Skip to content

News Links | March 23, 2021

March 23, 2021 by SBCTC Communications

System News | Opinion

Pierce College alum helps others find their purpose

When Ronald Wilkins walked through the doors at Pierce College, he wasn’t sure what to expect from this new chapter in his life. He had already enjoyed a successful career in retail management, and gained a wealth of life experience along the way. Yet when his former employer decided to sell the business, he knew the time was right to explore new career possibilities.  
Suburban Times, March 22, 2021

Our pandemic past: Inland Northwest leaders share their memories of when COVID-19 took over everyday life

... Kimberly Messina, the president of Spokane Falls Community College, took a tour around her campus, snapping photos of workers wrapping up their jobs for the day as the campus approached a mandated break. At the time, she expected to be back in classrooms later that spring. “We ran into this thinking it was a sprint,” Messina said, “and then we realized it was a marathon.”
The Spokesman-Review, March 21, 2021

Grays Harbor College — the fourth time’s a charm

The idea of creating a local community and technical college in Grays Harbor was spearheaded by a fellow named Ethan B. Hatch in 1929, and with strong citizen support the new school incorporated on Aug. 7, 1930. In its first 30 years, the college was forced to move three times before finally establishing its own dedicated campus in South Aberdeen. Here is the story of Grays Harbor College’s road to Cardiac Hill.
Daily World, March 21, 2021

Clark County business briefing

Clark College added 12 educators to its tenured faculty. Faculty are selected for tenure based on recommendations and professional excellence in their disciplines. They are Joseph Cavalli, history; Mark Eddinger, mathematics; Amy Ewing Johnson, dental hygiene; Melissa Favara, English; Tyler Frank, career and academic preparation; Doug Harris, music; Christina Howard, biology; Dr. Sarah Kuzera, medical assisting; Dr. Michelle Mayer, mathematics; Kristin Sherwood, College 101; Beth Slovic, journalism; and Christina Smith, English.
The Columbian, March 21, 2021

Family Fun: Culinary tips for teens

Recipes can sometimes read like a foreign language, with unfamiliar techniques and ingredients. It can be overwhelming to the uninitiated. But cooking can also be fun, something for friends and family to enjoy together. For teens interested in learning more cooking skills, two local instructors suggest just diving in. “You have to start with no fear, and, from there, it’s creating and building on it,” said Julie Litzenberger, a culinary arts instructor at Spokane Community College.
The Spokesman-Review, March 21, 2021

Candlelight vigil for Asian women killed in Atlanta one of Spokane’s largest rallies in months

As people held signs – including one that asked, “We are not silent but are you listening?” – Ping Ping, a Chinese American professor of sociology at Spokane Falls Community College, spoke to the crowd. “My heart has been broken many times,” Ping said. She described learning about the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin and hearing Chin’s mother speak. “Tears rushed out of my eyes,” Ping said. “It was at that moment I saw myself as an Asian American. As a mother, I need to fight like a mother.”
The Spokesman-Review, March 20, 2021

U.S.-China talks kick off with a ‘frigid’ start, but former Pentagon official says that’s not surprising

... “It sets the tone, it establishes the priorities, the concerns that the United States has,” said Locke, who is also interim president at Bellevue College. “Yes, each side made a lot of public, harsh statements and very strong statements, but when they actually sit down and meet face to face, they understand that … they each have a role, but they also need to sit down and figure out a way forward to get past these differences, to solve the fundamental issues,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Friday.
CNBC, March 19, 2021

WVC to offer two more hybrid classes for spring quarter

Wenatchee Valley College is planning to offer in-person classes in two liberal arts courses for spring quarter, which starts April 5. While most of the college classes remain virtual or remote, two classes will include an in-person component this spring: mural illustration and chamber choir. Mural illustration, taught by Marlin Peterson, will be offered in a hybrid format, according to Libby Siebens, a WVC spokesperson.
Wenatchee World, March 19, 2021

Rochester’s Alizabeth Ashton named 2021 Thurston County Boys & Girls Clubs ‘Youth of the Year’

Rochester High School senior and Running Start student at Centralia College, Alizabeth Ashton, representing the Rochester Boys & Girls Club, was named the 2021 Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County Youth of the Year at the organization’s recent annual celebration. 
Thurston Talk, March 19, 2021

Drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine site opening in Poulsbo as thousands in Kitsap become eligible

... Our goal is to vaccinate Kitsap residents as safely, efficiently, and equitably as possible," Kitsap Public Health District Health Administrator Keith Grellner said in a statement. "We are grateful to Olympic College Poulsbo and the Olympic College Nursing Program for making this North Kitsap site possible."
Kitsap Sun, March 18, 2021

Finalists for AACC’s 2021 Awards of Excellence

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has announced the finalists for its 2021 Awards of Excellence, which recognize exceptional work among the nation’s two-year colleges. ... Advancing Diversity:  Joliet Junior College (Illinois), Judy Mitchell, president; North Seattle College,
Chemene Crawford, interim president; Rockland Community College (New York), Michael A. Baston, president.
Community College Daily, March 15, 2021

Trends | Horizons | Education

Doing transfer right

For all the time colleges spend on admissions, the reality is that lots of students do not stay where they first enroll. "A 2018 snapshot found that one-third of the 2.8 million students entering college for the first time in fall 2011 earned credits from two or more institutions within six years" is a reminder of this fact. 
Inside Higher Ed, March 23, 2021

US colleges tout hopes for return to new normal this fall

Colleges throughout the U.S. are assuring students that the fall semester will bring a return to in-person classes, intramural sports and mostly full dormitories. But those promises come with asterisks. ... Ultimately, the course of the pandemic will determine what campuses look like in the fall, said Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association of college and university presidents.
The Seattle Times, March 23, 2021

Colleges a 'juicy target' for cyberextortion

A spate of recent cyberattacks on colleges, universities, seminaries and K-12 schools prompted a warning from the FBI’s Cyber Division this week. The advisory notice, published Tuesday, warned that criminals using malicious software called PYSA ransomware are increasingly targeting education institutions and attempting to extort them.
Inside Higher Ed, March 19, 2021

Politics | Local, State, National

Commentary: Washington Watch: New ED guidance on pandemic relief funds

New guidance released Friday by the U.S. Education Department (ED) contains mostly good news on two key issues for community college leaders. It applies to funds colleges have received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) and will receive via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). 
Community College Daily, March 19, 2021 

Last Modified: 2/3/23, 9:37 AM
starburst graphic