SBCTC NEWS LINKS | Articles about – and of interest to – Washington state community and technical colleges
SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS
Metro cuts would hurt local college students | Guest Editorial
By Dr. Amy Goings, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and Eric W. Murray, Cascadia Community College: The King County Metro funding gap and proposed service cuts are of great concern to the entire region and especially to the students, faculty and staff of area colleges. As the presidents of community and technical colleges we have followed the transportation funding issues with growing concern. We fear the proposed service cuts to King County Metro Transit will have negative effects on our society and economy. Our colleges support a fragile population that is deeply reliant on Metro Transit's service in order to learn English, develop basic skills, train for new jobs, and earn a degree.
Bothell Reporter, March, 6, 2014
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/opinion/248628661.html
Community colleges gradually drop the word "community"
A growing number of community colleges have started offering four-year degrees, sparking a number of name changes that drop the word "community." Bellevue College made the change in 2009. Of the 34 community and technical colleges in the state of Washington, about one-third offer four-year degrees. Some of them have "community" in their names; some do not.
KIRO 7, March 5, 2014
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/community-colleges-gradually-drop-word-community/nd6fZ/
A Faster, Easier Way for Adults to Get College Credit
The program I-BEST (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) takes those challenges into consideration by shortening the amount of time it takes to earn a credential... Candy Benteu and Rachel Rogers teach Yusuf and Sherman in a child development class at Green River Community College in Kent… At Shoreline Community College, 10 miles north of Seattle, C.J. Forza, 31, is a student in an I-BEST Automotive General Service Technician program. He dropped out of school in the 12th grade after bouncing around between foster homes. He enrolled in this program because he sees a direct connection to what he wants to do once he graduates.
The Atlantic, March 4, 20134
SPSCC ordered to crush rare Dodge Viper
Automotive professors and students at South Puget Sound Community College were in shock Tuesday after being notified their $250,000 pre-production Dodge Viper SRT must be destroyed within two weeks…. Chapman said he was told by a company official that the destruction of 93 vehicles is the result of two educational Vipers that "got loose" and were involved in accidents, costing parent company Fiat millions of dollars. Car companies regularly donate damaged, non-street-legal, or unsellable vehicles to high schools, colleges and tech schools to be used for training students. SPSCC has about 20 donated vehicles in its auto shop.
The News Tribune, March 4, 2014
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/03/04/3078795/rare-sports-car-at-spscc-must.html
Help for student veterans who are struggling financially
The transition from military service to school brings a new battle of paying bills for some student veterans. When military benefits aren't enough to make ends meet, some struggle to stay enrolled - and off the streets. "It can be pretty challenging when you have to go out there getting an extra job when you're going (to school) full time," said Devin Honne, an Army veteran. Honne, 22, is among nearly 700 other student veterans enrolled at Tacoma Community College. The group's enrollment is increasing 20% each year.
KING 5, March 3, 2014
http://www.king5.com/news/jblm/Help-for-student-veterans-struggling-financially-248287461.html
U.S. labor secretary at Boeing, talking about future training grants in manufacturing
Thomas Perez, the U.S. Secretary of Labor, met with Boeing executives, Washington community college leaders and three graduates of community college training programs now working at Boeing. In 2011, the Labor Department issued a four year $20-million grant to a consortium of colleges led by Spokane Community College, and included Edmonds Community College/Washington Training and Research Center, Big Bend, Skagit Valley, Clover Park, South Seattle and others. The Labor Department said the program was designed to "meet Washington state's growing workforce demands, as identified by employer partners in the aerospace industry sectors of advanced manufacturing/machining, aircraft assembly, aircraft maintenance, composite and electronics."
NWCN/KING 5, March 3, 2014
Internships done correctly can benefit business
By Ryan Davis, Everett Community College: Limited job opportunities for entry-level workers in the aftermath of the great recession have created a generation of interns entering the work force. New college graduates, particularly those without specific technical skills, find themselves bouncing from internship to internship in hopes of building a resume and proving their mettle in the workplace.
Everett Herald, March 3, 2014
Tri-Cities can add to economy
The bad news: The United States isn't producing enough highly trained professionals to fill the jobs in increasingly technological "knowledge" economy, said Columbia Basin College President Rich Cummins. The good news: The Tri-Cities could play a strong role in filling those jobs through innovation and supporting the talented people who live in the Mid-Columbia, the nation and the world, said Washington State University Tri-Cities Chancellor H. Keith Moo-Young.
Tri-City Herald, February 26, 2014
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/02/26/2849352/tri-cities-can-add-to-economy.html
No new building for BBCC yet, officials say
Any rumors that Big Bend Community College might be starting construction on a new Professional/Technical Education Center soon are exaggerated, according to college officials.
Columbia Basin Herald, February 25, 2014
Bellingham Technical College's welding program earns new accreditation
Bellingham Technical College is pleased to announce that its welding program has been newly accredited as a certified test facility by the American Welding Society. BTC joins Bates Technical College as only the second school in Washington State and is the only college in Northwest Washington to offer this type of accreditation. This endorsement allows BTC to perform many different types of welding certifications above and beyond that of Washington Association of Building Officials. BTC is teaching manufacturing skills to students to industry standards which is an added benefit to BTC's students.
The Bellingham Herald, February 21, 2014
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/02/21/3491376/bellingham-technical-colleges.html
Downtown Longview development project on hold indefinitely
A plan for a $16 million apartment, retail and restaurant complex that Longview officials hoped would spur downtown redevelopment and house Lower Columbia College's future international students has hit a wall. Property owners in the 1200 block of Vandercook Way wanted too much money for their land, project sponsors say. Also, the project's timing wasn't working with LCC's ability to secure funding to lease dozens of apartments for international students the college hopes to recruit.
The Daily News, February 19, 2014
http://tdn.com/news/local/downtown-longview-development-project-on-hold-indefinitely/article_9751b3e0-99cc-11e3-a4e4-001a4bcf887a.html
Funding for Walla Walla veteran home on shaky ground
A bill that would help bring an 80-bed veterans home to Walla Walla is getting another chance in the state House of Representatives. But federal funding that was once secure for more than half the cost is now in doubt. … The facility would add 93 permanent jobs, a training partnership with Walla Walla Community College and serve 10 counties, including Benton and Franklin counties, with a population of more than 50,000 veterans.
Union Bulletin, February 18, 2014
http://union-bulletin.com/news/2014/feb/18/funding-walla-walla-veteran-home-shaky-ground/
IT Internship Lands Community College Students in the Governor's Chair
The governor's chair isn't likely what you'd think of when hearing about an IT internship. But students at South Puget Sound Community College got to sit in Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's chair while they were on a mission to switch out computers and update his phones. Through an internship with the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, students gain valuable work experience as they serve about 2,000 customers across multiple state agencies and the governor's office. And they have the same credentials and access that regular technicians have.
Government Technology, February 13, 2014
http://www.govtech.com/education/IT-Internship-Governors-Chair.html
Walla Walla Vintners owner receives Lifetime Achievement Award
The co-owner and founder of Walla Walla Vintners received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. Myles Anderson was recognized for his service to the Washington wine and grape industry, especially his efforts in the creation of the Center for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.
Wine Press Northwest, February 12, 2014
http://www.winepressnw.com/2014/02/12/2824608/walla-walla-vintners-owner-receives.html
State Board Approves Second Bachelor's Degree at Centralia College
Much work remains to be done, but a second bachelor's degree program at Centralia College jumped a major hurdle in the approval process this week. The State Board of Community and Technical Colleges endorsed a bachelor's of applied science
in diesel degree during its Thursday meeting in Olympia. The board approved the program unanimously after a lengthy review. Centralia College hopes to offer the program beginning in the fall quarter.
Centralia Chronicle, February 7, 2014
http://centraliacollege.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/state-board-approves-second-bachelor.pdf
TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION
Cost and Financial Aid Increasingly Influence Students' Choice of College
Academic reputation and graduates' job prospects are still the top reasons students choose which college to attend. But cost and financial aid are increasingly influencing enrollment decisions, according to the annual Freshman Survey, released on Thursday by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, part of the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 6, 2014
http://chronicle.com/article/CostFinancial-Aid/145143/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Statewide educational goals only a good start
State lawmakers are poised to adopt two ambitious goals for higher education that, if achieved, could supply Washington businesses with the skilled workforce it needs. But today, state employers say they must recruit applicants from other states to fill some 25,000 jobs. The problem is that fewer than 50 percent of Washington's current adult population has completed a postsecondary certificate, apprenticeship or degree. Yet it's estimated that by 2016 more than 75 percent of Washington jobs will require education or job training beyond high school. If we don't close that gap, business will move to states that produce more graduates prepared to compete in a global economy. And Washington will eventually lose jobs.
The Olympian, March 5, 2014
http://www.theolympian.com/2014/03/05/3016873/statewide-educational-goals-only.html
POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL
Washington House passes supplemental budget
In a prelude to end-of-session budget negotiations, the House dumped the Senate's no-new-taxes budget that extended some tax loopholes for businesses, replacing it with a plan to spend an extra $140 million on education and other programs, partly by raising several taxes. Democrats and Republicans traded charges of who was being irresponsible in making plans to raise money and spend it.
The Spokesman-Review, March 5, 2014
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/mar/05/washington-house-passes-supplemental-budget/
Better Late Than Never?
One way community colleges can help more students graduate is by eliminating the option of registering late for courses, research has found. But this move, which is a key part of college completion reforms, can also stir up controversy and hurt enrollment numbers.
Inside Higher Ed, March 5, 2014
Washington Governor Signs Real Hope Act
Washington is now the fourth state in the nation to give college students who are in the country illegally access to state-funded financial aid. Wednesday, hundreds of students cheered as Governor Jay Inslee signed the "Real Hope" act in as a bill.
Northwest Public Radio, February 27, 2014
http://nwpr.org/post/washington-governor-signs-real-hope-act
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