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News Links | January 24, 2020

January 24, 2020 by SBCTC Communications

System News | Opinion

Annual Clark College Jazz Festival welcomes clinicians, school bands

It looked a bit iffy earlier this month, but last week’s approval of a new faculty contract means the 58th annual Clark College Jazz Festival will go forth and swing. The festival features three full days of big band jazz played by 60 middle and high school ensembles (Class 1A to 4A) from Washington and Oregon. Top ensembles and outstanding players receive awards at the end of each division’s preliminary competition. The Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes award, named for the longtime, beloved local music educator, goes to the festival’s most outstanding band on Saturday night.
The Columbian, Jan. 23, 2020

Wenatchee Valley College board stands by embattled president

The Wenatchee Valley College Board of Trustees say they support current President Dr. Jim Richardson and will not remove him, as had been requested by the faculty’s union. The board released a statement Wednesday in response to the college faculty’s no confidence vote and call for the removal of Richardson last week. The statement praises Richardson and addresses concerns presented by the union’s report.
NCW Life, Jan. 23, 2020

Peninsula College to offer more than $100K in scholarships

Beginning Jan. 22, the Peninsula College Foundation will offer over $100,000 in scholarships to students attending Peninsula College for the 2020-2021 school year. Scholarships are available in the areas of: nursing and medical assisting; automotive technology, welding and other vocational programs; science; education; language arts; journalism; music; business administration, and more.
Sequim Gazette, Jan. 22, 2020

National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read comes to Highline College Jan. 27

Starting this month, the Highline College community will participate in the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) Big Read, a reading initiative that’s in partnership with the King County Library System and Seattle Pacific University. This “community literacy endeavor” provides students an opportunity to read and discuss a book that matters to Pacific Northwest history and culture. This year, that book is “When the Emperor Was Divine” by Julie Otsuka.
The Waterland Blog, Jan. 21, 2020

Opinion: Sandi Madsen: $1 million strong in 2019: Your support makes a difference for Walla Walla Community College students

In 2019, you, your friends, neighbors and community partners donated more than $1 million to the Walla Walla Community College Foundation. Your strong investment in our collective future makes our community more successful, more productive and more prosperous. As a retired WWCC staff member and now resident of the WWCC Foundation Board of Governors, I have had the privilege of meeting dozens of students who have overcome significant personal challenges to enroll at WWCC. Many balance the responsibility of classes and exams with full-time jobs. Many are parents who have come back to school to give their children better opportunities.
Union-Bulletin, Jan. 20, 2020

Centralia College names new director of Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy

Centralia College has named William Westmoreland as its new executive director of the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy at the college. Westmoreland replaces Barbara Hins-Turner, who retired in June after 14 years. Westmoreland has more than 15 years of experience in program development, system integration, and community engagement. Most recently, he was the vice president of product for Launchpad, a Los Angeles-based company that provides customer relations software to a number of industries. 
The Daily Chronicle, Jan. 20, 2020

Trends | Horizons | Education

A new player in the college completion market

Online learning provider Coursera took another step into the undergraduate education market yesterday with the launch of its first bachelor’s degree program at a university in the United States. The University of North Texas, a public research institution in Denton, Tex., will offer its bachelor of applied arts and sciences (B.A.A.S.) program through Coursera beginning in fall 2020. The bachelor’s degree program is aimed at working adults with some college education and course credits but no degree, said Adam Fein, vice president for digital strategy and innovation at UNT. He hopes the degree will also attract community college students, veterans and students based overseas.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 24, 2020

NASPA reports equitable services for accused students

Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, an association also known as NASPA, released an investigative report this month about the level of campus services provided to "respondents," or students accused of sexual misconduct. The report's researchers found that 72 percent of colleges and universities surveyed provide services specifically to address the needs of accused students. ... Of all survey participants, 87 percent said all services offered to students who report sexual misconduct are also available to accused students, and participants “overwhelmingly agreed” that the services they provide to both parties are either identical or “fair and equitable,” according to a NASPA press release.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 24, 2020

Veterans need clear career pathways

Community colleges are playing a major role in helping military members transition to private-sector careers, but more is needed to better align the skills people learn in the military with employers’ requirements. That’s the conclusion of experts who spoke Wednesday at the opening session of the American Association of Community Colleges’ Workforce Development Institute.
Community College Daily, Jan. 23, 2020

Ed Department opens new civil rights center

The U.S. Department of Education's civil rights office is launching a center to increase awareness of civil rights laws by schools, educators, families and students to help them avoid facing complaints, Secretary Betsy DeVos said Tuesday. The Outreach, Prevention, Education and Nondiscrimination (OPEN) Center will be housed in the Office for Civil Rights, which enforces civil rights laws. "The OPEN Center is all about strengthening civil rights compliance through voluntary, proactive activities," Kenneth L. Marcus, an assistant secretary at the department, said in a news release. 
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 22, 2020

McDonald's partners with Ivy Tech

Indiana's community college system is partnering with McDonald's to help its employees afford workforce training. The Archways to Opportunity education program is open to employees who work at least 15 hours per week for 90 days, according to a news release. Once employees cross that threshold, they can get up to $2,500 for tuition assistance each year -- or $3,000 per year if they are a manager -- for the 18 Ivy Tech Community College campuses across the state. More than 300 McDonald's locations will participate in the program.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 22, 2020

Embracing the gig economy

With huge growth predicted for the gig economy, community colleges are developing programs to help students succeed in that sector. Some studies predict half of U.S. workers could participate in the gig economy in the next decade, and that is creating opportunities for colleges to enhance their instruction to cover management, marketing, financing and other skills gig workers need – whether they want to be a freelance writer or set up their own housecleaning business. “As the gig economy becomes more and more prevalent, it’s our responsibility to prepare people and give them the skills they need,” says Rebecca Corbin, president of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.
Community College Daily, Jan. 22, 2020

Politics | Local, State, National

Washington may have problems paying for new free and discounted college plan

Washington lawmakers made national headlines when they promised to use a new business tax to make tuition at public colleges significantly more affordable — or free — for students across the state, starting in the 2020-2021 school year. But now, after 31,000 students have submitted financial-aid forms, lawmakers and government officials are questioning whether the tax raises enough money to keep their promise. The bottom line: Without changes to the law, the government could be several million dollars short of meeting its promise each school year. The state didn’t take into account how students would use the Washington College Grant, and overlooked issues with collection of the tax.
The Seattle Times, Jan. 24, 2020

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