Community College Week articles from August 2007

Community College Week archives from August 2007

Texas community colleges get hope for restored funding.(around the nation)
August 13, 2007... Shock has turned to hope for community colleges in Texas as they fight to have $154 million in funding that was earmarked for health insurance benefits for community college faculty members and administrators restored. On June 15, Gov....

Felony fraud charges lodged in California grades-for-cash scam.(around the nation)
August 13, 2007... BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Nearly three dozen students and former students at a Northern California community college face felony charges in an alleged grades-for-cash scam, prosecutors said. Contra Costa County District Attorney Robert...

Consultant accused of bilking St. Louis College.
August 13, 2007... ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A political consultant is accused of stealing more than $220,000 from a St. Louis Community College campaign fund and using the money to buy two cars and an engagement ring. Steven Wyatt Earp, 31, of Fenton, was arrested...

California college finally sells field station.(around the nation)
August 13, 2007... The wilderness island in British Columbia owned by California's Orange Coast College has been sold to an unnamed Vancouver man, officials said. The board that oversees the college's foundation, which owns Rabbit Island on behalf of Orange...

Job-specific curriculum aimed at Tennessee chemical company.(around the nation)
August 13, 2007... NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tailoring community college learning plans to the needs of large employers was an idea Gov. Phil Bredesen first pitched to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. But Eastman Chemical Co. beat the retail giant to the punch. ...

Kansas colleges collaborate to educate migrant children.(around the nation)
August 13, 2007... LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- A group of universities and community colleges has been collaborating in an effort to obtain federal funding for a program to help college-bound children of migrant workers. Kansas State University will lead the...

Study: testing at California high schools, community colleges misaligned.
August 13, 2007... A significant hurdle that keeps California's community college students from completing their degrees is that coursework and academic assessments during high school do not align well with those of community colleges. So says a report from...

Wyoming community college approves university initiative.
August 13, 2007... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The trustees of Laramie County Community College voted to support a proposal from the University of Wyoming to build a higher-education center here. If the center were built, it would allow people in Cheyenne to get...

Two Alabama colleges competing for robotics center.
August 13, 2007... DECATUR, Ala. (AP) -- Two north Alabama community colleges are jockeying for a robotics center that is being touted as a national center for robotics research, education, and training. Gov. Bob Riley said he and two-year system Chancellor...

Oregon orientation program gives glimpse of college's underside.
August 13, 2007... BEND, Ore. (AP) -- For Thor Bates, who will start classes at Central Oregon Community College this fall, an exploration of Bend's underground revealed yet another reason to move to the city. "It's just another cool thing to add to the Bend...

Report calls for better monitoring of minority institution aid.(CAPITOL briefs)(Report)
August 13, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Monitoring of aid to minority institutions has come a long way in the last three years. But it still needs to go a long way further, the Government Accountability Office has reported. The Department of Education has developed...

Study finds unauthorized access to student records.(CAPITOL briefs)
August 13, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Some former employees of the Department of Education retain the ability to access private information about students on the department computer system, according to a report by the department's Office of Inspector General. ...

Senate follows House in approving bill to reduce cost of college.(dateline washington)
August 13, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Despite threats of a presidential veto, the Senate followed the House's lead and approved the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. Among the legislation's numerous provisions are some that could bolster direct aid for...

Once industry leader, Yahoo now struggling to compete.(technology today)
August 13, 2007... In June, Yahoo's chief executive officer resigned, a result of stockholder criticism of the company's poor ad-revenue performance compared with Web search market leader Google. A month earlier, Yahoo shut down its auction service for failing to...

Some Iowa graduates opting for out-of-state transfers.
August 13, 2007... AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Many Iowa community college graduates are opting to transfer out of the state to complete four-year degrees, according to an Iowa State University study. Researchers found that 1,220 associate degree holders went on to...

Ark. scholarship recipients attending 31 colleges.
August 13, 2007... EL DORADO, Ark. (AP) -- The first recipients of Murphy Oil Corp.'s $50 million scholarship program for El Dorado students plan to attend 31 different colleges and universities this fall, the program's administrator said. The El...

Casino courses being offered at Allegheny college.
August 13, 2007... PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh's planned casino has yet to get its license, but the Community College of Allegheny County is already offering courses to those who would want to work in the gambling hall. The Majestic Star Casino, tied up in...

Pellissippi State Technical Community College.(around campus)
August 13, 2007... The Yellow Ninjas slept in a blown-out building in the billowing heat. The exterior walls were gone. During the day the group tried to help the locals in whatever ways were most needed: cleaning up, making repairs, interacting with the...

Bates Technical College.(around campus)
August 13, 2007... Students from Washington state's Bates Technical College and Tacoma's School of the Arts are working on a scale mockup of the hull of the vessel Shenandoah, an intact historical fishing vessel, in a program that aims to keep traditional...

Prairie State College.(around campus)
August 13, 2007... Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, Ill., is offering a new certificate in Game Design and Development. This cutting-edge program teaches students the necessary skills to have a career as a game designer. The 31-credit-hour program...

Alex Grass, retired Rite Aid chief executive officer, has given $1.5 million to Harrisburg Area Community College in central Pennsylvania to establish the Alex Grass School of Business Leadership.(Grants & Gifts)
August 13, 2007... Alex Grass, retired Rite Aid chief executive officer, has given $1.5 million to Harrisburg Area Community College in central Pennsylvania to establish the Alex Grass School of Business Leadership. The contribution, which will be spread over a...

Mt. San Antonio College's foundation recently received $170,000 from the estate of Harriet Genung, which will be used to help fund an endowed scholarship in her name.(Grants & Gifts)
August 13, 2007... Mt. San Antonio College's foundation recently received $170,000 from the estate of Harriet Genung, which will be used to help fund an endowed scholarship in her name. The Walnut, Calif., college will also use the money to establish an annual...

South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, will lead the development of a new $3.5 million project to build and operate a Rural Technology Center in Starr County.(Grants & Gifts)
August 13, 2007... South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, will lead the development of a new $3.5 million project to build and operate a Rural Technology Center in Starr County. A Texas House bill established a grant program under the Office of Rural Community...

Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C., accepted a ten-year, $250,000 scholarship commitment from the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County.(Grants & Gifts)
August 13, 2007... Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C., accepted a ten-year, $250,000 scholarship commitment from the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County. It's the largest multi-year scholarship commitment in Wake Tech's history and...

Crystal Lee Sutton, the real-life inspiration behind Sally Field's character in the film Norma Rae, has donated her unionization papers and memorabilia to Alamance Community College, in Graham, N.C.(Grants & Gifts)
August 13, 2007... Crystal Lee Sutton, the real-life inspiration behind Sally Field's character in the film Norma Rae, has donated her unionization papers and memorabilia to Alamance Community College, in Graham, N.C. Sutton was fired from J.P. Stevens in 1974...

Maureen Melvin Sowa.(Honors & AWARDS)
August 13, 2007... Maureen Melvin Sowa, chairwoman of the history and social sciences department and a history professor at Bristol Community College, was recently recognized as an e-learning pioneer at the fourth annual Massachusetts Colleges Online Conference....

John K. Fisher.(Honors & AWARDS)
August 13, 2007... John K. Fisher, president of St. Vincent's College in Bridgeport, Conn., has been appointed for a three-year term to the American Council on Education's Commission on Effective Leadership. The commission provides guidance for the council's...

Kay Eggleston.(Honors & AWARDS)
August 13, 2007... Kay Eggleston, vice president for institutional effectiveness and economic development at Richland College, has been awarded the 2007 Carl M. Nelson Administrative Leadership Award by the Texas Association of Community Colleges for her...

Edna Chun.(Honors & AWARDS)
August 13, 2007... Edna Chun, Broward Community College's vice president for human resources and equity, has been named a co-recipient of the 2007 Kathryn G. Hansen Publications Award, presented by the College and University Professional Association for Human...

Parkland College.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 13, 2007... Thomas Ramage has been selected interim president for Parkland College in Champaign, Ill. Ramage came to Parkland College in 1998 as chair of the distance learning department. In July 2004, he was named vice president for academic services. He...

St. Clair County Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 13, 2007... Linda C. Davis has been named dean of eLearning, instructional technology and assessment at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Mich. She most recently served as associate dean of eLearning and instructional technology at the...

Northern Virginia Community College Board.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 13, 2007... Greg Schuckman has been elected chairman of the Northern Virginia Community College Board for the 2007-08 term. Schuckman will help assure that the community college is responsive to the needs within its service region while adhering to...

Kirkwood Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 13, 2007... Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has chosen Bill Lamb as the new vice president of instruction. Lamb comes to Kirkwood from Johnson County Community College in the metropolitan Kansas City area. He served as dean of liberal...

Rio Hondo College.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 13, 2007... Rio Hondo College in Los Angeles announced that Ted Martinez, Jr. will be its next president. Martinez grew up in Texas and received a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Colorado in Boulder. He earned master's and...

Calendar.(Calendar)
August 13, 2007... SEPTEMBER September 16-19, 2007 INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL "Economic Development in the 21st Century: New Leadership, New Models", Phoenix, AZ www.iedconline.org September 20-22, 2007 NCCHC ...

Building from scratch nothing new to Louisiana chancellor.(around the nation)
August 27, 2007... BATON ROUGE, La. -- Most community college administrators never get a chance to build a new campus from scratch. But River Parishes Community College Chancellor Dr. Joe Ben Welch has done it twice, opening a branch of Lamar University...

Penn. College to bolster STEM program.
August 27, 2007... BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) -- Northampton Community College will start offering scholarships to lure low-income, minority and women students who are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Two National...

CCWeek's 20th year is time for reflection, planning.(point of view)
August 27, 2007... Last weekend I drove from my home near Washington D.C. to the Tidewater Area of Virginia. Because that was the weekend before deadline for the edition you are now reading, I had in hand a printout of Paul Bradley's cover story. I considered it...

To the editor.(point of view)(Letter to the editor)
August 27, 2007... I was pleased to see that Communication Technologies/Technicians & Support services was listed under the top 100 Associates Degrees by Discipline. I believe you are referring to federal Classification of Instructional Program code 10.01, right?...

To the Editor.(Letter to the editor)
August 27, 2007... I have concerns about Community College Week's updated July 16 article, "Analyzing the Data," regarding associate's degrees conferred by community colleges and four-year institutions that offer such degrees. Del Mar College was ranked No. 21 in...

The author responds: College, state numbers don't match those provided to National Center for Education Statistics.
August 27, 2007... According to data Del Mar College provided to the National Center for Education Statistics, the college awarded a total of 790 associate degrees in 2004-05, of which 389 were conferred to students of Hispanic origin, and a total of 681...

Dream achievers: ambitious Lumina Foundation initiative plots paths to success for community college students.(SPECIAL REPORT: ACADEMIC KICKOFF, 2007-2008)
August 27, 2007... Altering customs, shedding mores, adopting new practices and dropping old ones is demanding work--particularly when the ultimate payoff is distant and uncertain. Yet that is what the Lumina Foundation for Education is asking of community...

Supplemental instruction programs showing results.
August 27, 2007... NORFOLK, Va.-- Ellynne Woodson can't suppress a laugh when she recalls her encounters with her supplemental instructor. Two years ago, Woodson had enrolled at Tidewate Community College 30 years after getting out of high school. She was...

Colleges joining "Achieving the Dream" initiative.
August 27, 2007... Since the Lumina Foundation for Education launched the Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count initiative, the foundation and its financial partners have pledged to distribute nearly $100 million in grants to improve student achievement...

New education funding, programs win congressional approval.(dateline Washington)
August 27, 2007... LONG-TERM GOALS The bill also requires the National Academy of Sciences to study the possibility of creating a national free online degree program in areas of "strategic importance" to the country, such as math, science and foreign...

New law gives protections for student borrowers.(capital briefs)
August 27, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Student borrowers would get a series of new protections from lenders under legislation approved by a congressional committee. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs approved the Private Student Loan...

Congressional education proposals growing.(capital briefs)
August 27, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Ideas keep coming into the House as it prepares to deal with reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Before Congress adjourned for its August recess, representatives threw the following ideas into the hopper: * Rep....

Proposed new rules would clarify eligibility for grants.
August 27, 2007... WASHINGTON -- It will get easier for colleges to administer the need-based Academic Competitiveness Grant program under proposed new rules, according to the Office of Post-secondary Education. The office created a negotiated rulemaking...

Delays continue to afflict veterans' program.(capital briefs)
August 27, 2007... WASHINGTON -- A plan to smoothly handle veterans' education benefits online will arrive at least six years late. The Veterans Benefits Administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs has been implementing an initiative called The...

Report casts doubt on program aiding lenders.(capital briefs)
August 27, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The "exceptional performance" status conferred on lenders with good records isn't worth it, suggests a review by the Government Accountability Office. Federal Family Education Loan program rules allow lenders that adhere to...

Dodd calls for free community college.
August 27, 2007... CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Chris Dodd's plan to make higher education more accessible includes promises of free community college education for every American--so long as states agree to foot half the cost. The...

Ohio universities and community colleges to focus on common goals under single, united banner.
August 27, 2007... COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)--Ohio's public universities and community colleges will be united under one banner to focus on their common goals, while maintaining their own identities, Gov. Ted Strickland and his higher education chief said in a joint...

New Arkansas football program restores players' dreams.
August 27, 2007... LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- As Danny Davis' high school football days drew to a close, he was eyeing a Division I career, but a low test score put that dream on hold. In the past, Davis' options would have been limited. Junior college...

Free college tuition proposed for displaced Michigan workers.
August 27, 2007... LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Laid-off Michigan workers may be able to get up to two free years of community college or technical school tuition to learn a new trade under a recently-proposed program. Called No Worker Left Behind, the program was...

Ruling advances sexual harassment case against Conn. College.
August 27, 2007... NORWALK, Conn. -- Entangled in a sexual harassment suit, Norwalk Community College could be held accountable for failing to respond adequately to students' complaints of unwanted sexual advances by a former adjunct professor, a federal judge...

New Alabama policies aim to end 'double-dipping' practices.
August 27, 2007... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Attention employees of the state's two-year college system: Planning on doing a little freelance work or business consulting during your vacation? You may have to cancel those plans. Two-year chancellor Bradley...

Texas speaker vows to restore community college funding.
August 27, 2007... Austin, Texas (AP) -- House Speaker Tom Craddick said he'll work with other state leaders to find a way to reallocate $154 million in vetoed funds for community college health insurance. Gov. Rick Perry vetoed the funds in June, drawing...

Bishop State employees facing termination; more firings coming.
August 27, 2007... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Interim Bishop State Community College President James Lowe has sent letters informing 13 employees of the school's intent to fire them and two-year system Chancellor Bradley Byrne says more terminations are on the way. ...

Alabama chancellor punishes former bishop president, accusing her of 'insubordination".
August 27, 2007... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Former Bishop State Community College president Yvonne Kennedy did not fire a convicted felon in the administration as instructed, and will not receive post-retirement office space at the campus as planned, two-year...

Tragedy at Virginia tech adds momentum to campaign to allow guns on campuses.
August 27, 2007... RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Some U.S. college students want the right to carry guns on campus, saying they should have the ability to protect themselves in the event of a shooting like the one that left 33 people dead at Virginia Tech this...

Late N.M. Leader praised for commitment to education.
August 27, 2007... SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- Former state Senate Majority Leader Michael Alarid is being remembered for his contributions to public education, his support of the National Hispanic Cultural Center and his concern for working families. Alarid died...

N.M. College to share campus with university.
August 27, 2007... RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) -- The University of New exico and Central New Mexico Community College plan to share a new campus in Rio Rancho. The initial building would be built and owned by the community college, but both schools would offer...

Most students get Kalamazoo scholarships renewed.
August 27, 2007... KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) -- About 80 percent of students who received college scholarships under The Kalamazoo Promise program in 2006-07 kept up their grades enough to have their funding renewed this fall. The remainder of the scholarship...

5,000 immigrants in Ariz. denied education benefits.
August 27, 2007... PHOENIX (AP) -- Nearly 5,000 people have been denied in-state college tuition, financial aid and adult education classes this year under a new Arizona law banning undocumented immigrants from receiving those state-funded services, a new study...

Maine group puts up money to fund college scholarships.
August 27, 2007... SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- A community group wants to help South Portland High School graduates to continue their education and will put up money to get the job done. The South Portland Scholarship Committee has launched a fundraising...

Massachusetts governor envisions free education for all.
August 27, 2007... BOSTON (AP) -- Gov. Deval Patrick envisions free education for every Massachusetts resident from age 3 through community college. To help him make that vision a reality, Patrick has named an 18-member panel to draw up blueprints for the...

Allegheny names new chief diversity officer.
August 27, 2007... PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Community College of Allegheny County has a new vice president and chief diversity officer. Ralph Proctor begins his new jobs immediately. He had served as the chairman of the school's Africana and Ethnic Studies...

Release of micosoft vista begs the question: when is it time to spring for operating system upgrade?(technology today)
August 27, 2007... The recent release of Windows Vista, and the controversy surrounding it, has sharpened focus once again on the perennial question of just when is the right time to upgrade software, on your machine or the machines of those in your department or...

Miami Dade College.(around campus)
August 27, 2007... Struggling to learn English and earning meager wages picking vegetables, Israel Sanchez was hardly living the American Dream. Fast forward a decade, and Sanchez's story has turned into a tale with a Cinderella-like ending. In 2006, Sanchez...

Mt. San Antonio College.(around campus)
August 27, 2007... For Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers, the wait is over. After singing in international competitions for years and coming in second place at Choir of the World competition, the elite choral ensemble finally captured the "Choir of the...

Broome Community College.(around campus)
August 27, 2007... Apple has listed Broome Community College's iTunes U site on its main iTunes U home page. According to Apple, there are about 500 public and private academic institutions that have received the iTunes U designation over the course of the last...

Florida Community College at Jacksonville.(around campus)
August 27, 2007... Florida Community College at Jacksonville has been selected by the Navy as the designated degree-granting institution for a three-year pilot program. The "Accelerate to Excellence" program allows Navy enlistees to obtain an associate degree as...

Northampton Community Collge.(grants&gifts)
August 27, 2007... Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa., has been awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation. Together the grants will enable the college to offer more financial aid and educational advantages to students interested in...

Borough of Manhattan Community College.(grants&gifts)
August 27, 2007... Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York announced that it has received a grant of $191,584 from the National Science Foundation to fund an educational robotics program. By having students design and build robots, the initiative,...

Vancouver Washington's Clark College.(grants&gifts)
August 27, 2007... Vancouver Washington's Clark College Corporate Education unit has been awarded more than $244,000 in Job Skills Program grants to provide customized training for eight Clark County businesses during the 2007-08 fiscal year. The program is a...

Central Piedmont Community College.(faculty lounge)
August 27, 2007... Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C., will offer a new associate degree program this month that addresses the critical shortage in one of the most high demand jobs in the country. The new Non-Destructive Examination Program...

Bucks County Community College.(faculty lounge)
August 27, 2007... To meet the demand of law enforcement, Bucks County Community College has introduced a new computer forensics certificate program. Increased storage capacity of computers, coupled with the explosion of gadgets from global positioning systems to...

Pellissipi State Technical Community College.(faculty lounge)
August 27, 2007... when students return to Pellissippi State Technical Community College in Knoxville, Tenn., for the fall semester, they'll find a significant change in store for them. On Aug. 6 the college became a smoke-free campus except for certain...

San Juan College.(honors&awards)
August 27, 2007... Lynn Onken, senior director of organizational development at San Juan College, in Farmington, N.M., has been appointed to the 2007 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The appointment was announced by William...

Delgado community College.
August 27, 2007... Delgado Community College of New Orleans, La., and GNO, Inc. have received a $1.5 million Recovery Workforce Training Program grant to fund maritime industry training to meet the need for skilled employees after Hurricane Katrina. The program...

Parkland College.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 27, 2007... Kris Young was recently selected to be Parkland College's interim vice president of academic services. In 1998, Young came to Parkland as a diversity program hire, and attained the rank of associate professor of chemistry in the Department of...

Normandale Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 27, 2007... Joseph P. Opatz has been appointed president of Normandale Community College in Bloomington by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. Opatz is currently vice president for academic and student affairs at Central Lakes...

Berkeley (Calif.) City College.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 27, 2007... Deborah Budd has been named Berkeley (Calif.) City College's new vice president of instruction. Budd, who most recently served as vice president of educational resources and instruction at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, Calif., brings...

Edmonds Community Collge.(APPOINTMENTS)
August 27, 2007... Joan Penney is Edmonds Community College's new dean for humanities and social science. Penney joins the college as it expands its class offerings in the humanities, particularly in its theatre and music departments. Penney also serves on the...