Community College Week articles from April 2010

Community College Week archives from April 2010

Stimulus spending.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher ed landscape)
April 19, 2010... Stimulus spending Community colleges used their federal stimulus dollars for a variety of purposes, according to a survey of college presidents. Here is a breakdown. Presidents could report more than one use: USE PERCENT ...

Overspending could crimp Oregon scholarship fund.(around the nation)
April 19, 2010... PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- An Oregon agency that awards need-based college grants has spent too much money this year, which could mean a few thousand students go without assistance next year. State officials beginning with Gov. Ted Kulongoski are...

Lansing CC offers grads a guarantee.
April 19, 2010... LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Lansing Community College is offering a money-back guarantee to students in four training programs if they fail to land a job within a year. The "Get a Skill, Get a Job" initiative will train people as call center...

Ky. college transfer bill gets final OK.
April 19, 2010... FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- The Kentucky General Assembly has passed legislation that would make it easier for community college students to transfer course credits to four-year public universities. The House gave final approval to the bill on a...

Where rhetoric meets reality yields some hard lessons.(point of view)
April 19, 2010... BALTIMORE -- It was left to Frank Chong, the U.S. Department of Education's deputy assistant secretary for community colleges, to attempt to lift the sense of skepticism that filled a cavernous hotel ballroom in downtown Baltimore. Speaking...

Michigan retiree writes free online textbook.(point of view)
April 19, 2010... LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Some people play golf when they retire. William Reusch taught himself to write computer code and began creating online organic chemistry problem sets. "I no longer had a research laboratory or any grad students, so I...

Finding their place: community colleges focusing on helping displaced workers.(point of view)
April 19, 2010... BALTIMORE -- Meet the newest at-risk population confronting the nation's community colleges. They are young and old, though a large percentage is middle-aged or older. They are black and white, and every shade in between. Large numbers have...

Former nurses returning to jobs in droves.(dateline Washington)
April 19, 2010... JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Lourene Johnson sold residential real estate for five years. Then the market tanked. Seeing her income drop dramatically, Johnson decided to return to her roots: nursing. "It's been a good thing for me because I...

New Chicago chancellor fought to survive, achieve.(dateline Washington)
April 19, 2010... CHICAGO (AP) -- At 17, the future head of the largest community college system in the state became a homeless high school dropout. For Cheryl Hyman--the recently appointed chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago--it was a matter of simple...

N.D. Hockey team wins fourth straight national championship.(dateline Washington)
April 19, 2010... BOTTINEAU, N.D. (AP) -- Winning national championships is becoming second natural for the Dakota College at Bottineau Lumberjacks. The Lumberjacks wrapped up their fourth straight NJCAA Division I hockey title with a 2-1 win over Erie...

Minnesota Community College schedules classes before dawn.(dateline Washington)
April 19, 2010... ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) -- At 6:30 or 7:00 each morning, you may just be rolling out of bed or finishing up that first cup of coffee. But some students at St. Cloud Technical and Community College have already been in their first class of the day....

Trainers say high schools should steer students toward trades.(tracking trends)
April 19, 2010... CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- Jon Fasselius took the long route to becoming an electrician. The Dubuque native went to college first, because "it was just kind of the next step." He got a degree in electronic radio and worked in an office for a...

Tuition frozen at W.Va. 2-yr. colleges.
April 19, 2010... CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Tuition is frozen at West Virginia's public community and technical colleges for the upcoming academic year. The West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education unanimously approved the freeze....

Ala. college drops Miss. campus plan.
April 19, 2010... GAUTIER, Miss. (AP) -- The University of South Alabama has dropped plans to offer classes in Gautier on the campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. MGCCC had entered into a contract in March with USA to rent part of a building on...

Nev. schools rank poorly in study.
April 19, 2010... LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A business group study on student achievement testing puts Nevada well below national averages on standardized proficiency exams given to elementary, middle and college-bound high-school students. The Las Vegas Chamber of...

Miss., La. colleges reach grad accord.
April 19, 2010... MONROE, La. (AP) -- Graduates of Mississippi's largest community college can now get a bachelor's degree in two years from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. ULM President James Cofer and Hinds Community College President Clyde Muse...

New Vermont college president set for role.
April 19, 2010... MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- The new president of the Community College of Vermont says she wants to keep higher education affordable for the state's residents and increase the number of Vermonters who earn degrees. Joyce Judy was chosen to...

Wyo. College buys hotel for dormitory.
April 19, 2010... ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) -- Western Wyoming Community College trustees have approved buying a local hotel for $4.8 million and turning it into a residence hall. The Board of Trustees approved the purchase of the Rock Springs Wingate Inn to...

Utah cuts threaten student newspaper.
April 19, 2010... SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Salt Lake Community College's student newspaper may have to fold because of budget cuts. The state Board of Regents on recently approved the school Student Fee Board's recommendation to cut The Globe's funding...

Walking the walk and talking the talk means learning the lingo.(technology today)
April 19, 2010... The beginning, of wisdom is to call things by their right names," according to an old Chinese proverb. This isn't always easy in the world of personal computers and the Internet, where new words seem to sprout as frequently as security software...

More than 230 area residents recently enjoyed "An UnCommon Evening" of dinner and entertainment in support of the Success Scholarship Program as Ohio's Owens Community College's Foundation held its fundraising gala at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons.(around campus)
April 19, 2010... More than 230 area residents recently enjoyed "An UnCommon Evening" of dinner and entertainment in support of the Success Scholarship Program as Ohio's Owens Community College's Foundation held its fundraising gala at the Hilton Garden Inn at...

Bergen Community College, in conjunction with the Bergen County Improvement Authority, has completed a $13.85 million purchase of a five-story building in Lyndhurst, N. J.(around campus)
April 19, 2010... Bergen Community College, in conjunction with the Bergen County Improvement Authority, has completed a $13.85 million purchase of a five-story building in Lyndhurst, N. J. The college secured funding for the purchase through the authority, which...

Edison State College in Florida is hosting its first international exchange students this semester.(around campus)
April 19, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Edison State College in Florida is hosting its first international exchange students this semester. Linett Rasmussen and Danny Jakobsen are enrolled in Edison State via Niels Brock Copenhagen Business Academy of...

Efficiency Maine--a program of the Maine Public Utilities Commission--has awarded a $350,000 grant to Kennebec Valley Community College to support its work in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, including the state's first formal geothermal training program.(grants & gifts)
April 19, 2010... Efficiency Maine--a program of the Maine Public Utilities Commission--has awarded a $350,000 grant to Kennebec Valley Community College to support its work in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, including the state's first formal...

St. Philip's College was awarded a $2 million grant from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to install a 400-kilowatt, grid-tied solar energy system on Building 1 of the college's Southwest Campus.(grants & gifts)
April 19, 2010... St. Philip's College was awarded a $2 million grant from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to install a 400-kilowatt, grid-tied solar energy system on Building 1 of the college's Southwest Campus. The grant is funded by the American...

Central Arizona College's Promise for the Future Scholarship Fund will receive a $175,000 investment over the next two years from TransCanada Corporation.(grants & gifts)
April 19, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Central Arizona College's Promise for the Future Scholarship Fund will receive a $175,000 investment over the next two years from TransCanada Corporation. The Promise for the Future Scholarship Program is a joint effort...

While most college students struggle each semester to pay for expensive textbooks, Colorado's Arapahoe Community College students enrolled in Carl Bergemann's Principles of Marketing course have a choice to pay as little as they like for their textbook.(faculty lounge)
April 19, 2010... While most college students struggle each semester to pay for expensive textbooks, Colorado's Arapahoe Community College students enrolled in Carl Bergemann's Principles of Marketing course have a choice to pay as little as they like for their...

Marvin Langsam, a retired faculty member and former Phi Theta Kappa advisor at Miami Dade College's North Campus, has been selected as the recipient of Phi Theta Kappa's 2010 Board of Directors Alumni Achievement Award.(faculty lounge)
April 19, 2010... Marvin Langsam, a retired faculty member and former Phi Theta Kappa advisor at Miami Dade College's North Campus, has been selected as the recipient of Phi Theta Kappa's 2010 Board of Directors Alumni Achievement Award. Most Phi Theta Kappa...

Marla Strecker, assistant professor at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, is scheduled to present at an upcoming international conference.(faculty lounge)(Conference news)
April 19, 2010... Marla Strecker, assistant professor at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, is scheduled to present at an upcoming international conference. Strecker, will present research from her recently published study on effective community college...

Southwest Tennessee Community College.(honors & awards)
April 19, 2010... The American School Search gave Southwest Tennessee Community College an "A" on its Safety Report, indicating the college experiences no significant crime problems. The American School Search Safety Report is based on the U.S. Department of...

Onondaga Community College.(honors & awards)
April 19, 2010... The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Onondaga Community College to the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America's communities. This honor is given...

Johnson County Community College.(honors & awards)
April 19, 2010... Kansas' Johnson County Community College Model United Nations team received an honorable mention award for its portrayal of Nigeria at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York. JCCC was evaluated by the conference on the...

St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 19, 2010... The St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Bill Lane, retired vice president of sales for AT&T, as the executive director of the college foundation. Lane was employed in progressively responsible management...

Salem Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 19, 2010... Salem Community College in Salem County, N.J. has announced the appointment of John J. Deserable to the position of dean of administrative services. He has more than 24 years of experience in the financial field. He is currently serving as the...

Bergen Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 19, 2010... Bergen Community College in New Jersey announced the appointment of attorney and civil fights advocate Hani Khoury to its Board of Trustees. The newest trustee was appointed to the post by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders and will...

Lone Star College System.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 19, 2010... Lone Star College System in Texas has announced that Linda Head, associate vice chancellor of workforce development, was appointed to the state's Advisory Board of Economic Development Stakeholders. The board works in conjunction with the office...

Carnegie Mellon University.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 19, 2010... Joycie R. Wawiye, assistant professor of biology on the Beckley Campus of West Virginia's New River Community and Technical College, has been selected by Carnegie Mellon University as one of five community college faculty members who will help...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 19, 2010... MAY May 17-20 AIFT[c] APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY FACILITATOR TRAINING Nova Scotia Community College Sponsored by: Company of Experts, AACC and NCSPOD www.register.companyofexperts.net May 30-June 2 THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF...

Pell grants.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher ed landscape)
April 5, 2010... The overhaul of the federal student loan program approved by Congress also will gradually increase the maximum Pell Grant award from the current $5,550 to $5,900 in 2019-20. Overall spending on Pell grants has increased by 87 percent over the...

Report: Calif. students miss out on grants.(Report)
April 5, 2010... SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A new report is showing that California community college students are missing out on as much as $500 million in unclaimed federal aid. Officials with the nonprofit Institute for College Access and Success in Berkeley...

Ala. Chancellor objects to board criticism.
April 5, 2010... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Alabama's new two year college chancellor, Freida Hill, said she's offended by criticism of her lobbying efforts made at a meeting of Alabama's state school board. Hill told board members at the meeting on that she...

Ind. community colleges look to boost grad rates.(DEMOGRAPHICS)
April 5, 2010... INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Students in Indiana's community colleges face significant hurdles in their quest for a diploma, and education leaders say the state needs to address those challenges to secure its economic future. Indiana's college...

Critical thinking skills are the surest pathway to true and lasting knowledge.(point of view)
April 5, 2010... The term "critical thinking" is used by numerous community college instructors to suggest their pedagogy results in high-level instruction and learning. But many instructors undoubtedly would admit that their knowledge of critical thinking is...

First things first: SENSE report gives guidance on improving outcomes for entering students.
April 5, 2010... When it comes to working with entering students, the student services folks at Michigan's Glen Oaks Community College are relentless. Or unyielding. Or dogged. Choose your own adjective. Dennis McCarthy, the college's dean of student and...

Students learn medical ethics through forum theatre class.
April 5, 2010... CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- With a nod from the professor, the cluster of Chattanooga State students bolts into action. A table flips into a makeshift hospital bed. The room echoes with the jangle of chair legs as each person finds their place...

Neb. CCs agree to work out lingering dispute over funding.
April 5, 2010... LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Nebraska's six community colleges will work together to resolve their funding dispute, and Metropolitan Community College will drop its lawsuit against the other colleges, officials announced. State Sen. Greg Adams, who...

Budget pain in store in Utah, but lawmakers soften cuts.
April 5, 2010... SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah higher education officials say students will feel some pain under a budget approved by state lawmakers, but the cuts could have been much deeper. Utah's nine colleges and universities will enroll at least 24,000...

Ill. considering creating 3-year degree program.
April 5, 2010... CHICAGO (AP) -- As many as one in five students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the state's flagship campus, might be able to graduate in three years, interim President Stanley Ikenberry said. Ikenberry asked his staff at a...

LA Colleges to fight bond money waste.
April 5, 2010... LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Community College District will appoint an inspector general after reports that it misspent some of the $5.7 billion that voters approved for campus construction. College trustees unanimously voted to...

Tuition increase likely for La. 2-year schools.
April 5, 2010... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Most of the state's two-year institutions are on track to increase tuition by at least 5 percent in the fall, and they're adding a new $32-per-year student fee. The new fee will help pay for a nearly $40 million...

Conn. proposes forgiving loans for unemployed.
April 5, 2010... HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut lawmakers are pushing legislation that would subsidize higher education to help reduce unemployment. The legislature's Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee has recommended a bill that would...

Immigrants paying in-state tuition in Texas.
April 5, 2010... DALLAS (AP) -- Thousands of illegal immigrants paid in-state tuition or received other financial aid at public colleges and universities across Texas during 2009. Figures from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board show about 1 percent...

Miss. College plans 11 percent tuition increase.
April 5, 2010... BOONEVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- It will cost more to attend Northeast Mississippi Community College beginning this fall. The school's board of trustees approved an 11 percent hike in tuition effective July 1. The increase will raise tuition from...

New campus center planned by Dixie State.
April 5, 2010... ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) -- Dixie State College will build a new campus centerpiece for a library and other facilities. The Utah Legislature authorized $35 million for the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons building. It will be the largest...

Neb. Ag College tries to bring soldiers home.
April 5, 2010... LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is working with the military to urge soldiers who are leaving active duty to come back home to Nebraska to start farms, ranches and businesses. Under a program the school in...

Protecting your privacy online involves some tradeoffs.(technology today)
April 5, 2010... The concept of privacy is a fascinating one. It has evolved over time, and different countries regard it differently. Online, it plays out in some interesting ways. The bottom line is you may not be protecting what you personally regard as...

Five escaped inmates, all convicted felons, on the run in Harnett County: That was the scenario for a training exercise for the North Carolina Department of Correction.(around campus)
April 5, 2010... Five escaped inmates, all convicted felons, on the run in Harnett County: That was the scenario for a training exercise for the North Carolina Department of Correction. Wake Technical Community College coordinated the exercise for about 50...

The San Jacinto (Texas) College paralegal program recently launched a campus chapter of the paralegal Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX) honor society, which should bolster the program's solid tradition of excellence.(around campus)
April 5, 2010... The San Jacinto (Texas) College paralegal program recently launched a campus chapter of the paralegal Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX) honor society, which should bolster the program's solid tradition of excellence. At the recent inaugural induction...

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa residents adjacent to Coastline Community College newly-acquired parcels might have been disturbed by several loud blasts.(around campus)
April 5, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Newport Beach and Costa Mesa residents adjacent to Coastline Community College newly-acquired parcels might have been disturbed by several loud blasts. They weren't sonic booms, but instead the result of charges set off...

North Carolina's Central Piedmont Community College announced that it has received $85,000 in federal stimulus money from the JobsNOW program, an initiative that strives to provide workers with job training skills in six months or less.(grants & gifts)
April 5, 2010... North Carolina's Central Piedmont Community College announced that it has received $85,000 in federal stimulus money from the JobsNOW program, an initiative that strives to provide workers with job training skills in six months or less. As a...

Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio received a $650,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation to increase the number of tutors who will help students succeed in courses such as intermediate algebra and college composition.(grants & gifts)
April 5, 2010... Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio received a $650,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation to increase the number of tutors who will help students succeed in courses such as intermediate algebra and college composition. The funding will enable the...

The Texas Workforce Commission recently awarded Lone Star Corporate College $523,140 in two Skills Development Fund grants.(grants & gifts)
April 5, 2010... The Texas Workforce Commission recently awarded Lone Star Corporate College $523,140 in two Skills Development Fund grants. LSCC partnered with T-3 Energy Services, Inc., Godwin-SBO and Lectrus Corp. on the grants. Godwin-SBO and Lectrus Corp....

Fourteen faculty members and graduate students from the highly respected 3-D Media: Fiber, Metal & Wood Program at California State University Long Beach will be showcased in an exhibition at the Coastline Art Gallery at Coastline Community College in California.(faculty lounge)
April 5, 2010... Fourteen faculty members and graduate students from the highly respected 3-D Media: Fiber, Metal & Wood Program at California State University Long Beach will be showcased in an exhibition at the Coastline Art Gallery at Coastline Community...

Susan Hellier, associate professor of nursing at Community College of Beaver County (Penn.), has received a $1,500 grant to participate in the Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) program at The Liaison Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.(faculty lounge)
April 5, 2010... Susan Hellier, associate professor of nursing at Community College of Beaver County (Penn.), has received a $1,500 grant to participate in the Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) program at The Liaison Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C....

It was 1865.(faculty lounge)
April 5, 2010... It was 1865. The Civil War had just ended and Union soldiers were patrolling the streets of Chapel Hill, N.C. When a young Union general fell in love with the daughter of former North Carolina governor and then-UNC President David Swain,...

C.V. Smith.(honors & awards)
April 5, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] C.V. Smith, assistant professor of history and political science at Community College of Beaver County (Penn.), was invited to participate in a collegial round table event at Oxford University in Oxford, England....

Alison Castillo.(honors & awards)
April 5, 2010... Alison Castillo, a high-achieving Davidson County Community College student, will be honored as a prestigious recipient of the North Carolina Community College System's Academic Excellence Award. Castillo made the decision to geographically...

Jean Floten.(honors & awards)
April 5, 2010... The Puget Sound Association of Phi Beta Kappa has named Washington's Bellevue College President Jean Floten as a recipient of a 2010 Pathfinder Award. The award honors Floten for making education more accessible by bringing baccalaureate degrees...

Rondah Lowe.(honors & awards)
April 5, 2010... Rondah Lowe, a student at the Beckley/Raleigh County Campus of New River Community and Technical College in West Virginia, has been named a 2010 New Century Scholar, an honor she earned by scoring highest in the state in the All-USA Academic...

Moraine Valley Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 5, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois has named two new vice presidents. Sylvia Jenkins has been appointed the college's vice president of academic affairs She served previously as dean of academic development...

Miami Dade College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 5, 2010... Miami Dade College in Florida has named veteran airport manager Diana Lewis as director of the Eig-Watson School of Aviation at the school's Homestead Campus. As the former director of the St. Lucie County International Airport, Lewis brings...

Oakland Community College in Michigan.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 5, 2010... Richard Holcomb has been named vice chancellor of academic and student affairs at Oakland Community College in Michigan. Holcomb will serve as the college's chief academic and student affairs officer. Holcomb comes to OCC from Eastern Wyoming...

Prairie State College.(APPOINTMENTS)
April 5, 2010... Joseph Wycoff is the new director of institutional research at Prairie State College in Illinois. In his new position, Wycoff supports the college-wide efforts to create and maintain a data- driven environment. His primary responsibility is to...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 5, 2010... Send entries to: Community College Week P.O. Box 1305 1918. Fairfax, VA 22038 FAX: (703) 978-3933 or via E-mail: ads@ccweek.com APRIL April 11-13, 2010 THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION * TechEd 2010 Pasadena, CA ...