Washington Community and Technical Colleges
{{Short description|State agency and public college system}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) is a Washington state agency that oversees and coordinates between the 34 members of Washington's public community and technical college system.{{Cite web |title=About the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/about/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}} Governed by a nine-member board appointed by the state governor,{{Cite web |title=Community and Technical Colleges, State Board for |url=https://governor.wa.gov/boards-commissions/board-commission-profiles/Community%20and%20Technical%20Colleges,%20State%20Board%20for |access-date=2025-06-01 |website= |publisher=Office of the Governor of Washington State}} the system consists of the accredited colleges and their branch campuses,{{Cite web |title=Why Us |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/our-colleges/why-us |access-date=2025-05-31 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}} which all offer two-year associate's degrees, with select colleges offering four-year bachelor's degrees.{{Cite web |title=I Want a Four-Year Degree |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/becoming-a-student/four-year-degree/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}}
A system of community colleges in Washington was first established by the Community College Act of 1967,{{Cite web |title=Substitute House Bill No. 548. |url=https://leg.wa.gov/CodeReviser/documents/sessionlaw/1967ex1c8.pdf |access-date=2025-05-31 |via=Washington State Legislature |id={{ERIC|ED019962}}}} which created 22 community college districts to be governed by a statewide board.{{Cite web |last=Wilma |first=David |date=2001-06-11 |title=Washington State Legislature passes Community College Act on March 24, 1967 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/3361 |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=HistoryLink.org}} The current agency, along with administering the Community and Technical College Act,{{Cite web |title=Our Agency |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/about/agency/ |access-date=2025-06-01 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}} provides the member colleges with budgetary coordination and inter-college information technology services.{{Cite web |title=Information Technology and System IT Support |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/it-support/ |access-date=2025-06-01 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}}{{Cite web |title=About ctcLink |url=https://www.seattlecolleges.edu/ctclink/about-ctclink |access-date=2025-06-01 |publisher=Seattle Colleges}} The board also coordinates, along with the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, the development of workforce training and other vocational education opportunities.{{Cite web |title=RCW 28B.50.096: Cooperation with workforce training and education coordinating board. |url=https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28B.50.096 |access-date=2025-05-31 |publisher=Washington State Legislature}}
List
There are 34 community and technical colleges within the SBCTC system,{{Cite web |title=Explore Our Colleges |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/our-colleges/explore-colleges/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}} serving 30 college districts.{{Cite web |title=Colleges and Locations Served |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/our-colleges/colleges-locations-served |access-date=2025-05-31 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}}
Programs
= Dual credit =
SBCTC offers multiple dual credit programs for students in Washington to earn college credit while still enrolled in high school.{{Cite web |title=Dual Credit Programs |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/becoming-a-student/high-school/dual-credit-student |access-date=2025-06-01 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}}
== CTE Dual Credit ==
CTE Dual Credit, formerly known as Tech Prep, is a dual credit program in which students take career and technical education coursework at their high school and receive college credit from a community or technical college, on top of their high school credit, for the course. Colleges offering CTE Dual Credit partnerships are organized into consortia, although students may be able to register for CTE Dual Credit courses through colleges outside of their regional consortium. Similar to college in the high school programs, which some Washington state colleges also offer, credit is awarded by both the high school and a college for coursework taken at the high school.{{Cite web |title=Career and Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit |url=https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/cte-dual-credit/ |access-date=2025-06-01 |publisher=Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges}}
== Running Start ==
Running Start is a dual credit program offered by the 34 SBCTC colleges as well as three public universities and two tribal colleges in Washington. Students in Running Start take courses at a college to receive transferable college credit and fulfill high school graduation requirements simultaneously.{{Cite web |title=Dual Credit Programs |url=https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/support-programs/dual-credit-programs |access-date=2025-06-01 |publisher=Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction |language=en}}