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News Links | November 30, 2021

November 30, 2021 by SBCTC Communications

System News | Opinion

CC Spokane launches new Sustainability Center to promote environmental, wellness practices, programs

Getting rid of bottled water on the Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College campuses could save a lot of plastic, history professor Monica Stenzel said. Getting to that point, however, would require replacing traditional water fountains with models that have fill stations for reusable water bottles across each of the campuses.
Spokesman-Review, Nov. 26, 2021

Contributing photographer close-up: Sam Spencer

... After retiring from my brokerage career in 2003 I decided to go back to school to catch up on the developments in digital photography. My choice for schooling was Everett Community College, where I think I learned three times more than at the private university for one tenth the cost per unit. I have become a huge fan of community college.
My Edmonds News, Nov. 24, 2021

Physics students lay siege to Wenatchee Valley College in catapult contest

Squeaks could be heard from across the Wenatchee Valley College as students wheeled in their battle stations Tuesday afternoon. “We need some medieval fighting music,” said physics professor Bruce Unger, who was overseeing WVC’s annual catapult contest. Physics students at the contest lined up handmade wooden catapults to be tested for accuracy, design and throwing distance. Results varied.
Wenatchee World, Nov. 23, 2021

Shoreline CC begins construction on new building

Shoreline Community College kicked off construction for its future Health Science and Advanced Manufacturing Classroom Complex following a groundbreaking ceremony Monday, Nov. 15. The building will allow SCC to continue to train the future workforce in industries such as robotics, clean energy, and biomanufacturing.
Edmonds Beacon, Nov. 23, 2021

Edmonds College board commends campus community

The Edmonds College Board of Directors is expressing its gratitude for the college community’s work, considering the exceptional challenges for the education sector in the last two years, and recognizes that current president, Amit B. Singh, played a leadership role in the handling of the pandemic.
Edmonds Beacon, Nov. 23, 2021

Walla Walla Community College sees enrollment increase

Total enrollment at Walla Walla Community College saw a slight uptick this quarter, but it’s still down substantially from pre-COVID-19 days. The fall quarter enrollment figures were reported Monday during a meeting of the WWCC Board of Trustees. Nick Velluzzi, vice president of enrollment services, said 1,636 students enrolled this quarter, down 26 or 1.5 percent from the fall of 2020.
Lewiston Tribune, Nov. 23, 2021

Trends | Horizons | Education

2 more community colleges targeted by ransomware

... It is not surprising that community colleges are being targeted, Callow said. Most, if not all, of the institutions have cybersecurity insurance, and many ransomware gangs find a sector that pays off and return to it over and over. The fact that many community colleges are struggling financially and may lack state-of-the-art cyberdefenses also makes them an attractive target, Callow said.
Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 30, 2021

Reimagining supports to help single moms

A cohort of four community colleges is collaborating to increase the number of single mothers earning degrees and credentials by 30 percent at each institution and collectively offer new supports to at least 6,000 single moms by summer 2024. Their initial efforts are outlined in a new report released today by Education Design Lab, a nonprofit that designs and tests college program models to help underserved students.
Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 29, 2021

Responding to desperate need for more health care workers

The pandemic has placed an intense burden on health care workers and efforts are underway to increase the health care workforce. In September, the American Nurses Association (ANA) urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to declare the nurse staffing shortage a national crisis.
Diverse Education, Nov. 29, 2021

Commentary: Time for OER

Open educational resources (OER) lower access barriers for students by eliminating or greatly reducing the cost of instructional materials while empowering faculty to customize and improve those materials. The alignment of OER with community colleges’ core mission of open access, local community engagement and equity is not lost on the members of the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER).
Community College Daily, Nov. 28, 2021

Commentary: Beyond opportunity and grit

While we know that hard work and persistence are essential to success, we also know that opportunity and access are the true keys to student persistence and achievement. The modern community college was established in all states following passage of the GI Bill, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of vets entering American higher education institutions.
Community College Daily, Nov. 23, 2021

Politics | Local, State, National

A PATH to greater public transit access

In an unusually quick turnaround for federal politics, a report published in May inspired the introduction of bipartisan legislation just this month that would improve access to public transportation for college students, an investment that is widely supported by higher education advocates. It all began in January, when researchers at the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation set out to answer the question “Do students need a car to attend community college?”
Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 29, 2021

 

Last Modified: 2/3/23, 9:38 AM
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