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News Links | February 18, 2020

February 18, 2020 by SBCTC Communications

System News | Opinion

Engineering a jump start to university — or career

... The picture is very similar in the engineering program at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington, where the vast majority of students come from Whatcom County and transfer to either University of Washington, Washington State University or, somewhat less frequently, Western Washington University, says Eric Davishahl, engineering program coordinator and assistant professor. The student mix is about 50 percent straight out of high school and 50 percent back from the workforce, he says.
Community College Daily, Feb. 17, 2020

‘Rosie Revere’ provides impetus for girls to consider engineering careers

... Tina Barsotti, a mechanical engineering professor at Clark College who chairs the Engineering, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, and Surveying and Geomatics Department, said community events serve a dual purpose. They encourage children to consider an engineering career, and they help engineering students hone their interaction skills. “It’s good for the little kids,” Barsotti said. “And it’s good for my adult students.”
The Columbian, Feb. 15, 2020

Port reflects on 2019, looks ahead at annual business report breakfast

... “The Grays Harbor [College] Forestry Program to manage our sustainable forests achieved a milestone this year with the first timber harvest and sale managed by four student interns,” said Nelson. “The program uses the forests as the classroom. To date 35 students have completed this program.”
The Daily World, Feb. 15, 2020

Writing gives physics professor Asa Maria Bradley a romantic angle

She stayed through graduate school and eventually settled in Spokane where she teaches physics at Spokane Falls Community College. “Writing helps me teach,” Bradley said. “Everybody learns best through storytelling. If there’s a connection between why we’re learning this topic and how it fits in with the narrative of the world at large, then it’s more interesting.” Bradley had a knack for the humanities early on, but the challenge of STEM courses attracted her more. So, after studying, working in and teaching physics for her entire career, she hadn’t considered writing a full-length novel until she moved to Washington and joined a local writers group. After experimenting with writing in different genres, Bradley finally turned to her Swedish roots and began work on “Viking Warriors.”
The Spokesman-Review, Feb. 15, 2020

Clark College narrows candidates for president

Clark College has narrowed its list of presidential finalists down to two. Karin Edwards, president of Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus, and Sara Thompson Tweedy, a vice president at the State of New York Westchester Community College, are still being considered for the seat. ... The board of trustees voted unanimously Friday to go back to both candidates with clarifying questions, and will likely make a decision next week.
The Columbian, Feb. 15, 2020

Resourcefulness is key when prisoners make art out of garbage. Now, you can buy it

There will be just one thing missing from an art auction at America’s Car Museum on Saturday. The artists. The 50 or so men and women represented in “Unguarded: Incarcerated Artists” won’t be able to see their art sold because they are inmates in the state correctional system. “You have some lifers, folks who are never coming home,” said Bates Technical College educator Chris Hansen. “But you also have some who are going to be home very shortly.”
The News Tribune, Feb. 14, 2020

Young professionals get preview of Centralia College Foundation's new training center

The Young Professionals of Lewis County gathered for their informal monthly meeting at the Olympic Club Wednesday evening, and whether attendees came to network or to socialize — either is fine with this laid back group — almost everyone left with a glimpse of what’s on the horizon for the Centralia College Foundation (CCF). Christine Fossett, executive director of the CCF, spoke to the 18 young professionals on hand about a number of new projects her organization has in the works, but chiefly she previewed The Southwest Washington Flexible Training Center, or SWFT Center.
The Daily Chronicle, Feb. 14, 2020

Edmonds CC names new vice president of finance and operations

Edmonds Community College has hired Gregory Hinton, a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army, to serve as the college’s vice president of finance and operations. His first day was Jan. 16. “Gregory has a track record of managing resources with both efficiency and integrity,” said Edmonds CC President Dr. Amit B. Singh. “His leadership and expertise will help the Finance and Operations division become a strategic partner with all the divisions and departments of the college, in order to achieve our short- and long-term goals.”
MLT News, Feb. 13, 2020

Metallica foundation gives $50,000 for student scholarships at Spokane Community College

A $50,000 donation from the heavy metal band Metallica will help dozens of students pursue their education at Spokane Community College. SCC is one of 10 colleges in the United States selected for grants from Metallica’s charitable foundation, All Within My Hands. According to a news release from SCC, the school will use the money to continue its Metallica Scholars program, which began last year when the band’s foundation gifted $100,000.
The Spokesman-Review, Feb. 10, 2020

Trends | Horizons | Education

In hot U.S. jobs market, half of college grads are missing out

... Unemployment among Americans aged between 22 and 27 who recently earned a bachelor’s degree or higher was 3.9% in December — about 0.3 percentage point above the rate for all workers. ... In the occupations that are forecast to grow fastest over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — from home care to restaurant cooks — typical salaries range from $24,000 to $26,500. Part of the problem is that the jobs market is saturated with degree-holders, while tight labor conditions have ramped up demand for a different kind of skills — bringing benefits to electricians and plumbers, for example.
The Seattle Times, Feb. 18, 2020

Holistic approach for nontraditional students

Community colleges need to create holistic student supports to serve their increasingly diverse student populations, according to a series of briefs released by Achieving the Dream. The holistic student supports approach requires colleges to tie support services into a "seamless, timely and personal experience for every student," according to the nonprofit group. It includes comprehensive advising, scalable case management models, a change leadership framework and assessment using technology to improve these strategies as time goes on. The four briefs highlight several issues, including how to move students from high schools to colleges, how to serve student mothers and how to serve part-time students.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 14, 2020

Politics | Local, State, National

Title IX complicates Hill negotiations on higher ed

Any deal to update the law governing federal student aid would have to overcome concerns about the highly charged new rule U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is about to release on what colleges are required do about allegations of sexual assault or harassment on campuses. That was the message from an aide to Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate education committee, who said the Title IX rule would be a stumbling block toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 18, 2020

Boomberg's take on higher ed

Michael Bloomberg, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination and has been positioning himself as a moderate in the race, proposed forgiving the college debt of some borrowers on Monday, but on a far more limited basis than either Senator Bernie Sanders or Senator Elizabeth Warren. Believing other plans are too expensive and would cancel the debt of some borrowers who don’t really need it, Bloomberg would limit forgiveness to those who went to failed or predatory for-profit colleges and those who have made decades of payments on income-driven repayment plans.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 18, 2020

Last Modified: 9/11/24, 11:58 AM
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