Community College Week articles from January 2008

Community College Week archives from January 2008

N.Y. education panel recommends sweeping changes, including free college to some high-achieving students.(around the nation)
January 14, 2008... ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A state commission that is recommending how higher education should change in New York has suggested a variety of innovative and costly programs including a "promise" of free college education for successful students in...

Calif. district's board upset over college's facilities management.(around the nation)
January 14, 2008... Trustees at California's Santa Ana College are considering taking action to tighten controls after two recent revelations that embarrassed the college in the local press. In November, the student newspaper, the El Don, reported that fire...

Va. nursing students sue over lost accreditation.
January 14, 2008... ROANOKE, Va. (AP) -- A group of current and former nursing students at Virginia Western Community College has filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming it defrauded them because it failed to tell them the nursing program had lost its...

Late shoe mogul leaves college nest egg for every child born in Maine.(around the nation)
January 14, 2008... AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Every child born in Maine will be eligible for a $500 college savings nest egg, thanks to the generosity of a shoe company founder who never attended college himself. A foundation started by the late Harold Alfond,...

Celebrating two decades of publishing.(around the nation)
January 14, 2008... When we asked associate editor Paul Bradley to write a short retrospective for Community College Week, he started with "Twenty years and counting." With this first issue in 2008, we are now indeed into our 20th year. We began with only a...

New N.C. president promises focus on workforce development.
January 14, 2008... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The next president of North Carolina's community college system said he will continue to focus energies on helping train the state's workforce to compete in a high-tech economy. "I don't think there's going to be a...

Meet the candidates: as primary season heats up, Community College Week takes a look at the major candidates' stances (or lack thereof) on issues that matter to two-year colleges.(ELECTION 2008)(Cover story)
January 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] In a campaign dominated by the Iraq war, the economy and illegal immigration, the future of higher education has struggled to command the attention of the candidates. Some don't address higher education at all on...

Gates Foundation helps D.C. students prepare for college.(around the nation)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON (AP) -- It may take a village to raise child, but it can take a small fortune to educate one--and that isn't only because of rising college tuition fees. The effort is especially difficult when it concerns young people who need...

Ill-prepared students cause Missouri colleges to form task forces to address remedial education issues.(around the nation)
January 14, 2008... SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Higher education leaders in Missouri say freshman in the region are increasingly unprepared to pass basic college-level courses. Two central Missouri colleges have formed task forces to find ways to stem the rising...

College officials hear advice on enrollment, persistence, transfer.(dateline washington)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Get them to come. Get them to stay. And get them to continue their education beyond the associate degree if that's what they need. Community colleges and financial aid professionals got a day full of advice on just how some...

Minority enrollment on rise at 2-year colleges.(capital briefs)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Minorities are increasingly gravitating toward two-year colleges, according to a new federal report. Nearly half of all college students attend public two-year institutions, according to Higher Education: Tuition Continues to...

Tuition waivers extended for members of military.(capital briefs)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Tuition breaks for service members will continue another five years. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education announced that it has extended waivers and statutory modifications under the HEROES Act...

Bush veto strips education benefits for military veterans.(dateline washington)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Members of the armed forces reserves lost--at least temporarily--a chance to get substantial new education benefits. President Bush vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act, with provisions designed to help reservists pay...

Technical errors in student aid bill corrected.(capital briefs)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Some technical errors and ambiguities in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 got cleaned up in follow-up legislation. President Bush signed into law a technical corrections bill regarding the law, which was passed...

New rules proposed for federal ed. dept. employees.(capital briefs)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The Department of Education has proposed rules regarding when its employees and former employees can testify or provide information in judicial and administrative proceedings. The purpose is to develop a uniform policy for all...

Report projects increased college enrollment.(capital briefs)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Enrollment in postsecondary institutions overall will exceed 20 million students within eight years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Its scenario for growth anticipates that the number of college...

College research symposium planned.(capital briefs)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The Office of Vocational and Adult Education plans a research symposium on community colleges June 19. Ten researchers chosen from a call for papers will present their findings on a webcast from Washington, D.C. The call got...

Grants would support environmental planning efforts.(capital briefs)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Some $50 million in Sustainability Planning Grants could go to institutes of higher education under legislation proposed by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Murray's Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2007, referred to the...

Ed. dept announces new longitudinal study.(capital briefs)(Clinical report)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A second follow-up is in the works at the National Center for Education Statistics for the 2004-09 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. The study will continue the data collection started in 1990 with the...

Former Alabama chancellor's driver pleads guilty.
January 14, 2008... BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- The driver for former two-year college Chancellor Roy Johnson has pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal investigation by lying about corrupt financial deals. Lanier Robert Higgins, 50, admitted giving false...

Wyo. community college tuition boosted by 4.8 percent.
January 14, 2008... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The Wyoming Community College Commission has approved a 4.8 percent tuition increase at the state's seven community colleges. Currently tuition is $62 per credit hour. Starting next academic year, that will increase...

Community college initiative to reach out to rural Mainers.
January 14, 2008... AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Maine's community colleges are reaching out to expand educational opportunities to rural Maine residents. The Maine Community College System is investing $6.2 million in a program aimed at closing the growing...

Students in Wash. storm areas to get tuition waivers.
January 14, 2008... OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Washington community college students who are also storm victims won't have to pay tuition for the next two quarters. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges voted to give aid to students affected by the...

Texas pledges $4.2 million to create new schools.
January 14, 2008... AUSTIN (AP) -- The Texas Education Agency has awarded $4.2 million to school districts around the state to create three specialized academies and seven Early College High Schools. The new high schools will target students who may not...

New Alabama policy requiring criminal background checks could cost some 2-year college employees their jobs.(ALABAMA UPDATE)
January 14, 2008... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- The State Board of Education has approved a policy requiting criminal background checks on existing employees and job applicants to the two-year college system which could cause some current employees to lose their...

Search for four college presidents comes to close in Alabama.(ALABAMA UPDATE)
January 14, 2008... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- After several whirlwind months of wading through applications, the two-year college system's search for four college presidents, including one at troubled Shelton State Community College, is over. But there still...

Return of federal scholarship funds to Bishop State signals recovery from financial scandal, federal investigation.(ALABAMA UPDATE)
January 14, 2008... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Bishop State Community College is once again receiving federal scholarship money, a sign of its recovery from a financial scandal, officials announced. The U.S. Department of Education last month sent $505,052 for the...

Led by Google, Internet access to books making serious strides.(technology today)
January 14, 2008... Pundits have described the Internet as the greatest boon to literacy since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 15th century. Despite the Internet's multimedia versatility, communications over the Internet remains largely words...

Plan will weigh how well colleges nurture innovation.(technology today)
January 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Can community colleges do better at creating "hot spots" for innovation than can governments? The Employment and Training Administration wants to test that hypothesis over the next five years. The agency published its...

Thomas Nelson Community College.(around campus)
January 14, 2008... Eight students at Virginia's Thomas Nelson Community College, the first completers of an associate in applied science in nursing program from the College's Historic Triangle campus, were acknowledged in a pinning ceremony at the Espada...

Pellissippi State Technical Community College.(around campus)
January 14, 2008... Starting spring semester, Pellissippi State Technical Community College, students in Knoxville, Tenn., will have the opportunity to earn certification in what was formerly only a popular pastime: video games. The college's Media Technologies...

Owens Community College.(around campus)
January 14, 2008... Blustery winds and cold sleet and rain did not deter hundreds of Ohio's Owens Community College students from driving up to an expansive tent with drive-thru windows and participating in the new Drive-Thru Book Buy-Back Program. From the...

The Dallas County Community College District has been the recipient of a number of federal, state and private grants in the last two months of 2007.(grants & gifts)
January 14, 2008... The Dallas County Community College District has been the recipient of a number of federal, state and private grants in the last two months of 2007. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the district and Eastfield College...

With support from SunGard Higher Education's Managed Services, Moraine Park Technical College has received a $1.9 million Title III grant to help better serve the campus community.(grants & gifts)
January 14, 2008... With support from SunGard Higher Education's Managed Services, Moraine Park Technical College has received a $1.9 million Title III grant to help better serve the campus community. The east-central Wisconsin technical college was awarded the...

Mt. San Antonio College was recently awarded a three-year $900,000 National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education grant to raise computer security awareness throughout the region.(grants & gifts)
January 14, 2008... Mt. San Antonio College was recently awarded a three-year $900,000 National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education grant to raise computer security awareness throughout the region. In partnership with Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State...

Joe Schibig.(faculty lounge)
January 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Imagine billions of trees wiped out by blight. Great forests of American chestnuts have been reduced to almost nothing. For researchers, it's a challenge just to find the remaining few trees. Tennessee's Volunteer...

Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District administrator Dana Quittner is the recipient of a Women in Leadership award from the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to local and statewide education.(honors & awards)
January 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District administrator Dana Quittner is the recipient of a Women in Leadership award from the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to local and...

The Queensborough Community College Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship is awarded every other year to one or more faculty members who have demonstrated a consistent body of outstanding achievement in faculty research or creative work.(honors & awards)
January 14, 2008... The Queensborough Community College Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship is awarded every other year to one or more faculty members who have demonstrated a consistent body of outstanding achievement in faculty research or creative work....

El Centro College.(APPOINTMENTS)
January 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Dallas County Community College District Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Paul McCarthy as the new president of El Centro College. McCarthy, who currently serves as president of Prairie State College...

Berkeley City College.(APPOINTMENTS)
January 14, 2008... California's Peralta Community College District trustees have chosen Betty Inclan as Berkeley City College's new president. Before assuming the presidency, Inclan spent 14 years as associate superintendent and vice president of academic affairs...

Santiago Canyon College.(APPOINTMENTS)
January 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Rancho Santiago Community College District has named Kari Caldwell director of college advancement at Santiago Canyon College. As director, Caldwell will work to plan and implement programs that generate...

North Carolina Community College System.(APPOINTMENTS)
January 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges voted unanimously to select Scott Ralls to succeed H. Martin Lancaster as president of the North Carolina Community College System (See related story, pg. 5)....

Oakland Community College Board of Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
January 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Oakland Community College Board of Trustees has selected Timothy R. Meyer as the college's eighth chief executive officer. Meyer served as the president of Sault College in Ontario, Canada, from 2002 to 2006 and...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 14, 2008... FEBRUARY February 7, 2008 WEBINAR: Shared Responsibilities: What Advisors and Administrators Need to Know to Better Assist GLBTQA Students NACADA Presenters: Jennifer Joslin, University of Iowa and Casey Self, Arizona State...

Report criticizes California Colleges' financial aid system.(around the nation)
January 28, 2008... A statewide financial aid system with an unorganized patchwork of policies within it. That describes how the campuses of California Community College System dole out financial aid, according to a report from the Institute of College Access &...

4,000 Arizona students can't prove legal status.
January 28, 2008... PHOENIX (AP) -- Nearly 4,000 students at the state's universities and community colleges failed to qualify for lower in-state tuition rates this academic year because they couldn't prove they're legal U.S. residents. The totals are...

Out of prison, ex-official to teach N.C. college class.
January 28, 2008... BURLINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Former state Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, who spent more than three years in federal prison for taking illegal campaign contributions, will begin teaching a class this month at a community college. ...

N.J. college faculty oppose proposed code of conduct.
January 28, 2008... PARAMUS, N.J. (AP) -- Faculty at Bergen Community College have balked at a proposed conduct code for students and teachers, calling it unconstitutional and unenforceable. Many colleges include guidelines on civility in student handbooks,...

Oversight structure of Alabama Colleges draws strong criticism in report.(around the nation)
January 28, 2008... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- A recent report strongly criticizes Alabama's two-year college oversight structure, but most members of the state school board and two-year Chancellor Bradley Byrne said they don't see a need to change the system. The...

Audit calls for improvement in tracking of spending on Ala. adult education programs.(around the nation)
January 28, 2008... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- A state audit has faulted Alabama's two-year college system for its failure to follow up on payments to its adult education providers and to determine how $12.4 million was spent. But the audit cited no illegal activity....

Mass. governor eyes tuition breaks for illegal immigrants.(around the nation)
January 28, 2008... BOSTON (AP) -- Gov. Deval Patrick said he's looking into whether he can skirt the Legislature by unilaterally allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state colleges. Patrick's revelation touched off strong reaction on Beacon...

No community college left behind: new federal regulations for schools spur new training opportunities for community colleges.(SPECIAL REPORT: TEACHER EDUCATION)
January 28, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The No Child Left Behind Act contains scant mention of community colleges or other postsecondary institutions. Yet the landmark law aimed at improving public schools, a measure which Congress will consider...

Ivy Tech looks to add up to 200 new full-time instructors.(around the nation)
January 28, 2008... INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ivy Tech Community College's newly hired academic provost plans to hire up to 200 new full-time instructors to keep pace with the 23-campus system's surging enrollment. Donald S. Doucette, a 30-year veteran of community...

Education Dept. to consider new rules for student aid.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Two new committees have started developing the first draft of forthcoming student aid rules. The U.S. Education Department's Office of Postsecondary Education formed a pair of negotiated rulemaking committees to propose...

Census Bureau releases new associate degree figures.(capital briefs)
January 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- More than 18 million Americans had earned associate degrees as their highest level of education as of last year, according to the Census Bureau. The number includes 9.6 million who achieved "occupational" degrees and 8.5...

Military families get quicker benefits under new rules.(capital briefs)
January 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Military families no longer have to wait for disabled service members to be discharged before receiving Dependents Educational Assistance Benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs has officially changed the rules to allow...

Update of aid form aimed at potential teachers.(capital briefs)
January 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- An update to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, will alert students to the new Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education or TEACH grant program. Federal Student Aid has proposed...

GOP proposal would help borrowers with high debt.(capital briefs)
January 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Republicans on the House Education and Labor Committee introduced legislation redefining "economic hardship" to help student loan borrowers with high debts. The bill would restore the 20/220 rule that allows deferral of loan...

Grim financial outlook in Ky. means college spending cuts.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Gov. Steve Beshear met behind closed doors with presidents of Kentucky's public colleges and universities to discuss the state's grim financial situation. Beshear has asked public universities--along with state...

State funding to community colleges was up last year.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... State expenditures to higher education increased a whopping 7.5 percent in the last year, according to an annual survey released earlier this month by the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University. The survey,...

Federal Court throws out most claims from Delaware student who sued alleging whistleblower retaliation.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... Delaware Technical and Community College must defend itself against a former student-athlete's claim that her suspension and bar from campus violated her constitutional fight to due process of law, a federal judge has ruled. However, the...

California appeals court rules against college employee who charged worker's compensation probe invaded her privacy.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... A former employee cannot sue the San Luis Obispo Community College District for putting her under surveillance during an investigation of suspected worker's compensation fraud, the California Court of Appeal has ruled. The three-judge...

Joliet student smokers form group to roll back ban on butts.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- After being exiled to the Joliet Junior College parking lot because of new smoking restrictions, several friends did what comes naturally to students with a beef: they formed a group of similarly aggrieved people. The...

Ala. report details troubled history of Community College.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A new report on Southern Union State Community College says the campus previously run by former two-year college Chancellor Roy Johnson had a history of nepotism and "fixed" job searches that left employees with...

Idaho College leaders seek to double tuition, increase funding.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) -- The College of Southern Idaho plans to ask lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session to double how much community colleges can charge for tuition, from $1,250 to $2,500. College officials also want lawmakers to...

Nevada budget crisis means added fees for college students.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Students at most Nevada college and university campuses will pay more in fees, and professors statewide will forgo merit pay under stopgap budget measures adopted by state university regents to meet Gov. Jim Gibbons'...

Missouri democrats propose expanded scholarship program.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- House Democrats on have proposed spending more money on universities and expanding scholarships for community college students. The existing A+ Schools program covers tuition and some textbook costs at community...

Harrisburg Mayor envisions midtown student housing hub.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Mayor Stephen R. Reed says he looks at the city's midtown area, with its turn-of-the-century row houses, and envisions housing for hundreds of students. The mayor recently announced that the city is seeking proposals...

Ariz. high schoolers embracing dual enrollment.(dateline Washington)
January 28, 2008... PHOENIX (AP) -- A growing number of Arizona high school students are taking college-level courses through dual enrollment. Each year, an additional 1,000 Phoenix-area juniors and seniors decide to earn college credits on their high-school...

Ohio college faculty takes step toward strike.
January 28, 2008... HILLSBORO, Ohio (AP) -- Faculty members at Southern State Community College have taken the first step toward a possible strike. Faculty member Bill Horne said a 38-0 vote starts the process that could lead to a strike if the situation comes...

Minority enrollment up at Iowa 2-year colleges.
January 28, 2008... DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- About 6.4% more minorities are attending Iowa's community colleges compared to last school year. That's according to the Iowa Department of Education's fall enrollment report. Minority enrollment increased by 504...

Mass. board asks for $1.2 billion to run state colleges.
January 28, 2008... BOSTON (AP) -- The state Board of Higher Education has requested $1.2 billion for the 2009 fiscal year to run the state's 29 public colleges and universities, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. The full request now goes to the...

N.D. corrections employees to get tuition break.
January 28, 2008... BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- North Dakota's corrections department is giving some employees a chance to get financial aid to earn a two-year college degree. Agency director Leann Bertsch says it's a chance for some Department of Corrections and...

Calif. Senate rejects appointment of college trustee.
January 28, 2008... SACRAMENTO (AP) -- The state Senate has rejected one of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's appointees to the California Community College Board of Governors. Republican leader Dick Ackerman says his GOP colleagues were upset with Katherine...

Idaho administrators seek space for new college.
January 28, 2008... BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Administrators at Idaho's newest community college are looking for temporary classroom space in hopes of offering the first round of courses a year from now. (See related story, pg. 16) Officials with the College of...

Two new college presidents named in Mass.
January 28, 2008... BOSTON (AP) -- The state Board of Higher Education has approved the appointments of two new college presidents. Evan Dobelle was approved as the president of Westfield State College while Paul Raverta was affirmed as the president of...

Internet addiction afflicting growing number of Web surfers.(technology today)
January 28, 2008... One of the top tech trends for 2008 will be Internet addiction, prognosticates J. Walter Thompson, the advertising agency powerhouse. What's old is new again. "Internet addiction has been a concern since the dawn of the Web," acknowledges Ann...

A memento from Michigan's Oakland Community College will go to the frontiers of space this August when astronaut and 2003 "outstanding alumnus" Andrew J. Feustel joins a seven-member NASA crew.(around campus)
January 28, 2008... A memento from Michigan's Oakland Community College will go to the frontiers of space this August when astronaut and 2003 "outstanding alumnus" Andrew J. Feustel joins a seven-member NASA crew. The mission is to make repairs on the orbiting...

Portland Community College.(around campus)
January 28, 2008... Portland Community College in Oregon, and Horizon Air have agreed to a direct-hire agreement for the college's Aviation Science program. This agreement gives graduates of the program a preferred interview status to help make the first step into...

Indian River Community College.(around campus)
January 28, 2008... The Florida Department of Transportation and Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Fla., decided that the Southeast Transportation Corridor Pilot project would provide an outstanding opportunity for both agencies to work together to...

MiraCosta College's nursing program has received a $335,042 federal appropriation following the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was signed into law by President Bush.(grants & gifts)
January 28, 2008... MiraCosta College's nursing program has received a $335,042 federal appropriation following the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was signed into law by President Bush. The funds will be used to help expand the San Diego...

Montgomery County Community College in southeastern Pennsylvania has been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to extend its outreach efforts in Norristown and Pottstown by preparing low-income high school students for college.(grants & gifts)
January 28, 2008... Montgomery County Community College in southeastern Pennsylvania has been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to extend its outreach efforts in Norristown and Pottstown by preparing low-income high school students...

Santa Monica College in Southern California has been awarded a $1.2 million grant to improve the recruitment, training, guidance and support of students who want careers in early childhood education.(grants & gifts)
January 28, 2008... Santa Monica College in Southern California has been awarded a $1.2 million grant to improve the recruitment, training, guidance and support of students who want careers in early childhood education. The grant--$400,000 a year for three...

Faculty lounge.
January 28, 2008... A 10-Year Survey, an art exhibit of large-scale paintings and drawings by Washington's Tacoma Community College art instructor, Marit Berg, will be on view Feb. 11 through March 28 at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College. The exhibit will...