Green River has a Number of Four Year Degrees but Needs More

By: Mario Pimentel

Staff Writer 

Published October 31, 2018

Green River College has started to obtain a number of four-year year degrees, but what is the plan moving forward?

As of this year, there are nine bachelor’s degrees at Green River, while many of these are in the technology department. There are a few that are in different departments, including one in the early childhood development and for forest resource management.

Now, of course, the college is planning to get more four-year degrees soon, but which ones will be next. Barry Robinson the Dean of Instruction for the Career and Technical Education, explains that the way that a program gets a four-year degree is decided by the faculty and by the state.

The faculty has a meeting and a state representative, and they decide which is most important at that time. “At the last meeting, I said that nursing should be next. They have been trying to get a four-year for their students since spring” Robinson said.

As of right now, nursing students at the college have three options. They can get an AA in Pre-Nursing which is for transferring, an AAS in Practical Nursing. As well as a certificate for nursing assistant. With no four year, if a student wants to go farther with their education they must transfer.

Even though this is the case the state is unpredictable and things are always changing so there is no way in know what program will be next in the list. That’s not the only factor that will stop some programs from being chosen. “We do have limitations that would stop us from getting a four-year for a certain program, we have to think about our budget and also who will teach that class,” Robinson said.

Even if Green River did have every four-year degree imaginable would students stay for it, there is that thought of status. While going to a different school or university will be more expensive than GRC. They might have the best program that a student is aiming for. Would that be worth it to the student?

“I would rather stay here than go to the best school because of that one program, if they had it. It is more convenient and cheaper here,” Said Thomas Knowles a first year Green River student. There are many that would answer like this and would jump at the chance to save thousands of dollars, but there are people that are really set on going to the best school.

“As of right now, we don’t have that many four degrees for students, most students that come here transfer to a four year. So, we try to help as much as we can, and we make articulations for each student depending on their plan” Robinson said.

While it would be very convenient for students to have the option to stay and get their degrees here. The college is just not there yet, and this kind of stuff takes time and it was not too long ago that GRC was a community college.