Bellevue College Names Student Union for Outgoing President Jean Sarto Floten

Bellevue College has named its student center the Jean Sarto Floten Student Union. The College’s Board of Trustees took the action Wednesday, June 29.

Floten started as Bellevue College's president in 1989 when the college was known as Bellevue Community College. She has seen the college through a name change and through the addition of a few bachelor degree offerings.

The student center is the hub of BC campus student activity. It houses student lounges, coffee shops, meeting rooms and study areas as well as the college cafeteria. The second floor of the complex is home to student government, a variety of clubs and the campus newspaper, the Jibsheet.

Floten will leave Bellevue College to be chancellor of WGU Washington, which was started by the legislature in April. The school will offer access to higher education to more people, which she said reflected closely her goals as an educator.

The BC Board of Trustees has appointed Laura Saunders as interim president and begun a national search for a new president.

-- Information from Bellevue College and Bellevue Patch archives