SBCTC NEWS LINKS | Articles about – and of interest to – Washington state community and technical colleges
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Clark College mourns Dean Alex Montoya, killed in Scappoose traffic accident
Alex Montoya, the dean of Enrollment Services at Clark College, had a way of connecting with students even though it wasn't part of his administrative job description, a colleague said.
The Oregonian, June 13, 2011
CBC plans to cut up to 29 jobs
Columbia Basin College will cut up to 29 jobs to make ends meet as the school adjusts to state budget cuts for the coming biennium. Several other positions will be reduced from full to part time, and a few popular programs will be eliminated or slimmed down. CBC President Rich Cummins announced the cuts at Monday's meeting of the CBC board of trustees. The college has to make up about $7.6 million in lost state money, he said.
Tri-City Herald, June 14, 2011
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/06/14/1529038/cbc-plans-to-cut-up-to-29-jobs.html
Cantwell aims to restore job-training funds
More than $1 billion was cut from work-force development programs nationwide in the 2011 budget as members of Congress worked to fix the federal deficit. The Senate passed the reductions after rejecting a House proposal that would have cut far deeper — eliminating all funding for the Workforce Investment Act that supports many of the resource centers. … U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell championed resources for the unemployed in Seattle on Monday. Funding for work training and placement resources will see cuts on July 1. …
More cuts in the area are "a step in the wrong direction," Cantwell said Monday at South Seattle Community College, where she met with local business leaders and toured a green-jobs training class.
Seattle Times, June 14, 2011
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015312216_cantwell14m.html
Students remember an influential teacher
A well-known and influential member of the local community passed away on Friday. 62-year-old David Lemak died after a long battle with cancer. Lemak was the Director of the Bachelor of Applied Science Program at Columbia Basin College and prior to that a professor at Washington State University Tri-Cities. He also served in the air force for 20 years. However, students say he was more than just his accomplishments; he changed lives.
KNDU/KNDO TV, June 12, 2011
http://www.kndu.com/category/189473/video-center?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5948881
Worries Go Beyond Grades for Homeless Edmonds CC Students
In the past few years, the number of homeless students attending Edmonds Community College has been climbing. The college knows of at least 150 students without a place to live, but the real number is likely far higher. The counted ones are only those who have come forward to self-identify as homeless when receiving aid for food and supplies.
Edmonds Patch, June 7, 2011
http://edmonds.patch.com/articles/worries-go-beyond-grades-for-homeless-edmonds-cc-students
An Edmonds Community College Math Department Love Story
Things are not always what they appear in the math department at Edmonds Community College. A common misunderstanding provides amusement for an EdCC couple.
Edmonds Patch, June 12, 2011
http://edmonds.patch.com/articles/an-edmonds-community-college-math-department-love-story
Hard-earned diplomas for local high school grads
· Vinnie Mendez-Honesto, Union High School … His parents’ last rope was the academy, and he grabbed it. He earned straight A’s and returned with sustainable life skills. He co-founded a multicultural club at Union, helped stage a diversity assembly and, on Thursday, graduated. Next comes Clark College, and perhaps a look at the military. “I want to be an IT specialist. I love computers,” he says.
· Ashlee Chiara, Union High School … “I’m able to show my teachers that I am smart, and I do my work,” she says, proud to prove doubters wrong. She’s headed for Clark College with hopes to become an ultrasound technician — to “be a better doctor” than those who initially treated her, she says.
· Jessica Harris, Hayes Freedom High School … “To me it’s a new beginning,” said Harris, who plans to take construction classes at Clark College this fall.
· Kurtis Moody, Hayes Freedom High School … Now, his sights are set on grander goals. He plans to attend Clark College in the fall and study business. He hopes to one day work in the restaurant industry.
The Columbian, June 12, 2011
http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jun/12/hard-earned-diplomas/
Commencement speaker took long road to Olympic College degree
It's not every day you see a commencement speaker with a pot on her head, but that's what the largest graduating class in Olympic College history witnessed Sunday. Stella Heard, who earned an Associate in Technical Arts degree in Business Management, spoke about her desperate decision to leave two young daughters behind in Kenya nine years ago for a better life in America.
Kitsap Sun, June 12, 2011
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jun/12/commencement-speaker-took-long-road-to-olympic/
SSCC equipment program wins EnviroStars certification
South Seattle Community College's diesel & heavy duty equipment technology program has been awarded EnviroStars certification from the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Local Hazardous Waste Management Program.
Daily Journal of Commerce, June 13, 2011
http://www.djc.com/news/ma/12030177.html
Moses Lake teen in TV competition
Caitlynn took every dance class possible, said Vickie. She danced for her school's drill team, Today's Generation dance studio and the Ballet Academy of Moses Lake, even as she went to high school and attended Big Bend Community College through the Running Start program.
Columbia Basin Herald, June 11, 2011
Pedal to the Metal: Hybrid Auto Tech Training at Shoreline Community College
Jesse Brown is psyched. He’s going back to school to learn auto tech training at Shoreline Community College. The state-of-the-art program is a partnership between the college, auto manufacturers and dealers. Students work on hybrids with the latest technology. … He said he chose the program for one reason: “It produces better workers simply than any other auto program in the United States of America I could say.”
Seattle Post Globe, June 14, 2011
61 year old gets her GED
61-year-old retired woman has accomplished a major goal. Sarah Norwood is getting her GED at Columbia Basin College. Norwood says you're never too old. She dropped out of high school at 17. She says, "I got pregnant at 16 1/2 and I was in my sophomore year, and I dropped out and had a baby."
KNDU/KNDO TV, June 10, 2011
http://www.kndu.com/category/189473/video-center?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5946597&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
CBC awards diverse group GEDs
In recent weeks, Laura Miller has been talking to her sister about finishing her course work as she herself prepared to complete her General Education Development credential through Columbia Basin College in Pasco. On Friday, she joined nearly 140 students who participated in the ceremony before a gymnasium packed with cheering loved ones and friends. CBC awarded GED certificates or high school diplomas to 495 students this past year.
The News Tribune, June 11, 2011
Story: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/06/11/1701749/cbc-awards-diverse-group-geds.html
Photo Gallery: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/06/10/1525523_a1525522/gallery-ged-and-hs-completion.html
Big Bend holds graduation ceremony
It is our largest graduating class ever," Big Bend Community College President Bill Bonaudi told the graduating class of 2011. Over 500 degrees were awarded, he said. Thirty-four high school students graduated with Associate degrees through the Running Start program, more than the school's ever had, he said. The oldest graduate was 69 years old, the youngest 17
Columbia Basin Herald, June 13, 2011
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_b25d2e34-95d9-11e0-ac0d-001cc4c002e0.html
A dying Bellingham mother gets her wish, sees her daughter graduate
With the OK from the family, Textor and Bellingham School Superintendent Greg Baker, the ceremony was held in Jodi's room at Whatcom Hospice House on May 12, two days after Nilsen proposed the idea. … I don't like attention, per se," Aubrie said, "but I enjoyed it." Aubrie plans to take classes at Whatcom Community College and then enroll in the radiology program at Bellingham Technical College.
Bellingham Herald, June 13, 2011
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/06/13/2054157/a-dying-bellingham-mother-gets.html
Clark College Mature Learning program’s creative writing class publishes book
The Columbian, June 13, 2011
http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jun/13/proudly-published-clark-college-mature-learning-pr/
TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION
Vocational education advocates battle ‘enormous’ prejudices
Mike Rowe, the host of the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs," … has become a leading advocate for vocational education programs in the nation's schools. He forcefully testified in front of Congress last month that the country needs a "a national PR campaign for skilled labor" in order to battle prejudices against it in society. …
The new crop of advocates behind Rowe's cause argue that good vocational education doesn't mean kids have to choose between college and a career. They point out that some of the best new vocational programs combine rigorous academic standards with career-focused, real-world curricula and offer the opportunity for students to earn certificates in high-earning fields while they're still teenagers. But the prejudices are still there, vocational ed advocates say, and are especially pernicious among the influential education reformers who have advanced most of the innovations in K-12 schools over the past few years. These reformers have largely adopted a "college for all" approach, arguing that expecting anything less from kids would discourage them from performing well at school.
… Robert Schwartz, a Harvard Education School professor … told The Lookout there's a perception among elites--who largely drive innovation in K-12 education--that job-focused education is "for other people's kids."
Yahoo News, June 13, 2011
OPINION: College graduates facing dismal employment prospects
Don Brunell for The Columbian, June 14, 2011
http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jun/14/college-graduates-facing-dismal-employment-prospec/
Impact of Scholarships on Community College Students
Providing extra scholarship funds encourages community college students to enroll full time and to take summer courses, according to a study …
Inside Higher Ed, June 9, 2011
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/06/08/qt#261910
Poverty Is a Factor in Students’ Choice of College Type
The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 14, 2011
Florida's Community Colleges Offer Bachelor's Degrees to Bolster Work-Force Skills
Florida's community colleges are leading the way in offering bachelor's degrees, in an effective attempt to meet the state's work-force needs.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 14, 2011
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In Our View: Dig Deep, Parents
As tuition rates soar, one new program offers hope for middle-income families
The Columbian, June 13, 2011
http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jun/13/dig-deep-parents/
The True Significance of 'Gainful Employment'
By giving U.S. government new way to measure "value" of academic programs, rules could reframe federal regulation of all colleges, not just for-profits.
Inside Higher Ed, June 13, 2011
What Bubble?
Robert B. Archibald and David H. Feldman question recent predictions that higher education is about to face a major collapse
Inside Higher Ed, June 14, 2011
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2011/06/14/essay_rejecting_idea_of_a_higher_education_bubble
Blocked Transfer
What does it say when a community college district in California sees more graduates go to private colleges or leave the state than enter public university systems?
Inside Higher Ed, June 14, 2011
California Community-College Student Questions Legality of E-Textbook Fees
At issue is a state provision that additional fees cover only instructional material from which students get “tangible personal property,” while access to e-textbooks can expire.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 6, 2011
CNN: Skyrocketing Tuition Leads to Fewer Four-Year Enrollees
Publicola, June 13, 2011
Compiled by the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
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