News Links | November 19, 2015

SYSTEM NEWS | OPINIONS

Yakima Valley Community College wins big at Tri-Cities Wine Festival Yakima Valley Community College's teaching winery at the Grandview Campus, Yakima Valley Vintners, said they received six awards for their student crafted wines at the 2015 Tri-Cities Wine Festival this month. NBC Right Now, Nov. 18, 2015 American Indian dances showcased at CBC Columbia Basin College students got the chance to see traditional Native American dances in honor of National American Indian Heritage Month. KEPR TV, Nov. 17, 2015 CPTC: Bringing together the aviation community Clover Park Technical College has changed the way Andre Hunter has thought about his future. The college has afforded him opportunities to grow academically in the Composites Program, followed by the Aviation Maintenance Technician Program; and also opportunities to grow professionally as a teacher’s assistant and a substitute instructor. The Suburban Times, Nov. 17, 2015 WCC wins cybersecurity grants Whatcom Community College received two federal grants totaling $6.4 million that recognize Whatcom’s nationwide leadership in cybersecurity. One grant provides three years of funding to establish a national network of community colleges that will prepare qualified students to continue their cybersecurity education at a four-year school. The second grant provides three more years of funding for the regional cybersecurity education consortium led by WCC, with efforts to involve more women and veterans in the program. The Bellingham Herald, Nov. 16, 2015 Following a dream While growing up in Mexico, Berenice Rodriguez would often play a game with her young cousins: They would be the students and she the teacher. Even at 8 years old, Rodriguez knew teaching was what she wanted to do. ... That’s why she was surprised to learn in her senior year that she had been awarded one of Skagit Valley College’s Champions of Diversity scholarships, which made it possible for her to attend WWU and pursue her passion. Skagit Valley Herald, Nov. 16, 2015 Brawl for the best food-truck fare There’s nothing like a little competition and real-world experience to help prepare students for their futures. Culinary students at Olympic College in Bremerton got a taste of both Tuesday, Nov. 10, when they held a “Food Truck Brawl” on campus. Bremerton Patriot, Nov. 13, 2015 InspireHer program shows girls many paths to success A mentor program offered through Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, InspireHer works with girls to foster healthy living, community involvement and academic success, and plant seeds for career opportunities. ... “The idea is to lift these girls, lift up their energy and their idea of self through encouragement and mentoring,” said Mary Heffernan-Trester, director of community education at Edmonds Community College. Heffernan-Trester, also on the InspireHer steering committee, said girls have toured the EdCC campus “to experience what that college community looks like.” Everett Herald, Nov. 13, 2015 DelBene hosts annual 1st District career fair at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) hosted the annual First Congressional District career fair at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) Nov. 12. Kirkland Reporter, Nov. 13, 2015 Pierce College ranked No. 1 community college for veterans in the state Pierce College is proud to announce the Military Times has ranked it as the best community college for veterans in the state of Washington, and No. 13 in the nation. The Military Times’ Best for Vets: Colleges 2016 rankings is the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement. The Suburban Times, Nov. 12, 2015 Chuckanut Brewery opening second brewery We first heard about this plan some time ago, but decided not to share the news until Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen was ready to make the official announcement, which it did today. Chuckanut is opening a second brewery. ... Chuckanut’s South Nut is located in the Innovation Zone at the Port of Skagit, where Skagit Valley Malting Company, WSU Bread Lab, Skagit Valley College Brewery Program facility, and other businesses are currently located. Seattle PI, Nov. 12, 2015 Ceramic artist Joe Batt explores ubiquity of digital technology In “Future Shock,” Alvin Toffler’s 1970 book, the author describes a post-industrial world in which technological and social change, proceeding at an ever-accelerating rate, is causing people to live in a state of disconnectedness and perpetual stress. Toffler calls the condition “future shock.” A lot has changed since 1970 (at an ever accelerating rate). Digital technology has transformed the world. Smart phones, iPads and social media are adding new ways of social interaction to older ways of socializing. Olympia artist Joe Batt seems particularly interested in the ways that digital gadgets are increasingly becoming the means by which we interface with the world around us and with each other. Batt’s one-man show, “In the Cloud,” recently opened at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College and is one of the best shows to appear there of late. Batt, a specialist in ceramic art who teaches at South Puget Sound Community College, has created a series of almost life-sized children out of clay. Tacoma Weekly, Nov. 12, 2015 Centralia College stages 200th play As his time at the helm of the Centralia College campus theater program wanes, Brian Tyrrell has something to celebrate in his fall production. Centralia Chronicle, Nov. 12, 2015 CPTC: Veterans Day ceremony 2015 The college community joined staff, faculty and student veterans at Clover Park Technical College’s 2015 Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 12 at the McGavick Event Center. The event was hosted by CPTC’s Associated Student Government and brought together former and active duty veterans with ties to the college. The Suburban Times, Nov. 12, 2015

TRENDS| HORIZONS | EDUCATION

A different kind of textbook debt Renting textbooks is a popular option for frugal students, but one company has for years — and without notice — erroneously sent students to collection agencies, in some cases demanding hundreds of dollars in replacement fees. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 19, 2015 Students still financially stressed Most students remain worried about money and the cost of required academic materials, and the impact is worse for minority students, the National Survey of Student Engagement finds. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 19, 2015 Taking transfer national Students are entering community colleges with the goal of earning a four-year degree, but most don't succeed. More than 80 percent of community college students want a bachelor's degree, according to federal data, but only 25 percent of these students actually transfer to a four-year institution. Solving this dilemma is at the heart of the Edvance Foundation's call to create a national college transfer partnership. The foundation has outlined, in a report released today, five core components to establishing a smooth transfer pathway that encourages more community college students to transfer and helps them to actually graduate with a bachelor's degree. Edvance is a nonprofit organization with a focus on higher education. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 18, 2015 College completion rates decline more rapidly Fewer students are earning a college credential within six years of first enrolling in college, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The nonprofit clearinghouse is able to track 96 percent of students nationwide. It found an overall national completion rate of 52.9 percent for students who enrolled in the fall of 2009. That rate was down 2.1 percentage points from that of the previous year's cohort of students, according to the clearinghouse, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 17, 2015 High impact, largely optional The Association of American Colleges & Universities has over the years embraced numerous practices as key to promoting student learning, student engagement and student completion. The practices and their goals are all linked since students who are more engaged tend to learn more and are more likely to graduate. A study being released today shows widespread adoption of at least some of these practices, but much more scattered adoption of others. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 16, 2015 International enrollments increase Nearly a million international students are studying at colleges across the U.S. The newest data from the Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors survey shows a 10 percent increase in international students from 2013-14 to 2014-15 -- the highest annual rate of growth at any point over the last 35 years. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 16, 2015 4 higher ed groups oppose 'campus carry' Four higher education groups on Thursday issued a joint statement criticizing the "campus carry" laws being enacted in some states to permit people to carry concealed weapons on campuses. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 13, 2015 UW poised to approve new biology building — from tuition dollars Prepare to say goodbye to the old University of Washington greenhouse. A five-story glass and steel building, to be built where the greenhouse stands now, will usher in a new way for undergrads to learn biology. Its design will encourage scientists — those most introverted of researchers — to mix and mingle, perhaps sharing ideas and inspiration. And the orchids, cactuses and epiphytes will get a new greenhouse home. On Thursday, the UW Board of Regents is expected to approve the $165 million Life Sciences Building, scheduled to open in 2018. UW officials say it’s sorely needed. Students agree. But they’re unhappy that the university is using tuition dollars to pay for it. The Seattle Times, Nov. 11, 2015

POLITICS | LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL

State predicts big shortfall in next budget cycle Washington state lawmakers are facing a projected budget shortfall of nearly $500 million for the next two-year budget ending in mid-2019, according to new numbers released Wednesday, not counting the expected financial obligation needed to increase funding for education as directed by the state Supreme Court. The Seattle Times, Nov. 18, 2015 More findings against Corinthian U.S. Department of Education officials have determined that a slew of additional campuses owned by Corinthian Colleges misrepresented job placement rates, a finding that could help some 85,000 former students have their federal loans canceled. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 18, 2015 Democrat seeks review of federal oversight of colleges The top Democrat on a Senate investigatory panel is calling on Congress’s investigative arm to look into how the U.S. Department of Education oversees colleges and universities. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri on Monday sent a letter asking the Government Accountability Office to review how the Education Department green-lights colleges to participate in federal student aid programs as well as how effectively department regulators uncover problems with colleges. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 17, 2015 Challenges of an accreditor crackdown In announcing a set of new college accreditation measures earlier this month, Education Secretary Arne Duncan reiterated his criticism that accreditors are the "watchdogs that don't bite." But will the department itself have more bark than bite as it attempts to crack down on those accreditors? The administration earlier this month unveiled ambitious legislative proposals on accreditation, calling on Congress to give the Education Department the power to force accreditors to stop approving colleges where too few students graduate and many are unable to repay their loans. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 17, 2015 Large for-profit settlements The Obama administration and a large coalition of state attorneys general announced on Monday a double hit against one of the nation’s largest for-profit education companies. Federal prosecutors said they secured a nearly $100 million settlement with the Education Management Corporation to resolve long-running allegations that the for-profit college chain illegally paid bonuses to recruiters. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 17, 2015 Sen. Patty Murray wants to help more foster and homeless youth go to college Young people in foster care, or who are homeless during their school years, are some of the least-likely students to go to college. One report puts the number of foster care children who attend college at 10 percent, and of those, only about three percent graduate. A new bill introduced by Sen. Patty Murray aims to improve those numbers. The legislation, introduced earlier this month, asks colleges and universities to boost outreach and resources for homeless and foster youth. It would make it easier for homeless and foster students to learn whether they qualify for financial aid, provide housing options between terms, and designate a single person at each school to work with students. The Seattle Times, Nov. 16, 2015 Opposition to Safe Campus Act continues (update) Five college safety and student affairs groups on Friday stressed yet again that they oppose the Safe Campus Act, a bill that would limit how colleges can respond to cases of campus sexual assault. The proposed legislation would bar colleges from investigating incidents of sexual assault unless the alleged victim reported the crime to law enforcement. It would also require colleges to allow both the accusers and the accused to have access to lawyers during the investigation and hearing process, and allow institutions to choose what standard of proof they use for deciding responsibility in cases of sexual misconduct. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 16, 2015 Update: U.S. to settle fraud case with for-profit college chain The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday announced a $95.5 million settlement with the Education Management Corporation to resolve allegations that it defrauded the government. The Huffington Post reported on the settlement over the weekend. The agreement ends a long-running lawsuit that accused the for-profit college chain of illegally paying bonuses to admissions recruiters based on the number of students they enrolled. Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 16, 2015 Opinion: Setting the record straight on Common Core and student data By Rob McKenna, former state attorney general and current chairman of the board of Data Quality Campaign, a national nonprofit organization working on student achievement. Over the past two years, critics of Common Core State Standards have claimed these new learning goals will subject students to “cradle-to-the-grave” government surveillance. Common Core, they say, will do everything from creating databases with sensitive information, such as religious and political affiliation, to monitoring facial expressions and eye movement. While such Orwellian predictions are effective in raising alarm, they simply aren’t true. The Seattle Times, Nov. 14, 2015 Opinion: Baby boomers and the end of higher education Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Higher Education Act, ushering in an era of massive federal support for college students through a flurry of new programs: tuition grants, guaranteed student loans, and work-study funds. The law allowed a much greater swath of Americans to earn a college degree regardless of their family income. During the following decades, enrollment at campuses across the country grew threefold, to some 20 million students. But today, Johnson’s vision of the Higher Education Act as a great equalizer in the American economy is at risk. Indeed, the divide between the haves and have-nots in higher education is almost as great today as it was in the mid-1960s. In the past decade alone, the percentage of students from families at the highest income levels who received a bachelor’s degree has grown to 82 percent, while for those at the bottom it has fallen to just 8 percent. The Washington Post, Nov. 12, 2015