News Links | March 2, 2021
System News | Opinion
Skagit Valley College graduate receives honor
When she was born, doctors thought it unlikely Jessica Lonergan would ever walk, let
alone graduate from college. In June, the 21-year-old — born with a variety of challenges
including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism — defied the odds, and graduated
from Skagit Valley College. “She was so proud to be there and to be a student at Skagit Valley College,” said
Lonergan’s mother, Joy Caldwell, who is almost done with her own studies at the college.
Skagit Valley Herald, March 1, 2021
Kris Johnson | New web portal helps equip young people for a post-pandemic future
... Rebekah Woods, president of Columbia Basin College, said the portal will expand opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds. “More
than 40% of our students are first-generation college students. By using this portal
to increase the visibility of local internships, we are opening doors of opportunity
for them that they may otherwise not have,” Woods said.
Wenatchee Valley Business World, March 1, 2021
Edmonds College receives First-gen Forward designation, national honor for commitment to first-generation student success
The Center for First-generation Student Success has selected Edmonds College as a member of the 2021-22 First-gen Forward cohort, in recognition of the college’s
support of first-generation students. First-gen Forward is the nation’s first recognition
program acknowledging higher education institutions for their commitments to first-generation
student success.
Lynnwood Today, March 1, 2021
Peninsula College exhibit, lecture focuses on Manzanar
Photographer Brian Goodman will talk about his work documenting the remains of Manzanar,
a Japanese concentration camp used in WW II, on Thursday. The Studium lecture at 12:30
p.m. via Zoom complements the Peninsula College PUB Gallery’s digital exhibition of his work, “Manzanar: Their Footsteps Remain —
40 Years of Photography.”
Peninsula Daily News, Feb. 28, 2021
Spokane, North Idaho community colleges contend with plunging enrollment during COVID-19 pandemic
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollments at nationwide community colleges dropped 10%
from fall 2019 to fall 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. ...
A total of 8,400 students attended Spokane Community College this past fall, down nearly 4,100 – or approximately 33% – from the previous year.
Likewise, the number of students (4,260) that attended Spokane Falls Community College in fall 2020 was down nearly 1,100 from the previous year, or 20%.
The Spokesman-Review, Feb. 28, 2021
Edmonds College Foundation to hold annual fundraising gala virtually April 21-24
... “The Edmonds College Foundation has continued to adapt and innovate throughout the pandemic to meet the
needs of our students,” said EC President Dr. Amit B. Singh. “The second virtual gala
comes at a time of great need, as students struggle to continue their education while
navigating the many impacts of COVID-19.”
My Edmonds News, Feb. 28, 2021
What are your local Federal Way leaders reading?
President of Highline College Dr. John Mosby. Current read: “Black Educational Leadership,” by Rachelle Rogers-Ard
and Christopher B. Knaus because of my work as an Black male, educator and college
president. I’m always looking for opportunities to learn and grow as a person. Recommendation:
“The College Dropout Scandal,” by David Kirp. Sad and sobering look at our students
and their many challenges to achieve an education.
Federal Way Mirror, Feb. 26, 2021
Exciting construction projects underway at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
Construction is well underway on Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s newest academic building, which will provide 36,000 square feet of state-of-the-art
learning spaces for our Veterinary Technology and Dental Hygiene programs. The project
also includes a 20,000-square-foot renovation of our Emergency Medical Services program
space, located on the first floor of the Cascade Building.
Suburban Times, Feb. 25, 2021
“Good things come in small packages” at March 19 One Minute Film Festival
... “Some people might find it impossible to capture an entire world and a story to
tell in just one minute, but these students chose to challenge that way of thinking
and not only tackle the obstacle, but do so with flying colors and unimaginable creativity,”
said Dr. Lara Starcevich who taught the course [at Peninsula College].
Forks Forum, Feb. 26, 2021
Clark College students get free C-Tran passes
Clark College announced Thursday that it has reached a new agreement with C-Tran to provide students
with access to free bus transportation. Starting March 1, students will no longer
have to pay for C-Tran “BackPASS” bus passes. All enrolled students are eligible for
the free passes, according to a press release from the college.
The Columbian, Feb. 26, 2021
UW professor uses hairstyles, beauty to discuss race, gender bias
University of Washington professor Anu Taranath will explore cultural perceptions
and the role of hairstyles and beauty in a discussion of race and gender bias at Spokane Community College’s Hagan Center. ... “I hope that participants find it interesting that our definitions
of hair – what is good hair, whose hair is better, where we should or shouldn’t have
hair – are often tied to our beliefs about beauty, bias and belonging,” Taranath said.
The Spokesman-Review, Feb. 25, 2021
Up to 5,000 people a week could get COVID-19 vaccine at this Bellingham site starting in March
... “The [Bellingham Technical College] Nursing Program is excited to partner with this team and participate in a substantial
way in the COVID-19 recovery plan for our community. Nursing students stand ready
to assist the community vaccination effort and look forward to serving our community,”
said Julie Samms, BTC’s dean of Nursing and Allied Health, in the release.
Bellingham Herald, Feb. 18, 2021
Trends | Horizons | Education
7 ways colleges can help support students in speaking up
Do students feel heard by professors in the classroom and by administrators at their
college or university? Inside Higher Ed's inaugural Student Voice survey explored
the issues students want a voice in and offered insights into how campus officials
might listen and respond better.
Inside Higher Ed, March 2, 2021
Tackling racism in textbook publishing
... The guidelines identify several key challenges to address. These include the underrepresentation
of minority ethnic groups in text, images and references; descriptions of people of
color that exaggerate negative associations and stereotypes; missing stories of the
achievements of people of color ...
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 26, 2021
The jobs the pandemic may devastate
Projecting how many people will work in hundreds of detailed occupations in 2029 is
a bold exercise — even without the uncertainty of the pandemic. But labor experts
within the U.S. government try to do just that. And their latest assessment of which
jobs will grow over the next decade has alarming implications for jobs requiring less
education — while also forecasting a boom for epidemiologists and other health-science
jobs.
The New York Times, Feb. 22, 2021
Politics | Local, State, National
Senate approves Cardona to head ED
The Senate on Monday confirmed Miguel Cardona, Connecticut’s education commissioner,
as secretary of the U.S. Education Department (ED) by a vote of 64 to 33. Walter Bumphus,
president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, will meet with
Cardona this week.
Community College Daily, March 1, 2021
Washington Watch: Policies for changing workforce needs
Even before Covid, globalization and technological advances permanently changed the
U.S. workforce. The pandemic turbocharged these changes. In 1970, one in four jobs
were in manufacturing; today, it’s one in 10. As automation takes different forms
– robotics, 3-D printing, machine learning, nano technology and artificial intelligence
– a greater array of jobs is susceptible to automation.
Community College Daily, Feb. 26, 2021
Jill Biden says she's pushing for free community college
First Lady Jill Biden said in her first one-on-one interview since the inauguration
that she is continuing to fight to make it free to go to two-year institutions. ...
President Biden has also proposed eliminating tuition for all students at community
colleges and for students at public four-year institutions whose families have incomes
of less than $125,000.
Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 26, 2021
