SENATE RESOLUTION

                           8734

By Senators Keiser, Eide, Johnson, Kohl-Welles and Fraser

WHEREAS, Highline Community College celebrates forty years of helping students achieve a college degree, acquire job retraining, and build careers and communities; and

WHEREAS, Highline was the ninth two-year college in Washington state and the first community college established in King County with over 350,000 students of all ages having attended classes or participated in programs since 1961; and

WHEREAS, since the Southwest King County College in Des Moines opened its doors to three hundred and eighty-five students in September, 1961, in fourteen portable buildings on a high school campus, and greeted over 10,000 students this past September B tens of thousands of students have transferred to four-year colleges and universities throughout the state and nation after studying at Athe college close to home@; and

WHEREAS, Highline=s alliances with other colleges around the world encourage international students to attend the college for their education and give Highline students the opportunity to study abroad, as well as faculty exchanges with institutions from Asia, Africa and Europe; and

WHEREAS, Highline contributes to the economic development of Southwest King County by increasing individuals= lifetime earning capacity through associate degree education and training; raising basic skills through adult basic education; aiding the transition from welfare-to-work; and providing resources for dislocated workers and the under and unemployed through worker-retraining program; and

WHEREAS, the college is the largest employer in Des Moines with approximately 1,400 employees who live, work and pay taxes in Southwest King County;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That we commend Highline Community College for its focus on excellence and on giving each student the opportunity to be successful; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we recognize the vast contributions made by the college, its staff and the more than 350,000 Highline students throughout the past forty years.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8734,

adopted by the Senate February 8, 2002.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate