Community College Week articles from February 2009

Community College Week archives from February 2009

Money gap.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
February 9, 2009... Money Gap Adjunct professors at community colleges earn far less on average than their full-time counterparts, both annually and on a per-course basis. Annual salary Salary per course Full-time tenure or...

College endowments being sapped by deepening economic recession.(around the nation)
February 9, 2009... SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The economic recession is sapping college endowment funds, money generated when school officials invest donated dollars into stocks, bonds, real estate and elsewhere. Earnings on investments provide a steady income for...

University to establish CC campus in Washington.
February 9, 2009... WASHINGTON (AP) -- The University of the District of Columbia is planning to establish a community college campus geared toward workforce training. The two-year program would be open to everyone. The school's four-year degree program will...

Wis. college will not observe Good Friday after complaint.
February 9, 2009... MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The president of a Wisconsin Rapids technical college says he plans to comply with a court order that bars state schools from observing Good Friday as a campus holiday. Mid-State Technical College President John Clark...

Pa. Ed chief says many college students unprepared for studies.
February 9, 2009... HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania's top public education official says tens of thousands of the state's high school graduates aren't adequately prepared for college. Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak said his department's findings...

Community colleges must take central role in eradicating generational poverty.(point of view)
February 9, 2009... Now that the elections are over, and our nation has a new president and a new agenda, we believe it is time to address one of our nation's oldest challenges: generational poverty in America. Our nation is an economic world leader, and Americans...

Colleges fuel vehicles with cooking oil: sweet smell of energy.(tracking trends)
February 9, 2009... DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- Forgive the students at Sinclair Community College if they get hungry when tractors motor by on campus cutting grass, blowing leaves and sweeping snow. Cooking oil that once browned french fries and cooked onion tings...

Report finds "Green Collar" jobs on the rise in Colorado.(tracking trends)
February 9, 2009... DENVER (AP) -- A group that promotes solar energy research says the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries provided more than 91,000 jobs--from janitors to engineers--in Colorado in 2007. The American Solar Energy Society...

An Army of adjuncts: more part-time instruction renews debate over quality.
February 9, 2009... Amid worsening economic conditions nationwide, community colleges are hiring fewer full-time tenured faculty, relying instead on part-time instructors who teach as a second job or as part of their retirement. And while hiring more adjuncts...

Search for financial aid takes on new urgency amid recession.(dateline Washington)
February 9, 2009... WASHINGTON (AP) -- Finding financial aid for college this year promises to be tougher than any final exam. The quest for money that begins for students and parents every January has taken on new urgency in 2009 amid fears that loans and grants...

S. C. considering shuttering campuses to close budget gap.
February 9, 2009... COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- In a state where far too few residents hold a college degree, closing campuses is the wrong way to save money during a recession, the president of the University of South Carolina has told legislators. "We can't...

Wish lists to remain unfulfilled, Alabama educators told.(money tree)
February 9, 2009... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- The Legislature's annual budget hearings sound like a poor child climbing on Santa's lap and reading a Christmas list several pages long. But lawmakers have told educators beseeching them for funding increases to...

Once just hobby for slackers, video game design becoming viable career option for Ore. students.(money tree)
February 9, 2009... PORTLAND, Ore. -- (AP) At age 7, Christopher Hernandez created a video game out of paper. He drew characters, painstakingly cut them out, then arranged them on his bedroom floor. He and his younger brother would pretend to play the imaginary...

Rising layoffs sending Idaho workers back to school in search of new skills.(money tree)
February 9, 2009... BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Joe Klebenow was among the 1,500 Micron Technology workers that the semiconductor manufacturer began furloughing in Boise last October. A Micron electronic technician for 13 years, Klebenow had been laid off by the...

Ark. hopes easier applications will boost ranks of graduates.(money tree)
February 9, 2009... BEEBE, Ark. (AP) -- Even with a two-year college across the street, Beebe High School counselor Carla Choate sometimes finds it difficult push her students beyond a high school education. In one of the nation's lowest-ranked states in terms...

Despite economy, entrepreneurial spirit thrives in Nebraska.(money tree)
February 9, 2009... LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- The ailing economy is putting a damper on youthful entrepreneurship, according to a recent poll. The annual Junior Achievement poll, of 712 American teens, found 7 percent fewer teenagers were interested in starting...

W.V. college launches power plant worker partnership.
February 9, 2009... FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) -- Pierpont Community & Technical College is launching a new one-year certification program to recruit and train power plant operators. The Power Plant Technology program is a partnership with Allegheny Energy. ...

Pa. unemployed getting free tuition from state colleges.
February 9, 2009... NANTICOKE, Pa. (AP) -- A community college in eastern Pennsylvania is the latest to try in its own way to ease the impact of rising unemployment. Luzerne County Community College says anyone in its area who's lost a job in the past year...

Bogus e-mail spurs Nebraska college to file libel lawsuit.
February 9, 2009... MADISON, Neb. (AP) -- A Nebraska college is suing the unknown person or people who sent an e-mail to state officials and the news media that college officials say was intended to embarrass the school. The lawsuit filed in Madison County...

Miss. college sees spike in enrollment as economy sags.
February 9, 2009... VICKSBURG; Miss. (AP) -- Hinds Community College is reporting a 4 percent increase in enrollment from spring 2008. Total enrollment for the spring semester at the state's largest community college is 9,481. Classes swelled 8 percent...

Olympic swim trials likely to bypass Oregon college.
February 9, 2009... GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) -- Mt. Hood Community College may lose out to Omaha, Neb., as the 2012 Olympic Swimming Trials host. The school spent a year trying to bring the trials to Gresham, and for a while it seemed like a strong contender. ...

Job losses swelling ranks of unemployed seeking GED.
February 9, 2009... SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Interest in GED programs at Ozarks Technical Community College is surging to record levels, with nearly half of the students in the prep classes identifying themselves as unemployed. The increase is in response to a...

Social networking: crossing digital divide can pay dividends.(technology today)
February 9, 2009... There's always been a generation gap, more or less, with the younger generation trying to improve on the latter. Seeing things differently and trying for new solutions to old problems can be seen as agents of progress. Today's generation...

Many colleges across the nation marked the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama.(around campus)
February 9, 2009... Many colleges across the nation marked the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. Tidewater Community College, in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, hosted a live television viewing in the Roper Performing Arts Center in downtown...

Macomb Community College.(around campus)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some of the most advanced equipment in the U.S. Army's inventory is being designed and developed in Warren, Mich., and the Army is actively seeking the next generation of engineers, scientists and technicians to...

Los Angeles Community College District.(around campus)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A crowd of several hundred people--made up of elected officials, local leaders and the community--joined Los Angeles Harbor College faculty and staff, as well as representatives from the Los Angeles Community College...

Columbia State Community College in Tennessee received a $20,000 donation in support of the college's nursing program from Voiture Local 1394, Forty & Eight Group.(grants & gifts)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Columbia State Community College in Tennessee received a $20,000 donation in support of the college's nursing program from Voiture Local 1394, Forty & Eight Group. Monies donated will be placed in the Cam Anderson...

Tacoma Community College in Washington, in partnership with Tacoma Goodwill, Yakima Valley College and Lower Columbia College, will receive nearly $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Labor under a three-year grant to help train workers needed in the warehousing and distribution industry in Tacoma, Longview and Yakima.(grants & gifts)
February 9, 2009... Tacoma Community College in Washington, in partnership with Tacoma Goodwill, Yakima Valley College and Lower Columbia College, will receive nearly $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Labor under a three-year grant to help train...

Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colo., announced that Suncor Energy USA has awarded the school $100,000--the first of three installments--toward a $300,000 total commitment to the college.(grants & gifts)
February 9, 2009... Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colo., announced that Suncor Energy USA has awarded the school $100,000--the first of three installments--toward a $300,000 total commitment to the college. The contribution through the Suncor Energy...

Ivy Tech Community College's Indianapolis campus has received a $3.8 million grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.(grants & gifts)
February 9, 2009... Ivy Tech Community College's Indianapolis campus has received a $3.8 million grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. Colleges officials are calling the award "transformational," saying it will provide much-needed programming, student...

Mesalands Community College.(faculty lounge)
February 9, 2009... It all started during the summer of 2006, when three field classes at Mesalands Community College and several volunteers at the college's Dinosaur Museum started excavating bones of reptiles from a site in the Redonda Formation in Quay County,...

South Texas College.(faculty lounge)
February 9, 2009... Texas is the second largest producer of grapefruit in the nation' And the citrus industry plays a vital role in the economy of the Rio Grande Valley, with profits estimated to reach $200 million this year alone. However, there are several...

Salem Community College.(honors & awards)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Recognizing the long-term leadership that has brought unprecedented growth, the Salem Community College Board of Trustees has renamed Science and Technology Hall in honor of college President Peter B. Contini. While...

Polk Community College's Corporate College recently honored retired Comcar Industries executive Tom Heath with its first Founder's Award for his leadership role in helping the school launch its nationally-acclaimed Supply Chain Management Institute to serve the manpower training needs of Polk County's transportation, warehousing/distribution and logistics industries.(honors & awards)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Polk Community College's Corporate College recently honored retired Comcar Industries executive Tom Heath with its first Founder's Award for his leadership role in helping the school launch its nationally-acclaimed...

Owens Community College.(honors & awards)
February 9, 2009... Owens Community College in Ohio has been selected as one of 119 colleges and universities nationwide to receive The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's prestigious 2008 Community Engagement Classification. The college, which...

Ralph P. Eekerlin.(honors & awards)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ralph P. Eekerlin, a longtime biology professor at Northern Virginia Community College, has received the 2009 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Twelve faculty members...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 9, 2009... FEBRUARY Feb. 23-25, 2009 4th ANNUAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING SYMPOSIUM Raleigh, N.C. Hosted by SEM WORKS and SAS, and supported by The League for Innovation in the Community College and NISOD....

South Texas College.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lee Grimes, South Texas College government instructor and interim director of professional development, has been named the college's director of professional development. Grimes earned the appointment from a list of...

Volunteer State Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two new directors have been appointed at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tenn. Brian Kraus is the new information technology director. Kraus previously worked as director of...

Stark State College.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cheryl A. Rice has been named vice president of student services and enrollment management at Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio. Rice has served as interim vice president in that position since August 2008....

Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cindy Miles, president of the Hialeah Campus of Miami Dade College, has been selected by the governing board as the next chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District in California. President of the...

Financial aid.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
February 23, 2009... Financial Aid Many community college students depend on financial aid to attend school. The following is a breakdown by percentage of community college students receiving financial aid: Federal loans: 11 State aid: ...

Police nab carjack suspect in automotive repair class.
February 23, 2009... DETROIT (AP) -- Authorities say a 19-year-old carjacking suspect from Detroit who was studying auto repair at a community college may have been using the skills he learned in class to dismantle stolen vehicles. The Detroit News and the...

New Alabama science center will expand nursing courses.
February 23, 2009... FAIRHOPE, Ala. (AP) -- Faulkner State Community College broke ground on $14 million science building. The new building will expand the college's nursing programs from the main Bay Minette campus to the school's Fairhope branch. The...

Pa. governor gambling that video poker is best play for more tuition aid.(around the nation)
February 23, 2009... HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed legalizing video poker machines and using the money they generate to help ease the pain of rising tuition for thousands of Pennsylvania college students. Rendell wants the Legislature to...

Now is the time for collaboration between community colleges, philanthropists.(point of view)
February 23, 2009... I read with great interest the Community College Week story published on Dec. 15, reporting on philanthropic organizations' increased interest in the community college sector. As the president of a statewide foundation that supports community...

Seattle college wants to offer additional bachelor's degrees.(tracking trends)
February 23, 2009... SEATTLE (AP) -- The president of Bellevue Community College says she doesn't have any plans to transform the large commuter school into a four-year university, but she is asking lawmakers to allow her school to offer more four-year degrees. ...

Opportunity knocks as new Idaho community, college opens doors.(tracking trends)
February 23, 2009... NAMPA, Idaho (AP) --About 1,100 students are hoping to improve their job skills and opportunities by enrolling at the newly-opened College of Western Idaho. "I wanted to go back and get a college degree," said Desra Bennett, 34, a single...

A missed opportunity? Stimulus plan aids colleges, but overlooks needed reforms, some say.
February 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Please forgive the leaders of community colleges if they were outwardly rooting for passage of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan. But the cheering might have started too soon, giving way to a...

Once in high demand, new nursing graduates face hurdles finding jobs.(tracking trends)
February 23, 2009... PHOENIX (AP) -- Nathan Caulk graduated from Arizona State University last month with a degree that he thought was better than gold in these tough economic times: a bachelor's degree in nursing. But when Caulk sent out resumes to metro...

N.D. students debate proposal easing campus gun restrictions.(tracking trends)
February 23, 2009... BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- North Dakota State University's president has a police captain assigned to protect him. Joe Chapman's security makes some students wonder why they can't have a concealed pistol on campus, even if they're licensed to...

Fla. House speaker steps aside amid probe over college job.(tracking trends)
February 23, 2009... TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- One of Florida's most powerful state officials has stepped down amid investigations into whether he improperly took a job at a state community college. State Rep. Ray Sansom effectively gave up his post as House...

N.Y. governor proposing reduction in grants, boost in loans.(money tree)
February 23, 2009... ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York college students don't just worry about tests, graduation and spring break any more. They can't afford to. Besides a $600 tuition increase at public colleges, hundreds of thousands of students who get money...

Ore. college scholarships abound but applicants for aid growing scarce.(money tree)
February 23, 2009... MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- Local organizations have college scholarships up for grabs, but fewer students are grabbing, and the donors are wondering why. Jackson County Master Gardener Association, the Medford Elks Club and the Ashland Garden...

Obama administration retreats on college construction funds.
February 23, 2009... WASHINGTON -- New U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan signaled that the Obama administration intended to fight for money to modernize and renovate college buildings--money that was included in the economic stimulus bill approved by the...

Net neutrality and video are defining future of the Internet.(technology today)
February 23, 2009... The Internet revolution is about a lot of things, not the least of which is video. The changing landscape of how we view video has the old guard nervous, the providers of broadband services trying to profit from it and everyday folks competing...

Wyo. college planning to offer 2-year welding certificate.
February 23, 2009... POWELL, Wyo. (AP) -- Northwest College is seeking permission to offer two-year certificates for its welding program. The Powell college currently offers only one-year certificates for different welding skills and an associate of applied...

Bishop state dean agrees to settle 'scapegoat' suit.
February 23, 2009... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Retired Bishop State Community College technical dean Harry Holloway has settled his federal lawsuit accusing the school of making him a "scapegoat" for its financial problems. Holloway, who had worked for the college...

Northern Idaho college cites historic budget experience.
February 23, 2009... BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Administrators of a community college in northern Idaho say the school was created during the Great Depression and has experience in doing a lot with little money. North Idaho College spokesman John Martin told the...

New image, brand are goals of planned name change.
February 23, 2009... INSTITUTE, W. Va. (AP) -- West Virginia State Community & Technical College wants to rebrand itself and is asking the public for help in choosing a new name. The college is inviting students, staff, faculty and area residents to submit...

Miss. college shelves campus construction, renovations.
February 23, 2009... ELLISVILE, Miss. (AP) -- Jones County Junior College has shelved plans for construction of a new liberal arts center and other campus renovations until the economy improves. The junior college, located in Ellisville, had planned up to $17...

Civil rights icon Rosa Parks is being honored by San Diego Mesa College with construction of a Metropolitan Transit System stop and surrounding memorial.(around campus)
February 23, 2009... Civil rights icon Rosa Parks is being honored by San Diego Mesa College with construction of a Metropolitan Transit System stop and surrounding memorial. The memorial project will be located at the college's new east gateway entrance and...

North Carolina Central University and Wake Technical Community College have forged a new partnership that gives criminal justice students a new educational option.(around campus)
February 23, 2009... North Carolina Central University and Wake Technical Community College have forged a new partnership that gives criminal justice students a new educational option. Wake Tech students completing an associate in applied science degree in criminal...

The history of tea in Victorian England recently was the topic of a presentation at New York's Corning Community College.(around campus)
February 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The history of tea in Victorian England recently was the topic of a presentation at New York's Coming Community College. Julie E. Fromer, visiting lecturer in English and author of "A Necessary Luxury: Tea in...

Two students at Columbia State Community College are the recipients of scholarships funded with a $10,950 donation from the Maury Regional Hospital Foundation.(grants & gifts)
February 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two students at Columbia State Community College are the recipients of scholarships funded with a $10,950 donation from the Maury Regional Hospital Foundation. Jennifer Harrod, a radiologic technology student from...

Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology has been awarded a $1.97 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to develop wind energy technician and industrial technology programs.(grants & gifts)
February 23, 2009... Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology has been awarded a $1.97 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to develop wind energy technician and industrial technology programs. The grant, the largest in the college's...

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Central Arizona College a $1.99 million three-year grant to help train healthcare workers in Pinal County and the metropolitan areas of Tucson and Phoenix.(grants & gifts)
February 23, 2009... The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Central Arizona College a $1.99 million three-year grant to help train healthcare workers in Pinal County and the metropolitan areas of Tucson and Phoenix. The college was one of 68 organizations...

The Education & Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2 million grant to the Connecticut Community Colleges to deliver education and training to prepare students with skills needed to enter careers in growing fields of employment.(grants & gifts)
February 23, 2009... The Education & Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2 million grant to the Connecticut Community Colleges to deliver education and training to prepare students with skills needed to enter careers in growing...

A crazed mixture of emotions raced through Amy, McBride, who is a graduate of Missouri's Moberly Area Community College, as she walked away from her family to board the plane headed for Korea.(faculty lounge)
February 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A crazed mixture of emotions raced through Amy, McBride, who is a graduate of Missouri s Moberly Area Community College, as she walked away from her family to board the plane headed for Korea. She was excited to...

Montgomery College professor and artist Harry St. Ours is showing an exhibit of his recent works called "Details, An Exhibition of Photographs.".(faculty lounge)
February 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Montgomery College professor and artist Harry St. Ours is showing an exhibit of his recent works called "Details, An Exhibition of Photographs." A sculptor by training, St. Ours is currently professor in the...

Illinois' Elgin Community College alumni Robert Gilliam and Valerie Spurlock were honored during the college's Founders' Day Brunch.(honors & awards)
February 23, 2009... Illinois' Elgin Community College alumni Robert Gilliam and Valerie Spurlock were honored during the college's Founders' Day Brunch. The event, sponsored by the Elgin Community College Foundation, drew 242 people and raised $50,750 for...

Chris Leach.(honors & awards)
February 23, 2009... Community college student Chris Leach, a California inventor who sold a patent for his first invention for millions of dollars, has been named the 2009 E-Myth Worldwide Entrepreneur of the Year. The award recognizes entrepreneurs and the...

West Hills Community College.(honors & awards)
February 23, 2009... Leach accepted a check for $2,000 for his school, West Hills Community College, located in Lemoore, Calif. The award will be used to support entrepreneurship programs. Leach's story is truly a rags-to-riches saga. While working as many as three...

Montgomery County Community College.(honors & awards)
February 23, 2009... The Children's Center at Pennsylvania's Montgomery County Community College recently received the highest designation of four stars from the Keystone Stars program of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Office of Children, Youth and...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 23, 2009... MARCH Mar. 1-3, 2009 HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 14th Annual National Capitol Forum Madison Hotel, Washington, D.C. www.hacu.net Mar. 5-7, 2009 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF HISPANICS IN HIGHER...

Johnson County Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeff Frost has been named the new dean of the mathematics division at Johnson County Community College in Kansas. As dean, Frost works with about 100 full- and part-time math instructors on campus as well as...

LaGuardia Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 23, 2009... E. Ramone Segree, a fundraising executive who for more than 25 years has devoted his career to the fields of philanthropy and volunteerism, has been appointed vice president for institutional advancement at New York's LaGuardia Community...

Northeast Campus.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 23, 2009... Linda Wright, an award-winning teacher and 26-year employee of Tarrant County College, has been named interim divisional dean for business and social sciences at Northeast Campus in Hurst, Texas. Recognized for her teaching numerous times,...

The Alamo Community College District Board of Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 23, 2009... The Alamo Community College District Board of Trustees approved Vernell E. Walker as San Antonio College's dean of professional and technical education. Walker was chairperson of the college's Business Department from 1990 to 2007, and served...

Collin College.(APPOINTMENTS)
February 23, 2009... Barbara Money was recently named vice president of student development for Collin College in Plano, Texas. She previously served as associate vice president of student development. Money also has served as director of career planning and...