Community College Week articles from December 2004

Community College Week archives from December 2004

Foreign-student rolls show record drop at 2-year schools, report says.(around the nation)
December 6, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Out of all of America's higher-education institutions, community colleges have experienced the steepest drop in foreign-student enrollment, according to an annual survey by the Institute of International Education. During the...

Four-year schools should take more cues from community colleges, some educators say.(around the nation)
December 6, 2004... WASHINGTON -- According to the Indiana Government Efficiency Commission, that state must strengthen its commitment to community colleges because they're more affordable and more oriented toward job training than four-year colleges and...

Connecticut enrollment grows for seventh straight year.
December 6, 2004... HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Enrollment in Connecticut's public and private colleges climbed by more than 2,000 students this fall, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth and the third straight year of record enrollment, the state Department...

Beyond basic: linking adult education to college participation.(point of view)
December 6, 2004... Community colleges are faced with fresh challenges in attempting to serve the needs of low-income working adults, most of whom seek basic education and literacy skills. While many community colleges have extensive basic education and ESL...

Is open access but a dream?(point of view)
December 6, 2004... Spurred by the World War II GI Bill in 1944, promoted by the President's Commission on Higher Education for American Democracy in 1947, and funded by the Higher Education Act and its amendments in 1965 and later on, access moved to and has...

Humor 101.(point of view)
December 6, 2004... "I can get you the grant, but not that little teddy bear."

On the up and up.(community colleges)(Illustration)(Cover Story)
December 6, 2004... Community colleges serve their students and communities many ways. One of their central missions is to provide instruction in courses that are creditable toward a diploma, certificate, degree or other formal award. These are precisely the...

New head of education department expected to focus on K-12.(dateline Washington)
December 6, 2004... Though a new leader will soon take the helm at the Department of Education, some educators say the Bush administration's gaze will stay fixed on K-12 issues instead of higher education. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, who announced his...

Law closes loophole benefiting student-aid lenders.(Capitol briefs)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... President Bush recently signed into law the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act, which temporarily plugs the legal loophole that for years had been yielding exorbitant interest rates for student-loan providers. The measure uses the recovered funds...

Most high-school dropouts end up getting diplomas, report finds.
December 6, 2004... WASHINGTON -- While dropping out of high school is generally regarded as something that can doom a young life, a new survey found that 63 percent of a high-school dropout sample group did return to school and graduate, receiving either a...

Playing hardball?(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... TV journalist Chris Matthews, who hosts MSNBC's "Hardball with Christ Matthews," drew a standing-room only crowd when he visited Montgomery College in Rockville, Md., on Nov. 8. Speaking before about 500 students and community members, Matthews...

Former N.Y. college president loses breach-of-contract appeal.
December 6, 2004... QUEENSBURY, N.Y. -- The former president of Adirondack Community College who became president of a California community college while on paid administrative leave from her New York post, has lost her breach-of-contract appeal. The...

Nevada 2-yr. college popular with minorities.(Community College of Southern Nevada)
December 6, 2004... LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Community College of Southern Nevada student Claritssa Sanchez is well on her way to becoming a high-school history teacher. After graduating and getting her associate's degree, the 19-year-old Millennium Scholar plans to...

N.C. colleges, university spar over admission rule.(North Carolina Colleges)
December 6, 2004... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Combine population growth with job losses in textiles and furniture and you've got a boom in North Carolina higher education. More than 779,000 people enrolled at the state's 59 community colleges this year, with most...

Calif. trustees vote against renewing chancellor's contract.(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP)-- South Orange County Community College District trustees have voted to not automatically renew the contract of Chancellor Raghu Mathur, a move that could signal the end of his controversial tenure. The 4-3 vote...

Audit faults Alabama college's grant tracking.
December 6, 2004... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A state audit of spending on a community development program at Jefferson State Community College says $283,000 in grant money was inadequately tracked. The audit examined the distribution of 66 grants totaling more...

Iowa college's first woman president steps down.(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) -- Hawkeye Community College President Bettsey Barhorst is leaving the post for a similar job in Wisconsin. Barhorst, the first woman to serve as president in the 38-year history of the school, told the board she has...

Latino group files suit over Arizona professor's e-mails.(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... PHOENIX (AP) -- A Latino civil rights group has filed a federal lawsuit against the Maricopa Community Colleges over racially charged messages a professor posted on the campus computer system. The class action suit was filed in U.S....

N.C. instructor suspended for showing controversial film.
December 6, 2004... SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) -- A community-college instructor who was suspended for showing classes "Fahrenheit 9/11" in the week before the presidential election said he is unapologetic and believes he should be able to teach as he sees fit. ...

Ohio governor warns public colleges against tuition increases.
December 6, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Gov. Bob Taft has sounded another warning about the upcoming state budget, telling public higher-education institutions they could face financial consequences for making decisions now to raise tuition next year. ...

N.M. task force urges higher-education reforms.
December 6, 2004... SANTA FE (AP) -- Former Gov. Toney Anaya says New Mexico has a "collection of institutions" rather than a real system of higher education, and he is urging lawmakers to overhaul the present setup. Anaya recently presented proposals from a...

Two Ohio colleges in study on dropout rates.
December 6, 2004... TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Community colleges concerned about dropout rates are trying to find out if adding more personalized services reduces the number of students who leave without a degree. Owens Community College in suburban Toledo and...

Commission OKs first four-year degrees for Indiana community college.
December 6, 2004... VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) -- A divided Indiana Commission for Higher Education has approved the first four-year degrees for Vincennes University amid concerns the institution will lose its focus as a community college. Three commission members...

Wyoming officials debate funding dorm sprinklers.
December 6, 2004... POWELL, Wyo. (AP) -- Gov. Dave Freudenthal has indicated support for fully funding student-housing sprinkler systems at the state's seven community colleges, though the Wyoming State Building Commission recommended otherwise, the president of...

Under the desert sun.(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Eric Poulson, a graduate of and part-time employee at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., worked for almost three months to create a multi-piece ceramic sculpture (shown above) that was displayed at the 2004 Burning Man Festival in Nevada's...

Early college takes shape in South Carolina.
December 6, 2004... MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) -- Horry County Schools plans to open the first early college for high schoolers in South Carolina--the school would be armed at students who might not otherwise go to college. District officials expect the school to...

Financial-aid plan for Md. colleges approved.
December 6, 2004... BALTIMORE (AP) -- State higher-education officials have given initial approval to a plan to steer more financial-aid money to needy students and reduce student debt at Maryland's public universities. Drafted in response to broad tuition...

A spy who teaches.(faculty lounge)
December 6, 2004... LEESBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Frederick Wettering, a 36-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, is sharing secrets. And Werner Sharp, among others, is taking notes. "I just think it's fascinating stuff," said Sharp, a retired electrical...

Steve Wilson and Mike Martin, faculty members in the math department at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., have been selected to receive the 2004 International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics Award.(Honors & Awards)
December 6, 2004... Steve Wilson and Mike Martin, faculty members in the math department at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., have been selected to receive the 2004 International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics Award,...

Christopher Berry.(Honors & Awards)(received an honorable mention at the Valley Art Center)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Christopher Berry, an assistant professor of fine arts at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio, recently received an honorable mention at the Valley Art Center's 33rd Annual Juried Exhibit and Competition in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The...

Warren "Ted" Hamilton.(Honors & Awards)(Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Warren "Ted" Hamilton, an instructor of history, geography, political science and philosophy at Columbia College in Sonora, Calif., has been named California's Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and...

Kate Shaver.(Honors & Awards)(received a Macy Fellowship from Harvard University)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Kate Shaver, a nursing faculty member at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore., has received a Macy Fellowship from Harvard University to attend a weeklong medical simulation conference.

Rebecca Ward.(Honors & Awards)(recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Rebecca Ward, an assistant professor of biology at Herkimer County Community College in Herkimer, N.Y., was named as a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Keeping your school safe in cyber space.(technology today)
December 6, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Protecting a college campus's computer system is tricky business. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, the best way to go about safeguarding a system is by implementing new security procedures and making sure...

Don't surf near the "phishers".(A Tech Perspective)
December 6, 2004... Don't do it. Don't click on links in any e-mail messages you receive that ask--or demand--that you update your credit card, bank. Social Security or other financial information or to verify your password at eBay, PayPal or other e-commerce Web...

The power of the digital pen.(around campus)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... According to artist Carl Van Brunt, he can convert his pressure-sensitive digitized pen into "almost any traditional tool, from charcoal to airbrush to watercolor... any tool you can Imagine." Van Brunt, whose digital paintings are now on...

Indian River Community College.(Grants & Gifts)(developed Strategic Planning OnLine - web-based planning system )(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Strategic Planning OnLine; a Web-based planning system developed by Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Fla., will be used as a model by 10 colleges and universities nationwide. Funded by a $425,361 U.S. Department of Education grant...

Casper College.(Grants & Gifts)(received a $125,000 gift from John J. Weaver to establish the Shirley Lee McCamly Weaver scholarship fund)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Casper College in Casper, Wyo., has received a $125,000 gift from John J. Weaver to establish the Shirley Lee McCamly Weaver scholarship fund, in memory of his wife. The state of Wyoming will match the gift as part of the Wyoming Community...

Essex County College.(Grants & Gifts)(got grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The nursing department at Essex County College in Newark, N.J., will use a three-year $745,444 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to launch a Minority Healing Hands Career Ladder Program.

South Piedmont Community College.(Grants & Gifts)(got donation from Duke Endowment)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The Duke Endowment has given Union Regional Medical Center and South Piedmont Community College in Polkton, N.C., a $130,000 grant to start an associate's-degree program in radiation therapy technology.

Citrus College.(Grants & Gifts)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., has received a $2.7 million Title V award from the U.S. Department of Education to fund its Growth in Outcomes and Academic Learning program, also known as "GOAL!" The money will be used to improve student...

Brookhaven College.(Grants & Gifts)(received $10,000 from Bridgestone/Firestone)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The automotive technology program at Dallas' Brookhaven College has received $10,000 from Bridgestone/Firestone to support the college's 6-year-old workforce-training partnership with the company.

Seminole Community College.(Grants & Gifts)(got a $330,000 grant from the National Science Foundation)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Seminole Community College in Sanford, Fla., was recently awarded a $330,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund the new Computer Science, Math, or Engineering Scholars Community scholarship program. The program will provide 24...

Dutchess Community College.(Grants & Gifts)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., recently received a $1.8 million Title III grant from the U.S Department of Education. The funds will be used to help remedial students; enroll and retain part-time, nontraditional students;...

Mohave Community College.(Grants & Gifts)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Intermountain Health Care has given a $100,000 grant to Mohave Community College in Colorado City, Ariz., to support and boost enrollment in its nursing program.

Ivy Tech State College-Central Indiana.(Grants & Gifts)(got grant from the Lumina Foundation)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Ivy Tech State College-Central Indiana in Indianapolis has been awarded a $518,200 grant from the Lumina Foundation. The college will use the money as part of a plan to model effective practices to achieve student access, persistence and...

Monsters Inc.(around campus)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... An onlooker gazes at "Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature," on display at Camden County College's library in Blackwood, NJ.. The traveling exhibit, developed by the National Library of Medicine and the American Library Association,...

Munchkin central.(around campus)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The Harry and Grace Steele Children's Center at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif., will open its doors in January 2005 to the children of OCC students and children from throughout the local community. In 1995, the center was awarded...

A bevy of butterflies.(around campus)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... One of the latest additions to the biological gallery at Broome Community College in Binghamton, N.Y., is a collection of winged creatures. Known as the "Bouton Butterfly and Insect Display," parts of the exhibit are permanent, and others...

Johnson tapped to lead Fla. college.(Presidents)(Pasco-Hernando Community Collegein New Port Richey appointed Dr. Katherine Johnson)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Dr. Katherine has been selected as the new president of Pasco-Hernando Community College in New Port Richey, Fla. Previously, she was the president of Nash Community College in Rocky Mount, N.C. Johnson holds an associate's degree from Florida...

Middlesex gets new president.(Presidents)(Joann LaPerla-Morales)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Dr. Joann LaPerla-Morales was recently named president of Middlesex County College in Edison, N.J. Currently she is the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the New "fork City College of Technology in Brooklyn, N.Y. She has...

Raritan Valley Community College.(Appointments)(John Trojan)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... John Trojan has been selected as vice president of finance and facilities at Raritan Valley Community College in North Branch, N.J. Prior to his appointment, Trojan was chief financial officer at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He...

Virginia Community College System.(Appointments)(Dr. Jennifer L. Sager)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Dr. Jennifer L. Sager has been named vice chancellor for institutional advancement for the Virginia Community College System. Previously she was vice president and managing partner of The Clements Group. She has a bachelor's degree from...

City University of New York's Queensborough Community College.(Appointments)(Mark McColloch)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Dr. Mark McColloch was recently named vice president for academic affairs at the City University of New York's Queensborough Community College in Bayside, N.Y. Previously, he was vice president of academic affairs at the University of...

Three Rivers Community College.(Appointments)(Dr. Larry D. Griffin)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Dr. Larry D. Griffin has been named vice president for academic affairs at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Griffin was most recently professor of English and the dean of arts and sciences-at Dyersburg State Community College...

Coming events.(Calendar)
December 6, 2004... December 27-30, 2004 Modern Language Association (MLA) 120th Annual Convention Philadelphia Phone: (646) 576-5000 Fax: (646) 458-0030 Web: www.mla.org January 10-13,2005 Community colleges. Appreciative Inquiry: a new way to think about...

Survey: colleges fail to keep pace with shifting student populations.(around the nation)
December 20, 2004... WASHINGTON -- It's probably not your father's college experience. Today's community-college student usually doesn't follow yesterday's typical route toward an associate's degree or higher. But America's community colleges are failing to...

Report will highlight colleges' role in teaching engineering.(around the nation)
December 20, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Get ready for a push to boost the use of community colleges to teach engineering. A joint task force of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering is preparing a report on community colleges' role in...

Faculty group decries abuses of academic freedom online.(around the nation)
December 20, 2004... CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Shirley Miller, a computer professor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Ariz., uses her e-mail every day--many times a day, in fact. "I don't know how I could get along without it now," Miller said. "It is a...

Gates Foundation gives $30 million to early-college programs.(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... SEATTLE (AP) -- Nearly $30 million in grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be used to expand a national network of "early-college" high schools, intended to provide a fast track to college for underserved young people, the...

Nevada regents debate expanding chancellor's authority.(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A proposal to shift authority for firing university and college presidents to the chancellor is stirring debate in Nevada. At a recent board of regents meeting, Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers made an impassioned plea for the...

Names can hurt.(point of view)
December 20, 2004... I teach at a small community college in northern Michigan. I like the term "community college": it underscores the fact that we have close ties to surrounding businesses and community organizations. We have advisory panels of local business...

Pell Grant trends spell trouble.(point of view)
December 20, 2004... Throughout his campaign, President Bush prominently supported community colleges as a cornerstone in his education platform. The achievement of community-college students translates into a better trained and educated work force and thus broader...

Racing for a cure: the U.S. nursing shortage is looming larger by the year. But community colleges are coming up with new-and-improved ways to ease the pain of a problem that's likely to get worse before it gets better.
December 20, 2004... PHOENIX -- One nursing school administrator has likened America's nursing shortage to the perfect storm. "We have this convergence of baby boomers growing older and needing care. We have nurses reaching the end of their careers and getting...

Final budget mixed bag for higher education.(dateline Washington)
December 20, 2004... In a long-awaited bill, Congress has voted to fund President Bush's new community-college initiative in 2005 as part of a budget agreement that also could reduce the number of students receiving financial aid next year. The victory with...

Women outpace men in college achievement, report says.(dateline Washington)
December 20, 2004... Women have gained ground in education over the last decade and now represent a majority of college students and college graduates, with many of the gains attributed to a growing number of older women pursuing a degree, according to a new...

Federal student database stirs varied reactions.
December 20, 2004... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The interim director of the Wyoming Community College Commission said he likes a federal proposal to track every college and university student's progress. Ed Boenisch said that the commission is seeking comments on...

Missouri Community-College Association sponsors lawmakers' orientation.
December 20, 2004... JEFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Successful as politicians, about 40 newly elected state lawmakers began learning how to govern while picking up tips on such things as lobbyist gifts. Practical lesson No. 1: If a lobbyist for an adult bookstore...

New Web site to boost low-income adults' success in college.
December 20, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Looking for a public-sector program that could make the difference between graduating and dropping out for low-income adult students at your school? Or maybe you're trying to find programs in other states you could use as models...

Funds not restored for N.Y. students.(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Many college students working a job through the holidays may want to put in a little overtime. The Senate has failed to try to override Gov. George Pataki's vetoes of $19 million in additional state aid to community...

Ala. College must pay $285,000 in harassment suit.(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- A federal jury ordered Bishop State Community College to pay $285,000 in damages after concluding that administrators mishandled a sexual harassment complaint filed by a former student against her instructor. The...

Michigan College faulted for lax monitoring of student progress.
December 20, 2004... DEARBORN, Mich. -- Henry Ford Community College is under fire for failing to adequately monitor its students' academic progress and for letting students repeat courses too many times--24 times in the case of one student. "The college did...

Montana's Gov.-elect seeks expanded role for 2-year schools.
December 20, 2004... HELENA, Mont. -- Montana's Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer .wants to expand the use and availability of Montana's two-year colleges, saying many of the available, good-paying jobs in the state could be Filled with graduates of these institutions....

Tuition climbs at Wyo. colleges.
December 20, 2004... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The Wyoming Community College Commission has approved a tuition hike of about 4 percent at the state's seven community colleges. The commission also has hired a new executive director. Under the new tuition rates,...

Enrollment up at W.Va. colleges.(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- There were 2,008 more students attending public colleges and universities in West Virginia this fall compared with last year, according to enrollment figures released recently. The 2.5 percent increase to 82,845...

Joyce Devlin Mosher.(Honors & Awards)
December 20, 2004... Joyce Devlin Mosher, an adjunct English professor at the multi-campus Colorado Mountain College, was chosen to speak at a symposium called "Feminist Criticism--The Resisting Reader, A Symposium in Honor of Judith Fetterley" at the State...

Under the direction of DiDi Wendel and Hope Williams, history professors at Texas' Collin County Community College District, a team of students recently won five "Outstanding Delegation" awards.(Honors & Awards)
December 20, 2004... Under the direction of DiDi Wendel and Hope Williams, history professors at Texas' Collin County Community College District, a team of students recently won five "Outstanding Delegation" awards at the Invitational Model United Nations held in...

Five faculty members from St. Louis Community College in St. Louis have been recognized for their effectiveness in the classroom.(Honors & Awards)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Five faculty members from St. Louis Community College in St. Louis have been recognized for their effectiveness in the classroom. Recipients of this year's Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards were Daniel Betzler, an instructor of deaf...

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have named Connie L. Garrison.(Honors & Awards)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... The Council for Advancement and Support of Education and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have named Connie L. Garrison, an associate professor of criminal justice in the extended learning and human services division at...

Six faculty members from Cypress College in Cypress, Calif., have been tapped for inclusion in the eighth edition of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 2004.".(Honors & Awards)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Six faculty members from Cypress College in Cypress, Calif., have been tapped for inclusion in the eighth edition of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 2004." They are: Jerry Lee Burchfield, an instructor of free arts; Donna Lewis Friess, an...

Two professors from Arizona Western College in Yuma, Ariz., were recently recognized in this year's edition of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 2004.".(Honors & Awards)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Two professors from Arizona Western College in Yuma, Ariz., were recently recognized in this year's edition of "who's Who Among America's Teachers, 2004." They are Linda Elliot-Nelson, a professor of Spanish, and Renee Cooper Macaluso, a...

Susan P. Allen.(Honors & Awards)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Susan P. Allen, an English instructor at Greenville Technical College in Greenville, S.C., has received the Cowan Award for Excellence from the Two-Year College English Association-Southeast, a regional affiliate of the National Council of...

The following faculty members at Schenectady County Community College in Schenectady, N.Y., have been nominated by students for inclusion in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers".(Honors & Awards)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... The following faculty members at Schenectady County Community College in Schenectady, N.Y., have been nominated by students for inclusion in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers": Carol DeFries, associate professor and chairwoman, humanities and...

Donna Eyestone, a digital medial skills instructor, and Larry Ferrara, a music appreciation instructor, both at the City College of San Francisco, have won the California Virtual Campus Award.(Honors & Awards)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Donna Eyestone, a digital medial skills instructor, and Larry Ferrura, a music appreciation instructor, both at the City College of San Francisco, have won the California Virtual Campus Award for the Best Online Teaching Web site at a...