Community College Week articles from April 2007

Community College Week archives from April 2007

Compton administrators lose suit challenging state takeover.(around the nation)
April 23, 2007... Former administrators of the Compton Community College District have lost a challenge to a state takeover that was triggered by a financial crisis within the district. And a new Court of Appeal ruling upholding the appointment of a...

Two-year faculty pay raises outpace inflation.(around the nation)
April 23, 2007... Faculty salaries grew last year at two-year colleges more than at other colleges, according to a survey by the American Association of University Professors. At two-year colleges which rank professors as full, associate, assistant,...

Syrian-born adjunct instructor loses discrimination suit against Utah College.(CLAIMS IN CONFLICT)
April 23, 2007... A Syrian-born adjunct faculty member has lost a lawsuit accusing Salt Lake Community College of discrimination based on his race, religion and Middle Eastern origin. Jihad Al-Ali, an adjunct mathematics and computer instructor, found...

Stage set for pitched higher education budget fight in Oregon.(around the nation)
April 23, 2007... SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- University and community colleges advocates across Oregon are planning to spend the next three months on the offensive, trying to claw their way back into the state budget's promised land. But they face an uphill...

Alabama coach quits over religions signs.
April 23, 2007... ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. (AP) -- Central Alabama Community College baseball coach Don Ingrain resigned after the school removed two signs on the outfield fence carrying religious messages. The 8-foot by 12-foot signs, sold to sponsors for...

Profiles of leadership.(around the nation)(Cover story)
April 23, 2007... In the past 18 months, there has been turnover in some of the most high-profile leadership roles in the community-college world. All of the faces in these new positions are familiar, but what fresh outlook will they bring to their new...

More targets eyed in probe of Alabama two-year colleges.(around the nation)
April 23, 2007... TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- With two guilty verdicts, prosecutors say they are preparing for more trials in the federal criminal probe of Alabama's two-year college system. A federal jury deliberated for more than eight hours over two days...

Internal review questions actions of Shelton State president.(around the nation)
April 23, 2007... TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- An investigation has found that the president of Shelton State Community College gave scholarships to friends and had the school provide housekeeping, laundry and home maintenance for his family. The Birmingham...

Mass. lawmakers consider capping college tuition, fees.(around the nation)
April 23, 2007... BOSTON (AP) -- Bills being considered by the House and Senate would cap tuition and other fee increases at the state's public colleges, where charges have nearly doubled in the past six years. "Our student charges are off the chart...

Mississippi moves to ease transfers for two-year college students.(around the nation)
April 23, 2007... HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- Thousands of students donning caps and gowns will step off two-year college stages clutching hard-earned associate degrees this spring. But only a quarter will go on to pursue a bachelor's degree, and for Tom...

Bill would open NSF scholarships to 2-year students.(CAPITOL briefs)
April 23, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Scholarships from the National Science Foundation could go to community college students for the first time under a bill approved by a congressional committee. The House Committee on Science and Technology the 10,000...

Policymakers seek balance between need- and merit-based student aid.(dateline washington)
April 23, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The question of whether scholarship awards should be based on need or merit continues to bedevil higher education policymakers as Congress moves to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Grants based on financial need...

Republicans lawmakers assail budget tactics.(CAPITOL briefs)
April 23, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Will the federal budget reconciliation process become a format for ramming changes in student aid programs through the legislative process? And if so, does that mean Democrats are attempting an end run around mandated budget...

Mechanical patients come to aid of Oregon nursing program.(dateline washington)
April 23, 2007... SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Pat Hertz of Salem lies in a lonely hospital bed day after day. Sometimes he feels better, sometimes worse. He coughs and wheezes at times, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Doc, I feel like I could die," he...

'Calming area' soothes the nerves of anxious students.(dateline washington)
April 23, 2007... SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (AP) -- It's called the "calming area." Water runs in a small fountain sitting on a small table on one side of a small office. The lighting is muted. Plants sit along a wall and on another table. The rug on the floor,...

Maine tribe pledges share of gambling revenues for scholarships.(dateline washington)
April 23, 2007... AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Supporters of a proposed Indian-owned racino in Washington County said Wednesday they plan to earmark a share of its revenues for college scholarships and hope to Fin legislative backing for the citizen-initiated bill...

Idaho board agrees to create third community college.
April 23, 2007... BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- The state Board of Education has given its unanimous approval to a plan to create a community college district in the Boise region. The board's approval clears the way for a vote in Canyon County that could create...

Connecticut eases path for transfers.
April 23, 2007... HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Students at Connecticut's two-year community colleges can more easily transfer to four-year state universities under a recently-signed agreement. Officials of the two-year and four-year public higher education...

California colleges to offer free English classes.
April 23, 2007... SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- The Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce has launched a $4.5-million initiative to help residents learn English. The effort, which aims to have 55,000 residents learn the language over the next four years, includes an...

Training contract awarded to Eastern Idaho Tech College.
April 23, 2007... IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) -- Eastern Idaho Technical College has won a $1.35 million contract with the Idaho National Laboratory to tram its employees in environmental, safety and health issues. The deal starts July 1, the school said. ...

CEO's name removed from Alabama campus.
April 23, 2007... HOOVER, Ala. (AP) -- Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy's name has been taken off the Jefferson State Community College campus in Hoover. The Richard M. Scrushy Campus is now the Shelby-Hoover Campus, and Richard M. Scrushy Hall will...

R.I. colleges pledge to hold line on tuition increases.
April 23, 2007... PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Rhode Island's three public colleges say they don't plan another tuition hike or program cuts even though Gov. Don Carcieri's new spending plan calls for them to receive $25 million less than they had requested. ...

West Virginia president resigns.
April 23, 2007... MOOREFIELD, W.Va. (AP) -- Alfred Hoffman, president of Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, has resigned, citing personal reasons. Hoffman's resignation is effective June 30 but he will remain on the college's staff for...

Wisconsin students face 5.8 percent tuition hike.
April 23, 2007... MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Students at Wisconsin technical colleges will pay 5.8 percent more in tuition next fall. The Wisconsin Technical College System board agreed Wednesday to raise tuition for postsecondary and vocational students from...

Wyoming names panel to study workforce role of colleges.
April 23, 2007... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Gov. Dave Freudenthal has appointed a commission to examine the role of the state's community colleges in meeting the state's workforce development needs. Freudenthal said he expects the commission to submit a draft...

Training trailer stored on N.M. college campus is stolen.
April 23, 2007... ALBUQUERQUE (AP) -- The state Health Department has disclosed that its emergency preparedness trailer has been stolen from a parking lot at the Central New Mexico Community College. Officials said the locked 40-foot trailer was being...

Take steps to prevent your PC from becoming a zombie.(technology today)
April 23, 2007... Even the name is scary. Zombie. The most familiar meaning of the word "zombie," popularized by Hollywood, is corpse that has come back to life. But another dictionary definition is "one who looks or behaves like an automaton." That's the one...

Students at Bronx Community College are taking the lead in Project Prom.(around campus)
April 23, 2007... Students at Bronx Community College are taking the lead in Project Prom. Students volunteering with the New York Public Interest Research Group Chapter at the college are collecting new and gently-used prom dresses for less-fortunate girls of...

The Yavapai College Residential Building Technology program teamed with Habitat for Humanity in Prescott, Ariz., to construct a 1,189-square-foot home that was not only energy-efficient, but was built for $55 a square foot--70 percent less than the median home price in Prescott.(around campus)
April 23, 2007... The Yavapai College Residential Building Technology program teamed with Habitat for Humanity in Prescott, Ariz., to construct a 1,189-square-foot home that was not only energy-efficient, but was built for $55 a square foot--70 percent less...

New York's Westchester Community College mathematics team was acknowledged at the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications' annual International Mathematical Contest in Math Modeling.(around campus)
April 23, 2007... New York's Westchester Community College mathematics team was acknowledged at the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications' annual International Mathematical Contest in Math Modeling. The Westchester team's entry ranking of "successful...

Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., has received a $23,375 grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion in Crawfordsville, Ind.(Grants & Gifts)
April 23, 2007... Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., has received a $23,375 grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion in Crawfordsville, Ind. The award will support a statewide religion educator's conference to...

Yavapai College, with campuses in Prescott, Clarkdale and Sedona, Ariz., has been awarded a $1 million endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation to further expand life-long learning opportunities for older adults.(Grants & Gifts)
April 23, 2007... Yavapai College, with campuses in Prescott, Clarkdale and Sedona, Ariz., has been awarded a $1 million endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation to further expand life-long learning opportunities for older adults. The endowment follows...

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Va., is the recipient of a pledge for more than $1 million from Dimitri Georgiadis, a pro-bono faculty member and program head of the college's photography department for more than 13 years.(Grants & Gifts)
April 23, 2007... J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Va., is the recipient of a pledge for more than $1 million from Dimitri Georgiadis, a pro-bono faculty member and program head of the college's photography department for more than 13 years....

Columbus Technical College in Columbus, Ga., has received a $1 million gift from the Synovus Foundation, continuing its legacy of investing in the communities in which they live and work.(Grants & Gifts)
April 23, 2007... Columbus Technical College in Columbus, Ga., has received a $1 million gift from the Synovus Foundation, continuing its legacy of investing in the communities in which they live and work. The gift was presented by Richard Anthony, chairman...

The Community College of Baltimore County has been awarded a $370,960 grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to support the Elementary Summer Math and Technology Institute, a three-way partnership between the community college, the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and Baltimore County Public Schools.(Grants & Gifts)
April 23, 2007... The Community College of Baltimore County has been awarded a $370,960 grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to support the Elementary Summer Math and Technology Institute, a three-way partnership between the community college,...

Students at Lee College in Baytown, Texas will benefit from a $780,279 Skills Development Grant awarded from the Texas Workforce Commission.(Grants & Gifts)
April 23, 2007... Students at Lee College in Baytown, Texas will benefit from a $780,279 Skills Development Grant awarded from the Texas Workforce Commission. The grant will provide program scholarships in welding, pipefitting, millwright, electrical...

Gloucester County College instructor Carol Cuyjet--artist, student, educator, wife, and mother--has added illustrator to her list of undertakings, fulfilling the dream of a lifetime.(faculty lounge)
April 23, 2007... Gloucester County College instructor Carol Cuyjet artist, student, educator, wife, and mother--has added illustrator to her list of undertakings, fulfilling the dream of a lifetime. Cuyjet was invited by noted author and publisher K....

Dutchess Community College's Group Faculty Concert will feature the bluegrass ensemble No Brakes.(faculty lounge)
April 23, 2007... Dutchess Community College's Group Faculty Concert will feature the bluegrass ensemble No Brakes. The ensemble features Frank Kara on mandolin, Gary DiGiovani on banjo, Rusty Boris on bass, and Eric Spaulding on guitar. Spaulding, the band's...

Christopher Gallo.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 23, 2007... Christopher Gallo, a Camden County College automotive technology instructor, has been accorded a rare distinction within his field. He has earned General Motors' World Class Technician Award, which means that he has mastered all levels of...

Richard Charles Parkin.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 23, 2007... Richard Charles Parkin, a longtime community volunteer, history professor and assistant vice president for academic affairs at Springfield Technical Community College, has received the Dorothy Jordan Pryor Award. The award honors people who...

The Chair Academy of Mesa, Ariz., recently recognized two community-college presidents as winners of the Paul A. Elsner International Leadership Awards.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 23, 2007... The Chair Academy of Mesa, Ariz., recently recognized two community-college presidents as winners of the Paul A. Elsner International Leadership Awards. James Perkins, president of Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Va., and...

Arnie Robinson.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 23, 2007... San Diego Mesa College's track and field coach, Arnie Robinson, has been named to the California Community College Sports Hall of Fame. It is the highest honor bestowed in California community college athletics. Robinson, a physical education...

Bristol Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 23, 2007... Sarah L.D. Garrett has been named dean of academic affairs at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass. Garrett currently is dean of academic affairs and chief academic officer at Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, Conn. She earned...

Adirondack Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 23, 2007... Ronald C. Heacock has been appointed president of Adirondack Community College in Queensbury, N.Y. Heacock earned a Ph.D. in political science with concentrations in public administration, research methods and American government and a...

Judy C. Miner.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 23, 2007... The Foothill-De Anza Community College District trustees unanimously confirmed Judy C. Miner as the sixth president of Foothill College. She currently is De Anza's vice president of instruction and has held a variety of administrative...

Child Development Educator's Association.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 23, 2007... At the Collin County Community College District in Plano, Texas, Elaine Boski-Wilkinson, academic chair of child development and education, and Sharon Hirschy, early childhood development professor, were named co-presidents of the Child...

Calendar: event listings are free!(Calendar)
April 23, 2007... MAY May 14-16, 2007 NACADA Rocky Mountain Region 10 Conference Mesa, AZ Call: (785) 532-5717 nacada@ksu.edu www.nacada.ksu.com May 17-20, 2007 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CERTIFICATION SEMINAR Phi Theta Kappa Lansdowne, VA (near...

Calif. court rules reorganization is the right of administration.(around the nation)
April 9, 2007... The Diablo Valley College faculty senate's objections to an academic reorganization fell short when the California Court of Appeal rejected its argument that such a change needed its approval. The faculty senate's lawsuit came in response...

Faculty, staff at Philly college end strike.
April 9, 2007... PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The union representing about 1,400 faculty and staff members at the Community College of Philadelphia has gone back to work after settling a strike that closed the school for two weeks. The college's 37,000 students...

New ethics rules prompt resignations in N.C.
April 9, 2007... PEMBROKE, N.C. (AP) -- A state senator is questioning North Carolina's new ethics law again after a trustee at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke resigned rather than file an extensive financial disclosure form. More than two...

A cutting edge formula for student success.(point of view)
April 9, 2007... A new report card recently released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce concluded that K-12 education in America is not only failing students, but jeopardizing our country's economic future. This begs the question: where should we go for rapid...

Observations from one professor's time in Iraq.
April 9, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- For Wayne Seely, spending a year in Iraq training police cadets quickly became an exercise in determining reasonable expectations--not altogether unlike his work as an assistant professor at Owens Community College near Toledo,...

N.C. college official back at work after year in Iraq.
April 9, 2007... WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Sitting in a plush chair in his Cape Fear Community College office, Dan Hickman is physically oceans away from the war in Iraq, but his heart remains is with the soldiers fighting there. "I'm very passionate about...

Quitting on campus: community colleges are joining the anti-smoking movement--and in many cases, students are leading the way.(Cover story)
April 9, 2007... The old joke that community colleges are like high schools with ashtrays is losing its punch, as more colleges around the country are banning smoking on campus, indoors and outdoors. Colleges in California are leading the trend, with four...

Budget writers back increases in higher education spending.(dateline washington)
April 9, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Congressional budget writers are calling for increased federal support for higher education, both through increased spending and tax breaks for students. Both the full Senate and the House Budget Committee approved federal...

Congress moves to simplify aid applications.(CAPITOL briefs)
April 9, 2007... Members of Congress are moving to simplify financial aid applications for college students. It was two years ago that Congress asked the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to study ways to simplify the application...

Census Bureau: associate degrees on rise.(CAPITOL briefs)
April 9, 2007... The number of people with an associate degree as their highest academic achievement rose by more than 600,000 last year. The Census Bureau reported that 18.1 million Americans last year had earned associate degrees, compared with 17.5...

Bill would benefit Calif. students.(CAPITOL briefs)
April 9, 2007... California's two senators have introduced legislation aimed at benefiting that state's community college students. Sens. Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both Democrats, have jointly introduced the Pell Grant Equity Act of 2007. The...

Congress grappling with education incentives for military.(dateline washington)
April 9, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Members of the military need targeted educational benefits as an incentive to obtain college educations, either while in the service or after discharge, a House subcommittee has been told. Exactly what benefits to...

Lancaster to step down as president of N.C. college system.
April 9, 2007... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- H. Martin Lancaster, who led the community college system as its responsibility grew to retrain workers who lost jobs in traditional manufacturing fields such as furniture and textiles, will retire as president in May...

Alabama campaign contributions raise conflict questions.
April 9, 2007... BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Two-year college presidents have given campaign contributions to five of the eight current members of the state school board, which oversees the two-year college system. The Birmingham News reported that the...

Alabama board reverses course after criticism from governor.
April 9, 2007... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- The state school board has voted to release $20 million for spending agreements that former interim Chancellor Thomas Corts arranged before his resignation, with Gov. Bob Riley admonishing the board for implying that...

U. of Pittsburgh hires departing Allegheny president.
April 9, 2007... PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The president of the Community College of Allegheny Court will join the University of Pittsburgh after ending his tumultuous tenure this summer. The university announced that Stewart Sutin will head its new center for...

Checkmate: Miami Dade bests the big boys in chess tourney.
April 9, 2007... MIAMI (AP) -- Don't underestimate the grocery store dell worker, security alarm salesman and 34-year-old computer science student who anchor the Miami Dade College chess team. The community college laced Yale. Harvard, Dartmouth,...

Report: spending rules for Illinois college trustees vary widely.
April 9, 2007... ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) -- Six board members from the College of Lake County in Grayslake spent $3,325 on food and room service while attending a three-day conference last year in Washington, D.C. Two trustees from Des Plaines-based...

Split board hires business executive to head Ivy Tech.
April 9, 2007... INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- In a split vote, Ivy Tech Community College trustees decided to hire business executive Thomas Snyder as the new president of the 23-campus system. The board voted 10-3, without discussion, to hire Snyder after...

Deferred maintenance riles Kansas college officials.
April 9, 2007... HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) -- While Kansas lawmakers grapple with how to pay for deferred maintenance projects at the state's universities, leaders of community colleges say maintenance needs at their institutions are being overlooked. A...

Deciphering e-mail headers.(technology today)
April 9, 2007... Have you ever been curious about the lines of what looks like gibberish in the headers of e-mail messages? An e-mail message's header includes not only the From, To, Subject, and Date lines, but also a slew of other lines whose purpose and...

Around campus.
April 9, 2007... The sounds of hammering nearly drown out the excited voices in one shop at the Jefferson Davis Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Inside the shop, several small buildings are under construction. The only difference in this...

To prepare veterans who will be returning from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan, LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, N.Y., has received a $45,000 grant from the City University of New York to create an outreach and retention program for that population.(Grants & Gifts)
April 9, 2007... To prepare veterans who will be returning from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan, LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, N.Y., has received a $45,000 grant from the City University of New York to create an outreach and...

Kathryn W. Davis, a longtime supporter of education who turned 100 last month, has pledged $1 million to Palm Beach Community College in Florida to establish a Global Education Center.(Grants & Gifts)
April 9, 2007... Kathryn W. Davis, a longtime supporter of education who turned 100 last month, has pledged $1 million to Palm Beach Community College in Florida to establish a Global Education Center. The center will be a one-stop education and resource...

The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to the Lane Community College Foundation in Eugene, Ore, to support career pathways programs and partnerships that provide career and technical training for high school students.(Grants & Gifts)
April 9, 2007... The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to the Lane Community College Foundation in Eugene, Ore, to support career pathways programs and partnerships that provide career and technical training for high school students....

Faculty lounge.
April 9, 2007... As a member of the New York art scene from the mid-1960s, Paul Tschinkel, a professor at Queensborough Community College, has pursued video as an art form early in its conception, training his camera on friends and colleagues in the art...

Alexandra Stockton.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 9, 2007... Warren County Community College's student government association president Alexandra Stockton has big dreams. Her long-term goal is to become an American ambassador. In the meantime, the Knowlton Township resident will be graduating from...

Edmonds Community College.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 9, 2007... Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Wash., will receive the Community College National Center for Community Engagement's 2007 Service Learning and Civic Engagement Collaboration Award. The college will be recognized for its collaboration...

Robbie Lane.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 9, 2007... Robbie Lane, a graduate of Metropolitan Community College, in Omaha, Neb., has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Nebraska Community College Association. Lane started classes at MCC in fall 1990 while her husband was in Saudi...

Matthew Auck.(Honors & AWARDS)
April 9, 2007... Matthew Auck, a 1994 graduate of the hospitality studies program at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, recently earned major certification from the American Culinary Federation. Auck, who currently serves as the executive chef of the...

Baltimore City Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 9, 2007... Baltimore City Community College President Carolane Williams has appointed Lexsee Waterford as the college's new executive director of human resources. Waterford holds a Ph.D. in human and organizational systems and a master's degree in...

Terry A. Calaway.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 9, 2007... Terry A. Calaway has accepted the position of president of. Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. Cal away has been president of Central Arizona College since 2003. He also served there as vice president, academic and...

Volunteer State Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 9, 2007... Elvis Brandon has been named the new dean of allied health at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tenn. He has been academic coordinator of clinical education, as well as an associate professor in the physical therapist assistant...

Faye E. Fullerton.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 9, 2007... Faye E. Fullerton, vice president of student services at Lincoln Land Community College, has been selected as president-elect of the National Council on Student Development, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges. It...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 9, 2007... Event listings are free! Send entries to: Community College Week P.O. Box, Fairfax, VA 22038 FAX: (703) 978-3933 or via E-mail: ads@ccweek.com APRIL April 2-7, 2007 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JOB TRAINING ASSISTANCE ...