News Links | May 19, 2020
System News | Opinion
Study: Dam could spare areas hard hit in 2007
... Of those structures, Centralia College, Centralia High School and Washington Elementary School would be among those protected
in the event of a catastrophic flood. Centralia College Vice President of Finance
and Administration Steve Ward said he remembers some of the flood water reaching the
grounds in 2007, but said none of the buildings on campus were impacted due to measures
taken after the 1996 flood. Still, Ward said every flood presents a new threat.
“Every flood’s a little different,” Ward said.
The Daily Chronicle, May 18, 2020
Clark College announces $5.5 million in budget cuts
Clark College announced $5.5 million in budget cuts, slashing dozens of positions after enrollment
fell by nearly 31 percent from last year during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The
Vancouver community college will lay off 12 classified employees, 10 faculty members
and 10 administrators in July. The layoffs and other cuts at the college represent
an 8.5 percent reduction in its roughly $73.4 million budget.
The Columbian, May 15, 2020
Peninsula College wins marketing competition
Peninsula College’s Marketing and Communications Department received a gold Paragon award for excellence
in photography and illustration from the National Council for Marketing and Public
Relations. The award was announced during a Facebook watch party March 31. The department
was recognized for a new computer-generated illustration for the cover of the Foothills
Writers Series.
Peninsula Daily News, May 15, 2020
LCC's experience with online learning smooths the COVID-19 transition
When the coronavirus prompted colleges to move to remote learning, many science departments
were left scrambling to adapt. But that was not the case at Lower Columbia College. Instructors there have been at the forefront of online teaching for years. “I was
afraid because there is inequity in technology,” said longtime LCC biology instructor
Katrina Fuller. “That was my concern. Not ‘can I teach online?’ Because I can.”
The Daily News, May 15, 2020
TCC honored with two ACT awards from the Association of Community College Trustees
Tacoma Community College has been awarded two “ACT” Awards from the Association of Community College Trustees:
The Faculty Award and the Equity Award. English Professor Latoya Reid was recognized
with the ACT Faculty Award for her demonstrated excellence and teaching and commitment
to equity. ... The TCC Board of Trustees and TCC President Ivan L. Harrell, II, PhD,
were recognized with the ACT Equity Award.
The Suburban Times, May 15, 2020
Washington colleges brace for potential 15% cut in state funding
... For the Community Colleges of Spokane – the district that includes Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College – a 15% cut would mean a loss of about $11 million. In a statement Friday, CCS Chancellor
Christine Johnson said a cut of that magnitude “would have a devastating impact on
the most vulnerable students and families we serve – 360,000 community college students
across Washington – and the equity damage to all these students would take decades
to repair.”
The Spokesman-Review, May 15, 2020
WWCC nursing alumnae doctorates of nursing practice
A trio of Walla Walla Community College alumnae completed clinical doctorates of nursing practice through Washington State
University and graduated in a virtual ceremony on May 9. The new graduates are Drs.
Angella McCully, Jennifer Ferguson and Diana Griffin, Diana said in a release.
“All three of us were inspired and motivated by WWCC nursing faculty. They all were
role models and mentors that helped us through some of the most difficult times during
our academic career,” Diana emailed.
Union-Bulletin, May 15, 2020
Mechatronics students vie for SICK TiM $10K Challenge
The wheels started turning last fall. Clover Park Technical College mechatronics students Jesse Moore, Todd Ritchie and Austin Tomasu had to come up
with an industry-changing product using technology commonly found in self-driving
cars. That early brainstorming developed into an application that ultimately fulfilled
a major Mechatronics program requirement. It also landed them in a national competition
with some of the country’s top engineering colleges and universities, and gave them
a shot at a $10,000 prize.
The Suburban Times, May 14, 2020
Local allied health organizations donate to cover the cost of SPSCC nursing student test fees
Every year, nursing students preparing to graduate from South Puget Sound Community College take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to earn their nursing license.
Usually, nursing students are tasked with covering the NCLEX testing fees, but this
year they are getting extra support. To honor nurses in the time of COVID-19, local
allied health organizations have made donations to the SPSCC Foundation to cover the
cost of all NCLEX testing fees for the entire graduating class of SPSCC’s 37 nursing
students.
Thurston Talk, May 14, 2020
Leas to continue as interim Big Bend president
Big Bend Community College’s president, Terry Leas, will stay in the job until his successor arrives in August.
Leas announced in July 2019 that he would retire at the end of the 2019-20 academic
year, effective June 30. In March, BBCC trustees hired Sara Thompson Tweedy as the
college’s next president. Tweedy was supposed to take over the job July 1, but the
COVID-19 outbreak meant the school her children attended extended classes to late
June.
Columbia Basin Herald, May 13, 2020
Trends | Horizons | Education
Ed Dept extends online education flexibilities to year end
As colleges weigh whether to open campuses for the fall term, the U.S. Department
of Education issued guidance Friday that extended temporary flexibilities around distance
education through the end of the year. Colleges can continue to use distance education
until Dec. 31, even if they don't have accreditor approval to do so. Accrediting agencies
may also continue conducting virtual site visits.
Education Dive, May 18, 2020
What it's gonna take
With all the focus on when colleges reopen, how they will do so has gotten less attention.
As college administrators across the country continue announcing plans to reopen their
institutions this fall, two important questions have been largely lost in the debates
over those decisions. What will it take for colleges to reopen responsibly as long
as there is no vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 -- and how realistic is it that colleges
can put measures in place by fall?
Inside Higher Ed, May 18, 2020
Why flexibility in credit transfers is crucial for equity in a post-COVID-19 world
... Davis Jenkins, senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center
at Teachers College, Columbia University, said that because of the coronavirus-fueled
downturn in the economy, how and where to spend limited college cash will become
an even greater conundrum for students and their families. “The question with COVID
is probably going to cut both ways,” said Jenkins. “It’s definitely going to increase
competition for students. More enlightened institutions will see that [two-year and
four-year campuses] both will be able to profit better if they work together.”
Diverse Education, May 18, 2020
Commentary: Why community colleges may be the best strategic choice for fall enrollment
... How can students still obtain a valuable college foundation, and perhaps explore
new career paths, while facing the uncertainty of an on-campus experience, as their
parents navigate job disruption and investment losses all in the time of COVID-19?
Luckily, the answers can be found right in our own neighborhoods. Community colleges
not only offer a quality, affordable education close to home, they will actually be
the best strategic option in the fall for many families — and not just those with
limited resources as a result of the current economic conditions.
Community College Daily, May 17, 2020
Politics | Local, State, National
Colleges worry they'll be sued if they reopen campuses
Wednesday afternoon, 14 college presidents from around the country gathered in front
of their computers. On their screens they saw their peers, along with Vice President
Mike Pence and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who asked what they needed to
reopen their campuses in the fall. The presidents spoke about the need to be able
to do more testing for the coronavirus, according to those who were either on the
call or were knowledgeable about the conversation.
Inside Higher Ed, May 15, 2020