News Links | December 21, 2021
System News | Opinion
Big donation helping CBC students intern at Hanford
A $22,000 donation from Hanford Mission Integration Solutions to the Columbia Basin
College Foundation will help launch a partnership helping Columbia Basin College students find internships and jobs at the Hanford site.
KEPR, Dec. 19, 2021
Computer science bachelor programs get funding boost from Amazon
... Seattle Colleges is working to expand the number of students who can get a degree in this hot field.
North Seattle College President Chemene Crawford recently announced a new initiative “that will put a bachelor’s
degree in computer science within reach for many more students both in Seattle and
across the state.” The program, which still needs approval from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and a regional accrediting agency for colleges, could begin as early as fall 2022.
The Seattle Times, Dec. 19, 2021
Vast numbers of people in Washington are shut out of the digital world; will massive government funding solve the problem?
Amber Kuehne, a 32-year-old single mom taking online classes at Spokane Community College, drove her Ford Escape to the community center in this small Colville Reservation
town. Unlike most homes on the reservation, including Kuehne’s, the community center
has an internet connection, with Wi-Fi access in the parking lot.
The Seattle Times, Dec. 19, 2021
Dr. Betty Cobbs receives ACT leadership award
This last November, Everett’s own Dr. Betty Cobbs was awarded the Trustee of the Year
Leadership Award. Dr. Cobbs was presented the award by the Washington State Association
of College Trustees (ACT) for her contribution to Washington State’s community and
technical colleges. Cobbs has served as chair on Everett Community College’s Board of Trustees since 2009 ...
Lynnwood Times, Dec. 18, 2021
SPSCC aims to launch its first bachelor’s degree in applied science in 2023
South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia is applying for its first-ever Bachelor in Applied Science degree program,
one that’s fitting for the crowd of Washingtonians with a love for microbreweries
and craft drink locales.
The Olympian, Dec. 16, 2021
$3.9 million in cash grants available for WVC students
Wenatchee Valley College students are eligible for cash grants up to $3,000 as a part of an emergency federal
grant program. The college received $3.9 million in emergency grants from the American
Rescue Plan Act and will give the money to students, according to a WVC news release.
Wenatchee World, Dec. 16, 2021
Education transforms life of Walla Walla Community College nursing student
Kody Rooper never thought he was going to go to college. ... Fast forward, and he
now has two years behind him working on general education courses at Walla Walla Community College before he started in the college’s nursing program this fall.
Union-Bulletin, Dec. 15, 2021
Demand for pharmacy technicians, staff remains high in Southwest Washington
After being placed on a one-year hiatus during a time of budget reductions at the
college, Clark College’s pharmacy technician program was relaunched this past fall. The relaunch came at a
time when the Portland/Vancouver area continues to see a huge need for pharmacy technicians
...
Vancouver Business Journal, Dec. 15, 2021
Artist to host Studium Generale
Egor Shokoladov, whose solo exhibition “Semicolon” is on display in Peninsula College’s PUB Gallery of Art through Jan. 20 ... Shokoladov, who is from Belarus, said he has
been expressing his thoughts and impressions about the world though art as long as
he can remember.
Peninsula Daily News, Dec. 9, 2021
CBC creates online option for unvaccinated students
With the college moving to a vaccination requirement for students in January, Columbia Basin College (CBC) is offering an online-only option for students who choose to remain unvaccinated.
CBC said they also allow for medical and religious exemptions.
KEPR, Dec. 5, 2021
Trends | Horizons | Education
Mentor-Connect continues to tap new faculty teams
... With this new cohort, Mentor-Connect will have provided cohort mentoring to 382
faculty members and 221 other mentee college employees – either grant writers or administrators
– who participate on the mentee teams. The teams have been from 210 two-year colleges
in 42 states and two U.S. territories.
Community College Daily, Dec. 20, 2021
Commentary: Equity audits: Improving outcomes for community colleges
When it comes to disparities in outcomes for community college students of diverse
races, ethnic and class backgrounds, higher education leaders are aware of the dismal
national data and statistics. In today’s society, student access and success data
can be compiled at all levels.
Community College Daily, Dec. 16, 2021
Positive marks from students, but stress
Community college students give their learning experiences good grades, but their
stress levels are high, according to new research. Bay View Analytics surveyed more
than 4,300 stakeholders across higher education – 2,266 students, 1,248 faculty and
831 administrators.
Community College Daily, Dec. 16, 2021
Growing cyberthreats, surging insurance costs
... For both community colleges and four-year institutions, cyberthreats are now very
pronounced, and that reality has led to more institutions facing cyberinsurance premium
hikes of as much as 400 percent—or even discovering they are uninsurable.
Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 16, 2021
DataPoints: Distribution of federal student aid
In 2019-20, public two-year college students, who comprise 31% of full-time equivalent
undergraduate enrollment, received 33% of Pell Grant funds, according to an analysis
by the College Board.
Community College Daily, Dec. 15, 2021
How the pandemic shrank the higher ed workforce
Stories of layoffs were plentiful during the early days of COVID-19, as colleges and
universities prepared for the worst impacts of the global pandemic on enrollment and
finances. New data released Monday by the U.S. Education Department ...
Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 14, 2021
Politics | Local, State, National
Congress allows student veterans to keep full benefits
Congress finalized legislation Wednesday that allows student veterans taking remote
classes to continue receiving full GI Bill housing benefits through summer 2022, Military
Times reported. ... The measure passed by Congress pushed back the expiration date
and is expected to be signed by President Biden in the coming days.
Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 20, 2021
'Enough is enough'
Senator Elizabeth Warren says that student loan debt, at its core, is an economic
equality issue. That’s why the Massachusetts Democrat sent numerous letters to Secretary
of Education Miguel Cardona and President Joe Biden, called out student loan servicers
during congressional hearings ...
Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 13, 2021
