SBCTC NEWS LINKS | Articles about – and of interest to – Washington state community and technical colleges
SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS
Online Classes and College Completion
For example, according to a report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Washington state's Student Completion Initiative includes plans to "redesign ... high-enrollment-gatekeeper and precollege courses into online classes."
The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 13, 2012
http://chronicle.com/article/Online-ClassesCollege/131133/?sid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en
Need for 'STEM' workers focus of technology talk in Bellingham
Attracting and educating enough students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math for the future was the focus of a panel discussion Friday, March 16.
The need for what are known as STEM graduates is critical, said panelists from Bellingham Technical College, Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College. And, yet, interest among U.S. students going into science, engineering, technology and math has dropped while it has climbed sharply in other countries - among them China, Korea and India.
The Bellingham Herald, March 16, 2012
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/16/2070379/need-for-stem-workers-focus-of.html
Rare corpse flower stinks up SCC greenhouse
In its native rainforest, the Amorphophallus konjac attracts corpse-eating insects by perfuming the air with a smell reminiscent of dead, rotting animals. … Karol Startzel, manager of the Spokane Community College Greenery, reacts to the smell of the rare corpse flower (Amorphophallus Konjac,) “We tried to keep it in the store so people could see this unusual plant, but students who came in would start to gag,” said Startzel.
The Spokesman Review, March 16, 2012
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/16/rare-corpse-flower-stinks-scc-greenhouse/
School Winners: EvCC vice president wins national award
Everett Community College Vice President Christine Kerlin recently received an award from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. One person every year is recognized with the Achieving Professional Excellence Award for Student Success award. The honor includes a $5,000 donation made in Kerlin's name to the Everett Community College Foundation scholarship fund.
The Herald, March 19, 2012
http://heraldnet.com/article/20120319/LIVING/703199979/-1/NEWS01
Puget Sound Energy, 21 Acres and Cascadia Community College dedicate energy monitoring project
Puget Sound Energy (PSE), The 21 Acres Center for Local Food and Sustainable Living, and Cascadia Community College will dedicate a newly installed demonstration and informational LCD kiosk enabling the electronic monitoring of on-site solar electricity generation .
Bothell/Kenmore Reporter, March 19, 2012
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/community/143393166.html
3D Scanner from NextEngine Makes it Possible to Capture an Object
With all the attention on 3D printing, I started wondering if anyone had created a 3D scanner. Of course, I knew the answer had to be yes, so I went looking. That’s how I found NextEngine and their 3D Scanner and scanning software. … The company introduced me to the fine folks at Edmonds Community College … that have a terrific Materials Science program. EdCC also runs the National Resource Center for Materials Education. They kindly agreed to demonstrate the NextEngine 3D Scanner and Gary Coykendall showed me how it works.
Forbes Magazine, March 19, 2012
LWIT Culinary Arts Team Cooks Up Gold in Knowledge Bowl
Culinary arts students from Lake Washington Institute of Technology burned the competition at the recent American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) Western Region Knowledge Bowl in Reno, Nevada, claiming the gold medal over five other teams. The five-student LWIT team now moves on to represent the entire western region of the ACF in the national competition in Florida this July. “… They are absolutely thrilled to have won gold medals, and Chef Shaffer and I are very proud to have guided them in the process,” said LWIT Culinary Program coordinator Matthew DiMeo. “… We’re grateful to the Lake Washington Foundation for their support and are eagerly anticipating the national competition in Orlando.”
Kirkland Patch, March 19, 2012
http://kirkland.patch.com/articles/lwit-culinary-arts-team-cooks-up-gold-in-knowledge-bowl
Skagit Valley College alum returns, this time as president
Thomas Keegan has gone back to his roots, having been named president of his alma mater, Skagit Valley College...Skagit Valley College President Thomas Keegan has gone back to his roots, looking out at the school he used to attend from the broad windows of his new office.
The Seattle Times, March 19, 2012
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017778819_collegepres18m.html
CBC Nuclear Tech career fair
Columbia Basin College hosted its Nuclear Technology Open House & Career Fair at the Center for Career and Technical Education (CCTE) Monday evening. Local nuclear industry professionals talked about employment and internship opportunities while current CBC Nuclear Technology students presented their industry projects, followed by a career fair.
KNDU TV, March 19, 2012
http://www.kndo.com/story/17196144/cbc-nuclear-tech-career-fair
Colleges worry about end of federal aid based on "ability to benefit"
Students who wanted to attend college, but didn’t have a high school diploma or GED, used to be able to get federal grants and loans through a back door: either take a basic skills test to prove their “ability to benefit” from a college education, or successfully complete six credits. This year's federal budget, in an effort to trim spending on Pell Grants, shut off both route … One program aimed at students without diplomas or GEDs, the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program in Washington State, has been widely studied and praised as a way to help students who need remedial education. … Many of the 5,000 students in the program are high school dropouts or immigrants who never attended high school, said Jan Yoshiwara, director of education services at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Inside Higher Ed, March 20, 2012
TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION
Colleges may have to wait to enact tuition variances
Engineering and chemistry majors probably won’t have to pay higher tuition than history and English majors at the state’s colleges and universities, at least through next school year. A year after giving schools the authority to charge higher tuition for more expensive degrees, state lawmakers now are poised to tell them to hold off.
The News Tribune, March 18, 2012
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/18/2072834/colleges-may-have-to-wait-to-enact.html
Let's change how we measure success—now
Whenever someone begins talking about community college graduation rates, please run—do not walk—to the nearest exit. Anyone who fixates on graduation rates obviously has little understanding not only of the rich mission and value of our community colleges, but also how deeply-flawed and inadequate those rates are as a principal assessment tool for community colleges.
Community College Times, March 13, 2012
http://www.communitycollegetimes.com/Pages/Campus-Issues/Lets-change-how-we-measure-success-now.aspx
The Uncounted
Some people lose hours of time on social-media sites like Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter. My latest time suck is The Chronicle’s new interactive tool on college completion. First, I examined the graphs and charts for my own community college, then for the research university where I study, and then for any college or university I’ve ever attended, worked at, or driven by.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 16, 2012
http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/the-uncounted/30605?sid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en
State’s grad rates better, but still need improving
More kids are graduating from high school in Washington state these days, but a new report set to be released today says about 21,000 students still attend high schools where four out of 10 students do not earn a diploma in four years
Bellingham Herald, March 19, 2012
Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwords
Kitsap Sun, March 20, 2012
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/mar/20/job-seekers-getting-asked-for-facebook-passwords/
POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL
Governor: ‘No budget, no bills’
The TVW Capitol Record, March 19, 2012
http://www.tvw.org/capitolrecord/index.php/2012/03/governor-no-budget-no-bills/
Irresponsible budgets hurt education
Op-ed by Sens. Joe Fain, Andy Hill, Steve Litzow and Rodney Tom
Bellevue Reporter
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
slnelson@sbctc.edu | p (360) 704-4308 | f (360) 704-4415 | c (206) 369-6509
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