News Links | September 29, 2105

SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS

YVCC, CWU split $3.25M grant to attract Hispanic students Yakima Valley Community College and Central Washington University have received a $3.25 million grant to attract and keep more Hispanic students even as Hispanic enrollment continues to grow. Yakima Herald, Sept. 29, 2015 Skagit Valley College instructors find a winning formula Standing inside a room with mathematical equations scrawled on a dry-erase board behind them, Skagit Valley College math instructors Abel Gage and Brian Heinze said they believe they’ve uncovered the formula for winning the annual Trek For Treasure. The two members of the team Geeks on Peaks became this summer the first team in the history of the adventure race to win twice. They also won in 2013. Skagit Valley Herald, Sept. 27, 2015 195 graduate from PSNS apprentice program Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility’s 114-year-old apprentice program graduated 195 journey-level tradesmen and women Friday at Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center. The four-year program that combines schooling and on-the-job training. Graduates, who represent 26 trades, each received a Navy certificate of apprenticeship and an associate of technical arts degree from Olympic College. Kitsap Sun, Sept. 25, 2015 CBC to use grant for math center, student retention A $2.6 million grant will allow Columbia Basin College to develop a math tutoring center and find ways to better advise and guide students through their education. The Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions federal grant will be paid out over the next five years. Heritage University, Big Bend Community College and a partnership between Yakima Valley Community College and Central Washington University also received grants. Tri-City Herald, Sept. 25, 2015 Sadness in international-student community after tour-bus tragedy Washington educators who teach students from abroad were deeply saddened by the news that students in North Seattle College’s international program were involved in the deadly accident on the Aurora Bridge Thursday.  “It’s just been horrible,” said Andrea Insley, executive director of global initiatives for the Seattle Colleges district. Insley spent the afternoon at Harborview, helping to get emergency contact information for the students to hospital officials. “We are all certainly very saddened and grieved by this loss because it hits close to home,” said Diana Sampson, executive director of international education at Shoreline Community College. “This is our community. It’s a tragedy all around.” The Seattle Times, Sept. 24, 2015 Editorial: Building a home for student success The same day that China's president arrived at Paine Field to begin a three-day visit of the Puget Sound region, including a tour of Boeing's Everett plant, a gathering across town in north Everett marked the start of construction for the new home of the Everett University Center and a focus for Washington State University's North Puget Sound at Everett on the campus of Everett Community College. ... And the next time a Chinese president visits Everett, along with the Boeing tour, we recommend a walking tour of the shared campus of Everett Community College, the Everett University Center and WSU North Puget Sound where that success is being fostered. Everett Herald, Sept. 24, 2015 Green River College student fights fires in Eastern Washington Keith Beasley of Renton started his sophomore year at Green River College on Monday knowing that he had made a difference this summer fighting fires in Eastern Washington. The 21-year-old specialist in the Washington National Guard spent 25 days in August and September as a squad boss of 24 soldiers on the front lines of the Lake Chelan complex fire. Kent Reporter, Sept. 24, 2015 Respect restored to veterans memorial: Highline students initiate campus renovation project During the fall of 2013, Highline College student Kendall Evans was asked a difficult question: "Is this what Highline thinks of its POWs and MIAs?" Kent Reporter, Sept. 24, 2015 Reducing youth gun violence in Tacoma At 17-years old Xavier Ferguson is pinching himself. "I didn't think I could be here, telling my story." Right now, Ferguson is enrolled in at Clover Park Technical College where he's studying Aviation maintenance. But it was only a couple of years ago that Xavier had a gun in one pocket and drugs in another. KING 5, Sept. 24, 2015 Big Bend Community College prepares to offer new drone program The drones are coming to Big Bend Community College. The school announced the start of a program designed to train technicians and pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, with the help of a $2.6 million federal grant. iFiberOne News, Sept. 24, 2015 Nurse practitioners of the legal profession A state Supreme Court order in Washington state has led to another solution that some are comparing to the nurse practitioners of the legal profession and other states are watching and considering: limited liability legal technicians (LLLTs). ... A statewide legal needs study showed that a significant percentage of people were going without legal representation, potentially turning to online services, and that family law was most profoundly impacted, says Marie Bruin, policy associate in workforce education at the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges. ... Community colleges to date include Highline, Edmonds and Tacoma in the northwest part of the state, Spokane to the east, and Clark to the southwest, the last of which is seeking ABA approval, Bruin says. Community College Daily, Sept. 4, 2015 Upward mobility in the orchard: Wenatchee Valley College turns ag workers into managers Since the start of the Hispanic Orchard Employees Education Program at Wenatchee Valley College in 1994, some 1,300 workers have completed a certificate program that helps them become managers. Washington Business Magazine, Summer 2015

TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION

When A.S. + A.A. > B.A. There's an ongoing national conversation encouraging people to pursue at least an associate degree. But at one Florida college, some students are finding it's in their best interest to pursue more than one two-year degree. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 29, 2015 Not worth it? Just half of college alumni “strongly agree” that their education was worth what they paid for it, according to the newest data from an ongoing Gallup-Purdue University study of college graduates. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 29, 2015 Small loans, big problem Community colleges are relatively affordable, and their students tend to borrow less than those who attend other types of institutions. Yet the debt students rack up at community colleges is troubling. The reason is that students who attend two-year colleges struggle to repay even small loans, and often default on them, a concern that is reinforced by a new study from one of the sector’s primary trade groups — the Association of Community College Trustees. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 28, 2015 Hands-on science education works best in college, too Learning science by doing it has long been practiced by teachers in K-12 schools. Science educators think it should be more common in college classrooms, too. The Seattle Times, Sept. 28, 2015 Measuring motivation Like most colleges, the University of New Mexico is trying to help more of its at-risk students get to graduation. And officials at the university know academic preparation isn’t the only factor to watch. There is a broad consensus that so-called noncognitive skills — motivation, stress management, organization and even the ability to cope with financial pressure — influence whether a student succeeds in college. So the university recently started using a test from the Educational Testing Service, dubbed SuccessNavigator, to measure those attributes. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 28, 2015 Are they learning? The debate over how much actual learning is taking place on college campuses is a historically heated one, as is the related discussion about how to measure that learning. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 25, 2015

POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL

U.S. House passes one-year Perkins extension The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday approved a one-year extension of the federal Perkins Loan program, which is set to expire this week. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 29, 2015 N.Y. governor eyes free community college plan New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is in talks with the White House to provide free tuition at community colleges within the state, according to a report from the New York Post. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 29, 2015 College Abacus releases tool for low-income students College Abacus is a free online tool for students and families to compare college pricing — using net-price estimates taken from colleges and federal databases. The tool, which is owned by ECMC Group, a nonprofit loan guarantor, was one of several outside entities the U.S. Department of Education collaborated with on new data from the White House's College Scorecard, released earlier this month. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 28, 2015 Report questions free community college A new report from the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research — a conservative think tank — argues that community colleges aren't ready for the consequences of providing "free" tuition until they provide intensive counseling and "emulate" the for-profit college sector with relevant course work and internships. The consequences of free community college, the report said, would be a larger number of students looking to enroll in two-year colleges with low performance rates. Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 28, 2015