Bates Technical College, located in Tacoma, Washington, is the state’s largest public technical college. Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, it offers two-year Associate of Technology degrees, academic certificates, and industry certifications, and maintains articulation agreements with several four-year universities. Some of the college’s two-year degrees are transferable.
Bates operates three campuses in Tacoma, occupying a total of approximately 650,000 square feet (60,000 m2) of classrooms, shops, meeting rooms and offices.
Contents |
Classes at Bates run September through July, with a quarter-based academic and enrollment calendar.[1] Weekly information sessions are held to help students select and develop an area of interest.
Bates presents education in a competency-based format.[2] Classroom settings are similar to the workplace in a related field, and students are evaluated as they would be at a business. The college works closely with industries in all career education areas to continually review and refine the curriculum. The college offers extended learning, business and management training, home and family life programs, and apprenticeship training.
Students can earn an Associate of Technology degree, Associate of Applied Science-T degree, Certificate of Competency, or a Certificate of Training. Classes are also offered in basic studies, ESL and GED preparation. A technical high school and a Running Start program are available to students 16–20 years of age who have not yet earned a high school diploma. Worker retraining funds provide unemployed and laid-off workers with immediate access to training at Bates.
Bates has been a part of the Puget Sound community for more than 65 years. The college has partnerships with businesses and industry organizations both locally and internationally. The student body and staff are involved in public events hosted at Bates and throughout the community, including an annual Global Heritage Celebration, a health and wellness fair, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, and a Disability Awareness Day. Staff in Bates' Diversity Center develop outreach strategies to focus on ethnic and other specific communities and organizations. Students and faculty members are introduced to civic and professional organizations, and faculty and administration are invited to speak to those groups.
As of 2008, Bates Technical College has settled three lawsuits regarding its curriculum practices and the quality of education provided. The suits have centered around the school's civil engineering, court reporting and denturist programs.[3]