News Links | June 25, 2020
System News | Opinion
Leveling the playing field | Wells Hall 'mountain' goes to ground
Lydig Construction turned its 1,100-cubic-yard mountain into a molehill — or at least
a smaller mound — in the space of a week. The Wells Hall mountain on the Wenatchee Valley College campus appeared in February as the contractor started digging out the basement for
the new three-story, 74,000-square-foot Wells Hall. Four wings of the old structure,
built in 1951, were demolished in January to make way for the new building that will
include 25 classrooms, offices, a conference center and the Chelan County Emergency
Operations Center.
The Wenatchee World, June 25, 2020
Students seek more advising, transfer help and tutoring
Compared to undergraduates at four-year higher education institutions, community college
students who shifted to remote learning this spring due to the pandemic wanted to
hear more from their college on academic advising, transfer services and tutoring,
according to a new report from Ithaka S+R. ... It included 2,354 students (15 percent)
from four community colleges (Amarillo College in Texas, Hagerstown Community College
in Maryland, Northern Virginia Community College and Renton Technical College in Washington state).
Community College Daily, June 25, 2020
Centralia College East to offer CNA course this summer
Centralia College East is offering Certified Nursing Assistant training program this summer taught
by Registered Nurse Pam Logalbo. Logalbo fell in love with eastern Lewis County from
the air. As a flight nurse, she flew in and out of the Morton airport for years with
Life Flight. “She now calls Mossyrock home and works full-time at Morton General/Arbor
Health, wearing a number of different hats,” a news release from CCEast states.
The Daily Chronicle, June 24, 2020
Class of 2020 crosses the finish line
When Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home Stay Healthy” went into effect last spring, all
in-person classes and events across the State moved online. Clover Park Technical College did not know when, or even if, large events would be permitted again. One of the first
considerations was how the Class of 2020 graduates would get to celebrate the completion
of their studies.
The Suburban Times, June 24, 2020
Washington colleges will open with strict COVID-19 safeguards
Washington colleges will open this fall with strict guidelines designed to protect
students, faculty and staff from the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Jay Inslee and a group
of college leaders described new rules that will require changes to living and dining
facilities, wearing masks in many settings and limitations on visitors and crowds.
... Community and technical colleges will keep on-campus time to a minimum, said Kathi
Hiyane-Brown, president of Whatcom Community College.
The Spokesman-Review, June 24, 2020
Inslee: What Washington universities, colleges must do to open in person for fall quarter
Gov. Jay Inslee outlined a series of steps that the state’s colleges and universities
would need to take in order to open in person this fall, including making students
and staff self-certify that they have not experienced COVID-19 symptoms since their
last visit to campus. ... Pacific Lutheran University President Allan Belton and Whatcom Community College President Kathi Hiyane-Brown also spoke about steps their campuses are taking.
The Seattle Times, June 24, 2020
GHC President Minkler announces retirement
Grays Harbor College President Dr. Jim Minkler announced his retirement at a board of trustees meeting
Wednesday morning. Board member Dr. Harry Carthum said after a closed door executive
session that Minkler announced “he has decided to retire effective the end of the
day June 30.” Carthum added, “It should be said that Dr. Minkler has the full confidence
of the board and this decision was necessitated by his personal situation.”
The Daily World, June 24, 2020
Washington's community and technical colleges brace for big budget cuts
The governor asked public agencies, including higher education, to map out a possible
15 percent budget cut. “That’s a big chunk of money,” said Michele Johnson, chancellor
and chief executive officer of Pierce College. “When 85 percent of your budget is in personnel and people, you don’t get out of
this without impacting people.” ... The state’s 34 community and technical colleges
are all facing this budget uncertainty. Jan Yoshiwara is executive director of the
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
KNKX, June 24, 2020
WVC offers voluntary furloughs to help with state revenue shortfall
Wenatchee Valley College is not currently considering layoffs or salary cuts, though employees can volunteer
for unpaid days. That option has been offered in light of Gov. Jay Inslee’s directive
last week for agencies under his authority to begin furloughs for most state employees.
He also ordered those agencies to cancel a scheduled 3% general wage increase for
many general government employees.
The Wenatchee World, June 24, 2020
State Board set to vote on 2020-21 budget, 2021-23 capital budget request
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges will meet for its regular business meeting Wednesday, June 24 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Board members are set to vote on the college system’s 2020-21 state operating budget
allocation. The board’s approval will distribute funding to colleges. The budget was
approved by the Legislature before the forecasted economic downturn caused by COVID-19.
The Suburban Times, June 23, 2020
TCC Humanities Department receives National Endowment for the Humanities grant
Tacoma Community College (TCC) will receive a $174,812 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
to fund humanities education. The “NEH CARES: Cultural Organizations” grant funds
organizations that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. TCC is one of 311
organizations that will be funded, out of 2,333 organizations that applied.
The Suburban Times, June 23, 2020
WVC Foundation receives grant to address student and youth homelessness
Wenatchee Valley College students in need will have access to some extra help with housing, food, basic needs,
technology and childcare. The Wenatchee Valley College Foundation recently received
a $19,268 grant from the Washington State Student and Youth Homelessness COVID-19
Response Fund, which will be used to address the changing needs of WVC students as
a result of the pandemic.
The Wenatchee World, June 23, 2020
New alma mater debuted at SPSCC commencement
South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) debuted a new school song, or alma mater, at the college’s virtual commencement ceremony
on June 20. The music and lyrics of ‘The Waves of South Puget Sound’ were written
by SPSCC music faculty member John Guarente and is performed by the SPSCC Chamber
Singers. The music department also plans to create an orchestral arrangement in the
near future.
Thurston Talk, June 22, 2020
Shoreline Community College virtual graduation ceremony Saturday 10 a.m.
Marking the success of the Class of 2020, Shoreline Community College will conduct its 56th Annual Commencement Celebration with a virtual ceremony this
Saturday, June 20, 2020 at 10 a.m. PST. Over 900 students and their families have
indicated they will participate, with viewership expected across the globe. This is
the College’s first-ever virtual Commencement ceremony.
Shoreline Area News, June 20, 2020
Trends | Horizons | Education
Report lays out how community colleges could save economy
A new report argues that community colleges are in the best position to upskill and
train the millions of Americans who became unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A working group on community college workforce education created by Opportunity America,
a nonprofit focused on economic mobility, released 11 recommendations for how two-year
institutions can take this role.
Inside Higher Ed, June 25, 2020
Moody's documents likely enrollment effects by state if students stay close to home come fall
A new report from Moody’s Investors Service examines which states are likely to see
enrollment rise or fall in the event the coronavirus pandemic prompts students to
stay closer to home than they have in recent years. The ratings agency and other experts
have theorized that heightened health and affordability concerns will cause many students
to enroll in college closer to home than they otherwise would have.
Inside Higher Ed, June 25, 2020
Report: Gen Z open to nontraditional education
Students in Generation Z believe that higher education is important, but many are
interested in taking alternative routes to the traditional four-year degree, according
to a new study. ECMC Group, a nonprofit focused on student success, partnered with
Vice Media to survey 2,200 high schoolers ages 14 to 18 in late February and mid-May.
Inside Higher Ed, June 25, 2020
How COVID-19 has made some colleges question the academic calendar
You won’t know it from their mostly empty campuses, but colleges and universities
will be bustling this summer. With millions of Americans unemployed or reluctant to
travel or socialize because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even though most courses
will be online, summer registrations at colleges nationwide appear to be booming.
PBS News Hour, June 25, 2020
Looking beyond the college degree
As the pandemic wreaks havoc on the job market, a quarter of American adults say they
plan to enroll in an education or training program within the next six months, according
to the latest results of a national poll conducted by the Strada Education Network.
That share was 37 percent for 18- to 24-year-olds and 23 percent for 25- to 64-year-olds.
Inside Higher Ed, June 24, 2020
Varying degrees 2020
The Varying Degrees Survey, which seeks to understand how Americans view higher education,
was fielded in February 11–24, 2020, before the full force of the pandemic hit the
U.S. What was learned will provide an important baseline to help measure how perceptions
change over the course of this public health and economic crisis, while informing
policy decisions in a post-pandemic world.
New America, June 24, 2020
Report on indirect student expenses
Information about indirect and nontuition college expenses is difficult to find, and
these expenses are often the reason for financial hardship among students, according
to a report from uAspire. The report used data from more than 800 colleges and 150
students to understand the impact of costs like housing, transportation, food, laptops
and other supplies.
Inside Higher Ed, June 24, 2020
Heavy on workforce development
A new report calls on community colleges to focus more on workforce development to
help displaced workers and others secure available jobs, especially as Americans have
lost their jobs due to the pandemic. “The Indispensable Institution,” a 118-page report
by Opportunity America, a Washington-based nonprofit that promotes economic mobility,
says community college should be “reimagined” as the pandemic is likely to hasten
changes in the workplace.
Community College Daily, June 24, 2020
Politics | Local, State, National
Washington Watch: Apply for CARES Act grants by August 1
Colleges have until August 1 to apply for grants through the CARES Act’s Higher Education
Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). After that deadline, the U.S. Education Department
(ED) has announced that it plans to “recalculate and redistribute any reserved or
unclaimed funds” from HEERF. ... ED’s deadline applies to colleges’ requests to draw
down the funds, not their disbursement to students or institutions. Colleges have
until September 30, 2022, to disburse the funds, according to ED guidelines.
Community College Daily, June 24, 2020
Alexander considering additional funds to help colleges reopen
The influential chairman of the U.S. Senate's education committee, Lamar Alexander,
is voicing support for additional funding for colleges and K-12 schools in the next
coronavirus stimulus package to help them reopen. During an interview on CNBC’s Squawk
Box on Tuesday, Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee and former president of the
University of Tennessee, said Congress should makes sure the nation’s schools and
colleges “have the money they need to open safely in the fall."
Inside Higher Ed, June 24, 2020
OTI endorses the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act
Today, the House Rural Broadband Task Force introduced the Accessible, Affordable
Internet for All Act, a comprehensive bill that would make internet service more accessible
and affordable. ... Earlier this week, House Democrats introduced the Moving Forward
Act (H.R. 2), an infrastructure bill that also includes these broadband provisions.
New America, June 24, 2020
