More college options key to our economy

It has been a year since I joined the team at Washington State University and partnered with Dean Paul Pitre to engage with the community and expand access to higher education and the academic offerings at Everett University Center and WSU North Puget Sound at Everett.

What a year it has been.

We have worked side-by-side with our academic partners, civic leaders and advisers to continue the evolution of offering quality higher education opportunities for the residents of North Puget Sound. Our efforts include completing the design for a new building for classrooms, laboratories and other student services that, if approved by the Legislature, will be built immediately adjacent to Everett Community College. We are implementing the strategic plan and have asked the Legislature to support the delivery of 10 new academic degree programs in the fields of aviation maintenance, aviation management, software engineering, data analytics and agriculture.

The new building and proposed academic programs align with the Legislature’s strategic vision for the growth of the the Everett University Center. It also aligns with WSU’s role in managing the consortium while focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematic programs that will fuel the workforce needs for advanced manufacturing, high tech and service industries.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to offer junior- and senior-level courses in degrees that are in high demand in our area. We not only want to ensure students have the options to start their post-secondary education at a community college and then earn his/her bachelor’s degree right here in Everett, we want our graduates to be employable in the high demand fields that define our region.

We are proud that WSU North Puget Sound at Everett now has more than 90 students on the way to completing their college degrees in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, integrated communications and hospitality business management. WSU will forever be identified in part by the skills, ingenuity and contributions of our graduates, many who are raising families and working in the North Puget Sound region; we are pleased that WSU NPS at Everett will be adding to the illustrious list of 125 years of alumni.

We also recognize how WSU’s research has and will continue to tackle complex societal problems in a tangible and practical way. Our WSU Mount Vernon Research and Extension Center is a shining example of how research benefits the character and economic impact of our area’s agriculture sector by helping expand new crops and value-added production in the Skagit Valley.

Successfully increasing higher education access reflects a 30-year dream for many in our community. We are immensely pleased that WSU has been able play a part in furthering collaborative efforts that are unique both in the delivery of higher education and bringing post secondary institutions together in Everett, for the North Puget Sound region. WSU is excited at what the future holds and looks forward to many more years in advancing our academic and research mission in benefit to our state and Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties.

Bob Drewel is the interim chancellor at WSU North Puget Sound at Everett.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.