SBCTC NEWS LINKS | Articles about – and of interest to – Washington state community and technical colleges
SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS
Alcoa Intalco workers keep busy with community service
Nearly 400 workers from Alcoa Intalco Works in Ferndale participated in community service projects in October. Alcoa Intalco Works awarded $120,000 in grants from the Alcoa Foundation for improvements in the environment, educational services and community safety and enhancement. Bellingham Technical College received $20,000; year one of a two-year investment worth $40,000. The grant is for the expansion of Electro-Mechanical Technology, Precision Machining and Welding Technology programs.
The Bellingham Herald, December 2, 2012
Students’ options sprout from STEM
Jobs in STEM fields are projected to continue to grow both in Southwest Washington and statewide, said Scott Bailey, regional economist with the Washington Employment Security Department. Schools and employers are investing millions of dollars to prepare students for a future workforce fluent in STEM subjects. Smaller school districts in the county offer community-supported STEM programs. WSU Vancouver, Clark College and ESD 112 work together with districts to support various STEM programs.
The Columbian, December 2, 2012
http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/dec/02/options-sprout-from-stem-schools-math-science/
Clark College: ringing out 2012. Ringing in 2013.
Clark College will ring in 2013 by welcoming basic education students to its main campus. Clark College Director of Basic Education Larry Ruddell said, “This move will give our students more access to college resources and new pathways to success. That’s very exciting.” Nearly 1,400 students took basic education classes at Clark College in fall 2012.
The Oregonian, November 27, 2012
http://blog.oregonlive.com/my-vancouver/2012/11/clark_college_ringing_out_2012.html
New marijuana law: pot legalization no free ride to smoke on campus
Most colleges and universities have codes of conduct banning marijuana use, and the schools get millions of dollars in funding from a federal government that still considers pot illegal. It won't be allowed on the Peninsula College campus in Port Angeles and its branches in Forks and Port Townsend.
Peninsula Daily News, December 2, 2012
Partnership enhances education
This week, presidents of South Puget Sound Community College, Saint Martin’s University and The Evergreen State College signed an agreement that allows students graduating from the community college’s registered nursing program seamless transition to Saint Martin’s new bachelor of science in nursing program. The goal of the pact is to increase the number of nurses with a baccalaureate education in nursing to meet the needs of a health care system that is growing more complex.
The Bellingham Herald, November 30, 2012
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/11/30/2785332/partnership-enhances-education.html#storylink=cpy
TRENDS| HORIZONS | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | EDUCATION
Saying no to college
The idea that a college diploma is an all-but-mandatory ticket to a successful career is showing fissures. Feeling squeezed by a sagging job market and mounting student debt, a groundswell of university-age heretics are pledging allegiance to new groups like UnCollege, dedicated to “hacking” higher education.
The New York Times, December 2, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/fashion/saying-no-to-college.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
College graduates choose community colleges in pursuing advanced degrees
College graduates are slowly coming to the realization that their liberal arts degrees provide limited job opportunities. As the demand for technical jobs has ascended throughout the nation, many with liberal arts degrees are either deciding to accrue specialized, technical training or pursue the option of an entirely different career.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education, December 2, 2012
http://diverseeducation.com/article/49826/
High-school students take dim view of college scorecard, report says
The College Scorecard, President Obama's proposed way to provide students with better data about their college options, leaves many of those students baffled and lacking desired information, according to a report released on Monday.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 3, 2012
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The $10,000 bachelor’s degree: gimmick or real?
With the cost of college at record highs, the governors of Texas and Florida (Rick Perry and Rick Scott, respectively) have challenged their state’s public higher education systems to come up with a bachelor’s degree program that costs no more than $10,000.
The Washington Post, November 30, 2012
New graduation data shows lower rates, wide achievement gap
New federally-compiled graduation rates for 47 states and the District of Columbia left many states reeling this week as more rigorous and uniform standards highlighted wide achievement gaps and lower numbers than previously reported.
HechingerEd, November 30, 2012
http://hechingered.org/content/new-graduation-data-shows-lower-rates-wide-achievement-gap_5855/
POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL
House passes STEM Jobs Act
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation that would reallocate up to 55,000 green cards to foreign graduates of American research universities who receive advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 30, 2012
http://chronicle.com/article/House-Passes-Visa-Bill-for/136087/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Inside Higher Ed, December 3, 2012
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2012/12/03/house-passes-stem-jobs-act
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Alison Grazzini Smith | Legislative & Communications Associate
Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
1300 Quince St SE, Olympia WA 98504
p: 360-704-4394 | e: agsmith@sbctc.edu | www.sbctc.edu
