News Links | July 21, 2020
System News | Opinion
Welding students awarded apprenticeships
Four second-year Peninsula College welding students received apprenticeships after undergoing the rigors of a process
called “Hell Day” with the Local 86 Ironworkers Union in Seattle. The students learned
last month they had been accepted into in a boot camp-style “Hell Day,” where the
organization pits applicants against each other to gain admittance into the Ironworkers’
four-year degree/apprenticeship program.
Peninsula Daily News, July 20, 2020
Megan Whitener reads "Why I am not President: A campaign speech" by Dennis Held
Meg Whitener is an artist, aspiring writer and student at Wenatchee Valley College. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her awe inducing son, three parakeets,
and a small jungle of house plants. [Audio]
Spokane Public Radio, July 20, 2020
SVC brewing program finds new way keep processes going
Students at Skagit Valley College’s Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy spend a year learning to brew beer that reflects their
taste and personality. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed the program’s taproom, students,
teachers and administrators found another way to share that beer with the public:
in 32-ounce cans for curbside pickup.
Skagit Valley Herald, July 19, 2020
Ag tech entrepreneur sees data as the apple of his eye
... After getting too itchy for interaction, he called up Brandenburg who recommended
setting up a meeting of minds with the late Derek Brandes, then the president of Walla Walla Community College overseeing the school’s first four-year bachelor’s program in the agricultural field.
Brandes brought in Jerry Anhorn, who was overseeing the program.
Union-Bulletin, July 19, 2020
Editorial: From the newsroom: Interesting times as intern joins newsroom
If, like me, you look at bylines, you may have noticed a new one in The Columbian:
Nicholas Gibson. We recently welcomed Nick as our second Dee Anne Finken endowed summer
intern, a program that we are offering to a Clark College journalism student each summer in partnership with the Clark College Foundation and
journalism professor Beth Slovick, who is also the adviser to the Clark College Independent
student newspaper.
The Columbian, July 18, 2020
Peninsula College officials welcome repeal of visa rule change
Peninsula College administrators momentarily cheered the news that the Trump administration had rescinded
a plan to cancel visas for international students taking online-only courses, but
they are wary of continued efforts to restrict or interfere with their educational
opportunities. ... “I was communicating with the [State Board for Community and Technical Colleges] today about Homeland Security still planning on restricting first-time visas for
international students,” Huls said.
Peninsula Daily News, July 17, 2020
Homeless encampment on lawn of Seattle Central College stirs concern
A growing homeless encampment on the front lawn of Seattle Central College in Capitol Hill is raising new concerns about crime, safety and unsanitary conditions
in the area among students, residents and businesses. Dr. Sheila Lange, the college
president, sent a campus-wide email this week, saying the situation is “an escalating
safety situation.”
KOMO News, July 16, 2020
Port underwrites help for small business through partnership with Highline College
... “COVID-19 devastated local business and workers, but the most vulnerable communities
have been hit the hardest,” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Fred Felleman.
“This funding serves as a first step, rapid response to serve this critical need.
The Port is proud to partner with Highline College which has the expertise to deliver these support services to small businesses in
these impacted communities.”
The Olympian, July 16, 2020
Kevin Brockbank: State lawmakers wanted new pathways to career education – Spokane Community College wants a new pathway to a career
... Think Running Start, but with the goal of a career after the program ends, not
a university. It’s uncharted water upon which Spokane Community College immediately set sail. We’re calling it Running Start for Careers. It’s a necessary
evolution to the model, at a time when our industry needs it most. Similar to traditional
Running Start programs, this latest initiative allows students to stay in high school
while working toward their Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate.
The Spokesman-Review, July 16, 2020
Centralia College to begin limited in-person services
Centralia College has been offering online-only services to current and future students for the past
few months but have now started offering some in-person options for students to get
various services. Students will now have the option to meet with someone face-to-face
at the college for advising, admissions, financial aid, testing, TRIO, Blazer Central
and disability services with an appointment.
The Daily Chronicle, July 15, 2020
Trends | Horizons | Education
What's next for remote learning?
Given the skepticism voiced by many students, administrators who oversee online learning
share a surprisingly sunny outlook on how well their institution handled the pivot
to remote learning this spring, according to new survey data. ... This report, however,
focuses specifically on the pivot to remote teaching that occurred this past spring.
The report includes responses from 308 chief online officers at two- and four-year
public, private nonprofit and for-profit institutions.
Inside Higher Ed, July 21, 2020
A new call to increase Pell
When researchers at the National College Attainment Network this month looked at data showing
how many people were reapplying for federal student aid to return for another year
of college, they were alarmed. After dipping in the spring at the start of the coronavirus
outbreak, the numbers over all had gone back to around what they were at this time
last year. But not for the lowest-income students.
Inside Higher Ed, July 21, 2020
Where do new international students stand?
The unexpected reversal earlier this week by the Trump administration of a policy
that would have prohibited international students from taking an exclusively online
course load was good news for current students, but it leaves unresolved questions
about new international students seeking to attend colleges operating in online or
hybrid formats.
Inside Higher Ed, July 17, 2020
Politics | Local, State, National
Dem bill seeks to prevent tying federal funds to reopening
Though the focus is on the Trump administration’s threats to cut off funding to K-12
schools that choose not to reopen this fall, a spokeswoman for Senator Mark Warner
said a bill being introduced by the Democrat from Virginia would also make it “crystal
clear” funding cannot be taken away from higher education institutions that do not
resume in-person classes.
Inside Higher Ed, July 21, 2020
Dispute over measure on suing colleges
The main umbrella group representing colleges, which have been worried about being
sued by students and workers if they become ill when campuses reopen, was pleased
with a summary of a proposal being considered by Senate Republicans to make it significantly
more difficult to file coronavirus-related lawsuits against colleges, K-12 schools,
charities and businesses.
Inside Higher Ed, July 20, 2020
Judge orders full restoration of DACA
A federal judge ordered the government to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals program “to its pre-September 5, 2017 status” in light of the Supreme Court’s
recent 5-to-4 opinion finding that the Trump administration's attempt to rescind the
program that day was unlawful. The decision means that the administration must begin
accepting new applications for the program, which provides work authorization and
shields certain young undocumented immigrants from deportation, for the first time
since September 2017.
Inside Higher Ed, July 20, 2020
Attorneys general square off on new Title IX regulations
Fourteen Republican attorneys general filed a brief in defense of the United States
Department of Education’s new regulations that dictate how colleges respond to reports
of sexual misconduct. The group also asked a federal judge to dismiss a motion that
attempts to delay the Aug. 14 deadline for implementation of the new regulations.
Inside Higher Ed, July 17, 2020