Community College Week articles from April 2009

Community College Week archives from April 2009

Community college enrollment.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
April 6, 2009... Community College Enrollment Community college students make up about 44 percent of all college undergraduates in the country. Here is a breakdown of community college enrollment: 11.7 million Total community colleges...

Colleges establish support systems for former foster-care children.(around the nation)
April 6, 2009... RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Community colleges in several states are working to establish stronger support systems for former foster-care children, who are more likely to wind up homeless or in jail than earn a degree as they struggle to over come...

Vermont CC head named new chief of state system.
April 6, 2009... "WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) -- The president of the Community College of Vermont is going to become the new chancellor of the Vermont State College system. On July 1, Tim Donovan will replace Robert Clarke. Clarke is retiring after 10 years as...

Confederate symbols killed by Utah's Dixie State.
April 6, 2009... ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) -- Dixie State College trustees voted to retire the school's Rebel nickname and mascot symbol because they are associated with Old South stereotypes invoking slavery and the rebel Confederacy. It was a...

California budget battle underscores need to support community colleges.(point of view)
April 6, 2009... The budget battle may finally be over in Sacramento, but it's just beginning for community college students. There's a temptation to breathe a sigh of relief and forget the many months of monetary wrangling, but we cannot afford to turn our...

Opening their doors wide: community colleges offering free tuition to displaced workers.
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The last place Michael Paffrath expected to find himself at age 42 was inside a community college classroom, struggling with algebra and working alongside classmates young enough to be his children. Until last...

Kentucky Colleges end tenure for new faculty.
April 6, 2009... VERSAILLES, Ky. (AP) -- The Kentucky Community and Technical College System's governing board has voted to abolish tenure for all new faculty members. Under the new policy, faculty hired on or after July 1 will be employed on a contractual...

Legislators endorse new name: Dakota College at Bottineau.
April 6, 2009... BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- North Dakota's state college at Bottineau is soon getting a new name. The North Dakota House voted 78-12 to endorse changing the name of Minot State University-Bottineau, a two-year college that was founded as the...

Colo. governor backs in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.(tracking trends)
April 6, 2009... DENVER (AP) -- Gov. Bill Ritter supports a bill in the Legislature that would allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state college tuition, and he would sign it into law if it's passed. Ritter's office released a statement laying out his...

Dual enrollment plan gathers support from lawmakers.
April 6, 2009... AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- Gov. Bill Ritter joined lawmakers and education advocates to unveil legislation that would allow students to earn an associate degree while getting a high school diploma. Ritter praised the program, saying, "It will...

Oversight of Wyo. colleges at stake in debate.(tracking trends)
April 6, 2009... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Local control has emerged as an issue while a new advisory group helps to create a strategic plan for Wyoming's community college system. MPR Associates Inc, a Berkeley, Calif.-based consultant, is drafting the plan...

Cleaning up: Ariz. College students opt for spring break community service.(tracking trends)
April 6, 2009... SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (AP) -- Lesley Vertrees and Bol Bulabek could have been relaxing or partying during their spring break, but instead they were cleaning up trash from illegal immigrants. They were among 10 students enrolled at Cochise...

Essay contest winner plots path toward baccalaureate degree.(student voices)
April 6, 2009... In today's world, a baccalaureate degree is a must. Nine years after graduating from high school, I finally enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) and am working toward my associate of arts degree. I am hoping to further my education...

Wyoming changes scholarship program to promote flexibility.(money tree)
April 6, 2009... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal signed two bills into law that make the popular state-funded Hathaway Scholarship Program more flexible for graduating high school students. Since 2006, the state has awarded the...

Governor's veto exposes two-year schools to reductions.(money tree)
April 6, 2009... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- A veto by Gov. Dave Freudenthal will enable the state to cut funding for Wyoming's community colleges over the next couple years, if necessary. The bill establishes more state oversight of construction and programs...

Arkansas house, senate approve lottery to fund college scholarships.(money tree)
April 6, 2009... LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Legislation to set up a state lottery approved by voters last year and the college scholarships the games will fund won overwhelmingly approval in the House and Senate. The 35-member Senate unanimously approved the...

College students lead cleanup Of New Orleans graves, crypts.(money tree)
April 6, 2009... NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Seashells and gravel crunched under Linda Lagarde's heels as she walked into Holt Cemetery, the city-owned potter's field in Mid-City. Stopping at her family's plot, Lagarde's mind wandered as she watched a white hearse...

Budget woes force N. Iowa College to punt away its football program.(money tree)
April 6, 2009... MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) -- The sagging economy has forced Northern Iowa Area Community College to eliminate its football program. Officials for the Mason City-based school say they must cut its budget by $800,000. The move to eliminate...

Salt Lake nursing students get intensive lessons in Vietnam.(money tree)
April 6, 2009... SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Each spring, nearly a dozen Salt Lake Community College students travel halfway around the world to use their nursing knowledge to help children with birth defects and others who may have never seen a medical...

NC foundation targets training for immediate job openings.
April 6, 2009... ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (AP) -- The North Carolina foundation turning cigarette industry money into jobs in the state's farthest corners wants to retrain workers in a hurry for available jobs. The Golden LEAF Foundation said it has $3.5 million...

Neb. teacher will resign as part of district deal.
April 6, 2009... NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) -- A chemistry teacher at North Platte Community College has settled with the administration and will resign. The college's lawyer says Deming Pan violated federal privacy laws by giving student information to an...

Extracurricular activities get boost under scholarship plan.
April 6, 2009... SUMMIT, Miss. (AP) -- Southwest Mississippi Community College will allow students who receive a full academic scholarship to also get other funding for their involvement in extracurricular activities. SMCC president Oliver Young says the...

Bergen CC scraps plans for meadowlands construction.
April 6, 2009... PARAMUS, N.J. (AP) -- Bergen Community College says it is no longer interested in building a $30 million campus in East Rutherford near the Giants-Jets football stadium. Instead, the school's president says it is considering buying an...

Western Mass. Sees enrollment boom at 2-year colleges.
April 6, 2009... SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- Officials at several western Massachusetts community colleges say regional economic woes have translated into an enrollment boom. Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College and Greenfield...

The internet as the great equalizer has its good points and bad.(technology today)
April 6, 2009... The Internet is the great equalizer, with anybody having access being able to obtain a world of information and participate in the worldwide conversation. As the Internet evolves, society evolves with it, in fields ranging from journalism to...

A networking and etiquette dinner at Florida s Seminole Community College helped give students the skills they need to compete for jobs in a tough economy.(around campus)
April 6, 2009... A networking and etiquette dinner at Florida s Seminole Community College helped give students the skills they need to compete for jobs in a tough economy. Nearly 30 Seminole students participated in the dinner event, which was hosted by the...

With national attention focused on renewable energy policies, Butte College in Oroville, Calif., cemented its leadership in the use of solar power by unveiling three new solar projects, which will help the college achieve its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral campus by 2015.(around campus)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With national attention focused on renewable energy policies, Butte College in Oroville, Calif., cemented its leadership in the use of solar power by unveiling three new solar projects, which will help the college...

Rodney Pratt and his son, Nathan, are each on track to graduate in December with associate of applied science degrees in nursing.(around campus)
April 6, 2009... Rodney Pratt and his son, Nathan, are each on track to graduate in December with associate of applied science degrees in nursing. They each want to continue their education to become nurse anesthetists. And each is happy to have an encouraging...

Philanthropist Paul L. Peck recently made a $1 million contribution to the Montgomery College Foundation to support Montgomery College students pursuing education and training in the field of biotechnology.(grants & gifts)
April 6, 2009... Philanthropist Paul L. Peck recently made a $1 million contribution to the Montgomery College Foundation to support Montgomery College students pursuing education and training in the field of biotechnology. Funds from Peck's gift will go toward...

The Community College of Rhode Island recently received a $276,000 grant from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation to replace outdated computer equipment at the college's Newport County Campus.(grants & gifts)
April 6, 2009... The Community College of Rhode Island recently received a $276,000 grant from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation to replace outdated computer equipment at the college's Newport County Campus. The grant will improve technology systems...

California's MiraCosta College has been awarded a Career Technical Education Community Collaborative Grant in the amount of $700,000.(grants & gifts)
April 6, 2009... California's MiraCosta College has been awarded a Career Technical Education Community Collaborative Grant in the amount of $700,000. The grant will be used by MiraCosta and its partners--Carlsbad Unified School District, San Dieguito Union...

A Year ago, the Santa Monica College Emeritus Band--in Southern California, known for its intergenerational makeup and players' staying power--marked its 40th anniversary.(faculty lounge)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Year ago, the Santa Monica College Emeritus Band--in Southern California, known for its intergenerational makeup and players' staying power--marked its 40th anniversary. This year, the 60-member band marks another...

Ask Rayvell Snowden, welding instructor and head of the industrial technology department at California's Allan Hancock College, about his education and he doesn't start with his master's in education administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.(faculty lounge)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ask Rayvell Snowden, welding instructor and head of the industrial technology department at California's Allan Hancock College, about his education and he doesn't start with his master's in education administration...

Carroll Community College.(honors & awards)
April 6, 2009... Carroll Community College in Westminster, Md., has been selected to receive the 2009 Datatel Partners in Excellence Award for two-year institutions. Datatel, Inc. annually grants an award to one two-year college and one four-year school among...

Carlos T. Carter.(honors & awards)
April 6, 2009... The Allegheny County (Pa.) Council honored Carlos T. Carter by presenting him with a proclamation during the body's March 3 meeting. Carter, an alumnus of the Community College of Allegheny County and member of the county Diversity Advisory...

Cary Israel.(honor & awards)
April 6, 2009... Collin (Texas) College President Cary Israel has been named the national Pacesetter of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. This award is the most prestigious honor presented by the council. It recognizes a chief...

Lesley Fredericks.(honors & awards)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lesley Fredericks, a professor and program director at Camden County College, has received an Educational Opportunity Fund Champion Award from the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund. EOF programs support...

Bergen Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As part of Bergen Community College's commitment to increasing job opportunities for employees with disabilities, Laurie Salka was recently hired as the Maximizing Opportunity Service Action in the Community (MOSAIC)...

College of the Redwoods.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] College of the Redwoods in California has selected veteran college business administrator Ruth Bettenhausen to serve as its new vice president of administrative services. Bettenhausen has served as the vice president...

Burlington County (N. J.) College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Burlington County (N. J.) College announced that Rebecca Corbin is the new executive director of development for the Burlington County College Foundation. She takes on the role as the chief fund raising officer for...

Santa Monica College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeanine Hawk has been named vice president of business and administration at California's Santa Monica College. As the college's chief business officer, she is responsible for leadership and administration of all...

Wake Technical Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Paula Askew has been named department head of the new cosmetology program at North Carolina's Wake Technical Community College. Askew, an instructor and licensed cosmetologist, will be responsible for developing the...

Calendar: event listings are free!(Conference news)(Calendar)
April 6, 2009... APRIL April 13-17, 2009 20TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COLLEGE TEACHING AND LEARNING Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Jacksonville, FL www.teachlearn.org April 16-18, 2009 PHI THETA KAPPA INTERNATIONAL 91ST...

Aging well.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
April 20, 2009... Community college students are older than typical college students. Here is a breakdown, by age, of full-time students attending two-year schools: Average age: 29 22-39 40% 40 or older 13% 21 or younger 47% ...

Maryland College chief leads effort to seize promise of biotech jobs.(around the nation)
April 20, 2009... HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- When Hagerstown Community College President Guy Altieri considers Washington County's future, state and federal spending on biotechnology and bioscience in the D.C. suburbs and Frederick show him new opportunities. ...

Obama taps CC leaders for top Ed Dept. positions.
April 20, 2009... Two top slots in the Education Department are being filled with community college leaders. President Obama has nominated Glenn Cummings, dean of institutional advancement at Southern Maine Community College and former speaker of the Maine...

Despite budget woes, Arizona colleges reject tuition hike.
April 20, 2009... PHOENIX (AP) -- Tuition at community colleges in the Phoenix metropolitan area won't be going up despite expected state budget cuts. The Maricopa County Community College District governing board voted 4-1 against a proposed tuition hike....

The Rogue Trustee: can we talk?(point of view)
April 20, 2009... For decades community college presidents have been communicating through private and confidential networks with each other about one of the most daunting challenges they face--the "Rogue Trustee." Among community college leaders, there are...

Fla. Vietnam vets could get long-delayed HS diplomas.(tracking trends)
April 20, 2009... APALACHICOLA, Fla. (AP) -- William Wilson had already dropped out of school and was an 18-year-old iron worker when he was drafted and sent to Vietnam in 1967. The Army made him a demolition expert and sent him out to blow up bridges and enemy...

Mo. community colleges lauded, criticized in Federal Reserve report.(tracking trends)
April 20, 2009... ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The economic downturn is fueling a jump in enrollment at Missouri's community colleges. About 5,000 more students enrolled in the state's community colleges this spring--up 5.9 percent from a year ago. Experts say the...

Boom(er) times at colleges: flow of baby boomers into classrooms becoming a torrent.(tracking trends)
April 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The baby boomer generation long has been a welcome constituency at the nation's community colleges, which have a proud history of leading the way in offering workforce training and personal enrichment programs. ...

Vermont college merger plan getting chilly reception.(tracking trends)
April 20, 2009... BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -- A task force is planning a series of meetings to consider the governor's proposal to merge the University of Vermont with five state colleges, an idea that is getting a chilly reception on both sides. "I do not see...

Students driven to try for a new career on the road.(tracking trends)
April 20, 2009... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Every student at Carolina Trucking Academy was either laid-off or fed-up, so they lined up to take nerve-racking turns driving an 18-wheeler in reverse, all betting that life as a trucker will make a sweet Plan B. The...

Fla. budget proposal plan would cap college salaries, raise tuition.(money tree)
April 20, 2009... TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- It would cost more to go to college and some top school officials may take pay cuts under the Florida Senate's first budget draft. Those are just a few of many fee increases and spending cuts in a series of...

Wash. community colleges lack funds for retraining.(money tree)
April 20, 2009... SEATTLE (AP) -- Amid rising unemployment, community colleges across Washington state are turning away laid-off workers for lack of retraining funds. Last year $29 million was allocated to retrain 6,200 workers. But that hasn't been enough...

Ala. ponders rescue of depleted college savings plan.(money tree)
April 20, 2009... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. said he is confident the Legislature will act this year to make sure participants in Alabama's financially troubled prepaid college tuition plan get the payments they are expecting. But a...

Avoiding computer glitches is easier than fixing them.(technology today)
April 20, 2009... It has been said that a computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other human invention, with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila. Computers also make mistakes on their own, whether they're glitches, conflicts, bugs,...

Maine trustees vote to hike college tuition by 2.4 percent.
April 20, 2009... BANGOR, Maine (AP) -- Maine Community College System trustees have voted to raise tuition at the state's seven community colleges by 2.4 percent next fall. Trustees said they sought to minimize the increase despite a potential $3.7 million...

Hoop tourney fuels record visits to Kansas Salt Museum.
April 20, 2009... HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) -- The junior college basketball tournament in Hutchinson helped the two-year-old Kansas Underground Salt Museum set an attendance record. From March 17 through March 22, almost 3,000 people toured the museum 650 feet...

La. higher ed board doles out reductions in spending.
April 20, 2009... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Louisiana's public college systems now know how much they may have to cut their budgets next year. Gov. Bobby Jindal has proposed $219 million in college cuts in the fiscal year that begins July 1, as a way to...

Two Oregon colleges offer free tuition to laid-off workers.
April 20, 2009... KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) -- It's never a good time to lose your job. But now isn't so bad if you want to attend Klamath Community College or the Oregon Institute of Technology. The presidents of the two Klamath Falls schools announced...

Delegations of student leaders from spent four days in Washington discussing issues critical to community college students, and then visited members of Congress to advocate increased federal support for higher education.(around campus)(Conference notes)
April 20, 2009... Delegations of student leaders from spent four days in Washington discussing issues critical to community college students, and then visited members of Congress to advocate increased federal support for higher education. Nearly 350 student...

If the Flood Fight of 2009 had a theme, it would be: "We're all in it together.".(around campus)
April 20, 2009... If the Flood Fight of 2009 had a theme, it would be: "We're all in it together." That sums up the collective state of mind last month at the sandbag-filling station at the Moorhead campus of Minnesota State Community and Technical College. As...

Despite blaring sirens and the presence of geared-up fire rescue teams, canine response dogs from around the nation recently learned how to remain calm and interact with people in the midst of a crisis.(around campus)
April 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite blaring sirens and the presence of geared-up fire rescue teams, canine response dogs from around the nation recently learned how to remain calm and interact with people in the midst of a crisis. The training...

Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods in Kansas City, Mo., has received $32,500 from the Heart of America Kennel Club to go toward the college's veterinary technology program.(grants & gifts)
April 20, 2009... Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods in Kansas City, Mo., has received $32,500 from the Heart of America Kennel Club to go toward the college's veterinary technology program. The Bob and Judy Goodin Maple Woods Veterinary Technology...

Halifax Community (N. C.) College Continuing Education Division has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Turning Point Workforce Development Board that makes it possible to offer the career readiness certificate at no cost to the public for those who qualify.(grants & gifts)
April 20, 2009... Halifax Community (N. C.) College Continuing Education Division has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Turning Point Workforce Development Board that makes it possible to offer the career readiness certificate at no cost to the public for...

Monroe County (Mich.) Community College has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the state of Michigan for the continued development of the Monroe County Learning Bank Network--a collaborative of more than a dozen county organizations with a goal of expanding opportunities for Monroe County residents to achieve the basic skills necessary to be successful in postsecondary education and training.(grants & gifts)
April 20, 2009... Monroe County (Mich.) Community College has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the state of Michigan for the continued development of the Monroe County Learning Bank Network--a collaborative of more than a dozen county organizations with a goal...

When the 30th annual Merchant Showcase opened, it began two days of fun for visitors, two days of networking for merchants and the culmination of months of hard work by business management students at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.(faculty lounge)
April 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When the 30th annual Merchant Showcase opened, it began two days of fun for visitors, two days of networking for merchants and the culmination of months of hard work by business management students at Three Rivers...

Gloucester County (N.J.) College celebrated the training of 75,000 contractors in safety protocol, and a 14-year partnership with the Delaware Valley Safety Council at the Business and Industry Training Center in West Deptford.(faculty lounge)
April 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gloucester County (N.J.) College celebrated the training of 75,000 contractors in safety protocol, and a 14-year partnership with the Delaware Valley Safety Council at the Business and Industry Training Center in...

Lewis and Clark Community College.(honors & awards)
April 20, 2009... The Dental Hygiene Program at Illinois' Lewis and Clark Community College has become one of only five programs to receive funding through the American Dental Hygiene Association Institute for Oral Health to become a member of the National...

Johnson County (Kan.) Community College.(honors & awards)
April 20, 2009... Staff members of The Campus Ledger, the student newspaper of Johnson County (Kan.) Community College, brought home 12 certificates from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Gold Circle Awards. The awards, presented at a convention in New...

Red Rocks Community College.(honors & awards)
April 20, 2009... The Red Rocks Community College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa received several honors at the Colorado Regional Convention. From among the 23 chapters in their region, Red Rocks took first place in the leadership hallmark category; third place in...

Northeast Iowa Community College.(honors & awards)
April 20, 2009... Northeast Iowa Community College's marketing department won a silver Paragon award at the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations national conference. The college received the award for the college's "By the Numbers" campaign in the...

Onondaga Community College Board of Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Donald M. Mawhinney Jr., the longest-serving trustee in the 64-campus State University of New York system, began his 48th year of service to students and the community when he was reappointed to the Onondaga...

Salem Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Amy Shew has joined Salem Community College in New Jersey as coordinator of institutional research and planning. In this position, she directs the college's strategic planning initiative, writes grant proposals,...

HACC.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 20, 2009... HACC, Central Pennsylvania's community college, announced the repositioning of two of the college's key personnel. Nancy Roekey will serve as interim vice president and dean of the Harrisburg campus, overseeing day-today operations of the...

Bergen Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bergen Community College in New Jersey has created The Women's Institute to help women expand their potential in their personal and professional lives. Sandra M. Sroka, assistant director of the college's Ciarco...