News Links | October 1, 2020
System News | Opinion
Commentary: Designing the path to a bachelor’s degree through community college
... That’s when Justin heard about the new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Applied
Management at Skagit Valley College (Washington) and its faculty champion Sunaina Virendra. “I can’t express how much
she has changed my life,” he said. Sunaina chose to create the BAS in Applied Management
because the program should help support the local economy. In rural areas, it can
be difficult for small business owners to find qualified young people for them to
pass their businesses onto.
Community College Daily, Oct. 1, 2020
Gender-equity scholarship created at WCC in cybersecurity
... “The bottom line for me is that gender equity is simply the right way to do business.
I was inspired by the generosity of Whatcom Community College’s faculty and staff in supporting students, and wanted to find a way that I could support
students and further the cause of gender equity.”
Lynden Tribune, Sept. 30, 2020
Editorial: WWCC having rough time, but it will be just fine
Fall enrollment at Walla Walla Community College is expected to be down 24% to 30% compared to the same time last year. That’s a shocking
statistic. Yet, the college is not in long-term trouble. ... WWCC is going to be OK,
and so is every other community college in Washington state. The dramatic downturn
in enrollment at two-year colleges is mostly related to COVID-19.
Union-Bulletin, Sept. 30, 2020
Peninsula College offers online Studium Generale for first time
For the first time in its 50-year existence, Studium Generale is going virtual. Peninsula College’s Studium Generale opens its 2020 Fall Quarter series at 12:30 p.m. Thursday with the
traditional Welcome Celebration, a partnership among the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe,
the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and House of Learning,
Peninsula College Longhouse.
Peninsula Daily News, Sept. 30, 2020
Kelso City Council member Mike Karnofski joins LCC Board of Trustees
Kelso City Council member Mike Karnofski has taken on an additional role in the community
by joining the five-person Lower Columbia College Board of Trustees. LCC announced Friday that Karnofski had been appointed to the
board by Gov. Jay Inslee, replacing Bob Gregory.
The Daily News, Sept. 30, 2020
Clark College will continue with remote learning for winter quarter
Remote learning will continue at Clark College through March, the community college announced Tuesday. Winter quarter, which begins
Jan. 6, will be held remotely due to the novel coronavirus. A small number of laboratory
classes that require hands-on instruction will meet in person.
The Columbian, Sept. 29, 2020
Seaview resident named to Grays Harbor College Board of Trustees
Jim Sayce, executive director of the Port of Willapa Harbor in Raymond, has been appointed
to the Grays Harbor College Board of Trustees. Gov. Jay Inslee recently announced the appointment; Sayce’s term
begins as Denise Portmann’s term ends, concluding her 10 years of service as a trustee.
The Daily World, Sept. 29, 2020
Commentary: Respect, compassion important to crisis communications
Getting in front of communications is challenging during any crisis. When that crisis
is a global pandemic that has gone on for months, however, it can feel nearly impossible. Throughout
the pandemic, Skagit Valley College (SVC) in northwest Washington state has relied on a set of established guiding principles
to shape its messaging to students and the community.
Community College Daily, Sept. 28, 2020
‘It’s a lot to juggle’: College students with children are overwhelmed this school year
... At Everett Community College near Seattle, President Daria J. Willis turned the school parking lot into a WiFi
hotspot to give students a safe, reliable way to access the Internet. But she is also
working to reopen a computer lab for students who don’t have laptops or who would
rather not keep their kids cooped up in a car for hours on end.
The Washington Post, Sept. 28, 2020
Online fall term gets underway Yakima Valley College, Heritage University
The Math Center at Yakima Valley College was bustling on Wednesday, with more than 100 students passing through and upward
of 60 receiving tutoring support. It was unusual for the first week of fall term,
especially since it all took place online, said Douglas Lewis, a math instructor and
director of the center.
Yakima Herald, Sept. 26, 2020
Clark College student diagnosed with COVID-19
A Clark College student was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, leading to the cancellation of
culinary classes Friday. ... Jeff Kaliner, emergency manager, said the likelihood
of exposure stemming from the case is “very low,” saying the college is using social
distancing protocol, requiring students to wear masks and is frequently disinfecting
surfaces.
The Columbian, Sept. 25, 2020
WWCC sees steep decline in fall enrollment
Final numbers won’t be available for another week, but fall enrollment at Walla Walla Community College appears to be 24-30% lower than it was last year. Although enrollment for fall quarter
has just closed, college President Chad Hickox told the board of trustees during a
special meeting Wednesday, “We are experiencing a pretty significant downturn.”
Union-Bulletin, Sept. 24, 2020
Trends | Horizons | Education
Boeing makes it official: Washington state will lose 787 production next year
Boeing told employees Thursday morning it will consolidate 787 Dreamliner production
in South Carolina, abandoning the original final assembly line in Everett. The formal
announcement that Washington state loses the airplane that it worked so hard to secure
17 years ago was no surprise after the news broke Tuesday.
The Seattle Times, Oct. 1, 2020
Default rate drops again for community colleges
The student loan default rate for community colleges continues to drop, decreasing
to 15.2 percent in fiscal year 2017, according to new federal data. The community
college cohort default rate (CDR) for FY17 saw a 0.7 percentage-point decline from
15.9 percent in FY16, according to U.S. Education Department (ED) data released on
Wednesday.
Community College Daily, Sept. 30, 2020
Using holistic measures to inform success metrics
A new research project will examine how to better use data on community college students
to help them succeed, including non-traditional measures such as holistic student
services. Ithaka S+R on Wednesday released the first report in a series as part of
its Holistic Measures of Student Success (HMSS) project, which will study how student
success has traditionally been defined and measured within the community college sector,
and what new metrics and data collection processes can more holistically reflect the
community college student experience.
Community College Daily, Sept. 30, 2020
A perception problem about free speech
A large survey about free speech and expression on college campuses found that students,
especially those in the political minority at an institution, are censoring or editing
what they say and are uncomfortable and reluctant to challenge peers and professors
on controversial topics.
Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 29, 2020
How COVID could impact transfer
... Community colleges, in turn, need to work with four-year colleges to prevent poaching
of their students and to help students achieve their goals. Eighty percent of community
college students intend to earn a bachelor’s degree, but only about 17 percent do
so within six years, according to data from the Community College Research Center
at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 25, 2020
Politics | Local, State, National
Commentary: Washington Watch: Executive Order on race and sex stereotyping
Last week, President Trump issued an Executive Order with the stated goal “to promote
unity in the Federal workforce, and to combat offensive and anti-American race and
sex stereotyping and scapegoating.” Its scope includes diversity training and education
efforts conducted by recipients of federal contracts and grants, under certain conditions.
Community College Daily, Sept. 30, 2020
Colleges: Financial toll of coronavirus worse than anticipated
The coronavirus pandemic has taken an even deeper financial toll on colleges and universities
than expected, said associations representing two- and four-year institutions. In
a letter to House of Representatives leaders, the groups nearly tripled the amount
of help they say is needed from Congress in another aid package, to at least $120
billion.
Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 29, 2020
Major changes to student visa rules proposed
The Trump administration is set to publish a new proposed rule today that would set
fixed terms of up to four years for student visas and establish procedures for international
students to apply to extend their stay and continue studying in the United States.
Applications for extensions of stay could be approved “if the additional time needed
is due to a compelling academic reason, documented medical illness or medical condition,
or circumstance that was beyond the student’s control,” the new rule states.
Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 25, 2020
