SBCTC NEWS LINKS | Articles about – and of interest to – Washington state community and technical colleges
SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS
Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Cascade Water Alliance create irrigation conservation program
Lake Washington Institute of Technology is partnering with Cascade Water Alliance to deliver five training sessions on irrigation systems for the college’s Environmental Horticultural program to give students a basic understanding of sprinkler systems as they pursue their careers in horticulture.
Kirkland Reporter, April 22, 2014
http://www.kirklandreporter.com/community/256091831.html
LinuxFest brings developers, students to Bellingham Technical College for collaboration
Many people have little understanding of how the technology that has become such a presence in our lives is created and managed. We sometimes hear the names of tech industry titans and assume that they brought these ideas and works into being. The reality is nothing like this and is far more exciting. Collaboration between countless professionals and enthusiasts is what drives the cutting edge of computer and network-based technologies. LinuxFest Northwest is one of the rare times when these people get come together to share their ideas and excitement face to face. … LinuxFest Northwest is just such an open source collaboration. The Bellingham Linux Users Group and Bellingham Technical College work, along with participants locally, around the country and abroad, to create something needed by many.
Bellingham Herald, April 22, 2014
Chemeketa Community College President Cheryl Roberts offered Washington job
Chemeketa Community College President Cheryl Roberts has been offered a similar job in Washington. Shoreline Community College’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted Monday night to choose Roberts as the college’s new president. She is expected to enter into contract negotiations with the college, which is located north of Seattle, on Tuesday.
Statesman Journal, April 21, 2014
School Board Receives $5,000 from NSBA | Kent School District
Grand prize winner Kent School District Board receives prize money to benefit iGrad program The Kent School District Board of Directors was presented with the grand prize Magna Award from the National School Boards Association at the award celebration held at their 74th annual conference in New Orleans. KSD was recognized for initiative in establishing iGrad, a student re-engagement program developed in partnership with Green River Community College for students who have dropped out of school.
Maple Valley Reporter, April 21, 2014
http://www.maplevalleyreporter.com/news/256041101.html
Workforce Development
Tens of thousands of jobs go unfilled here in Washington state. Employers say it's because of the "skills gap" - a situation in which people who want to work don't have the skills required to fill the available jobs. What's being done to address the skills gap? Is it as bad as we think it is? (Bates Technical College)
http://video.kbtc.org/video/2365227646/
Friday Harbor Soroptimists honor effort and achievements
Linda Degnan Cobos exemplifies the woman who makes her own opportunities by trying anything and everything to make her way in the world, breaking new ground and pursuing her dreams. She’s been a dump truck driver and commercial fisher, a garage supervisor in Yosemite National Park and a drywall helper in her family business. And now she’s a 4.0 student in Marine Technology at Skagit Valley College in Anacortes.
Journal of the San Juan Islands, April 18, 2014
http://www.sanjuanjournal.com/community/255533691.html
Yakima People: Ms. Cinco de Mayo names 6 finalists
Six young women from around the Yakima Valley are vying for the title of Ms. Cinco de Mayo 2014. … Erica Arrellanes, a Yakima Valley Community College freshman, is studying to become an immigration lawyer. She volunteers through food drives, Toys for Tots and various church activities.
Yakima Herald, April 18, 2014
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/2109118-8/yakima-people-ms-cinco-de-mayo-names-6
Friendship blossoms at Clark College
Moments before Clark College President Bob Knight jumped onto the stage to start the program, rain was pelting campus sidewalks. Although the cherry blossoms were soggy, "we're not going to let the rain dampen our spirits," Knight said. "But we'd rather be outside underneath the cherry blossoms." … They were planted to commemorate Washington's centennial and to celebrate the friendship between Vancouver and Joyo, Vancouver's sister city, Knight said. Their brief, two-week blooming season each spring coincides with graduating students preparing to embark on new adventures, and the blossoms "remind us to enjoy each day."
The Columbian, April 17, 2014
http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/apr/17/sakura-festival-clark-college-cherry-trees/
Analemma opens in Mosier
Mosier is now home to one of the Columbia Gorge’s newest wineries…. Founders Steven Thompson and Kris Fade moved from Walla Walla to the gorge to farm the Atavus Vineyard in White Salmon, one of the oldest vineyards in the Pacific Northwest, formerly known as Dragonfly Vineyard…. Thompson earned a degree in enology and viticulture from Walla Walla Community College and worked at several Walla Walla wineries in various capacities as vineyard manager and winemaker, before he and Fade moved to the area.
The Dalles Chronicle, April 17, 2014
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2014/apr/17/analemma-opens-mosier/
TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION
Supreme Court Upholds Michigan’s Ban on Race-Conscious Admissions
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Michigan’s voter-approved ban on racial preferences in college admissions, reversing an appeals court’s 2012 decision that found the ban to be unconstitutional.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 22, 2014
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/supreme-court-upholds-michigans-ban-on-race-conscious-college-admissions/76335?cid=bn&utm_source=bn&utm_medium=en
Affirmative Action Ban Upheld
The Supreme Court today rejected a challenge to the measure approved by Michigan voters in 2006 to bar public colleges and universities from considering race in admissions. The ruling leaves in place not only the Michigan measure, but also similar ones in California, Washington State and elsewhere that have made it more difficult for public colleges to recruit and admit black and Latino students. While the measures survived legal challenges when they were approved by state voters, an unexpected challenge to the Michigan measure had given new hope to those seeking to overturn the state bans.
Inside Higher Ed, April 22, 2014
Slow Progress on College Completion
In 2012 the proportion of American adults who held a college degree crept up 0.7 percentage points, to 39.4 percent, according to the Lumina Foundation's fifth annual progress report on the national college completion agenda. The small jump was the largest of the last five years, the foundation said today, and the rate of increase is accelerating.
Inside Higher Ed, April 22, 2014
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/04/22/slow-progress-college-completion#sthash.fomVGFC1.dpbs
Australia's For-Profit Fight
An Australian government report has set off a war of words over the prospect of federal support of for-profit higher education providers. A report last week by the country's Labor government reviewing the demand-driven system that allocates university places said that the sector should be thrown open to the free market, allowing private, for-profit colleges to access government funding for undergraduate students. The report also asserted that the government should also fund thousands of sub-bachelor's degree programs to keep poorly prepared students out of university courses until they have the academic skills to keep up. Non-university providers are more expert and successful than government-funded universities are at delivering sub-bachelor programs such as diplomas.
Inside Higher Ed, April 22, 2014
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/04/22/australian-panel-calls-giving-federal-funding-profit-education-providers#sthash.JUsTzxEW.dpbs
Default by Death
Some student loan borrowers have reported to federal consumer protection officials that their private lenders automatically placed them in default when their cosigner died or filed for bankruptcy, even when the borrowers were otherwise paying the loan on time.
Inside Higher Ed, April 22, 2014
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/04/22/consumer-protection-bureau-says-some-private-loan-borrowers-face-co-signer-issues#sthash.1STs4ksn.dpbs
Watch and Learn
The six prospective students came into the assessment center cold, with no clue what to expect. They sat around a rectangular table. Three behavioral assessors sat at another table across the room. Behind them was a one-way mirror, which blocked the students’ view into a large observation area.
Inside Higher Ed, April 22, 2014
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/04/22/lipscomb-universitys-assessment-centers-high-stakes-approach-competency-based#sthash.oPCsKCy6.dpbs
Young Adults Cite College Costs as Their Top Money Problem
Paying tuition or college loans far exceeds other money matters as the top financial challenge young adults in the U.S. say they face today. More than one in five adults aged 18 to 29 mention college costs as the biggest financial problem their families are dealing with, well exceeding the percentage of older Americans who identify this as their top issue.
Gallup, April 21, 2014
http://www.gallup.com/poll/168584/young-adults-cite-college-costs-top-money-problem.aspx?utm_source=WWW&utm_medium=csm&utm_campaign=syndication
New Survey Documents Pay of Hourly Workers on Campuses
Electrician supervisors and firefighters had the highest median salaries among hourly workers on college campuses in 2013-14, and food servers and custodians had the lowest, according to a report being released this week. Conducted by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, the survey is the group’s first attempt to gather information on nonexempt staff members in higher education, workers who are paid an hourly rate and are eligible for overtime pay. Those employees are a vital but overlooked part of a campus work force, said the association’s president, Andy Brantley.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 21, 2014
http://chronicle.com/article/New-Survey-Documents-Pay-of/146085/?cid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en
State and Local Money for Higher Education Increased Slightly in 2013
The latest report on state financing of higher education shows a glimmer of good news for public colleges. But it’s also a reminder of how much has changed for public higher education since the start of the recession, in 2008.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 21, 2014
http://chronicle.com/article/StateLocal-Money-for/146123/?cid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en
Rating My Professor - For Real
Students at the University of Minnesota have for years called for access to student course evaluations that they provide at the end of courses, saying they’ve got a right to know what peers have thought of the classes they’re considering. Now they might get their wish – at least part of it. The University Senate is considering a proposal to make student feedback about courses public. But student responses about questions specifically related to professors would remain private, in accordance with state privacy laws for employees.
Inside Higher Ed, April 21, 2014
Community-College Quiz: What's in a Name?
As Henry Ford Community College looks to expand its programs, its name is shrinking. This coming week, trustees of the 23,600-student school in this city just outside Detroit are expected to approve chopping it down to just Henry Ford College. It's part of a growing movement: Almost 40 colleges have dropped "community" from their names in the past decade, compared with about a dozen in the previous decade, according to data collected by Higher Education Publications Inc.
Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2014
Editorial: Higher ed that looks like us
The truth can be uncomfortable, especially in the parochial world of higher education. Bruce Shepard, the president of Western Washington University, provoked a debate that’s kindled predictable blowback from right-wing media. In his January blog, Shepard echoed the need for diversity.
Everett Herald, April 20, 2014
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20140420/OPINION01/140429936/Higher-ed-that-looks-like-us--
Editorial: WWU’s president criticized over language in push for diversity
Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard says he’s being deliberately provocative when he says the university is too white.
Seattle Times, April 18, 2014
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023397167_wwutoowhitexml.html
University bans selfies at graduation ceremony
Come May 17th, members of Bryant University’s graduating class will be all smiles for the crowd to see, but not for their iPhones to capture. Bryant officials just announced that its students will be banned from taking selfies while they accept their degrees at the podium.
USA Today, April 18, 2014
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/04/18/university-bans-selfies-at-graduation-ceremony/
Washington’s two-tiered system of higher education
Last Sunday’s story, “From Slipping Through the Cracks to the College Track,” noted that despite our brainy national image, Washington state has shockingly low college-going rates compared to the rest of the country. Only 60 percent of high school graduates here enroll in any four-year institution. But for low-income kids, the rates are truly troubling.
The Seattle Times, April 18, 2014
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/educationlab/2014/04/18/low-income-students-and-community-college/
No surprise: Men earn more than women in latest federal employment data
The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday released wage data from the first quarter showing again what workers already know – that men make more than women. Beyond gender, race also showed a disparity in earnings. … Concerning educational attainment, workers with less than a high school diploma earned a median wage of $480 in the first quarter, while high school graduates earned $660, and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher earned $1,199. Men with an advanced degree earned $1,652 weekly, and women $1,205.
The News Tribune, April 18, 2014
Editorial: Angst about whites doesn’t play well off campus
Add Western Washington University’s president to the next edition of “Why Do Smart Guys Say Dumb Things?” Bruce Shepard is being paraphrased as saying that Western is “too white.” That’s not quite what he said, but it’s easily inferred from statements he’s been making. Such as: “If in decades ahead, we are as white as we are today, we will have failed as a university.” Shepard seems mysteriously selective about the demographics we should worry about. Western’s enrollment is 55 percent female, 45 percent male. Will Western be a “failure” in years to come if it is a female as it is today? What if the enrollment of Chinese- or Korean-American students isn’t calibrated properly? See how easily this slides into something ugly and divisive?
The News Tribune, April 18, 2014
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/04/18/3154802/angst-about-whites-doesnt-play.html?sp=/99/447/
New Report on Latino College Completion Rates
Excelencia in Education has released a new report with state-by-state data on Latino college completion rates. The report notes that raising those rates can be a key strategy for those who want to increase the percentage of Americans with college credentials.
Inside Higher Ed, April 17, 2014
Western’s president draws fire for saying school is too white
Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard says he’s being deliberately provocative when he says the university is too white. The lack of diversity on college campuses is a national crisis, he says.
The Seattle Times, April 17, 2014
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023397167_wwutoowhitexml.html
Obama and Biden Promote $550-Million in New Job-Training Funds
The president and vice president made a rare joint appearance on Wednesday to tout new federal funds for community colleges and apprenticeship programs. In speeches at the Community College of Allegheny County’s West Hills Center, outside Pittsburgh, President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced $550-million in grants to prepare American workers for in-demand jobs.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 16, 2014
http://chronicle.com/article/ObamaBiden-Promote/145975/?cid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en
POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL
The Slow Climb
State and local support for higher education is crawling out of the hole of the recession, according to a report released today by the State Higher Education Executive Officers. Three states spent more in fiscal year 2013 than in fiscal year 2008 – and without the help of federal stimulus money. A full 30 states increased their spending since last year.
Inside Higher Ed, April 21, 2014
GET program still a great college savings plan
It might be an understatement to say that our state’s legislative process sometimes confuses citizens. State lawmakers often engage in public policy discussions simply to determine whether to take legislative action.
Olympian, April 20, 2014
http://www.theolympian.com/2014/04/20/3094601/get-program-still-a-great-college.html?sp=/99/109/
Opinion: Thayne McCulloh and Beck Taylor: Colleges need support building vital workforce
We applaud the Legislature’s action this session embracing the higher-education attainment goals proposed by the Washington State Student Achievement Council. We also wish to thank Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature on the bill. These goals are a great first step toward equipping Washington’s higher-education system to find ways to produce many more graduates in the coming years – a necessity if Washington is to meet the demands of its economy and sustain its prosperity and quality of life. Meeting these challenges begins with a commitment by our state to making high-quality higher education accessible to all.
Spokesman-Review, April 20, 2014
http://m.spokesman.com/stories/2014/apr/20/thayne-mcculloh-and-beck-taylor-colleges-need/
Michelle Obama Urges College Attendance in Howard U. Visit
Continuing her push to promote higher education, First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday toured Howard University with a group of Chicago public high school juniors and seniors. The students were participating in the “Escape to Mecca” program, which is aimed at exposing high-achieving Chicago students to Howard University, which is referred to as the “Mecca” of African-American education.
Inside Higher Ed, April 18, 2014
State budget is only balanced on paper
The state budget is balanced over four years. On paper, anyway. The law requires a positive balance over the four years ending in mid-2017. A new budget outlook projects the state to be in the black at that point by a bare $19.5 million, in a projected budget of more than $36 billion. But that total is padded by a transfer of more than $52 million in future years from an account that funds scientific research. The prospects for a transfer that big are dubious.
Bellingham Herald, April 16, 2014
Compiled by the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges |1300 Quince St SE | PO Box 42495 | Olympia, WA 98504 | eclips@sbctc.edu
Subscribe: NEWS LINKS LISTSERV | Previous posts: SBCTC News Links Blog | Subscribe to RSS feed NEWS LINKS BLOG | Follow us: SBCTC Washington
Distributed via email to State Board members, SBCTC staff, CTC presidents, PIOs, Trustees and NEWS LINKS subscribers.
Links are time-sensitive and may expire after the date of publication. The SBCTC does not control or endorse the content of the links and websites.
All articles are copyrighted by the newspaper or website in which they appear. Please do not use these articles without following the permission process of the newspaper.
Some sites require free registration. SBCTC does not link to articles or news sites where a fee or paid subscription is required for viewing/access.
