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News Links | January 28, 2020

January 28, 2020 by SBCTC Communications

System News | Opinion

WCC awarded grant for Salish Sea project

Whatcom Community College was awarded a $100,000 grant from the highly-competitive National Endowment for the Humanities. The college was awarded the grant for a project called “Situating Ourselves in the Salish Sea,” which will leverage digital mapping technology to investigate and contextualize the cultural heritage of the Salish Sea region. The project will include creation of digital story maps and a series of new cross-discipline Salish Sea courses. 
KGMI, Jan, 27, 2020

EDC offers business management and leadership with Skagit Valley College

Higher-wage employment can be open to many who learn the skills of business management and leadership. The San Juan County Economic Development Council invites workers in the San Juan Islands to join in a “Business Management and Leadership Skills” course; business owners and managers are also encouraged to enroll employees. This for-credit course will be offered at greatly reduced cost thanks to generous grants from our funders — including the Town of Friday Harbor — and is offered in partnership with Skagit Valley College.
The Islands' Sounder, Jan. 27, 2020

Recredentialed: Barriers face Washington’s immigrant, refugee professionals

... That was until her refugee resettlement agency pointed her toward Highline College’s Welcome Back Center, where she now works as the program coordinator as she works toward getting Washington credentials. The Welcome Back Center provides resources and guidance for immigrants and refugees with professional certification as they navigate the complicated bureaucracy and red tape that typifies the experience. Located in Des Moines, the center is one of two in Washington. There are only nine such centers across the country.
Kent Reporter, Jan. 26, 2020

Vice-president of instruction planning retirement in April

Sharon Buck has announced that she will retire as Peninsula College’s vice-president of instruction in April of this year. Buck has been a vice-president at the college since January of 2016. According to a press release, she is retiring due to family health concerns. “Family needs come first,” Buck said. “I am sorry to go, but know it is necessary. We have a lot to accomplish in the short time before I leave, and I have faith that we can accomplish most of it.” 
Peninsula Daily News, Jan. 26, 2020

Centralia College hosts Cultural Café to honor international students

Students involved in Centralia College’s International programs hosted a Cultural Café Thursday afternoon at the TransAlta Commons in Centralia. The event kicked off with a student lead presentation that highlighted celebrations surrounding the Lunar New Year, which officially begins January 25 and last for two weeks in countries across Asia. “We have international students on our campus, and they all bring their own unique perspectives to the domestic students that are here,” said Lahju Nankani, Director of the International program. “In this day and age it’s all about collectiveness.”
The Daily Chronicle, Jan. 24, 2020

New executive director for institutional advancement joins WCC

Eva Schulte has recently joined the staff at Whatcom Community College. Prior to joining the team at Whatcom as executive director for institutional advancement, Schulte was vice president for economic opportunity at Travois Inc. where she led impact investing with indigenous communities nationally. She was also president and CEO of the non-profit organization Communities Creating Opportunity in Kansas City.
The Bellingham Business Journal, Jan. 24, 2020

Trends | Horizons | Education

Growing student debt burden for parents

A new study adds to growing concerns about a federal program that allows parents to take out loans to help finance their children’s undergraduate education. Roughly 3.6 million parents had taken out $96 billion in outstanding loans under the federal Parent PLUS program as of late last year, the study from Trellis Research said. Parent PLUS loans now account for about a quarter of total federal lending for undergraduates, a share that grew from 14 percent in 2012-13.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 28, 2020

The aging faculty

CUPA-HR on Friday published a new research brief on “The Aging of the Tenure-Track Faculty in Higher Education: Implications for Succession and Diversity.” The median age of the U.S. labor force is 42 years, versus 49 for tenure-track professors, the report says. Similarly, compared to the general working population, significantly more faculty members are age 55 or older (23 percent in general versus 37 percent in academe). Consistent with other research, the brief says that women and minorities are underrepresented among professors, particularly those more senior. Women make up just 25 percent of tenure-track faculty members older than 55, for example, while racial minorities are just 16 percent.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 27, 2020

A legal challenge for inclusive access

Inclusive access programs, where students are automatically billed for their course materials, are increasingly big business for leading textbook publishers and college bookstores. But for independent, off-campus bookstores, inclusive access programs could spell a death knell. ... To automatically bill students for course materials, U.S. Department of Education regulations say colleges must offer these materials below a competitive market rate and must also give students a way to opt out of the program.
Inside Higher Ed, Jan. 27, 2020

What’s the key to the nation’s future economic success? Apprenticeships

A steady stream of employers comes to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to talk about how difficult it is to find a skilled workforce, according to John Ladd, head of the DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship. “We see this every day,” he told the audience at the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Workforce Development Institute (WDI). There are 7.2 million unfilled jobs – in everything from manufacturing, to water treatment, to 5G telecommunications, Ladd said. “The inability to find a skilled workforce is limiting their ability to expand their companies,” he said. But Ladd added that there is a way to solve this problem and create a talent pipeline: apprenticeships. “Apprenticeships should be in everybody’s toolkit,” he said.
Community College Daily, Jan. 27, 2020

The workforce needs massive upskilling

... Other countries, such as Germany and Austria, do a good job of helping students make the transition from school to work, Bonvillian said. But in the U.S., workforce education is not a “system.” “Workers don’t know what skills they need, educators don’t know what skills to educate for, and employers don’t know the skills workers have,” he said. He encouraged colleges to incorporate new technologies into their instruction, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, computer gaming, simulation models, blockchain certification systems and the use of digital tutors with AI capabilities.
Community College Daily, Jan. 24, 2020

Politics | Local, State, National

Rep. Stokesbary revives effort to allow college athletes to receive fair compensation

Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, is reviving his effort to allow college athletes to receive fair compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness. Last January, the 31st District lawmaker introduced House Bill 1084, the first piece of state legislation in the country that would have permitted college athletes to be paid. This year, Stokesbary is offering a new version of HB 1084 that mirrors California’s “Fair Pay to Play Act,” which was signed into law last year. The new version of the bill is scheduled to be heard in the House College and Workforce Development Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 1:30 p.m.
Auburn Reporter, Jan. 26, 2020

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