News Links | February 4, 2020
System News | Opinion
‘There’s a bottleneck’: Interest in nursing outpaces opportunity in the Inland Northwest
The Inland Northwest doesn’t have enough nurses. And while there are plenty of people
who want to enter the profession, educators say the region doesn’t currently have
the capacity to catch up. Interest in joining the depleted nursing ranks can be seen
throughout the region. ... Spokane Community College, which offers a nursing program, accepts about 31% of applicants – or 96 students
a year.
The Spokesman-Review, Feb. 3, 2020
WWCC announces employee, program cuts
Walla Walla Community College President Derek Brandes announced Tuesday more budget reductions following the $1.1
million in cuts made last fall. Brandes said he is cutting 17 staff and faculty positions,
down from the 24 originally predicted. Officials are ending the residential construction
and carpentry program in mid-June and the office technology program will stop being
staffed at the end of March, with students getting additional teaching on a case-by-case
basis, said Chad Hickox, vice president of instruction.
Union-Bulletin, Feb. 3, 2020
Thurston County Economic Development Council measures SPSCC economic impact at $930 million
South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) was recently the subject of an economic impact study generated by the Thurston County
Economic Development Council. The report highlights SPSCC’s total economic impact
to Thurston County, which measures $930 million and 6.9% of the Gross Regional Product.
”We take our 6,000 students and move them into the community where they help us produce
an almost $1 billion impact,” said SPSCC president Timothy Stokes.
Thurston Talk, Feb. 2, 2020
Pierce College launches new part-time LPN to RN program
Pierce College is proud to launch a new program that will allow Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN)
to earn their Registered Nursing (RN) credentials on a part-time basis. This new part-time
program is designed especially for working LPNs, with classes taking place during
evenings and weekends. Applications are being accepted now through March 13, for the
first part-time cohort starting Summer Quarter 2020. The five-quarter program will
combine both lecture courses with hands-on learning experiences.
The Suburban Times, Jan. 31, 2020
As students turn 20, EvCC celebrates with Japanese tradition
“My name is Kotoko, and I play the koto.” That’s how Kotoko Miyamae, 20, first introduced
herself to Miki Aspree, program director at Everett Community College’s Nippon Business Institute. ... Not too many people play koto in Everett, though,
Miyamae said. So when she was called upon to perform on Jan. 24, she played solo in
front of an audience for the first time. “I was so nervous,” she said. ... They were
there to celebrate Coming of Age Day, a national holiday where 20-year-old Japanese
men and women celebrate their entry into adulthood.
Everett Herald, Jan. 31, 2020
Community Colleges of Spokane release fall honor rolls
Spokane Falls Community College and Spokane Community College have named honor roll recipients for fall quarter 2019, which ended in December.
Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or above to be listed on the honor
roll. ... Community Colleges of Spokane is a dynamic, 12,300-square-mile state community college district that includes Spokane
Community College, Spokane Falls Community College and six rural education sites,
serving residents in Pend Oreille, Stevens, Whitman, Ferry and parts of Lincoln counties.
East Oregonian, Jan. 31, 2020
Computer-scientist-turned-singer to play lead role in opera
Enjie Lian took a leap of faith when he dropped his computer science studies at Edmonds Community College. He had emigrated from China two years earlier with the support of his parents, who
thought the program would lead to a well-paying job. But after the first year at EdCC,
something musical was stirring inside him. ... Lian trains with piano and voice instructor
Linda Kappus at EdCC. Kappus, whose worked in opera and music theater before joining
the college.
Everett Herald, Jan. 30, 2020
Sedro-Woolley teen honored as Youth of the Year
... As the Youth of the Year winner, Paula Banda was awarded the Skagit Valley College Foundation Cardinal Award for Club Excellence, worth the cost of a two-year full-ride
scholarship to the college. “The college’s goals of access, achievement and community
are grounded in equity,” said Anne Clark, Skagit Valley College Foundation executive
director. “Just like the Boys & Girls Club, we strive to meet our students where they
are and provide resources to help them realize their intrinsic worth, and chart a
course to empower them as they move forward in life.”
Skagit Valley Herald, Jan. 30, 2020
New veteran’s resource/study/social center opening at Peninsula College
Students at Peninsula College who are also veterans are getting a new space to study, get help, and meet one another
when the new Veterans Center opens on campus next week. Located on the east end of
the Pirate Union Building, the space was designed with the intent of creating a sense
of calm and camaraderie for vets on campus. [Audio]
My Clallam County, Jan. 30, 2020
Trends | Horizons | Education
New online tool allows Washingtonians to track financial aid completion rates
It’s still college application season — which means it’s also time for Washington’s
high school seniors to apply for financial aid. A new online tool gives Washingtonians
a window into who has applied so far. The tool, which launched last week and is updated
weekly, lets users track how many of the state’s seniors have submitted the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). ... The form helps determine students’ eligibility
for a new state grant, called the Washington College Grant, which covers full or partial
tuition to the state’s public colleges for many low- and middle-income families.
The Seattle Times, Jan. 31, 2020
Education Dept. unveils fix for student loan program's 'bureaucratic nightmare'
Public servants with student loans were furious, and the U.S. Department of Education
heard them. The department revealed Thursday that it will simplify the process for
borrowers to apply for an expansion of the troubled Public Service Loan Forgiveness
(PSLF) Program. The move comes after a damning Government Accountability Office review,
first reported by NPR. In that 2019 review, the federal watchdog found that during
the expansion program's first year, the department turned away 99% of applicants.
NPR, Jan. 31, 2020
Politics | Local, State, National
Request to analyze dual enrollment
Two U.S. senators, joined by 17 of their colleagues, are pushing to include dual-enrollment
programs and early college high schools in a planned analysis of K-12 education. Senators
Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, and Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, sent a
letter to the U.S. Department of Education asking it to study the use, outcomes and
best practices of college-in-high school programs that receive Elementary and Secondary
Education Act funding, according to a news release. The department plans to analyze
money spent by 400 school districts on five federal programs. This would be the first
analysis of education spending since 2009, according to the release.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 4, 2020
Student loan relief for disabled vets
The Trump administration is forgiving loans for disabled U.S. military veterans. But
consumer groups say loans should be discharged for all who are too disabled to work.
... “The department’s interim final regulations are a common-sense solution to ensuring
that veterans get the relief they deserve without jumping through confusing, time-consuming
and unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles,” the NCLC, the National Student Legal Defense
Network and the Institute for College Access and Success, wrote in a joint letter
to the department last week. Veterans Education Success and 21 other veterans’ groups
also praised the change in a separate letter.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 4, 2020
CFPB, Education Dept. agree on regulating loans
Two years after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos ended the Education Department's relationship
with one of its main regulators, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the two
agencies on Monday announced the signing of a new agreement on how they will work
together. Under the memorandum of understanding, the agencies will share complaint
information from student loan borrowers and meet quarterly to discuss the nature of
complaints and how they are being resolved.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 4, 2020
Democratic lawmakers want to create a loan program for undocumented students
A bill under consideration in the Legislature would open another avenue for financial
aid for immigrant students in Washington who lack legal status. The bill, which is
sponsored by a group of 11 Democratic senators, would create a low-interest student
loan program for undocumented immigrants who are residents of the state. Students
who lack legal status in the U.S. have access to some state financial aid, including
the Washington College Grant. But they are not allowed to take out federal student
loans or receive other federal financial aid, such as Pell grants.
KNKX, Jan. 31, 2020