New degree programs coming to CBC, WSU Tri-Cities

Higher education in the Tri-Cities is getting a boost as Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities prepare to add several new degree offerings and consolidate programs.

CBC’s new bachelor’s in applied sciences degrees in information technology and dental hygiene will be its fifth and sixth four-year degrees. The state Board for Community & Technical Colleges recently approved the new programs and the college is now waiting for accreditors to sign off on the related programs.

“We’re just making sure our graduates have what they need when they go out to get a job,” said CBC President Rich Cummins.

The WSU Board of Regents agreed to bestow WSU Tri-Cities with its own School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, grouping its five engineering programs as well as computer science together. It’s a move intended to raise those programs’ profiles.

Formal accreditation also is needed for the polytechnic-centric university’s new degrees, one in biology and a more liberal arts-focused bachelor’s in fine arts.

“It is a truly unique degree in our region that will offer our students an avenue to hone their skills and explore advanced art-making while gaining a competitive edge in the industry,” said Doug Gast, associate professor of fine arts and director of WSU Tri-Cities’ digital technology and culture program.

CBC has gradually added four-year programs to its catalog in recent years. Those new degrees have largely come in workforce-related areas tied to health care and technology, including project management, cybersecurity and nursing.

The two-year programs that CBC already offers in dental hygiene and information technology are extraordinarily rigorous as they are, Cummins said. However, industry leaders have indicated they want their future employees to have more training and education before joining the work force.

Tym O’Brien, associate professor of computer science, said the new bachelor’s degree in information technology will offer a lot more hands-on training to students. That’s attracted the attention of students and employers alike.

“They are very excited and have expressed their interest and we’ve told them to hang tight,” said O’Brien, noting the college can’t advertise the new program until it’s signed off by accreditors.

Cummins emphasized that the college’s four-year programs aren’t aimed at directly competing with four-year universities — the applied sciences degrees awarded by their two-year predecessors weren’t designed for transfer like a standard associate degree.

The new school for engineering and computer science, which will be part of the system-wide Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, will allow the Richland campus “to elevate the level of service to the Tri-Cities region as well as southeast and Central Washington,” said Joseph Iannelli, the campus’ executive director of engineering and computer science.

Consolidation is called for in the strategic plans for the college as well as for WSU Tri-Cities, according to a memo to the regents from Interim Co-Provost Erica Weintraub. Growing enrollment and increasing faculty hires in the engineering and computer science programs based in Richland, as well as the demand by industry for more prospective employees, were cited as some of the reasons for the new school.

The new biology degree is a result of increased student interest and the university has been gradually planning to offer a full biology degree by adding faculty in recent years. Currently, WSU Tri-Cities students can only earn a general science degree with an emphasis in biological science.

“We believe these students would be better served by the (bachelor’s of science) in biology, which has a better-defined curriculum then a general sciences degree, and has a well-scaffolded program of study,” said Kate McAteer, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Art students have been able to earn a bachelor of arts degree in digital technology and culture. The new bachelor’s of fine arts degree, or BFA, will put students through a more rigorous arts curriculum, with more than 20 additional credit hours needed.

While it will require plenty of study in art history and studio work, a memo to the regents notes that the degree is meant to look at the convergence of art with science and technology. The BFA will initially be available in a concentration in digital and experimental media.

“The BFA fits perfectly with the polytechnic approach, that is our students will learn by doing and likely focus on the use of new technologies within the arts,” Gast told the Herald. “We projected our enrollment will be six students for year one and have much more interest than anticipated.”

This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 5:25 PM with the headline "New degree programs coming to CBC, WSU Tri-Cities."