News Links | February 3, 2015

SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS

How free community college could change things for students President Barack Obama's budget proposal is out and part of it recommends spending $60 billion over the next decade to offer two free years of community college for those who maintain certain grades. ... For North Seattle College student Daniel Heinson, the idea is something he wishes was already a reality. KING 5, Feb. 3, 2015 Opinion: Obama’s community college proposal could help small business By Ryan Davis, dean of Business and Applied Technology at Everett Community College. President Barack Obama’s proposal to make two years of community college free for all Americans is getting the attention of cash-strapped college students and their parents. But students aren’t the only ones who could benefit. If enacted, the president’s proposal could help small business owners too. I’m not just saying that because I work for Everett Community College as EvCC’s Dean of Business and Applied Technology. Everett Herald Business Journal, Feb. 2, 2015 Opinion: Black History Month: a guide in perilous times By Kellie Purce Braseth, dean of college relations at South Puget Sound Community College. I was nine years old when the news of Martin Luther King’s assassination blasted out of our little black and white TV screen in Southeast Idaho. The news did something I had never really seen before – it made my father stop working and watch television. ... Just last May, Cheryl Brown Henderson was on the South Puget Sound Community College campus as part of a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision that desegregated the nation’s schools.Two weeks ago, Ernest Green graced the same stage at the college. He is one of the Little Rock Nine, who integrated Central High School in Arkansas on the force of the Brown decision. The Olympian, Feb. 2, 2015 Bates Technical College appoints new executive vice president Bates Technical College President Dr. Ron Langrell recently announced the appointment of Al Griswold as executive vice president, effective March 16. Griswold has more than 20 years of experience in community and technical college education in the state of Washington. ... A resident of Federal Way, Griswold most recently served as Associate Vice President of Workforce Education at Seattle Central College. The Suburban Times, Feb. 2, 2015 ABYC holds Standards Week and annual meeting The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) held its 2015 Standards Week in Seattle, Washington, January 12–15. Also during this time, the organization hosted educational opportunities and its Annual Meeting. ... Attwood, Blue Sea Systems, CED Technologies, ElectroGuard, ESI, Marinco, ProMariner, Skagit Valley College, Springfield Marine Company, Sure Marine and Xantrex sponsored the event. Boating Industry, Feb. 2, 2015 Port Angeles hopes to reap composite windfall as U.S. offers $2 million incentive The U.S. Department of Commerce stands ready — maybe even eager — to add $2 million to an effort to recycle composite materials in Port Angeles. ... Peninsula College is the only community college in the state with a composites manufacturing training program. Peninsula Daily News, Jan. 31, 2015 CPTC: Preparing for the aerospace industry Charles Devine believes composites manufacturing is the way of the future. “They’re making planes out of it now,” Devine said. “It’s going to be a good future.” To prepare, Devine is enrolled in Clover Park Technical College’s Advanced Composites Manufacturing Program. Devine and more than 100 other CPTC students and graduates had the chance to network with employers at the college’s inaugural Winter Aerospace Career Fair Jan. 30 at the South Hill Campus and Aviation Center. The Suburban Times, Feb. 2, 2015 Pierce College introduces the community’s newest children’s choir When Pierce College Puyallup Choir Director Ken Owen began searching for a children’s choir in the area for his son, he had a much more difficult time than he ever expected. The nearest youth choirs were located in Tacoma, Auburn and beyond, and the time commitment to drive to rehearsals was simply too much. “There are wonderful children’s choirs out there, but they were too far away and also very expensive,” Owen said. He noticed a need in the community, and made it his own personal mission to develop a youth choir right here at Pierce College Puyallup. The Suburban Times, Jan. 31, 2015 Editorial: Seed for rebirth of Viking Avenue Poulsbo City Councilman Ed Stern said the “college town” concept for Viking Avenue will be discussed during revision of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. As Poulsbo evolves to meet the needs of a growing and changing population, having a pipeline to higher education close to home will be a vital part of that evolution. ... Olympic College Poulsbo, at College Marketplace, is poised not only to meet the higher-education needs of local residents, but to empower them in their career fields to meet the challenges this area will continue to have as it grows: How do we lessen our environmental impact as our communities grow? North Kitsap Herald, Jan. 30, 2015 LCC diesel technology students find inspiration in the kitchen Jim Dillinger needs grease to fuel his car. It doesn’t matter if it’s salty, filled with corn dog crumbs, or smells like a McDonald’s kitchen. A year ago, Dillinger, an automotive instructor at Lower Columbia College, started a side project with several grants worth about $5,000 from the LCC Foundation to produce biodiesel out of the used cooking oil from the school’s cafeteria. Longview Daily News, Jan. 30, 2015 Clark College expanding new Economic & Community Development Program While managing variables of supply and demand have been part of business culture for centuries, the concept has often been lost in terms of staffing and personnel development. Clark College’s Economic and Community Development Program (formerly Corporate and Continuing Education) looks to change that. Vancouver Business Journal, Jan. 30, 2015 Video: Right Now Today Movement He used his struggle with drugs and homelessness as the basis for the short film "Shift Paradigm," and now Greg Marks is using his experience to help others who may need a helping hand through his "Right Now Today" movement. Greg joins me today along with Dr. Paul Gerhardt from Pierce College. KOMO, Jan. 29, 2015 Bates student to receive Transforming Lives award The Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges (TACTC) honored Raymond Power, Bates Technical College (along with four others) as a 2015 Transforming Lives award winner at Wednesday’s ceremony. The annual award recognizes current students and alumni who overcome barriers to their academic goals. ... The winners are: Raymond Power, Bates Technical College; Chester Curtis, Edmonds Community College; Angela Gates, Lower Columbia College; Yadira Rosales, Skagit Valley College; Sukhdip Singh, Whatcom Community College. The Suburban Times, Jan. 29, 2015 College Diesel Technology Students Visit Tenino Distillery Seven students from the diesel technology program at Centralia College visited Sandstone Distillery in Tenino Tuesday to learn about fermentation — not for drinks, but for fuel. Students visited the distillery for a tour of the fermentation process as part of an alternative fuels course taught by assistant professor Tyson Lucas. Centralia Chronicle, Jan. 29, 2015 TCC Gig Harbor photo exhibit depicts victims of bullying A powerful exhibit by Tacoma Community College art instructor Alice Di Certo is currently on display at TCC’s Gig Harbor Campus. Debuted in The Gallery at Tacoma Community College in 2013, the exhibit depicts children who have experienced bullying. The Peninsula Gateway, Jan. 29, 2015 Preparing for the next career in computers After Noah Hebert graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor of arts in communication, he landed an internship in Seattle. It was a promising first step to the start of an advertising career – until the recession hit. Wanting to stay local, Hebert applied for any job available and eventually settled for a position with PepsiCo, outside of his desired career path. ... A work injury forced Hebert to analyze other career options and what he needed to be employable. Seeking to go in a direction with available jobs and advancement opportunities, Hebert enrolled in Clover Park Technical College’s Computer Information Technology Program. Auburn Reporter, Jan. 29, 2015 Ostrich one of the marvels of downtown sculpture gallery It stands at the northeast corner of D Street Northeast and East Main, one of the eye-poppingest, gotta-have-a-lookingest, wow-inducingest works in the in Auburn's 2014-15 Downtown Sculpture Gallery. Made mostly of recycled spoons and forks, an 8 1/2-foot-high ostrich. Who woulda thunk it? An ostrich, right here, in Auburn. Artists Greg Bartol and Debbie Drillevich did. After all, they made the bird in Green River College's Welding Technologies Lab, answering the City's 2014 call for art for the gallery. Auburn Reporter, Jan. 29, 2015 Making a difference — Honoring women in male-dominated careers The Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation will be honoring 14 women who have contributed to our community and have made an impact in their male-dominated careers. ... Dr. Gita Bangera is currently Dean of Undergraduate Research at Bellevue College building the new division, RISE Learning Institute, focused on bringing Research, Innovation, Service and Experiential Learning to courses across Bellevue College. NW Asian Weekly, Jan. 29, 2015 Charlie Albright ‘Excited’ to Perform in Hometown for First Time Since 2011 Charlie Albright has come a long way since he last performed at Centralia College. Thousands of miles, in fact. Albright graduated in 2007 from both Centralia High School and Centralia College through the Running Start program, and the college bought a Steinway piano to replace an aging one at Corbet Theatre in 2009. Albright performed on that very piano in 2011, his last concert in Centralia. Four years has been kind to the piano virtuoso. Since 2011, he has toured across America, spent time in foreign countries for concerts and last year received the Avery Fisher Career Grant. This year, he’ll embark on a tour with a highly-acclaimed orchestra from the United Kingdom. Centralia Chronicle, Jan. 28, 2015

TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION

Study: Close education gaps and economy will improve A new study by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a research organization that focuses on income inequality, argues that efforts to close education inequality would have a huge impact on the economy. Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 3, 2015 How students' economic diversity varies by college type Income inequality in higher education has widened over the last 45 years. That’s the case made in a report released on Tuesday by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education and the University of Pennsylvania's Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 3, 2015 Economists say millennials should consider careers In trades As the economy continues to recover, economists are seeing stark differences between people with high school and college degrees. The unemployment rate is nearly twice as high for Americans with a high school diploma as for those with a four-year college degree or more. But economists say that doesn't mean everybody needs a four-year degree. In fact, millions of good-paying jobs are opening up in the trades. And some pay better than what the average college graduate makes. NPR, Feb. 2, 2015 App gives students an incentive to keep their phones locked in class Resisting the urge to pull out your phone in class is quite difficult for many students, apparently. There are texts to answer, emails to read, snapchats to send, and rude comments to post on Yik Yak. But two students at California State University at Chico have created something they hope will persuade students to keep their phones tucked firmly in their pockets: An app that rewards them with coupons for local businesses when they exhibit self-control and leave their phones untouched during class. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 2, 2015 For dropouts, free program offers route back toward HS diploma Eight hundred former Federal Way students who never earned their high school diplomas should expect a phone call from the school district. Or perhaps a knock on the door. All are eligible for a free program to get them back on track toward earning a high school credential, and the district is in search mode. ... The program, which opens Monday, is modeled on iGrad, a successful effort in nearby Kent that has helped dozens of dropouts earn high school diplomas and GED certificates in the past two years. The Seattle Times, Feb. 2, 2015 Responding to measles outbreak A measles outbreak in the United States — largely tied to exposure at Disneyland — is causing alarm across the United States, and at least four colleges have students with the disease. Measles can be a very serious disease, and has been thought to be largely eradicated in the United States. But the recent outbreak points to the potential for such a disease to spread, especially since the growing antivaccination movement means that some people lack protection against the disease. Contagious diseases always cause worry on college campuses, where students are in very close physical proximity in classes and, for residential campuses, in dormitories. Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 2, 2015 Counting students equally? A core premise of the Obama administration’s college ratings plan — and one that makes it controversial — is that colleges and universities need to be held more accountable for student outcomes. College presidents have repeatedly argued that those outcomes, like completion rates and graduates’ earnings, are largely a reflection of the student population they serve, and therefore not necessarily a good benchmark of their institution’s success. A ratings system, they warn, could discourage colleges from recruiting students they're not confident will graduate. Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 30, 2015

POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL

Obama seeks funding boost President Obama sent Congress a budget request Monday that would increase federal spending on many higher education programs and also aims to reap savings for the government by changing some student loan and repayment options. Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 3, 2015 Replenishing research Science and research advocates welcomed President Obama's 2016 budget proposal Monday, which would give the National Science Foundation a "vigorous, healthy budget," according to its director. Overall, the president’s budget would increase federal spending on research and development by 5.5 percent across a series of agencies. Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 3, 2015 Federal agency asks banks for straight talk on help for student-loan borrowers Federal regulators are keeping up the pressure on banks to do more to help struggling student-loan borrowers. ... Despite that encouraging talk, the bureau says most lenders have not made information on their plans readily available. On Tuesday, the bureau sent a letter to the banks, asking them for more information on the loan-modification options. Regulators also issuedguidance to lenders on offering graduated repayment options to new borrowers. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jan. 29, 2015