Tuesday, March 17, 2015

News Links | March 17, 2015

SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS

Larry LaRue: Cosmetology student eccentric, but in the best way possible
Daniel Bacon is an eccentric. Take last week. The Clover Park Technical College cosmetology student, who has tattoos all over his body, face and hands, was driving around after classes when saw a long-haired homeless man at the end of an offramp. Bacon pulled over, grabbed his gear and asked the man if he’d like a haircut. ... “Everyone at Clover Park knows me, knows what I do,” Bacon said. “They inspire me and instruct me.” When school maintenance worker Alan Mershon went to the cosmetology department at the Lakewood school asking if a student might be able to help him, it was no surprise the request was passed to Bacon. Mershon’s 38-year-old stepdaughter, Sunny Day Wick-Holcomb, is in the final stages of multiple sclerosis.
The News Tribune. March 16, 2015

Opinion: A foundational education should be a birthright
By Kellie Purce Braseth, administrator at South Puget Sound Community College. There was a time in our country when just knowing how to read, write and cipher numbers was foundation enough to compete in the economy. Certainly in the 20th century, completing high school meant one had achieved a foundational education and could go out into the world to thrive and earn a living wage. Fifteen years into the fast-paced 21st century, we see the bar rising to include at least a couple of years of college beyond 12th grade. The thing is, lack of a foundational education is the ugly twin brother to poverty. And arched together, they create the doorway through which walk nearly all our social ills. Fortunately, the simple act of educating a single person can change their life and ripple across generations of their family members.
The Olympian, March 16, 2015

Skagit Valley College alum wins honor from state board
When she was younger, “college” wasn’t a word Yadira Rosales heard very often. ... Rosales was recently honored by the state Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges as one of five awarded with the annual Transforming Lives award. The award honors students and alumni who have shown that an education from any of the state’s 34 community or technical colleges has changed their lives. ... Rosales was a senior in high school when she married her husband Josue and had her first child, she said. A Skagit Valley College employee helped guide her through the system, and now, as a college employee she gets to do the same.
Skagit Valley Herald, March 16, 2015

Professor Duncan McClinton honored
The Pierce College 2014 Distinguished Faculty Award winner Duncan McClinton was honored in late February during an annual celebration of teaching excellence. The professor of English was chosen by his colleagues to receive this award, and shared with the audience a piece of his own personal work during the festivities. ... McClinton has been working in higher education for 22 years, teaching at a variety of colleges including Central Washington University, Antioch University, North Seattle College and Whatcom Community College, to name a few.
The Suburban Times, March 16, 2015

CPTC: The president’s Unsung Hero for March
As the associate director of eligibility programs at Clover Park Technical College, Fran Matz oversees the Opportunity Grant and BFET programs. Because of her work to increase student success and educational access, Matz was selected the President’s Unsung Hero for the month of March. But Matz believes the true heroes are the students who strive to eliminate barriers to their education.
The Suburban Times, March 16, 2015

CBC surgery tech instructor is a cut above the rest
Lovers of the TV medical drama Grey’s Anatomy should know it takes some liberties with storytelling, says a Columbia Basin College surgical technology assistant professor. Doug Hughes isn’t talking about the personal entanglements the show’s characters tend to find themselves in, or the extreme medical cases they contend with. Rather, Hughes takes issue with how such shows depict doctors — not surgical technologists — as working one-on-one with surgeons in the operating room.
Tri-City Herald, March 15, 2015

Opinion: Closing the justice gap
Michelle Cummings never went to law school. Her formal college education ended in 1998, with a paralegal studies degree from Highline College in Des Moines, Wash. But this summer, Cummings could start taking on legal clients who need help filing for divorce or child custody. Like a fully licensed attorney, she’ll be able to open an office and set her own fees. Cummings is part of Washington state’s ambitious experiment to revolutionize access to legal services, particularly among the poor.
Washington Post, March 13, 2015

Skagit Valley College helps exchange students learn language, culture
Nearly 5,000 miles away from their alma mater in Tenri, Japan, 28 exchange students are spending Wednesday afternoon learning about pottery. The students are visiting Skagit Valley for three weeks as part of an exchange program with Skagit Valley College. The students, who range in age from 19 to 21, are all majoring in English.
Skagit Valley Herald, March 13, 2015

From Maple Valley to Afghanistan and back
From cleaning carpets to dodging land mines and eluding snipers in southern Afghanistan, Najib Noori has quite a tale to tell. Najib’s story started in Afghanistan, where he was born. He dropped out of high school halfway through his junior year to avoid joining the military once he graduated. At the age of 20, Najib and his family moved from Kabul, Afghanistan to Pakistan as refugees around the same time the Soviet Union was pulling their troops out of Najib’s home country – 1988. After living in Pakistan for about two years, the family of 11 gained political asylum and moved to America. ... Speaking very little English, Najib started taking college classes at South Seattle College to improve his language skills. The culture and customs in the Middle East are very different compared to the U.S., he said.
Maple Valley Reporter, March 13, 2015

Reclaiming Futures: A celebration of second chances
At 20, Jordyn Brougher is studying at Shoreline Community College for nursing assistant credentials. She has a part-time job. She has bigger dreams, too, of working in music production. “Pretty much I'm making steps for myself,” she said. The Lynnwood woman's sights are set on a successful, fulfilling future. Five years ago, the picture was bleak.
Everett Herald, March 13, 2015

Cadets train for pepper spray pain
On a blustery day in March, no one wants to stand downwind of someone holding a can of pepper spray. But for the 36 Parks Law Enforcement Academy cadets gathered together for training at Skagit Valley College on Thursday, it’s just one more thing to face head-on in order to get the certification they need to become park rangers. The cadets, who hail from 18 different states, including Hawaii, all have the same goal in mind — to serve in the state and national park systems. “They come here specifically to do this training,” said Bill Overby, co-chair of Skagit Valley College’s criminal justice department, noting that the college is only one of seven community colleges in the country that offers the program.
Skagit Valley Herald, March 13, 2015

CBC emeritus professor wins People’s Choice at Bellevue Art Museum Biennial
An emeritus art professor from Columbia Basin College recently won one of two prizes for the Bellevue Art Museum’s latest Biennial exhibition. Morse Clary, who retired from CBC in 1998, took home the Samuel and Patricia Smith People’s Choice Award for the six pieces he displayed in the show. The honor, named after a Washington State University emeritus president and his wife, came with a $5,000 cash prize.
Tri-City Herald, March 12, 2015

Klallam culture showcased at first-ever Peninsula College Longhouse Native Cultural Fair
With her song, 15-year-old Leelah Smith wowed her crowd. Leelah, a student of the Klallam language at Port Angeles High School, sang “Amazing Grace” — alternating verses in English and Klallam — during the Peninsula College Longhouse's first-ever Native Cultural Fair on Thursday.
Peninsula Daily News, March 12, 2015

Students, staff push for more suicide prevention resources on campus
Juliana Borgess and Emily Murphy share a common bond beyond being fellow students at the University of Washington. They have both lost loved ones to suicide. ... "In many ways it's sort of breaking the silence," said Lori Miller. Miller has been a counselor at Seattle Central College for 18 years. She sees at least a student a week who has had suicidal thoughts. "If you talk with someone who is suicidal, they're scared and they want to be seen. And they're really, really relieved, because it's really heavy to hold on to," said Miller. Miller also hopes lawmakers will pass House Bill 1138 to create a task force on suicide prevention in higher education.
KING 5, March 12, 2015

Message of hope shared by teenage suicide survivor
For one teen who suffered from severe depression, finding help wasn't easy. But once she did, she turned her life around and now inspires others. Serena, a Bellevue College student, shows her bravery by simply talking about her story. She's speaking out to help others at risk. "I tell [troubled teens] sharing your story isn't something to hide because that's what makes you strong," explained Serena. "You should be proud of how far you've come."
KING 5, March 12, 2015

SULYP honors emerging leaders
The Seattle Urban League of Young Professionals (SULYP, 105 14th Ave., Suite 200) is honoring six Emerging Leaders at the “Seattle Nights” 10th-anniversary Emergence Gala on Sunday, March 14. The selected leaders demonstrated excellence, creativity, personal and professional growth and give back to the community. SULYP leadership selected the winners. The winners are William Washington, owner of Innovative Men’s Clinic; David Pierre-Louis, owner of Dicul Vodka and Lucid Lounge; Dumi Maraire, rapper and community activist; Merrisa Tatum, assistant director of recruitment and outreach at the University of Washington; Jaebadiah Gardner, founder and CEO of Gardner Global Inc. and managing partner of OnPointe Real Estate Services, LLC.; and Nicholas Russ, professor at Bellevue College.
Capitol Hill Times, March 12, 2015

TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION

Videos find their place in and out of the classroom
Among today’s students, videos as an educational tool are as expected as textbooks. A new study has found that 68 percent of students watch videos in class, and 79 percent watch them on their own time, outside of class, to assist in their learning.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 17, 2015

 
Crossing state lines
California’s 112-campus community college system is making it easier for graduates to attend historically black colleges and universities across the country. The system is launching a new program that guarantees students admission to nine HBCUs if they graduate with an associate degree. The deal allows a student with 60 community college credits to enter the historically black colleges as a junior. The deal serves twin goals. It helps two-year students from California find a place to get a four-year degree if they want to leave the state. It also helps historically black colleges find students as some struggle with enrollment declines.
Inside Higher Ed, March 17, 2015

The impact of free tuition
Tennessee's free community college program is exceeding expectations. Demand remains high and the state's completion rates for federal aid applications are up, which is putting colleges on notice about a likely influx of students. ... Of the initial 58,000 applicants, more than 43,000 attended their first meeting with mentors -- an important milestone for student participation. Those 15,000 that have since left the program are consistent with the program's projections. ... He added that even if those students don’t stay with Tennessee Promise, they’ve filled out Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms and are at least thinking of their education after high school.
Inside Higher Ed, March 17, 2015

College for a new age
Kevin Carey has a 4-year-old girl. Carey, the director of the education policy program at the New America Foundation, has been thinking about the role of universities in American life for virtually his entire career. But after his daughter was born, that thinking took on a new urgency. “All of a sudden there is a mental clock,” he told me the other day. “How am I going to pay for her college education? I wanted to write a book that asked, ‘What will college be like when my daughter is ready to go?’” His answer is his new book, “The End of College,” which is both a stinging indictment of the university business model and a prediction about how technology is likely to change it. His vision is at once apocalyptic and idealistic. He calls it “The University of Everywhere.”
The Seattle Times, March 10, 2015


POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL


Education Dept. considers creating not 1 but 2 college-ratings systems
The Education Department, under continued fire over its planned college-rating system, is considering creating two systems, an agency official said at a policy briefing here on Monday. The first ratings system would be geared toward consumers and be based on raw outcomes metrics. The second would be geared toward policy makers and researchers, and would rely on metrics adjusted for student and institutional characteristics, the official told attendees at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual policy briefing. Only the second system would be used to measure accountability.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 16, 2015

Legislature gets ready to work on education
More than halfway through the legislative session, the most pressing issue continues to loom over the Washington Legislature: how to satisfy the requirements of McCleary. "It's always in the back of our minds," said Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center. Yet, although discussion of the McCleary v. Washington case dominated in the months leading up to the session, talk of how to adequately fund the state's public schools has since been relatively quiet. What dialogue has been public echoes talking points and positions formed long before lawmakers were in the same building.
The Columbian, March 15, 2015