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News Links | December 17, 2020

December 17, 2020 by SBCTC Communications

System News | Opinion

Wealthiest woman gives area college its biggest donation ever — $15 million

News of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s gift to the Walla Walla Community College Foundation reverberated throughout the region on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, the magnitude of that donation became clear when the foundation announced that Scott — who describes herself modestly as “mom, writer, advocate” after divorcing Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos — pledged $15 million to the two-year college.
Tri-City Herald, Dec. 17, 2020

WVC teams up with Mission Ridge to offer free lift tickets, equipment rentals for students

Wenatchee Valley College has partnered with Mission Ridge to provide free lift tickets and equipment rentals to all WVC students. “We’re looking for ways to keep our students active and engaged while the (Jack and Edna Maguire Student Recreation Center) building is closed,” stated Danny Zavala, student recreation center manager.
iFiber One, Dec. 16, 2020

TRA Medical Imaging Foundation launches scholarship for TCC Radiologic Technology Program

Tacoma Community College and the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation are proud to announce a partnership that will provide financial assistance and a mentoring program for TCC Radiologic Technology students. In its first act of support, TRA Medical Imaging Foundation has recently provided a one-time gift to four TCC Radiologic students who were identified as being at-risk of dropping out of the program.
The Suburban Times, Dec. 16, 2020

Bates: Announcing new Virtual Student Services

Bates Technical College’s Student Services department now has a dedicated webpage where you can access live assistance. ... Vice President of Student Services Steve Ashpole says, “Our priority is keeping our college community healthy and safe while supporting students’ educational endeavors with access to student services they need to succeed."
The Suburban Times, Dec. 15, 2020

TCC classes will continue to be online and hybrid for spring quarter

Tacoma Community College classes will continue to be held mostly online spring quarter. As with fall and winter quarter, a variety of online and hybrid options will be available to students, with some labs and clinicals held on campus. The college also offers on-campus support services, which can more easily be expanded or contracted according to Pierce County’s Covid-19 status.
The Suburban Times, Dec. 15, 2020

The Leonor R. Fuller Gallery Postcard Exhibition will showcase a diverse display of art sourced from the community

What does it mean to leave no trace in art, in life and in nature? This winter at South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC), artists from all walks of life will explore this theme through their participation in the annual fundraiser, the Leonor R. Fuller Gallery Postcard Exhibition.
Thurston Talk, Dec. 14, 2020

Working in Clark County: Gene Biby, Clark College theater professor

Clark College theater professor Gene Biby says the theater community has one goal during the pandemic: to let people know they’re “not dead yet.” Many companies are trying “Zoom theater” — performances over live-streaming video — since in-person productions are not an option as statewide restrictions continue for safety. But, Biby, 58, laments that it’s just not the same.
The Columbian, Dec. 12, 2020

Computer course for Spanish speakers fills need during pandemic

... The classes were taught by bilingual instructor Gilberto Estrada, who has taught the course at Skagit Valley College since 2007, and Sandra Ruiz, his assistant and former student. Estrada said students in the fall course learned how to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and online conferencing platforms such as Zoom, and practiced typing.
Skagit Valley Herald, Dec. 12, 2020

Edmonds College STEM building earns Gold LEED certification

Edmonds College’s new Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) building, completed in August 2020, has earned Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) oversaw the project.
My Edmonds News, Dec. 10, 2020

New certificate program at Shoreline Community College: Health Data Analyst

Students who want to pursue a career in the high-demand healthcare field now have even more options. This winter, Shoreline Community College is launching a new Health Data Analyst Certificate, an 18-credit certificate that teaches students how to analyze, interpret, organize, and present health data. “COVID-19 has increased awareness of data’s importance in providing effective healthcare,” said Dr. Melanie Meyer, Director of the Health Informatics and Information Management (HIIM) program at the college. 
Shoreline Area News, Dec. 8, 2020

Trends | Horizons | Education

Concerns about big drops among certain majors

This fall, the community college sector saw a -10.1% drop in enrollments – or 540,200 fewer students – compared to fall 2019, due to the pandemic and resulting economic recession, according to a final report released today by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center. 
Community College Daily, Dec. 17, 2020

Does short-term Pell work?

Students who received Pell grants for short-term training programs were more likely to enroll at a postsecondary institution and complete a program, according to a new report from the U.S. Education Department (ED). In 2011, ED launched two pilot tests focused on expanding Pell Grant eligibility to address concerns emerging from the Great Recession that tuition and fees could be barriers to occupational training.
Community College Daily, Dec. 16, 2020

Birth dearth approaches

Increased public high school completion rates, especially among students of color, are helping to propel the nation’s graduating classes to larger-than-anticipated sizes -- but they aren’t projected to prevent a steady contraction looming after the middle of the 2020s. High school graduates are on track to peak in number across the country at 3.93 million with the Class of 2025, according to projections released Tuesday by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. 
Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 15, 2020

Politics | Local, State, National

What a Biden Administration could mean for community colleges

With President-elect Joe Biden preparing to take office in January, this might be community colleges’ big moment. The institutions’ advocates are already celebrating what a Joe Biden presidency could mean for the community college sector. “Certainly I think all of us at community colleges are hopeful that the Biden administration will be centering community colleges, and frankly public open access education, in the middle of their policy agenda,” says Dr. Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, a non-profit focused on community college student success.
Diverse Education, Dec. 16, 2020

Bipartisan group in Congress seeks $20 billion in pandemic aid for colleges

It’s far less than the $120 billion in federal emergency coronavirus relief colleges and universities are hoping they’ll get, but higher education lobbyists said they’d take the $20 billion in help a bipartisan group in Congress proposed Monday to break the stalemate in Washington over more aid to help the nation get through the next few months of the pandemic.
Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 15, 2020

Commentary: Washington Watch: DACA program accepting new applications 

For the first time in more than three years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is accepting applications from first-time applicants for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Hundreds of thousands of young people who would have otherwise become eligible for DACA since September 2017 now can apply for protected status.
Community College Daily, Dec. 10, 2020

Last Modified: 9/11/24, 12:00 PM
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