News Links | January 16, 2020
System News | Opinion
Christine Johnson and Marie Cini: The future of work is gray. Here’s how Community Colleges of Spokane is dialing back the clock
... There’s simply not enough people in the education pipeline, from K-12 to community
colleges and beyond, to replace our aging workforce. Which is why institutions like
Community Colleges of Spokane, able to quickly pivot to the needs of our evolving Eastern Washington industry,
and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), a national nonprofit focused
on adult working learners will be so important in replacing what’s lost. ... Through
Guided Pathways – a push from the Washington Legislature to transform the student
experience with clear guidance to meet student career goals, employment, outlook and
continued education – both Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College are well poised to increase student success levels.
The Spokesman-Review, Jan. 15, 2020
Clark College faculty union OKs contract in 257-9 vote
Clark College’s faculty union voted to ratify its contract Wednesday afternoon, drawing 15 months
of bargaining and a three-day strike to a close. The Association for Higher Education,
which represents the college’s approximately 400 full- and part-time faculty, voted
257 to 9 in favor of the contract that had been tentatively approved the night before
with the Clark College Board of Trustees. Classes will resume Thursday, Clark College
spokeswoman Kelly Love reported. The new contract includes wage increases for full-time
faculty, who will see their annual salary bumped by about $10,000 — a little more
or less, depending on how long they’ve been employed at the college. The contract
also establishes a new payment model for part-time teachers, who for the first time
will see their salaries and future increases tied to that of their full-time counterparts.
The Columbian, Jan. 15, 2020
State association to honor WCC student Jodi Borrelli as 'Transforming Lives Award' nominee
Whatcom Community College student Jodi Borrelli has been nominated for the 2019 Transforming Lives Award sponsored
by the Washington State Association of College Trustees (ACT). Jodi came to Whatcom
after battling a drug addiction and serving time in jail. Getting connected with WCC’s
Basic Food and Education Training (BFET) program set her on the right path for her
career and the rest of her life. BFET provided Jodi with financial support, helped
her develop academic and career plans, and showed her it was ok to ask for help.
Whatcom Talk, Jan. 15, 2020
CPTC confirms partnership for new apprenticeship programs
Late last month, Clover Park Technical College enhanced its apprenticeship training network through a partnership with the SEIU
Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund. [Clover Park Technical
College] enhanced its apprenticeship training network through a partnership with the
SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund. On Dec. 19, Dr.
Joyce Loveday, CPTC president, and Laura Hopkins, SEIU executive director, signed
two affiliation agreements. The documents certify CPTC as a related supplemental instruction
provider for the medical assistant and central services/sterile processing apprenticeships.
The Suburban Times, Jan. 15, 2020
Networking to recession proof your career
... Networking can connect you to people within your industry and keep you up to date
on job opportunities that haven’t been posted. A recent graduate of Lake Washington Institute of Technology’s (LWTech) transportation, logistics, and supply chain management program was recently hired
by a company that never posted the job opening. It was a connection made through her
program that led her to the company. People are typically more likely to make a referral
if there’s some type of personal connection.
Kirkland Reporter, Jan. 15, 2020
Sand mandala at Clark College aims to promote world peace
A Buddhist sand painting, also known as a sand mandala, is being constructed — and
then deconstructed — this week in the library at Clark College in Vancouver. It is a colorful religious portrait, symbolic with many of the virtues
of Tibetan Buddhism with a white lotus at its center representing the Buddha of compassion.
Through copper funnels they meticulously vibrate each and every colored grain of sand
into a work of religious art. “Construction of mandala is symbolism just to train
our mind that if you be a kind and compassionate being you can have a happy life,”
said one of the sand painters.
KOIN, Jan. 15, 2020
National Endowment for the Humanities announces new grants
An on-site augmented reality tour addressing the 1970 Kent State University shootings,
a database that will allow users to search a painting collection by pigment, digital
course modules on Florida’s African-American history and a digital anthology of almost
300 hymn melodies published in the United States before 1861 are among the 188 recipients
of new grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. ... Funding will also
go toward developing a curriculum at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Wash., that creates new courses on the history, cultures and science
of the Salish Sea.
The New York Times, Jan. 14, 2020
Scholarships and grants available to students at Shoreline Community College
2020 is a better time than ever for Shoreline Community College students to access financial help for school. With many new resources for funding,
some students may even qualify for free college. Washington College Grant (WCG) is
the most powerful and inclusive new source of funding that Shoreline students can
access. It allows median and low-income families to go to the state’s two- or four-year
colleges for free or for a reduced price.
Shoreline Area News, Jan. 14, 2020
WVC faculty union: 'no confidence’ in college president
Wenatchee Valley College faculty are calling on the Board of Trustees to replace WVC President Jim Richardson,
saying he is responsible for the current financial crisis that has led to layoffs
and staff furlough days. WVC Association for Higher Education issued a statement Tuesday
that members had overwhelmingly voted “no confidence” in Richardson and are calling
for his replacement. ... Richardson released a statement midday Tuesday: “I take the
concerns of the faculty very seriously and am disheartened by their vote. I understand
that the budget deficit has raised many questions and concerns from the college community
and the public and I will continue addressing those to the best of my ability. However,
student success was and remains my top priority when making any decisions from WVC.”
The Wenatchee World, Jan. 14, 2020
Beloved retired president of Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, Denise Yochum, passed away Jan. 13
It is with deep sorrow that Chancellor Michele Johnson shared the news that our beloved
friend and colleague Denise Yochum passed away early in the morning on Jan. 13 after
a long, courageous battle with cancer. Denise served as president at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom for 13 years, retiring last January. Denise’s commitment to student success and her
dedicated service to the college was exemplary. She has also been an active and beloved
member in the local community, a state leader, and was a shining example of leadership
that was grounded in integrity, skill, and courage.
The Suburban Times, Jan. 13, 2020
Eben Pobee appointed to Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees
Governor Jay Inslee recently appointed Eben Pobee to the Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees for a five-year term, following the conclusion of Trustee Gidget
Terpstra’s term this fall. “Eben brings a wealth of professional and civic experience
and I am so grateful for his willingness to extend his service to his community by
serving on the College’s Board of Trustees,” said President Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D. Pobee
is employed as a finance manager with Fidelitel Telecommunications and earned an MBA
from Concordia University.
Shoreline Area News, Jan. 3, 2020
Trends | Horizons | Education
Many nonprofit college programs would fail gainful test
Only about 60 percent of programs at private nonprofit institutions, and 70 percent
of those at public colleges and universities, would pass the Obama administration’s
gainful-employment test, if it were in place and applied to them, according to an
online tool developed by a conservative Texas policy group. ... Based on the Department
of Education’s College Scorecard data, the tool allows a search for the median income
and debt of graduates at 40,000 college programs. Using similar standards to those
in the gainful-employment rule -- based on the percentage of graduates’ income compared
to their debt -- it judges whether programs would pass or fail the test or be on probation.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 16, 2020
Nudging with incentives
Sometimes “nudging” interventions aren’t enough. A recently published working paper
found it took financial incentives to get students to re-enroll in classes. The paper,
released by the National Bureau of Economic Research this month, compared different
nudging campaigns at several community colleges in Florida. The process typically
entails encouraging students to re-enroll, fill out financial aid forms or hit other
milestones via different forms of communication, with the intention of increasing
college attainment. Several studies have looked at the effectiveness of texting students,
with mixed results.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 15, 2020
How would a 5-year restriction on Pell eligibility impact incarcerated adults if the Pell ban is lifted?
Currently, an option of Pell Grant eligibility for the Second Chance Pell (SCP) experiment
is priority given to students who will be released within 5 years of enrollment in
the college program. Using the 2014 U.S. PIAAC Prison Survey, conducted by the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES), this analysis evaluates the demographics of
adults in prison who would be impacted by a 5-year stipulation and the validity of
a 5-year threshold on incarcerated adults’ enrollment, completion, and interest patterns
in higher education.
New America, Jan. 14, 2020
Politics | Local, State, National
Last year, Washington lawmakers made college free for some. This year, they want to make it more accessible.
Would Washingtonians benefit from a single application form for all the state’s public
colleges? And if college costs were more transparent, would student debt drop? Washington
lawmakers intend to debate these pressing questions beginning Thursday, when Lt. Gov.
Cyrus Habib is scheduled to testify in support of several higher-education bills at
the Senate’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
The Seattle Times, Jan. 16, 2020
Canceling student debt is easier than it sounds
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has pledged to cancel up to $50,000 of debt for 95%
of student loan borrowers if she is elected president. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,
has proposed an even more generous plan if he's elected. Both are bold, controversial
pitches that would have a hard time making it through a divided Congress. But on Tuesday,
Warren announced she would use a little-known shortcut and wouldn't need Congress.
As president, she says, she could cancel the debts of tens of millions of student
borrowers all on her own. It turns out, she's probably right.
NPR, Jan. 14, 2020