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News Links | May 19, 2020

May 19, 2020 by SBCTC Communications

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

Last Modified: 9/11/24, 11:59 AM
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