News Links | November 3, 2020
System News | Opinion
Big Bend Community College gets $3 million to help its Latino students succeed
The Department of Education awarded a $3 million grant that will benefit Hispanic
students Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake. The large sum will be spread out over the next five years to help
expand educational opportunities and access to services for Latinos attending the
college.
iFiber One, Oct. 30, 2020
Cadets practice firearm safety
“Gunshot wound, right arm,” said instructor Tim Durand as cadets in the Skagit Valley College Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy stopped what they were doing, took cover and
applied tourniquets to their arms. By doing this multiple times a day, Durand hopes
that the cadets will start to develop muscle memory so they can respond at a moment’s
notice should the need arise.
Skagit Valley Herald, Oct. 30, 2020
College theater beyond the 'Whitman bubble'
... Walla Walla Community College offers a variety of drama classes and traditionally has three mainstage productions
per year: a comedy in the fall, a drama in the winter and a musical in the spring.
Shows generally feature students and community members, making the theater a place
where many students find connections.
Union-Bulletin, Oct. 29, 2020
LaTasha Wortham appointed to Tacoma Community College Board of Trustees
LaTasha Wortham, a longtime leader in government affairs, non-profit administration
and community organizations, is the new Tacoma Community College (TCC) Board of Trustees member. She has been appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee and replaces
board member Liz Dunbar, who served 10 years with TCC.
The Suburban Times, Oct. 29, 2020
Opinion: Washington needs manufacturing to lead the economic recovery
Kaitlyn Pype wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life, but she knew she enjoyed
working on cars. She thought about a career in automotive repair, but a degree program
in mechatronics at Clover Park Technical College caught her eye because it combined a variety of interests. “So, I went for it,” Pype
said.
Vancouver Business Journal, Oct. 28, 2020
Ed Brewster will be GHC president until at least fall of 2022
Ed Brewster will be the interim president for Grays Harbor College through the end of the current school year and through the next. The college’s board
of trustees voted unanimously last week to extend Brewster’s contract until at least
the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. The decision was influenced by the pandemic.
“It is prudent to delay the search at this time,” said Dr. Harry Carthum, Board Chairman.
The Daily World, Oct. 26, 2020
SPSCC nursing students get back to the books with a blend of in-person and online study tools
South Puget Sound Community College Professor and nurse Heidi Kennedy addresses her students both in-class and via Zoom
online as per COVID-19 guidelines. [Video]
The Olympian, Oct. 22, 2020
Trends | Horizons | Education
Racial equity in funding for higher ed
... According to a study last year by the Institute for College Access and Success,
54 percent of Black, Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native and Pacific Islander students
who attended public colleges in 2016-17 were enrolled at two-year institutions. In
comparison, 23 percent of those attending institutions that offer master's degrees
that year were people of color.
Inside Higher Ed, Oct. 29, 2020
Working students need more support
Community college students with jobs have much more difficulty taking the courses
they need and generally being engaged in college, according to a new report from the
Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE). The report urges colleges
to better meet working students’ needs by providing support services, helping them
with scheduling and promoting ways for working students to develop stronger connections
with faculty and staff.
Community College Daily, Oct. 28, 2020
'There are so few that have made their way'
... Black and African American employees make up less than 10 percent of higher education
professionals, according to the latest data from the College and University Professional
Association for Human Resources. The annual survey includes demographic information
for midlevel college employees in academic affairs, athletics, external affairs, facilities,
information technology and other areas.
Inside Higher Ed, Oct. 28, 2020
New dashboard tracks FAFSA completion rates
The National College Attainment Network has created a dashboard to track completion
rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by state. The interactive dashboard,
called the #FormYourFuture FAFSA Tracker, ranks states by how many of their high school
seniors have completed the FAFSA. It also measures change in completion rates year
over year.
Inside Higher Ed, Oct. 27, 2020
Upward transfers increase
More community college students this fall have transferred to four-year institutions
than last year, although other types of transfers, such as community college-to-community
college or university-to-community college, have declined, according to preliminary
survey findings from the National Students Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center.
Community College Daily, Oct. 27, 2020
Foreign students show less zeal for U.S. since Trump took over
... Roughly 5.3 million students study outside their home countries, a number that’s
more than doubled since 2001. But the U.S. share dropped from 28% in 2001 to 21% last
year, according to the Association of International Educators, or NAFSA.
PBS News Hour, Oct. 25, 2020
Study finds connection between public community college promise programs and enrollment increases
A new study funded by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) found a
correlation between public community college promise programs and an increase in enrollment
among female and underrepresented students.
Diverse Education, Oct. 25, 2020
Politics | Local, State, National
Groups ask DeVos to extend moratorium on making student loan payments
Seventy-seven advocacy groups wrote Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday asking
her to extend the moratorium on borrowers having to repay their federal student loans
until at least next September.
Inside Higher Ed, Oct. 29, 2020
Would a Biden Education Dept. be more aggressive than Obama's?
... In a call with education reporters Thursday, Stef Feldman, the Biden campaign's
policy director, seemed to downplay what actions he might take through executive order,
noting instead that he has a "strong record of working across the aisle to get action
done … I'm confident Vice President Biden will be able to get big, bold legislation
passed."
Inside Higher Ed, Oct. 23, 2020