we going to get this done. We need to move from rhetoric to reality.”

The university debate will move to Olympia when the Legislature meets early next year.

Several local lawmakers say they will try to convince Gov. Chris Gregoire to include $31 million in her proposed budget to buy land and plan for a university in Snohomish County.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board is planning to ask for $250,000 to keep studying the possibilities.

There are plenty of proposals floating around these days to meet the region’s higher education needs.

The Everett Community College Board of Trustees approved a resolution this week advocating:

* Authority to offer bachelor degrees that meet job market demands;

* State money to expand the University Center of North Puget Sound, a partnership of community colleges and universities offering classes in Everett;

* Phasing in upper-division courses and building an upper-division institute near EvCC focused on science and technology.

“We’re putting forth these solutions with affordability and access in mind,” Beyer said.

Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.