Community College Week articles from December 2009

Community College Week archives from December 2009

Enrollment boom.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
December 28, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Community college enrollment has jumped sharply during the past two years. The largest spike is among full-time students. Here is a glimpse of the upward trend, by percentage increase. Full- Part-...

Ky. predicting sharp increase in remedial classes, costs.(around the nation)
December 28, 2009... FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Tougher admission regulations at Kentucky colleges are expected to sharply increase the number of students needing remedial reading and math next year. The Courier-Journal reports that the new regulations may have the...

Foundation commits $12.9m to technology.
December 28, 2009... SEATTLE (AP) -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation wants to help community colleges use technology to improve and go beyond basic online classes. The $12.9 million in grants the foundation announced will support a variety of...

Former Ala. college president gets probation.
December 28, 2009... OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) -- The former interim president of Southern Union State Community College has been sentenced to two years' probation for ethics violations. Lee County Circuit Court Judge John V. Denson II sentenced Joanne Jordan for...

Miss. budget cutters targeting spending on college athletics.(money tree)
December 28, 2009... HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi's community colleges will be taking a hard look at the size of their athletic budgets in the coming weeks after Gov. Haley Barbour's recommended downsizing or eliminating athletic programs systemwide. ...

A watershed year bolsters colleges and presents new challenges.(2009 IN REVIEW)
December 28, 2009... Never before have community colleges experienced a year like they did in 2009. In many ways, it truly was the best of times and the worst of times. Consider that President Barack Obama proposed spending $12 billion on community colleges over...

Pickin' 'n grinnin': musician brings passion for bluegrass to Md. college.
December 28, 2009... HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- Any doubt about Ernie Bradley's musical passion disappear when he tells the story about how he traded $800 and his neck for better bluegrass. By neck, he was talking about the fretboard of his gold-plated banjo....

Transfers fuel rapid growth in Kan. teacher education program.
December 28, 2009... HAYS, Kan. (AP) -- Debbie Mercer believes the economy at least has something to do with the steady increase of students enrolling in education programs at Fort Hays State University. In the last four years, enrollment is up 50 percent in...

Colleges moving away from landline phones.(tracking trends)
December 28, 2009... JAMESTOWN, N.D. (AP) -- Madey Hornung, a sophomore at Jamestown College, spends up to an hour a day on her cell phone talking and texting to her friends and family. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's pretty sad but it's pretty vital," she said....

Calendar.(tracking trends)(Calendar)
December 28, 2009... JANUARY January 11-13 COMPANY OF EXPERTS & AACC * DCI[c] Department Institute Las Vegas, Nevada "Special Early Bird Rates" http://register.companyofexperts.net/ Department_Chair_Institutep/dcilasvegas-01.htm January...

Tuition waiver funds for vets in Wyoming nearly exhausted.(tracking trends)
December 28, 2009... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The state of Wyoming would just as well not want people to know that it helped Daniel Gallegos graduate from Casper College in May. Thanks to the state's Overseas Combat Veterans tuition assistance program, the...

No soldier left behind in veterans-only classes.(tracking trends)
December 28, 2009... FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- They sit side-by-side debating the theories of John Locke just like in any other philosophy class. They share quips and inside jokes about which military branch is superior. They don't worry about curious looks,...

CC students document history in Ky. County.(tracking trends)
December 28, 2009... MIDDLESBORO, Ky. (AP) -- A group of students is documenting the tales of Bell County residents for an ongoing history project, and some of it could make its way into a stage performance. The students, from Southeast Kentucky Community and...

Ore. students could earn diploma using their native language.(tracking trends)
December 28, 2009... PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Some Oregon high school students who possess only intermediate English skills but read and write well in their native language will be able to qualify for a diploma using those native language skills. The policy is...

Emoticons evolve into the practical punctuation of the Internet.(technology today)
December 28, 2009... Depending on your perspective, emoticons may be one of the most charming aspects of online communication or one of the most annoying. Though Internet veterans and texting aficionados may think emoticons are old hat, the linguistics behind them...

Fast-track degree offered by Ivy Tech CC.
December 28, 2009... INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ivy Tech Community College is offering at-risk students a chance to earn an associate degree in just 10 months instead of two years. Students in the program at the Indianapolis and Fort Wayne campuses will get help...

Western Idaho college hires new faculty.
December 28, 2009... NAMPA, Idaho (AP) -- Administrators of the state's newest community college say rapid growth in student enrollment has prompted the hiring of almost 100 new faculty members for the spring semester. College of Western Idaho officials say 80 of...

N.M. college delays vote on tax increase.
December 28, 2009... SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- Santa Fe Community College has bumped back an election to ask voters to raise their property taxes to pay for a bond issue. The election was originally set for Feb. 9, but was postponed to Aug. 3. Part of the $35...

Gates grant to help develop online classes.
December 28, 2009... PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Carnegie Mellon University will develop online classes to be used by community colleges with the help of a $2.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. CMU's computer interaction experts will work with...

La. regents cut 30 college programs.
December 28, 2009... ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) -- Louisiana's top higher education board is cutting 30 academic programs with low completion rates at five public college campuses. The board has eliminated 217 academic programs since January, part of its cost-cutting...

Ex-college police chief faces charges.
December 28, 2009... RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- A former police chief at a Riverside County college has been charged with 10 counts including bribery, perjury and destroying or concealing evidence. Kevin Segawa, who was police chief for Mt. San Jacinto Community...

W.Va. schools expand adult ed offerings.
December 28, 2009... WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) -- Wheeling Jesuit University is partnering with a community college to expand its adult higher education programs to south-western West Virginia. Wheeling Jesuit announced the partnership agreement with Southern West...

Around campus 2009: a photo retrospective.(around campus)
December 28, 2009... 1. Hillsborough Community College's (Fla.) Dance Program and School of Visual and Performing Arts hosted its second annual performance series in May. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Florida's Indian River State College Treasure Coast Public...

The holidays seem a bit more festive at Michigan's Mott Community College these days thanks to an anonymous gift of $1 million--given with a heartfelt desire to help as many Flint-area students as possible.(grants & gifts)
December 28, 2009... The holidays seem a bit more festive at Michigan's Mott Community College these days thanks to an anonymous gift of $1 million--given with a heartfelt desire to help as many Flint-area students as possible. The donors, a Flint-area husband and...

Robin Hoffman, president of DeKalb Technical College (Ga.), announced that the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia approved nearly $9 million in Career Academy grants.(grants & gifts)
December 28, 2009... Robin Hoffman, president of DeKalb Technical College (Ga.), announced that the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia approved nearly $9 million in Career Academy grants. The system evaluated eight career academy proposals from...

Kennebec Valley Community College in Maine has announced it is the recipient of a $50,000 grant that will aid in purchasing and erecting a 120-foot tall wind energy turbine on its campus.(grants & gifts)
December 28, 2009... Kennebec Valley Community College in Maine has announced it is the recipient of a $50,000 grant that will aid in purchasing and erecting a 120-foot tall wind energy turbine on its campus. The grant was from the Maine Public Utilities Commission...

Hudson County (N.J.) residents and businesses will soon have the opportunity to learn a new technology that has applications in several industries and that will likely provide workers with a big advantage in seeking employment.(grants & gifts)
December 28, 2009... Hudson County (N.J.) residents and businesses will soon have the opportunity to learn a new technology that has applications in several industries and that will likely provide workers with a big advantage in seeking employment. A "GIS/GPS...

Faculty lounge 2009: a photo retrospective.(faculty lounge)
December 28, 2009... 1. Alabama's Gadsden State Community College welcomed Andrew Gannon, associate professor of biology at Birmingham-Southern College, to the Aquaculture Department. Gannon was granted a six-month sabbatical to conduct research at Gadsden State. It...

Baton Rouge Community College.(honors & awards)
December 28, 2009... Baton Rouge Community College Chancellor Myrtle E. B. Dorsey is a recipient of the 2009 Brotherhood Sisterhood Award, presented by 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge. The Brotherhood Sisterhood Award Dinner annually recognizes outstanding...

Clark College.(honors & awards)
December 28, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The honors continue for Washington's Clark College automotive technology professor Mike Godson. He was the highest scorer among nearly 15,000 people on the national L1 (advanced engine performance) exam. In recognition...

South Plains College.(APPOINTMENTS)
December 28, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] South Plains College (Texas) has named two new deans. Cathy Mitchell has been named dean of the college's Reese Center. In the new position, Mitchell will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the center. Prior...

Salem Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
December 28, 2009... Salem Community College in New Jersey has appointed Bryan H. Buttler as assistant dean of academic affairs/evening administrator. Buttler formerly was an English faculty member at Burlington County College and served as an academic advisor for...

Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.(APPOINTMENTS)
December 28, 2009... Carol Ricke, a business instructor at Kansas's Pratt Community College, was elected to the Associate Degree Commission for the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. Pratt's business department was accredited through ACBSP in...

St. Philip's College.(APPOINTMENTS)
December 28, 2009... Karen J. Sides has been named dean of interdisciplinary programs at St. Philip's College in Texas. Previously, Sides was assistant to the president at St. Philip's and before that director of instructional and professional development. Sides...

Calif. college sued over prayer at group events.
December 14, 2009... SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- A community college in Southern California faces a federal lawsuit for opening its public ceremonies with an official prayer. The group Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed the lawsuit against...

RI college heads agree to 2 percent salary reduction.
December 14, 2009... PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)--The presidents of Rhode Island's three public colleges as well as about 300 nonunion employees in the state's higher education system will take a 2 percent pay cut for the next six months to help address budget cuts. ...

Mass. adjuncts head to court for health insurance.
December 14, 2009... BOSTON (AP) -- A group of five part-time Massachusetts community college instructors have sued the state, claiming that hundreds of adjunct faculty in the state's colleges are unfairly denied health care coverage. The lawsuit filed in Suffolk...

Plotting a path to success: a study of Texas Colleges provides clues on boosting transfer rates.(Cover story)
December 14, 2009... The way Laredo Community College President Juan L. Maldonado sees it, sketching a road map to a four-year college degree for minority and economically disadvantaged students must start early--very early. "We have a very high illiteracy rate...

Recommendations and conclusions.
December 14, 2009... Based on its analysis of six Texas community colleges with higher-than-expected transfer rates, the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education made several recommendations for improving transfer rates among disadvantaged...

Miss. reaching out to nontraditional students.
December 14, 2009... JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Nichelle Henderson knows she wouldn't have been able to go back to school without the support she has received. Henderson, who had been a stay-at-home mom until separating from her husband, found herself a single morn with...

New law restricts credit card pitches on N.J. campuses.
December 14, 2009... TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Credit card companies that want to solicit customers on New Jersey's college campuses are now facing tighter restrictions. Legislation signed by Gov. Jon Corzine bars the companies from buying lists of students' names...

With resources drying up, effort to help foster children is scaled back.
December 14, 2009... YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- Like a lot of freshmen, Taylor Judd is living in the dorms and getting used to college. It's her first quarter, and she's still figuring things out. "I'm just trying to get my prerequisites done so I can decide what I...

Miami Dade students rally to help win release of immigrant brothers from Federal Detention.
December 14, 2009... MIAMI (AP) -- In the week after Jesus and Guillermo Reyes were detained at home and threatened with deportation to Venezuela, students rallied at Miami Dade College, Venezuelan community leaders called politicians, lawyers mobilized and U.S....

La. colleges may lose some degree programs.
December 14, 2009... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The state's public colleges may have their academic degree programs scaled back, based on recommendations approved by a state higher education review panel. The Louisiana Postsecondary Education Review Commission also...

Conn. college enrollment sets another record.
December 14, 2009... HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut education officials say enrollment at public and private colleges in the state has set another record, as the bad economy continues to push more people into school for degrees and retraining. The Department...

Neb. college sues over loss of state aid.
December 14, 2009... OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Metropolitan Community College has sued Nebraska's five other community colleges in an effort to collect millions in state aid dollars. The lawsuit, filed in Lancaster County District Court, says Metro lost more than $10.8...

Md. to expand redesign of college courses.
December 14, 2009... BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland is expanding efforts to redesign college courses responsible for stalling students' pursuit of degrees with a $1 million grant from the Lumina Foundation. The foundation is making $9.1 million in grants to seven...

Students protest vote to close day care center.
December 14, 2009... ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Community College trustees have voted to close daycare centers on two campuses that serve the children of students. Outraged students who depend on the service argued against the cut at a recent meeting. The move,...

Board proposes sales tax for Wyo. colleges.
December 14, 2009... POWELL, Wyo. (AP) -- The Northwest College Board of Trustees is advocating a statewide sales tax to fund Wyoming community colleges. The resolution won unanimous approval from the board, which oversees the college in Powell, and proposes that...

CC professor named Va.'s top instructor.
December 14, 2009... ABINGDON, Va. (AP) -- An assistant biology professor at Virginia Highlands Community College is the Virginia Professor of the Year. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching presented the award to Kevin Hamed. The Bristol,...

Microsoft gives away training vouchers in NC.
December 14, 2009... CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. is giving away nearly 24,000 vouchers to North Carolina residents who want to improve their computer skills so they can improve their lot in the work force. Gov. Beverly Perdue and the software giant...

Minn. college changes mission, plans new name.
December 14, 2009... ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) -- St. Cloud Technical College is becoming a community college and plans to change its name. The MnSCU Board of Trustees has approved the school's request for a mission change and a name change is pending before the...

Agreement will provide CC classes in Mo.
December 14, 2009... CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- It took two years of negotiations and a $70,000 analysis, but a new agreement would provide community college access in Cape Girardeau County. The Southeast Missourian reported that a group of business and...

Multifunction printers increase in popularity.(technology today)
December 14, 2009... Just as personal computers have become more versatile over the years, so have printers. Multifunction printers combine printing with copying, scanning and faxing in one unit, and sometimes phone, voice mail, and e-mail sending functions as well....

The language of art bridged the communication gap between Chinese artists and those attending North Carolina's Central Carolina Community College's recent Chinese Art Exhibition.(around campus)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The language of art bridged the communication gap between Chinese artists and those attending North Carolina's Central Carolina Community College's recent Chinese Art Exhibition. Visitors admired the delicate but...

For California's Coastline Community College art student DeAnna Rowe, off-the-rack clothing just isn't her style.(around campus)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For California's Coastline Community College art student DeAnna Rowe, off-the-rack clothing just isn't her style. She'd rather create something unique to wear, and at the same time save thousands of tee-shirts from...

At exactly 6 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2009, six women set a new Guinness World Record[TM] for "Longest Reading Aloud Marathon by a Team" while reading the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, repeatedly for more than 224 hours at Miami Dade College's InterAmerican Campus.(around campus)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At exactly 6 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2009, six women set a new Guinness World Record[TM] for "Longest Reading Aloud Marathon by a Team" while reading the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, repeatedly for...

At a recent meeting of the Kellogg Community College Board of Trustees, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 445 donated $12,879 toward KCC's development of a Renewable Energy Certificate Program.(grants & gifts)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At a recent meeting of the Kellogg Community College Board of Trustees, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 445 donated $12,879 toward KCC's development of a Renewable Energy Certificate Program....

To benefit promising, academically prepared high school students, a $100,000 gift from the M&T Bank Charitable Foundation will establish the M&T Bank Presidential Scholarship for Academic Excellence at Monroe Community College.(grants & gifts)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To benefit promising, academically prepared high school students, a $100,000 gift from the M&T Bank Charitable Foundation will establish the M&T Bank Presidential Scholarship for Academic Excellence at Monroe...

Richmond Community College in Hamlet, N. C., is one of 29 community colleges and universities nationwide to receive a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant from the federal Department of Education to incorporate WorkKeys certification into selected curriculum programs.(grants & gifts)
December 14, 2009... Richmond Community College in Hamlet, N. C., is one of 29 community colleges and universities nationwide to receive a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant from the federal Department of Education to incorporate WorkKeys...

Two Montgomery County (Penn.) Community College faculty earned third place in the national ConocoPhillips/Penn State Energy Prize Contest for their team's innovative design of a vertical axis wind turbine system.(faculty lounge)
December 14, 2009... Two Montgomery County (Penn.) Community College faculty earned third place in the national ConocoPhillips/Penn State Energy Prize Contest for their team's innovative design of a vertical axis wind turbine system. Kevin Lampe, assistant professor...

Threading a needle through arteries surrounding a heart, working to clear a blockage and successfully seeing a patient through recovery--in health emergencies, experience matters.(faculty lounge)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Threading a needle through arteries surrounding a heart, working to clear a blockage and successfully seeing a patient through recovery--in health emergencies, experience matters. Cardiovascular Technology Professor...

In Iraq, Eman Shakir taught high school algebra, trigonometry and calculus.(faculty lounge)
December 14, 2009... In Iraq, Eman Shakir taught high school algebra, trigonometry and calculus. But when she moved to Ypsilanti, Mich., two years ago with her husband, children and parents, she wasn't sure what kind of opportunities her bachelor's degree would...

Jayne B. Abrams.(honors & awards)
December 14, 2009... Jayne B. Abrams, executive director of institutional advancement at HACC and the HACC Foundation, has been named "Fundraising Professional of the Year" by the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Abrams...

Wake Technical Community College.(honors & awards)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wake Technical Community College has announced its selection as North Carolina Small Business Resource Partner of the Year for 2009 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA's North Carolina District Office...

Bunker Hill Community College.(honors & awards)
December 14, 2009... In a highly-competitive selection process, two members of Boston's Bunker Hill Community College faculty have been chosen to participate in the Global Skills for College Completion project. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the...

Texarkana College.(APPOINTMENTS)
December 14, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Texarkana College in Texas has appointed three new administrators. They are: Daniel DoBell, named vice president of administration and finance. He is currently acting executive director and founding assistant...

Cuyamaca College.(APPOINTMENTS)
December 14, 2009... California's Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board approved appointment of Stuart J. Savin as Cuyamaca College president. Savin has been the chief executive officer of Harrisburg (Penn.) Area Community College, Lancaster...

Wake Tech Foundation.(APPOINTMENTS)
December 14, 2009... A Garner, N. C., community leader and veteran of Desert Storm is the newest member of the Wake Tech Foundation's Board of Directors. The Board welcomed Elmo E. Vance Jr. at its October meeting. Vance was chosen because of his proven leadership...