By Assunta Ng
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
A toast for Bellevue College Interim President Gary Locke (Photo by Assunta Ng)
About 60 people gathered for the farewell reception of Bellevue College (BC) Interim President Gary Locke on the BC campus on June 20.
To honor Locke, the college named a room, the “Gary F. Locke Ballroom,” in the U Building, BC’s newest building constructed in 2020. The ballroom, an event room, spans approximately 6,216 square feet and can accommodate up to 950 guests.
Bellevue College Vice President of Institutional Advancement Rebecca Chawgo posed with Gary Locke after she unveiled the new name of the college ballroom in his honor. (Photo by Assunta Ng)
Additionally, an unrestricted scholarship will be established in his name, called the “Gary F. Locke Endowed Scholarship Fund,” to meet the changing needs of students in the learning environment.
“Many of our generous scholars set restrictions regarding scholarship recipients and criteria,” said Melissa Johnson, executive director of the BC Foundation. “An unrestricted scholarship would enable us to address biases that may exist in the system, cater to student needs within the campus and community, and provide a more agile and responsive scholarship program. What is considered standard practice today may not be the case in five years.”
Locke mentioned that the pandemic and declining college enrollments nationwide inspired BC to set new trends during his three-year tenure. In 2022, the enrollment reached approximately 19,000, including on-campus, hybrid, and fully remote students.
In response to the needs of many businesses, Locke familiarized himself with their talent acquisition and employee training challenges. He also explored ways to assist employers in notifying employees that their retraining tuition expenses could be reimbursed.
Faculty members have lauded Locke’s leadership in “creating communities and challenging us to better serve the students.” He encouraged them to develop innovative approaches “to support students and combat racism by amplifying the voices of the marginalized.”
One of BC’s approaches is summarized by Locke’s statement, “We are not asking them (students) to come here. We go there (where students are).” This ensures that the training provided meets the practical needs of both employers and employees, without causing inconvenience.
The college has organized courses, such as computer training and ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, at casinos and other major corporations to provide skills training to their workers. Locke jokingly remarked that BC and these businesses formed partnerships long before other institutions caught on.
Locke has an extensive history of public service, having served as Washington state governor, U.S. Cabinet Secretary, and U.S. ambassador to China. When asked if he plans to retire after his time at BC, the 73-year-old Locke replied, “I can’t say.”
It appears there may be another adventure on the horizon!
Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.