Idea of moving Cascadia Community College to Kirkland debated

A behind-the-scenes debate over whether to evict Cascadia Community College from the campus it shares with the University of Washington Bothell has surfaced in Olympia.

An unusual proviso slipped onto page 211 of the House budget bill directs Cascadia and Kirkland's Lake Washington Technical College to "develop and submit an implementation plan" that merges the two colleges at a "single consolidated campus" in Kirkland.

Educators and lawmakers have discussed the idea since last summer. After plans to build a UW campus in Snohomish County died, some argued that expanding the UW's presence in Bothell could be an alternative.

But the idea upsets Cascadia's president, Bill Christopher.

"I don't see how it would be of any benefit at all to Cascadia students, currently or in the future," he said. "Cascadia is located where it is because of the incredible access you get here ... and we've had tremendous growth."

Cascadia opened its doors in 2000 at the campus overlooking wetlands near the intersection of Interstate 405 and Highway 522.

It has grown from 1,000 full-time students to 2,200. In 2007, the national Washington Monthly magazine ranked Cascadia the second-best community college in the country, noting its high teaching standards and graduation rates.

But the link between Cascadia and UW Bothell has changed. Cascadia was once viewed as a pipeline that fed students into the UW after their first two years of study.

But after a legislative change, the UW began accepting freshmen at its branch campuses in 2006. UW Bothell is now at capacity with 2,400 full-time students.

The addition of the House budget proviso took many by surprise, including Christopher and Charlie Earl, the executive director of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, who has concerns about a merger.

Earl said he likes the current arrangement because it promotes shared agendas and makes it easy for students to transfer to the UW.

Exactly who is behind the idea of moving Cascadia remains in dispute. Christopher and Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, say that, behind the scenes, UW Bothell Chancellor Kenyon Chan has been pushing it.

"He believes there are great savings to be had by this, that it's a savings for the state and that the students could be well served," said McAuliffe. "And UW Bothell needs a science building. They would not need one if this was to occur."

But Chan said it was lawmakers — he couldn't remember which ones — who first approached him with the idea last summer, and that he has simply been a messenger.

"It's not of great importance to us. It's really a community-college issue, between two community colleges," Chan said. "We had no hand in figuring this."

However, in a December e-mail to staff, Lake Washington Technical College President Sharon McGavick wrote the following:

"We did provide information to UWB about the cost of moving Cascadia students to Lake Washington campus and the price tag is about $125 million. This proposal is being supported by the university, and of course, Cascadia and the State Board are not supporting it. Our trustees have taken a neutral position. ... "

Rep. Mark Ericks, D-Bothell, who added the proviso to the budget bill, said Thursday his intention was only to get the issue studied and that the proviso was poorly worded.

"The intent of the proviso is not to move anyone anywhere," he said. "The intent of the proviso is to get three institutions to talk to each other, to see if it makes sense or not."

Ericks said he would withdraw the proviso if Senate Bill 6359 becomes law. That bill, sponsored by Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, calls for a comprehensive look at finding efficiencies within the state community-college system. The bill was passed by the Senate and is now in the House.

Kilmer said there appears to be an overlap of resources, especially when neighboring community colleges each have their own administrative departments such as human resources and finance. He said the question of moving Cascadia is worth studying.

"I don't think it's a bad question to be asked right now," he said. "I certainly think we need to be growing additional baccalaureate opportunities."

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com