News Links | February 15, 2022
System News | Opinion
Centralia College hit with ransomware attack
... Early this morning, Centralia College learned of a ransomware attack on its local servers. At this time, the servers are
shut down and an investigation is underway. ... CC is working closely with the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and leveraging all resources available to minimize the impact and duration of the
outage.
The Chronicle, Feb. 14, 2022
Wenatchee Valley College cancels more than $350K in student debt
Wenatchee Valley College has canceled more than $350,000 in student tuition debt accumulated during the COVID-19
pandemic. The college is using Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds to cancel debt
for 556 students who attended classes spring quarter 2020 through summer quarter 2021.
All 556 students have unpaid tuition or fees at the college, with an average amount
of canceled tuition debt at $635.
iFiber One, Feb. 14, 2022
Unprecedented diversity among Clark College’s 5 trustees
... Recently, Clark College’s board has been working with Rashida Willard — vice president of diversity, equity
and inclusion at the college — to create an equity policy that incorporates inclusive
language and practices into the board’s decision-making process. About 40 percent
of Clark’s students identify as non-white.
The Columbian, Feb. 12, 2022
Commentary: Education Pays Off, For You and Your Community
For decades, there were higher-wage jobs in the trades that would take adults and
recent high school grads without training. The “back in my day” crowd likes to tell
of mill jobs that paid great wages, enough to support a family in Lewis County. ...
Bob Mohrbacher is president of Centralia College.
The Chronicle, Feb. 9, 2022
Giant computer wall helps EVCC students to prevent worldwide cyber attacks
In an age of dangerous ransomware attacks, Everett Community College is leading the way against hackers in the form of a mega-machine called “The Wall.”
Hot-headed hackers are in store for a harsh message: “The Wall” means you should be
very, very worried. “We’re just trying to protect our way of life, pretty much,” said
EVCC student Chris Von Reybyton. [Video]
KIRO 7, Feb. 9, 2022
Trends | Horizons | Education
Report: When college doesn't pay off
Most students who attend college earn more 10 years down the road than those who don’t.
But at roughly one-third of institutions, a majority of students end up earning less
than those with a high school diploma, according to a new analysis from the Georgetown
University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 15, 2022
Balancing student privacy and open access
... “I was raped several years ago, but I can still hear him whispering things in
my ear,” a student at a community college in California recalled in devastating detail.
“I can still feel his breath on my neck. I remember how most of my family defended
him, and to this day I can’t look at them the same way.”
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 15, 2022
Making strides on pathways
... Pathways reforms began gaining steam in 2015 with the launch of the Pathways Project,
led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) alongside national partners
that included Achieving the Dream and the Center for Community College Engagement.
Thirty colleges were involved in that initial iteration.
Community College Daily, Feb. 15, 2022
DataPoints: State and local funding
State funding is an important revenue stream for public institutions of higher education.
However, the distribution between two-year and four-year colleges varies considerably
by states. According to data recently released by the State Higher Education Executive
Officers Association ...
Community College Daily, Feb. 12, 2022
Demand for college peer counselors is booming. But training only goes so far
During the pandemic, a nationwide crisis of isolation and anxiety has fallen particularly
hard on young people – and more and more, those young people are turning to each other
for help.
NPR, Feb. 12, 2022
Politics | Local, State, National
Washington Watch: DOL plans changes to white-collar FLSA exemptions
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced its intent to update the salary
level threshold for “white-collar” exemptions to parts of the Fair Labor Standards
Act, a regulatory change that could significantly affect community colleges.
Community College Daily, Feb. 14, 2022
Washington Watch: ED extends institutional aid eligibility
The U.S. Education Department (ED) has extended the period in which institutions can
apply to qualify for its MSI/SIP Eligibility Matrix. It is used to pre-certify institutional
status for Title III, V and VII Higher Education Act (HEA) grants.
Community College Daily, Feb. 11, 2022
39 members of Congress want education dept. to investigate anti-semitism
Thirty-nine members of Congress, led by Representative Ted W. Lieu, a California Democrat,
sent the Education Department a letter urging it to do more to prevent anti-Semitism
on campus. “This wave of antisemitism has had a detrimental impact at many American
colleges and universities,” the letter said.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 10, 2022
