Monday, July 11, 2011

NEWS LINKS | July 11, 2011

 

SBCTC NEWS LINKS | Articles about – and of interest to – Washington state community and technical colleges


 

SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS

 

The U.S. employment skills gap: Following estimates of the latest unemployment numbers, CBS News takes a look at the nationwide employment skills gap

A number of American companies say while the pool of unemployed is growing, the specialized skills employers are seeking are especially hard to find. "If you want a job this is definitely the place to be," says 20-year-old Sam Warby. He's talking about his aviation program at Everett Community College in Washington. Warby graduates in August, and he already has a job lined up at Boeing…

"We don't necessarily have a labor challenge," says Michael Greenwood, a senior manager at Boeing in Seattle. "We have a skills challenge." To address the challenge, Greenwood said, “Were developing programs with our community and technical colleges to help address some of that skill challenge issue for our company.”

CBS News, July 8, 2011

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7372644n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

 

Higher tuitions for higher education mean tougher choices for families

Some students have turned to community colleges for savings. Jeff Skoubo of Bremerton, whose son Ryan had a baseball scholarship to Washington State University, said that while other factors were at play, WSU's 16 percent tuition increase had a role in his decision to instead attend Tacoma Community College.

Kitsap Sun, July 10, 2011

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jul/10/no-headline---affording_tuition_071011/

 

Running Start students could face financial hurdle next year
The number of high school students who take advantage of the opportunity to earn college credit has grown every year since the program [Running Start] began in the early 90’s, but that progress could be coming to a halt.  The state has covered the costs of the program more than two decades, allowing students to take college classes that count toward both a diploma and a degree. Now it’s reducing the number of courses it’ll cover. Nik Steele, an 18-year-old who participated in Running Start, says the drop in support could discourage students like him. He just graduated from Tumwater High School with a diploma and an associate of arts degree from South Puget Sound Community College. He says he definitely wanted to challenge himself, but his real motivation was financial.

KPLU, July 6, 2011
http://www.kplu.org/post/running-start-students-could-face-financial-hurdle-next-year

CBC to offer master's in library media
Graduate-level courses toward a master's degree in education with library media will be offered through a collaboration between Columbia Basin College and Antioch University Seattle, pending final approvals by education agencies, said Edward Mikel, dean of Antioch's School of Education.
Tri-City Herald,  July 10, 2011
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/07/10/1561675/cbc-to-offer-masters-in-library.html

Skagit Valley College tuition increases 13 percent, limits put on Running Start

“I think the increases in tuition and fees will certainly impact some if not many students," SVC Executive Vice President Mick Donahue said, "especially part-time students or students who do not qualify for some type of financial aid."

Whidbey News Times, SeattlePI.com, July 10, 2011

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/sound/article/Skagit-Valley-College-tuition-increases-13-1460462.php

 

Of Journeys, Miracles and Angels

A Kenyan immigrant’s graduation from Olympic College is the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

Kitsap Sun, July 10, 2011

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jul/10/journeys-miracles-and-angels/

 

EDCC Adds Concert Band And Transferable Music Degree

This fall, Edmonds Community College will debut a community concert band and a two-year associate's degree with a music emphasis that will transfer to four-year schools of music.

Edmonds Patch, July 11, 2011

http://edmonds.patch.com/articles/edcc-adds-concert-band-and-transferable-music-degree 

 

Habitat for Humanity has new Tacoma digs, gently used

The printing company that occupied the site closed, creating a vacancy, and Habitat board member Harvey Rosen bought it. The 17 students in Dave Leenhouts’ electrical construction class at Bates Technical College spent six months in rotation inside the building.

The News Tribune, July 7, 2011

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/07/07/1735702/habitats-new-digs-gently-used.html

 

Last Vancouver I Have a Dream class sets students on course to success

In her freshman year at Fort Vancouver High School, Leah Rimington was finding she couldn't balance her studies and her family's unstable living situation. One night, she ran away. Her first phone call was to Deanna Green, the project coordinator for I Have a Dream of southwest Washington. The program adopts kids who might be considered at-risk because of high poverty rates and other factors and sets them on a course to graduation, then college or career training. It provides academic support and college tours, as well as scholarships to school. More importantly, Dreamers said, it provides a second family. "I don't really feel like I graduated," said Rimington, who's already earned an associate's degree from Clark College and will go on to study at Portland State University. "We're always going to talk. We're always going to be there for each other."

Oregonian, July 8, 2011

http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2011/07/last_vancouver_i_have_a_dream_class_sets_students_on_course_to_success.html

 

Healing Through Hip-Hop: Youth Overcome Addictions at The Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations

The Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations proves that music, and particularly hip-hop, can dramatically impact the recovery of youth from drug and alcohol addiction. Three years ago, Ricky “Deekon” Jones, a skills coach at the time and current Expressive Arts program manager, initiated a music-based program. “A lot of kids were getting discharged because of fighting or other aggressive behaviors,” Jones told ICTMN. He created a survey to find out what the kids enjoyed and needed to move on and become successful. “When they turned it in, it was music,” Deekon said. Music was right up Deekon’s alley. He studied audio engineering at Spokane Falls Community College and moonlights as a professional musician, performing hip-hop in small venues throughout the West coast and using his audio engineering skills to help other bands record.

Indian Country Today, July 8, 2011

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/07/healing-through-hip-hop-youth-overcome-addictions-at-the-healing-lodge-of-the-seven-nations/

 

TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION

 

A College Education for All, Free and Online

All around the world, people have been waiting for someone like Shai Reshef to come along. Reshef is the founder and president of the University of the People, a tuition-free online institution that enrolled its first class of students in 2009. UoPeople strives to serve the vast numbers of students who have no access to traditional higher education. Some can't afford it, or they live in countries where there are simply no good colleges to attend. Others live in rural areas, or identify with a culture, an ethnicity, or a gender that is excluded from public services.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 10, 2011

http://chronicle.com/article/A-College-Education-for-All/128162/?sid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm_medium=en

 

How Will Colleges Innovate as the Market Is Disrupted?

Last week, I was invited to a daylong session led by Christensen at Harvard Business School to talk about innovation in higher education. The invite-only group was made up of about 40 “disruptors” in academe, officials from Western Governors University, BYU-Idaho, P2P University, University of Phoenix, Straighterline, Babson University, the University of Southern New Hampshire, the Gates Foundation, DeVry, the Center for American Progress, and McKinsey, among others.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 11, 2011

http://chronicle.com/blogs/notebook/2011/07/11/how-will-colleges-innovate-as-the-market-is-disrupted/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en

 

POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL

 

Step up, help build something great (WSU-Everett)

Guest commentary by Rep. Hans Dunshee

Everett Herald, July 9, 2011

http://heraldnet.com/article/20110709/OPINION03/707099995/-1/OPINION

 


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