News Links | August 25, 2015

SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS

Opinion: Tacoma home getting 3 nursing degrees in a year Instructors in the Clover Park Technical College nursing program could be forgiven if they confused the names of all students named “Lott” over the last year. There were, after all, three of them — Kristi, Celeste and Kristina. ... The Lott sisters will be together at a Sept. 1 ceremony to receive diplomas and pins certifying them as licensed practical nurses. Their mom, who has been an LPN since 1999, will have her ceremony Tuesday — and she’ll get a registered nurse pin. The News Tribune, Aug. 23, 2015 New vice president takes over at Skagit Valley’s Whidbey campus Skagit Valley College chose Laura Cailloux as vice-president of its Whidbey Island campus in Oak Harbor, as well as the San Juan Center in Friday Harbor and the Marine Technology Center in Anacortes, it told the press earlier this month. She began her position July 1. Whidbey News-Times, Aug. 22, 2015 Big Bend program received $1.4 million to help students pursue degrees Big Bend Community College received $1.4 million in federal funding to continue a program to help first-generation, low-income and disabled students. The funding helps the college continue the TRiO Student Support Service program. The program has helped students pursue degrees for more than 30 years. iFIBER One News, Aug. 21, 2015 Pierce College alum on the road to success in criminal justice Priscilla Soto always knew she wanted to pursue a career that would allow her to make a difference in someone’s life. The Pierce College alum’s original plan was to pursue a degree in psychology to one day become a counselor or therapist. But after taking a few courses and observing a psychologist in action, she realized the field wasn’t necessarily for her. She had almost finished her associate degree at Pierce College when she came across a flyer for the Corrections/Protection Officer (CPO) certificate program. The Suburban Times, Aug. 21, 2015 At Pierce College, finish your high school diploma while earning college credit In an innovative new program, Pierce College allows students to finish their high school diploma while earning college credit simultaneously. For $25 per quarter, students can take as many classes as they would like while working toward their high school diploma. The Suburban Times, Aug. 21, 2015 New federal grant will fund scholarships at Kirkland technology institute The Lake Washington Institute of Technology has received a $580,000 grant from the National Science Foundation that will allow it to offer scholarships to low-income, nontraditional students in areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The Kirkland institute, one of the state’s 34 community and technical schools governed by State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, will be able to offer 25 scholarships for each of the next four years. Each scholarship will be about $5,000. The Seattle Times, Aug. 20, 2015 Ground broken for new health, early childhood development center at Peninsula College A ceremonial groundbreaking began the process of construction of a 41,650-square-foot, $25 million building for the Allied Health and Early Childhood Development Center atPeninsula College's Port Angeles ­campus. Peninsula Daily News, Aug. 20, 2015 SPSCC prepares to close Hawks Prairie campus in Lacey transition Since opening its doors in 1995, the South Puget Sound Community College Hawks Prairie Center has served the north Thurston County population for 20 years. But now, with the fall opening of the new SPSCC Lacey Campus, Hawks Prairie Center celebrates its final quarter. Thurston Talk, Aug. 20, 2015

TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION

How an app helps low-income students by turning college life into a game Studying in the library, getting help from a tutor, even cheering at a college football game — all of those activities carry a little extra reward for low-income students at Ball State University. The university is in its second year of offering a mobile application called “Ball State Achievements,” designed for students who come to Ball State on federal Pell Grants. The app essentially gamifies their college experience; they earn points for engaging in specific aspects of campus life, which can then be cashed in to purchase items in the university’s bookstore or on-campus Starbucks. There is also a leaderboard within the app where the students can compete to earn the most points. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Aug. 24, 2015 How to help the students with no homes? Many college administrators aren’t even aware that homeless students are present on their campuses. Advocates say there’s a lingering misperception that a homeless person is someone who lives on the side of the road, not someone who "couch surfs" during breaks. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Aug. 24, 2015 Link between federal R&D and scientific publications An increase of $1 million in federal energy research and development spending results in an additional one to two scholarly publications, according to a study released today by the National Bureau of Economic Research. However, the study found that there may be lags as long as 10 years between funding and publication. Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 24, 2015 More borrowers enroll in income-based repayment The number of federal student loan borrowers enrolling in income-based repayment options grew by more than half over the past year, the Education Department said on Thursday. Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 21, 2015 How states approach reverse transfer pathways A new report from the Education Commission of the States looks at the various ways states are implementing reverse transfer policies to retroactively award associate degrees to students pursuing four-year diplomas. Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 21, 2015

POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL

19 lawmakers: State Supreme Court order — and $100,000 per-day fine — unconstitutional Top Republican lawmakers are firing back at the state Supreme Court for its recent order fining the state $100,000 a day in a school funding case. In a letter dated Friday, 19 members of the Republican-led Senate majority said the court’s latest order in the McCleary case violates the state constitution and “presents a clear threat to our state Legislature as an institution.” ... Meanwhile, Republican Senate leaders would not commit Friday to be part of a bipartisan work group to address school funding issues raised in the court’s Aug. 13 ruling. The News Tribune, Aug. 21, 2015 Fact check: Is refinancing student debt really good policy? Student loans have become an issue in the presidential campaign, especially on the Democratic side. And it's no wonder. There are more than 40 million Americans with some $1.3 trillion in outstanding student loan debt. But people who study education finance say one widely popular proposal to help lessen the debt load may not be as good as it seems. KUOW, Aug. 21, 2015 Trump's unexpected support for international students The Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may be known for his nativist rhetoric and policy positions in favor of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, the building of a border wall billed to the treasury of Mexico, and the elimination of birthright citizenship for children whose parents are in the U.S. illegally — but his recent comments on international students struck a welcoming tone. Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 21, 2015