TSO Council votes to sunset
Fellow Telosians,
It is my sad duty to report that the TSO Council has voted to terminate/sunset the Telos Student Organization within Bellevue College Student Programs. The TSO Mission was to promote and support the TELOS Retiree Education program in the Bellevue College Continuing Education Department. This action does not affect the TELOS program. TELOS classes will continue on zoom and in person on the Bellevue College campus.
A little history:
TELOS and the TSO (with different names) started 50 years ago when some of our predecessors went to Bellevue Community College and asked for classroom space. They had, within the cadre of pioneers, subjects and people to teach interesting classes. TELOS grew and thrived over time. It was moved around and off campus to various locations eventually coming to Bellevue College North Campus. All the TELOS classrooms were on one interior corridor, and all the classes were in person. We formed friendships and would see our fellow students before class, in class and after class. We were curious lifelong learners creating a thriving learning community. There were routinely 40+ courses with 500+ registrations. The best quarter was in 2018 with 62 courses offered and 1000+ registrations.
That was before Covid. And Covid changed everything. All TELOS courses were now on zoom and participation dropped dramatically. After two years a few TELOS courses were allowed back on campus in person. But the North Campus had been leased and was no longer available to BC Continuing Education and TELOS. As we came back to BC main campus, the classrooms were assigned to rooms in buildings all over the campus. Parking is $3 per day. About half of TELOS classes are still on zoom. We have lost the learning community of forming friendships and seeing our friends before and after classes.
TSO had a strong core group of people on the Council, Committees and volunteers. TSO produced a great newsletter each quarter to promote the classes offered in an upcoming quarter. We hosted seminars between quarters on a wide range of subjects of interest to our community. We placed signs on local roads to promote TELOS. We hosted a few Taste of TELOS seminars to promote new instructors and new courses. Replenishing the core group in TSO suffered badly over time. We aged out, burned out, passed away and moved to retirement communities. Our influence at Bellevue College has also suffered. In recent years TSO has found it difficult to fulfill its stated Purpose of supporting the TELOS program.
The TELOS program will continue without the support of TSO. We can see that in the number of courses offered and filled in the Winter and Spring quarters. I will continue to teach a class and take at least one class each quarter. I hope you find interesting courses to attend, and we can continue to enjoy TELOS Retiree Education courses well into the future.
Thank you
Jerry Bunce
Past President of the TELOS Student Organization