Procrastination is always a problem for students; but for government officials looking to create a four-year school in north Snohomish County, it is never too late to get started.
A 13-member panel was named Monday to study the logistics of bringing a long-overdue university to Snohomish, Island and Skagit County students. It would be the state’s first new four-year school since 1971, when Evergreen State College in Olympia opened.
The demand has been here for years.
By 2009, the number of high school graduates in Washington is expected to hit 66,792 – 40 percent more students than there were in 1996. The sheer influx of students is enough to push for a university that is easily accessible to those who reside between the UW and WWU. But then take into consideration the demand from local businesses, and there is a sense of urgency.
Companies around Snohomish County are clamoring to fill engineering and technology jobs. These businesses, however, are often looking outside of state boundaries to fill positions and non-Washington residents are coming in to take high-paying jobs because local schools aren’t producing enough graduates in the necessary fields.
Our schools should prepare students to meet demand. For that reason, the advisory panel will determine the location of the campus and the direction of the school’s curriculum.
We hope that these businesses are given plenty of opportunity to contribute their opinions to the $500,000 education study; after all, they will shape the job market for years to come. However, the advisory panel is comprised primarily of government leaders. Businesses are represented by Carol Nelson, CEO of Cascade Bank, and the executive directors of economic development agencies in Island and Skagit counties. The lack of more members from the business community is a concern, but one that can be overcome by drawing input from the employers in the region who will ultimately employ many of the graduates, such as Boeing and biotech companies.
Money, of course, is an issue. The creation of the school will cost a load of taxpayer dollars. As committee member Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish said, “Where do you come up with a half a billion (dollars)? But we have built colleges before.” The state needs to invest in its future, which is to invest in education and this university. And dare we dream, in this age of public/private partnerships, that perhaps some of the businesses who need these educated employees, might also find ways to invest and contribute to the university, even in its earliest stages.
It is refreshing to see this study finally get started. Let’s hope the 18-month endeavor will spur timely action. Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson envisions a university that is constructed by 2015, with a groundbreaking by 2010.
The earlier, the better. No more procrastination – it’s time to cram for this study.
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