Published August 2003

New courses part of Cascadia expansion plan

By Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor

With an eye toward the future of its campus and the work force, Cascadia Community College in Bothell is rolling out new technology- and management-related certificate programs this fall.

In addition to a roster that includes computer networking, computer applications, software testing and Web design, Cascadia is adding certificate programs in digital media, game design, project management, IT security and data warehousing, said Suzanne Ames, director of communications.

“These certificates are designed for people already working in these types of fields who want to boost their skills in specific areas,” Ames said.

As the curriculum is developed further, the certificate programs will be offered as two-year degree programs, and their courses will be taught in a home of their own — the proposed Center for Arts, Technology and Global Interaction, Ames said.

The project, which received $159,000 for pre-design work in the latest state budgeting process, will facilitate learning in digital art, world languages and cultures, global e-commerce, entrepreneurship and filmmaking — skills needed in the economy ahead, Ames said.

“We want to train future employees to be independent, to have entrepreneurial skills,” she said. “We also think that the global economy is going to become much more intimate, where you can create digital art in Bothell for clients in China. That’s why we want to offer world languages. It’s not only having the skills but the ability to market themselves.”

With the recent state funding, an architect will be hired to determine the scope and estimated cost of the proposed facility, Ames said.

It’s the first phase in a process that “in a perfect world” will take six years from start to finish, she said, with the college requesting funds for the building’s design during the 2005-2007 biennium and for the building’s construction during the 2007-2009 biennium.

When completed, the center will enable Cascadia to educate students for “high-wage careers in the emerging fields of digital media,” said President Victoria Munoz Richart. “They will not only learn new media skills but also learn how to communicate and transact business in the global marketplace.”

“We think employees of the future will be talented in some sort of digital art,” Ames added. “And it could be anything from creating imaging for radiology medical clinics to digital animation that you see in the latest movies in Hollywood. So the range of applications is tremendous.”

The proposed center would be the second classroom building for 3-year-old Cascadia, which is co-located on a 128-acre campus with the University of Washington, Bothell.

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