News Links | June 3, 2021
System News | Opinion
Columbia Basin College’s student resource center hits halfway point in construction
Wondering what’s being built along Interstate 182? It’s Columbia Basin College ‘s (CBC) new Student Resource Center. Construction hit its halfway point at CBC’s new Student
Resource Center today and the last major piece of structural steel is now installed.
CBC held a celebration ceremony to commemorate the occasion.
YakTriNews, June 2, 2021
At 15, local girl graduating from Centralia College with high honors
Maddy Casper’s education has never been traditional. On June 12, at age 15, she will
finish her associate of arts degree from Centralia College with “high honors,” a title awarded to those with a cumulative grade-point average
of 3.9 or higher. She may not be old enough to drive, get a job or vote, but she sure
can study.
The Chronicle, June 2, 2021
PT student takes ‘Best in Show’ at Peninsula College’s High School Art Exhibition
Peninsula College hosted the Olympic Peninsula High School Art Exhibition where student artist Riley
Gregg of Port Townsend won “Best in Show.” A sophomore at Port Townsend High School,
Gregg’s video artwork is entitled “Two Faced.”
Port Townsend Leader, June 2, 2021
Fundraising update
... She and the [Walla Walla Community College] president, Chad Emerson Hickox, stress to donors that one of the reasons Scott decided
to donate to the college is its track record of helping people who wouldn’t otherwise
go to college obtain training or an associate’s degree so that they can improve their
futures and that of their families.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 2, 2021
Private chef, former restaurateur decided during the pandemic to help teach others
... Shifting her sights to cooking, she enrolled in Seattle Central College’s culinary arts program. The pregnancy was difficult, and her daughter, Denise, now
13, arrived by emergency C-section at 29 weeks. Undaunted, Collins not only finished
the program, she was voted “Outstanding Culinarian” of her graduating class by her
chef instructors.
The Seattle Times, June 1, 2021
‘Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey’ screening Thursday
... “We were all fueled by that belief and passion and that motivated us to get it
done and out into the world, while Fred was still alive and able to see it,” Reid
said. The event is co-sponsored by Studium Generale, the Peninsula College student newspaper The Buccaneer, and the PC Journalism Department.
Peninsula Daily News, May 31, 2021
Centralia College instructor earns 2021 Faculty Member Award from Washington State Association of College Trustees
Centralia College instructor Emily Hammargren was recently named the recipient of the 2021 Faculty
Member Award, selected by the Washington State Association of College Trustees. Hammargren
teaches GED and high school diploma classes at the Washington Corrections Center in
Shelton and currently teaches exclusively to incarcerated individuals in solitary
confinement.
The Chronicle, May 31, 2021
Tacoma Community College commencement parade June 12
Tacoma Community College will hold a hybrid Commencement on Saturday, June 12 (10 am-3 pm). The online component
is a video of an entire pre-filmed graduation ceremony, featuring Yolonda Williams,
Commencement Speaker, and Melissa Littleton, Associated Students of Tacoma Community
College (ASTCC) President.
The Suburban Times, May 31, 2021
As local government cyber attacks grow, network of colleges becomes first line of defense
... Schill is one of the students in the cyber security program who has found threats
while monitoring local governments' networks. She's hoping her work at Spokane Falls Community College will prepare her for a career in cyber security. Her professor, Mark Neufville, said
the work his students are doing is essential.
Spokane Public Radio, May 31, 2021
Skagit Valley College making plans for summer, fall
... “The college community underwent a massive transformation so we could continue
to serve students,” Skagit Valley College President Tom Keegan said. “It was an amazing, beautiful, thoughtful effort by the
faculty and staff, and a really incredible, respectful and patient adjustment by students.”
Skagit Valley Herald, May 31, 2021
Centralia College receives federal grant for Taiwan study abroad program
Centralia College has been selected to receive a $27,000 grant from the U.S. Department of State to
start a study abroad program in Taiwan. The Increase and Diversify Education Abroad
for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Grant funding will be used to develop the program, including
setting up classes in Chinese language and developing history and cultural curriculum.
The Chronicle, May 31, 2021
3 Edmonds College students present research
Edmonds College students Bandhna Bedi, Elizabeth Morales, and Miia Sula presented their research
on the environmental consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic at a virtual conference
on April 28. The annual Posters on the Hill conference is sponsored by the Council
on Undergraduate Research and is usually held on Capitol Hill.
Everett Herald, May 31, 2021
Diversity training on WA college campuses will soon be mandatory
On May 12, the Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5227, which mandates that Washington’s
40 public colleges and universities conduct training sessions and assessments for
both faculty and staff around diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism starting
in the 2022-23 academic year. ... Walla Walla Community College, Wenatchee Valley College, Edmonds College.
Crosscut, May 31, 2021
A career propelled by MentorLinks
Louise Petruzzella credits MentorLinks – the program development initiative of the
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) – with a recent $426,886 grant from
the National Science Foundation (NSF) and her leadership of three distinct high-tech
programs at Shoreline Community College (Washington).
Community College Daily, May 26, 2021
Trends | Horizons | Education
Transfers tumble, but upward transfers reverse course
Overall, transfer enrollment at community colleges continues to be hit hardest by
the pandemic, regardless of student group, gender, race and ethnicity or age. However,
upward transfers from two-year to four-year institutions increased this spring, according
to the newest spring 2021 enrollment report from the National Student Clearinghouse
(NSC) Research Center.
Community College Daily, June 3, 2021
Pandemic fuels increase in financial aid appeals
... Of the 224 community colleges, public and private nonprofit institutions, and
for-profit colleges surveyed, 56 percent said they had received an increase in professional
judgment requests from the previous year. One in five colleges reported their number
of requests had increased by 50 percent or more.
Inside Higher Ed, June 2, 2021
How community colleges are retooling to bring students back post-pandemic
Community colleges have long been seen as an opportunity for students of all backgrounds
to earn a degree. But those same students, especially the students of color, have
been some of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. [Video]
PBS News Hour, June 1, 2021
Data highlight internet and device access disparities
Students of color, caretakers and students from low-income backgrounds are more likely
to face barriers accessing fast and reliable internet and functioning devices than
their peers, new survey data show. "Online Isn’t Optional: Student Polling on Access
to Internet and Devices" was published this week by the Institute for Higher Education
Policy, a nonprofit research, policy and advocacy organization that aims to promote
success for all students.
Inside Higher Ed, May 28, 2021
Politics | Local, State, National
Can Biden shrink the black-white wealth gap without canceling loan debt?
President Biden has announced a plan intended to help narrow the racial wealth gap,
but it doesn’t include any cancellation of student loan debt -- which some are arguing
is necessary to make meaningful steps toward closing the wealth divide.
Inside Higher Ed, June 2, 2021