Behind bars,
college is back in session in some Washington prisons
Privately funded college classes are starting to creep back into state
prisons after being absent for nearly two decades. Supporters say they
reduce the recidivism rate and can save money on re-incarceration. ...
Twelve professors from the University of Puget Sound, the University of
Washington, Seattle Pacific University, Tacoma Community College and Harvard
Extension School receive a stipend of $1,200 per semester to pay for
transportation to and from the prison. ... [Reid] Helford, the Walla Walla Community College adjunct
who teaches both GED and college-level classes at the state penitentiary,
said many inmates in his courses undergo a transformation.
The Seattle Times, Jan. 19, 2015
UW, WSU
consider partnerships on Seattle's eastside
The University of Washington and Washington State University are
considering expansion on Seattle's eastside through partnerships with other
colleges, The Seattle Times reported. Washington State University is
exploring a partnership with Bellevue
College, which already offers four-year, career-oriented
degrees. Bellevue trustees have passed a motion authorizing a potential WSU
partnership. ... WSU already has relationships with three other
state community colleges: Everett
Community College, Olympic
College in Bremerton and Clark College in Vancouver. A
Bellevue partnership was a natural next step, said WSU President Elson
Floyd, because it's the state's largest community college.
The News Tribune, Jan. 19, 2015
Everett-built
carbon fiber wings key to Boeing's future
Take a drive down Highway 526 and look north toward the cranes and trucks
and workers building the future of not only Boeing but an entire
region. Contractors are creating a new 1.3 million-square-foot factory
where Boeing workers will eventually fabricate airplane wings for a new
family of twin-aisle airplanes called the 777X. ... There's an
incredible demand beyond Boeing for skilled workers who know how to
fabricate and repair composites, said Patrick Murphy, an instructor for Everett Community College's
Advanced Manufacturing Technology Composites program. ... The Everett
Community College program regularly has a waiting list for the 20 slots in
its program. The program is adding another 20 slots.
Everett Herald Business Journal, Jan. 19, 2015
Video: Martin
Luther King Day Bell Ringing Ceremony
Columbia Basin
College in Pasco celebrates Martin Luther King Day with the
24th Annual Bell-Ringing Ceremony.
Tri-City Herald, Jan. 19, 2015
Pierce College
selects students for 2015 All-Washington Academic Team
Pierce College
is proud to recognize four high-achieving students who will represent the
college as members of the 2015 All-Washington Academic Team. Phi Theta
Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, introduced
the All-USA Academic Team to honor students for their scholastic
achievement and community service. The students who make up the
All-Washington Team reflect the diversity of the state, maintain high
standards of excellence and contribute positively to the community. Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
has selected Robert Lasker and Meredith Wingate as members of the team. Pierce College Puyallup appointed
Mikhail Kurkov and Sarah Parkhurst.
The Suburban Times, Jan. 19, 2015
Abji Named to
Bellevue College board
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has named Shelmina Babai Abji to the Board of
Trustees of Bellevue
College. In this role, Abji will participate in the
six-member board, whose duties include setting the college's strategic
direction, establishing policy for the college, and approving budgets.
Issaquah Reporter, Jan. 19, 2015
Editorial: Free
tuition good investment
It will shock no one that having a college degree makes it easier to find
work that pays well. ... While community and technical colleges have
always been the more affordable option when compared to four-year colleges
and universities, in recent years the costs have climbed at two-year
colleges as they have throughout higher education. Adding to the problem,
financial aid has not kept pace with college costs, requiring students to
juggle hours spent in class and hours spent on a part-time job, said Tonya
Drake, interim vice president for college relations and advancement at Edmonds Community College.
... Everett Community
College President David Beyer said in a statement the
proposal recognizes the need for advanced education as “essential for
family-wage jobs and a major factor in our country's economic success.”
Everett Herald, Jan. 18, 2015
Editorial: Bellevue
College, WSU arrangement would be good news for students
News of a possible partnership — maybe a merger — between Bellevue College and
Washington State University is good news for Bellevue residents. If it
happens, it will make getting a high-quality education easier — and less
expensive. Bellevue College — no longer “just” a community college —
has a well-deserved reputation for providing quality instruction for
degrees that lead straight into well-paying jobs. WSU is one of the state’s
major research universities and already has an association with BC through
its online degree program.
Bellevue Reporter, Jan. 16, 2015
College campus
project at Fort Worden nears bid
A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed today (Jan. 16) by representatives
of Peninsula
College, the Fort Worden Public Development Authority
(PDA), and the City of Port Townsend allows the college to move forward
with submitting the long-anticipated renovation project for Building 202 to
bid. The MoA commits the partners to providing an additional $500,000
of funding for the project to convert an Army barracks built in 1904, and
modified in the 1960s, into a full-service public education center.
Port Townsend Leader, Jan. 16, 2015
BBCC students,
staff help with blood drive
Although a recent blood shortage with the Inland Northwest Blood Center was
remedied, the need for regular blood donations is still there. The
organization announced they were critically low on O-negative and
O-positive blood the last week of December - so low they would need about
500 donors that week to bring their levels back to normal. ... The bus
was in Moses Lake Wednesday for a mobile drive at Big Bend Community College.
Within the first hour, staff collected blood from 15 people, said Thomas.
Columbia Basin Herald, Jan. 16, 2015
EdCC alumnus
honored with fourth annual Transforming Lives award
Edmonds Community
College alumnus Chester Curtis is one of five community
college students statewide to earn a $500 “Transforming Lives” award from
the Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges. The
fourth annual Transforming Lives award — which will be awarded to Curtis at
a ceremony on Jan. 28 in Olympia — honors students and graduates who
overcome barriers to achieve their higher education goals, demonstrating
how Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges help transform lives
through education and support.
Edmonds Beacon, Jan. 15, 2015
Clark College
president: 'Future is right now'
During a packed State of the College address Thursday in the Gaiser Student
Center, Clark
College President Bob Knight gave a nod to the past but
spoke with feeling about the college's future. Knight paid homage to
four longtime residents in the audience who have impacted the community.
The Columbian, Jan. 15, 2015
Black Panthers,
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared same goals, former member says at Edmonds
CC King lecture
The Black Panther Party is viewed by many as one of the most controversial
movements of the 20th century. Originally called the Black
Panther Party for Self Defense, the organization initially was known for
its armed citizen patrols and its opposition to police brutality. It
might come as a surprise to some people that the work of the party actually
aligned with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his teachings, according to a
former member. Emory Douglas, the Black Panther newspaper’s art
director and later the party’s Minister of Culture, spoke of the
commonalities between the Black Panther Party and Dr. King at Edmonds Community College’s
annual Martin Luther King Jr. lecture Thursday afternoon at the college’s
Black Box Theatre.
My Edmonds News, Jan. 15, 2015
Clark College
gets taste of Scotland
Mae Wilson was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, but moved to the
states after meeting her American husband. The Pacific Northwest, with its
lush greenery, rain and friendly people is similar to Scotland, she said.
... She misses the sausages, her family and going to the theater. So,
Thursday night's Scottish supper at Clark
College's Columbia Tech Center was a little taste of home.
... [Clark College President Bob] Knight helped organize the inaugural
Robert Burns Dinner to raise money for a student from Scotland to attend
Clark College for a year.
The Columbian, Jan. 15, 2015
CBC volunteers
to be remote testimony site for state Senate
Appealing to lawmakers on the hill in Olympia may no longer require
Tri-Citians to traverse the Cascades — they might be able to make a quick
trip to Columbia
Basin College’s Pasco campus instead. Spokane likely
will be the site for the public to give testimony remotely at Senate
committee hearings this legislative session. But the college also is
willing to be a site for the public to reach out to state lawmakers, CBC
President Rich Cummins told the Herald.
Tri-City Herald, Jan. 14, 2015
SVC president:
Obama’s free college plan a ‘tremendous opportunity’
President Barack Obama on Thursday announced a proposal that, if approved
by the state, could mean millions of students throughout the country,
including Skagit Valley, could attend their local community or technical
college for free. ... The so-called “America’s College Promise” is one
that wouldn’t just affect any of the Obama administration’s estimated 40
percent of college students, but also their families, communities, states
and the country, Skagit
Valley College President Tom Keegan said.
Skagit Valley Herald, Jan. 10, 2015
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