Brother Bluto Approves
As you may or may not know, Bremerton appears to be on its way to getting a college of some sort.
Not at first, of course.
But like the steps named after the babies that take them, these steps are becoming strong, Michael Jordan-type steps. As this story indicates, state government is bending to the will of Kitsatopia.
Lawmakers are expected to vote tomorrow on a supplemental budget that includes $212,000 to study the feasibility of offering advanced college courses here and offering four-year degrees as well. Baccalaureates, if you want to get fancy, and you will. But get used to being derided as “college boy/girl.”
Read the story here.
“It’s less of a study and more of a plan,” said a spokesman for the state Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Bringing advanced college courses to Kitsap, and thus the rest of the North Olympic Peninsula (Lawmakers included Clallam and Jefferson counties as well as Mason County) has long been in the works. As this story indicates, a lot of time and effort has gone into the idea.
Here is the budget. If you want to prove how smart you are, check out page 341 for the budget line for the $212,000 to get the nitty-gritty.
Or you can read it below. Your call, college boy/girl.
$85,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for
fiscal year 2008 and $127,000 of the general fund–state
appropriation for fiscal year 2009 are provided solely for the
board to prepare a program and operating plan for a higher
education center in the Kitsap county area. The plan shall be
developed in consultation with an advisory committee of civic,
business, and educational leaders from Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap,
and Mason counties. It shall include a projection of lower and
upper division and graduate enrollment trends in the study area; a
review of assessments of employer needs; an inventory of existing
and needed postsecondary programs; recommended strategies for
promoting active program participation in and extensive program
offerings at the center by public and private baccalaureate
institutions; and an estimate of operating and capital costs for
the creation and operation of the center. The board shall submit
its findings and recommendations to the governor and legislature by
December 1, 2008.
How’s about Bremerton State University for the name of the new school to show our pride in our great city. Then we could have BSU to go along with the BFD (our illustrius Bremerton Fire Department.
Seriously, I think a four year institution on our side of the world is a huge and increasingly needed step forward, and is vastly overdue. The advantages for students to continue on to a four year degree while enjoying the economic benefits (for parent, student and community) of students staying close to home, is immeasurable. There has always been those who would love to go on to a four year degree but the costs of either commuting or moving are prohibitive. Let’s hope this doesn’t become an overpriced, drawn out study to nothing.
Which sounds better?
He received his degree-like certificate from the Bremerton “college-of-some-sort”.
or
He is a recent “gradualate” of the Bremerton “university center”.