SBCTC NEWS LINKS | Articles about – and of interest to – Washington state community and technical colleges
SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS
King County Aerospace Alliance announces unified actions to support improved infrastructure for the industry
King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Aerospace Alliance today called for ways to support a "faster, stronger, better" infrastructure for the aerospace industry. The alliance's actions urge loans to support expansion of small aerospace companies and streamlined permitting and workforce navigators to guide students into good-paying aerospace careers. Alliance members spoke today against the backdrop of the new Aviation Maintenance Technology hangar at South Seattle Community College, an alliance member.
Auburn Reporter, February 14, 2012
http://www.auburn-reporter.com/news/139323658.html
King County plans to boost aerospace manufacturing
King County launched a new strategy to keep aerospace manufacturing in the county, announced at a press event at [South] Seattle Community College.
Puget Sound Business Journal Blog, February 14, 2012
http://www.bizjournals.com/mobile/seattle/blog/2012/02/king-county-plans-to-boost-aerospace.html
OUR PRIDE: Well-deserved nominee for YVCC’s Transforming Lives Award
After going through some unpleasant experiences, [Jesus] Campos made a choice that changed everything. He decided to go back to school, to take on a career and have a job he enjoyed and that allowed him to spend more time with his kids. “I finally did go back,” said Campos referring to college. “I’ve very close to walking out with my AA in Applied Science.” After making this decision, Campos enrolled at Yakima Valley Community College.
Tú Decides (You Decide), February 14, 2012
Open-Source Textbooks Most Affordable for Community College Students: 'Open' learning resources are more economical than e-textbooks, education advocates say.
Washington state's technical and community colleges have created an Open Course Library with digital textbooks, syllabi, activities, readings, and assessments for the most popular classes. Instead of buying a $200 chemistry textbook, students can use an open-source version for no more than $30. … Open Education Resources (known as OER) has a friend in the U.S. Education Department. Undersecretary of Education Martha Kanter, a former community college president, has been advocating open-source books for years. … "This is an effort led by pioneers," said Kanter in an interview with Tom Caswell, who runs Washington's Open Course Library. "It's very easy for faculty to use textbooks that don't have the latest information in them. OER solves that problem. They can add chapters and they can pull down other free chapters from other places in the world. ... I think it gives faculty access to 21st century tools. However, I think everyone's still on a learning curve."
Chicago Tribune, February 13, 2012
Japan Tsunami Debris May Soon Hit California Coast
Peninsula College oceanographers Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Jim Ingraham told the Huffington Post that the wreckage could include virtually anything that floats -- portions of houses, boats, ships, furniture, cars and even human remains (athletic shoes can act as flotation devices).
Huffington Post, February 13, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/japan-tsunami-debris-may-hit-ca-coast_n_1273478.html
Nursing school applicants face limits in Ore.
As the rough economy continues to sputter along, we often hear that health care offers a safe haven. It’s a good place to find work. There’s always a need for nurses. But good luck getting into that nursing school. … Barbara Kerr, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing for Clark College, reports 176 applicants for 48 open nursing student positions at Clark College in Vancouver.
KGW TV, February 14, 2012
http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Nursing-shortage-139254118.html
8 out of 10 CBC students in work force program find jobs in a year
Columbia Basin College students and graduates continue to be among the best at the state's community colleges at finding employment.
Tri-City Herald, February 14, 2012
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/14/2393118/8-out-of-10-cbc-students-in-work.html
Dramatically bringing down the cost of education with OER
OER are starting to hit the public consciousness in the form of initiatives like the Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseware, and Washington’s Open Course Library. At the end of January, California lawmakers proposed legislation that would create a digital library of free college textbooks that could save the state’s college students millions of dollars each year in education costs.
Issue Brief, Center For American Progress, February 7, 2012
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/02/open_education_resources.html
Student loans may launch for RTC's aerospace training
For students enrolled in aerospace-industry courses at Renton Technical College, a bill proposed in the Legislature to extend the Aerospace Training Student Loan Program (ALP), if passed, could alleviate some of the stress of paying for tuition
Auburn Reporter, February 7, 2012
http://www.auburn-reporter.com/news/138877484.html
Community college training of health information technology (HIT) professionals questioned
Funded by the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act of 2009, the consortia of 82 community colleges was designed to offer six-month training courses for as many as 10,500 students each year. Patricia Dombrowski is director of the Life Science Informatics Center at Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington. Her school heads Region A of the program, covering the 10 northwestern states. Dombrowski has good things to report about the program’s success so far. Her region has surpassed all of its goals in 2011. If there is a lack of hands-on training, she said, it’s not for lack of trying. Vendors have been unwilling to grant students access to their electronic health record products, for fear of proprietary breech.
Dombrowski feels confident, however, that healthcare IT vendors will come around. “It’s an indication of how young this sector is. The idea of what's proprietary is still so incredibly high,” she said.
Healthcare IT News, January 10, 2012
http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/community-college-training-hit-professionals-questioned
TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION
Profiting From Federal Aid
For-profit colleges that can accept federal financial aid from students charge about 75 percent more in tuition than those that can’t, according to a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, which suggests that federal aid might drive up college costs
Inside Higher Ed, February 14, 2012
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/14/profits-receive-federal-aid-charge-more-study-finds
Turning to Community Colleges for Middle-Class Careers
President Obama’s new budget points the way
InProgress Newsletter, Center For American Progress, February 13, 2012
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/02/community_colleges_budget.html
FACT SHEET: A Blueprint to Train Two Million Workers for High-Demand Industries through a Community College to Career Fund
It provides funding for community colleges and states to partner with businesses to train workers in a range of high-growth and in-demand areas, such as health care, transportation, and advanced manufacturing. These investments will give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers where people learn crucial skills that local businesses are looking for right now, ensuring that employers have the skilled workforce they need and workers are gaining industry-recognized credentials to build strong careers. … Later this month, Dr. Jill Biden – a community college instructor for the last 18 years and teacher for nearly three decades – and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis will embark on a tour of community college campuses to highlight some of these effective industry partnerships.
Whitehouse.gov (press release), February 12, 2012
POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL
Shortchanging higher education means lost jobs
A House bill (HB 2717) calls for a report by Aug. 1 on how to increase the numbers of students in the state's two-year and four-year colleges, along with figuring out how people can upgrade their academic credentials as their fields evolve. "The automotive field today is very different from the mechanics of yesterday," said Tina Bloomer, a policy research associate with the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.
Crosscut.com, February 14, 2012
http://crosscut.com/2012/02/14/higher-ed/21939/Shortchanging-higher-education-means-lost-jobs/
Compiled by the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
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Sherry Nelson | communications and outreach associate
Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
1300 Quince St SE · PO Box 42495 · Olympia WA 98504-2495
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