Over the past two decades, Bellevue College President Jean Floten has played a pivotal role in the growth and development of a nationally-acclaimed institution. As a self-proclaimed academic entrepreneur, Floten unapologetically stretched the boundaries and challenged the historical perception of a community college’s role in academia.
Floten joined what was then Bellevue Community College in 1989, following her role as the Executive Vice President of Edmonds Community College. Taking on the role of president, Floten stepped outside the classroom environment to develop partnerships within the community and on the national level. She also continued to work on the institution’s economic development while fostering international relations.
As the new school year approaches, Floten celebrates 20 years as the institution’s president and reflects on the many challenges and achievements made along the way.
“There have been some days where I have felt absolute panic at taking on such a prominent role as this college’s president and other days I have felt pure excitement,” she said, while seated in her office over overlooking the main campus’s fountain. “I think the panic was the adrenaline rush that kept me on point and challenged me to do my best.”
Bellevue College has undergone tremendous growth during the last 20 years, from the change in the institution’s name to the implementation of groundbreaking programs.
Floten helped to spearhead the college’s first major gift campaign in the 1990s, working with the community to create what is now the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies. Teaming up with Microsoft, Bellevue College secured one of the first National Science Foundation Grants given to a community college in a field that the National Science Foundation had never funded before.
“It was a wonderful initiate for our college and allowed us to be visible on a national front,” Floten said.
The college hit the culture circuit when it appeared in Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best colleges in the nation due to its work in the Information Technologies arena.
In early 2008, Bellevue College acquired a Digistar 3 HD digital planetarium system, making it one of the most sophisticated planetariums in the Northwest.
“This technology allows our students to walk on Mars and fly through the rings of Saturn and to experience astronomy in a much more dynamic way than just reading it from a text book or hearing it during a lecture,” Floten said.
The institution continued to expand with the addition of the Bellevue College North Campus, the primary location for the Continuing Education and Professional Development programs and certifications.
Bellevue College also became the first institution in the nation to offer a degree program for students with learning, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities. The first graduating class to earn their Associate Degree in Occupational Life Skills-Venture were handed their diplomas in 2008.
In March of 2009, Bellevue College added a three-story, 64,000 square-foot facility for Life Sciences and Chemistry programs. The new science building provided additional classroom space for the study of chemistry, biology, microbiology, oceanography and marine biology.
“From the beginning, I have been excited about the potential of what we could do together as an institution. I was hoping I would find within myself the resources to enable what could occur here,” she explained. “That meant asking the questions and listening to the input of the students, faculty and community. It meant developing a deep understanding of the challenges and determination to work with this institution to bring us to a promising future. I think we’re on the right path.”
Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425.453.4602.
To learn more about Bellevue College, visit www.bellevuecollege.edu/.
