News Links | September 7, 2021
System News | Opinion
Looking for a good mechanic? Odds are your garage is, too. It’s Seattle’s other labor shortage.
... Yet increasingly, it’s also a job that demands high-level technical know-how and
problem-solving skills, especially as cars have become more computerized. These days,
a mechanic is “somebody who is able to analyze data and process that information,”
says Amber Avery, a former mechanic who now teaches in Shoreline Community College’s automotive program.
The Seattle Times, Sept. 6, 2021
CBC says housing is full for first time
While community colleges across Washington State have seen enrollment decline in the
past year, Columbia Basin College (CBC) reports its dorm is full for the first time. There is no vacancy at Sunhawk Hall,
the modern residence hall located across the street from CBC's Pasco campus and next
to Sun Willow's Golf Course.
KEPR, Sept. 5, 2021
Jean Hernandez: Hall great benefit to STEM, nursing students
For the months of July and August, Edmonds College President, Dr. Amit B. Singh, and the Edmonds College Foundation have hosted special
tours of the college’s newest instructional building —Hazel Miller Hall — for donors
who contributed to its “Launch – The Future. Powered by You” campaign, which raised
$2 million.
Everett Herald, Sept. 4, 2021
WVC to receive $95,000 grant for agricultural technology
Wenatchee Valley College is set to receive a $95,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National
Institute of Food and Agriculture as part of the new National Science Foundation AgAID
Institute. According to a Thursday news release, the grant will help to fund numerous
projects at the college and in the community.
Wenatchee World, Sept. 3, 2021
LC State signs co-admission, co-enrollment agreement with Walla Walla college
Lewis-Clark State College and Walla Walla Community College have entered into an agreement to allow students from the two institutions to enroll
concurrently, the presidents from the two colleges announced on Thursday. In a special
ceremony held at LC State’s campus on Thursday morning, LC State President Cynthia
Pemberton and WWCC President Chad Hickox ...
Argus Observer, Sept. 3, 2021
State lauds Thurston’s Auditor for 2020 election work during emotional meeting
... Secretary of State Kim Wyman named Hall the 2020 Auditor of the Year in May during
an online Washington Association of County Auditors annual meeting. However, Wyman
took the opportunity Tuesday to credit Hall in front of county staff. Wyman praised
Hall for turning South Puget Sound Community College into a drive-through voting center. She said the effort improved voter access and
safety amid the pandemic.
The Olympian, Sept. 2, 2021
Whatcom College president attends cybersecurity summit
The president of Whatcom Community College represented the nation’s community and technical colleges at a White House summit
on national cybersecurity. President Biden, members of his cabinet and national security
team, and private sector and education leaders met on Thursday, Aug. 26 to discuss
how to work collectively to fight malicious cyber activity.
Lynden Tribune, Sept. 2, 2021
Peninsula College rescinds vaccine requirement for online students
... “Following a meeting with state officials this morning, Peninsula College students who are enrolled in online or virtual classes with no on-campus requirements
are automatically exempted from the governor’s vaccination mandate for fall quarter.
The college’s expectation is that students who are 100% online will not receive in-person
services on PC campuses.
Radio Pacific, Sept. 3, 2021
Trends | Horizons | Education
AI in admissions can reduce or reinforce biases
Admissions offices have been rolling out new technologies that use artificial intelligence
(AI) to engage with or evaluate prospective students. But experts and enrollment professionals
point out that AI holds the power to close equity gaps as much as augment them, depending
on how these emerging tools are used.
Diverse Education, Sept. 2, 2021
The grass may be greener for women in industry
A new study finds the gender pay gap is wider -- 1.5 times wider -- in academic science
than industry, despite academe’s progressive ideals and reputation. “Our study provides
empirical evidence that it may be time to reassess the reasons why women disproportionately
sort into academia in the first place,” the paper says.
Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 2, 2021
Going straight to good use
... Around the nation, dozens of community colleges and four-year institutions were
astonished to find themselves recipients of no-strings-attached grants from Scott,
the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Ten American Association of Community
Colleges (AACC) members received notice of the gift in December, and an additional
19 AACC-member colleges learned the good news in June.
Community College Daily, Sept. 1, 2021
Politics | Local, State, National
Jill Biden is heading back to the classroom as a working First Lady
Jill Biden is going back to her whiteboard. After months of teaching writing and English
to community college students in boxes on a computer screen, the first lady resumes
teaching in person Tuesday from a classroom at Northern Virginia Community College,
where she has worked since 2009.
NPR, Sept. 7, 2021
