EvCC logical place to start university

I had the very good fortune to live in the state of Alaska from 1972 to 2004. Among the wonderful human accomplishments I observed there was a compromise and advancement in the educational system for the state. ACC — Anchorage Community College ­— was a small, local, well-respected educational facility, not unlike Everett Community College. In the 1970s the University of Alaska wanted to have a presence in the state’s largest town — Anchorage. The main university, basically for the whole state, was located in Fairbanks, 350 miles away.

Through a series of negotiations, compromises and agreements, the University of Alaska took over Anchorage Community College’s facilities and the community college was a large portion of the foundation of the university that is located there today. The university absorbed the community college’s two-year programs so they stayed in existence and added and expanded on them to a four-year university level. This could be a blueprint for a four-year university to be established here.

By using existing facilities, the foundation for any school can drastically reduce initial costs and expedite when the first classes could take place. I am absolutely amazed that Everett Community College’s facilities were discounted so quickly as with a wave of the hand. It is quite obvious that a better idea has yet to present itself.

Politicians are essentially turning an “It’s not if but when” question into an “It’s not when but if” question. If the decision is made that we can only go with a brand-new, from-the-ground-up university, the people making those decisions are making it much more difficult for the Legislature to support a university here. Negotiate, compromise, make agreements; look at Everett Community College again for a start, it’s a natural.

Randy Moore