Obviously, one of the major higher education issues during the 2008 legislative session will be whether or not to officially create a new UW branch campus in Snohomish County and just where that campus might be located.
Things have been pretty quiet on the UW North Sound front since the Governor’s budget was released in mid-December. As we reported at the time, the Governor’s budget includes $1.1 million in operating funding to begin offering classes next fall in temporary space, but did not express an opinion on where the campus should be located.
Yesterday, the Governor met with the editorial board of the Everett Herald and her message to the community was simple: agree on a site for the new campus or risk losing the issue for this year. Legislators who support both the Everett and Marysville sites are expected to introduce bills when the session begins next week that would designate their respective communities as the site for the new college. The Governor’s advice to all concerned is to come to an agreement as soon as possible.