Community College Week articles from July 2008

Community College Week archives from July 2008

Revenue sources for public community colleges.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
July 14, 2008... Revenue Sources for Public Community Colleges: State funds: 37% Local funds: 21% Tuition and fees: 17% Federal funds: 16% Other: 9% SOURCE: AMERICAN...

Cocaine OD killed student who collapsed at prof's home.
July 14, 2008... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- A college student who collapsed at her professor's Phoenix home died of a cocaine overdose, an autopsy concluded. Paradise Valley Community College student Andria Ziegler, 19, died April 20 after being taken from...

Gas prices forcing N.C. students to drop out.
July 14, 2008... DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Several students at Durham Technical Community College have told officials they had to drop out of summer classes because gas prices made their commute too expensive. The Herald-Sun of Durham reported that some colleges...

N. H. colleges seek $49m for campus upgrades.
July 14, 2008... CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- New Hampshire's community college system is asking for $49 million in the next capital budget to improve its seven campuses. The college system has some competition for funding. State agencies are proposing $339...

R. I. public colleges facing steep funding reductions.
July 14, 2008... PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Rhode Island's three public colleges face a $17.8 million reduction in state funding as the state looks to close a massive budget deficit. The University of Rhode Island alone is bracing for a $12 million loss. URI...

Penn. volunteer firefighters offered free education.
July 14, 2008... PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Allegheny County is offering full scholarships at its community college to volunteer firefighters. County officials say the initiative should give people an incentive to become volunteer firefighters. The program...

New computer network linking Indiana campuses.
July 14, 2008... SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- A new ultra high-speed Internet connection that already links many Indiana colleges and universities could be available at nearly 40 public and private campuses across the state by the end of the year. Indiana...

Arizona colleges, hospitals enlisted to confront predicted shortage of nurses.
July 14, 2008... TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Pima County doesn't have a shortage of nurses now, but health officials said that s likely to change as nurses become older and leave the work force. Because 31.2 percent of Arizona's nurses are older than 55, getting...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
July 14, 2008... A table reporting the Top 100 community college producers of two-year certificates across all disciplines was incorrect in the June 16 edition of Community College Week. The correct table can be found on the paper's website, www.ccweek.com. ...

Md. colleges offering forensics studies programs.
July 14, 2008... BALTIMORE (AP) -- A college forensics lab might have a little less sizzle than television's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," but that's where students are honing their skills to fight the bad guys. "Everything you see on CSI, we do it for...

Winning bond elections: successful campaigns require full array of political tactics.(SPECIAL REPORT: FUNDING COMMUNITY COLLEGES)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] It wasn't long after Richard Ct Carpenter became chancellor of the Lone Star Community College System in 2007 that he was tasked with an important job. Stung by voter rejection of a $250 million bond issue in...

Congress hones appropriations bills, largely rejecting Bush administration's proposed cuts to higher education.(dateline Washington)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Appropriations legislation working its way through Congress rejects almost all of President Bush's proposals to cut funding for adult education and supplemental loan programs and would provide select increases. The House...

Congress approves boosting vets' benefits.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Those who served in the military after the 2001 terrorist attacks will become eligible for additional educational benefits. Congress approved the Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 granting them three years of educational...

Bill would fund green grants for community colleges.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Oregon's two senators, Republican Gordon Smith and Democrat Ron Wyden, introduced the Community College Sustainability Act, which would dole out some $100 million in grants exclusively for green energy programs at community...

Senate seeks law banning lender discrimination.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Lenders could not discriminate against community college students under legislation before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., introduced the...

Exchange Act would bring Caribbean students to U.S.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A new throng of students from Caribbean islands may get opportunities to study at American colleges. The House and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have approved the Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational...

Report: Veterans collect more educational assistance.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Veterans get about as much Title IV aid as other students. But they get more student aid overall because they also get GI benefits, the Government Accountability Office reported. Some colleges opt to give veterans more financial...

House bill would fund new Cybersecurity programs.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Federal funding may be earmarked to provide associate degrees in cybersecurity. The House Homeland Security Committee approved the Cybersecurity Education Enhancement Act of 2007, which would create a program jointly sponsored by...

Ed. Dept. makes few changes to TEACH Grant rules.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The TEACH Grant program will operate substantially under the same rules as proposed in March. The Education Department's Office of Post-secondary Education received 132 comments on its proposed rules but issued final rules (in...

Fed govt. helps students avoid deceptive loan offers.(capitol briefs)
July 14, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A new guide to help students avoid misleading loan offers has been produced by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Education. See it at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/crc43.shtm.

Wind power seen as new opportunity for community colleges.(tracking trends)
July 14, 2008... BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- With wind turbine towers popping up on the U.S. landscape at a rate of almost 10 per day, the need for people to maintain and repair them is reaching the critical point. Community colleges in North Dakota and other...

La. student celebrates dual graduations.(tracking trends)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MONROE, La. (AP) -- When most high school seniors were celebrating graduation from their respective schools, Grejika Abram had two ceremonies. Abram took advantage of the dual enrollment program offered by...

Mass. unveils ambitious reform plan: overhauling public education.(tracking trends)
July 14, 2008... BOSTON (AP) -- The school overhaul plan unveiled by Gov. Deval Patrick includes a proposal to allow high school students as young as 16 to take an international evaluation test that would allow them to graduate. A report from the year-old...

Alabama college getting robotics center.(tracking trends)
July 14, 2008... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A robotics research and development complex will be built at Calhoun Community College in Decatur and is expected to train 450 people a year, Gov. Bob Riley announced. The governor said the complex will feature a...

Building house allows N. M. students put new skills to test.(tracking trends)
July 14, 2008... ALBUQUERQUE (AP) -- It's a modest home on a dusty plot of land, but to Central New Mexico Community College student Frank Nieto, it may as well be a mansion in an exclusive subdivision. "We did the flaming on the house," Nieto said,...

As gas prices rise, Tenn. students turn to distance learning.(money tree)
July 14, 2008... NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- More students area taking online classes as a way to save money on high gas prices, a Tennessee Board of Regents official says. Associate vice chancellor Robbie Melton is in charge of online and distance learning...

Tuition increases for Louisiana colleges get legislative approval.(money tree)
July 14, 2008... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) --Students at Louisiana's public colleges and universities are on track to lace higher tuition costs after a bill to allow four years of consecutive tuition increases received final passage with a unanimous vote of the...

Groups worry about Nevada's tougher admission standards.(money tree)
July 14, 2008... RENO, Nev. (AP) -- NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union officials have expressed concern over tougher admission standards at Nevada's two universities, citing a report that shows they have caused a drop in minority enrollment. Lucille...

Federal jury convicts ex-Alabama Fire College chief of fraud.(money tree)
July 14, 2008... TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- The former head of the Alabama Fire College must repay $1.7 million that he funneled to himself, family and friends, a federal jury has ordered. Jurors found ex-college director W.L. Langston guilty of theft,...

Nev. colleges say students still have loan options.
July 14, 2008... RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Administrators at small colleges in northern Nevada say students still have loan options despite a decision by some of the nation's largest banks to discontinue federally backed loans. Representatives of Truckee Meadows...

W. Va. colleges sign on to transfer agreement.
July 14, 2008... BEAVER, W.Va. (AP) -Concord University and New River Community & Technical College have signed an agreement that aims to encourage community college students to pursue a four-year degree. The agreement allows New River students to...

Stadium at Mississippi College getting makeover.
July 14, 2008... POPLARVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- When Pearl River Community College kicks off its 2008 football season Aug. 28 against Holmes, visitors will see Dobie Holden Stadium in a whole new light. For the first time since it opened in 1966, PRCC's...

Colleges land grants to prepare workforce for BRAC.
July 14, 2008... BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland labor officials are distributing federal money to colleges and schools developing programs for BRAC-related careers. Fort Meade Alliance, Cecil College, Harford County Public Schools and Frederick Community...

Missouri college trustees vote to fire president.
July 14, 2008... POPLAR BLUFF, Me. (AP) -- The Board of Trustees of Three Rivers Community College has fired its president, John Cooper. The decision came during a unanimous vote in a closed session. Cooper was placed on administrative leave with 30 days of...

Indiana governor supports new campus for Ivy Tech.
July 14, 2008... ELKHART, Ind. (AP)-- Gov. Mitch Daniels wants a new Ivy Tech Community College campus to be built in Elkhart County. Speaking at the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, the governor said the county is "clearly at the top of the list" among...

Lenders to stop loans to Wis. 2-year college students.
July 14, 2008... MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Several lenders say they will no longer give loans to students at Wisconsin's 16 technical colleges and 13 two-year colleges. The decision reflects a national trend among lenders who say loans to students at two-year...

N.C. college says financial problems repaired.
July 14, 2008... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Johnston Community College says it has fixed problems with the school's financial controls that allowed an employee to steal about $1,500 and its bookstore to lose more than $13,600. The State Auditor's Office...

Inbox inundated by spam? Some tips on fighting back.(technology today)
July 14, 2008... Spam is insidious and it's pandemic. Unsolicited commercial mass e-mail clogs our e-mail in-boxes, the e-mail servers of our Internet service providers, and the optical fiber, coaxial cable, and copper telephone wires though which Internet...

Lone Star College-Kingwood.(around campus)
July 14, 2008... Students and faculty members from Lone Star College-Kingwood encountered poverty and graciousness in equal doses on their first-ever international service learning trip to the Philippines. The students went to engage in intercultural...

Bellevue Community College. (around campus).
July 14, 2008... Washington's Bellevue Community College recently signed a sister-school agreement with Beijing University of Agriculture, a partnership in which the two institutions will exchange students and faculty members. The college is already planning an...

Elgin Community College is the recipient of a $32,000 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education to fund work-study for students.(grants & gifts)
July 14, 2008... Elgin Community College is the recipient of a $32,000 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education to fund work-study for students. The grant, through the education board's Illinois Cooperative Work-Study Program, enhances public-private...

The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of more than $476,000 to Arapahoe Community College and Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo., for the Advanced Technological Education program.(grants & gifts)
July 14, 2008... The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of more than $476,000 to Arapahoe Community College and Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo., for the Advanced Technological Education program. The grant will help the two colleges...

Community College of Allegheny County was recently awarded a $233,445 grant for the second year in a row by Health Resources and Services Administration Scholarships for Disadvantaged Nursing Students.(grants & gifts)
July 14, 2008... Community College of Allegheny County was recently awarded a $233,445 grant for the second year in a row by Health Resources and Services Administration Scholarships for Disadvantaged Nursing Students. The college was ranked second in the...

The corporate education unit of Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., has received a $191,000 Job Skills Program grant to provide customized training for approximately 90 personnel from five Clark County healthcare providers.(grants & gifts)
July 14, 2008... The corporate education unit of Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., has received a $191,000 Job Skills Program grant to provide customized training for approximately 90 personnel from five Clark County healthcare providers. The consortium...

William Tiger Fitzhugh.(faculty lounge)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, riverboats, clubs, homes and even the historic Ryman Theater--William Tiger Fitzhugh has played guitar in gigs all over Tennessee and across the nation. He teaches music at Volunteer State...

Yuying Liu.(faculty lounge)
July 14, 2008... Lone Star College-Montgomery instructor Yuying Liu has been awarded the first teaching certificate in Chinese from the Texas State Board for Educator Certification. The board is responsible for ensuring that educators are qualified to serve in...

Paul Marquard.(honors & awards)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Wyoming Distance Education Consortium has recognized physics and education instructor Paul Marquard as the master distance educator for Casper College for 2008. Marquard has been with the college since 1986 and...

A first-year member of New Jersey's Camden County College women's basketball team has received first-team All-America honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association, despite joining the team just a few months after giving birth to a daughter.(honors & awards)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A first-year member of New Jersey's Camden County College women's basketball team has received first-team All-America honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association, despite joining the team just a few...

Charles Dassance, president of Central Florida Community College, has been named "Communicator of the Year" by the Ocala Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.(honors & awards)
July 14, 2008... Charles Dassance, president of Central Florida Community College, has been named "Communicator of the Year" by the Ocala Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. The Communicator of the Year award is presented to the person who uses...

Morgan Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kerry Hart has been named president of Morgan Community College in Colorado. Hart has been campus dean and CEO of the Alpine Campus of Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs, Colo., since 2006. Prior to this...

Anne Arundel Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Md., named Felicia L. Patterson as its new vice president of learner support services. Patterson has been serving as executive vice president of student and enrollment...

Metropolitan Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Metropolitan Community College--Kansas City announced that Paul Long has been selected to serve as vice chancellor of educational services. Long has served as a philosophy instructor at Metropolitan Community College...

Bishop State Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] James Lowe has been approved by the Alabama State Board of Education to be president of Bishop State Community College in Mobile. Since August 2007, Lowe served as interim president of the college. Prior to his time...

Cuyamaca College.(APPOINTMENTS)
July 14, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cristina Chiriboga, vice president of instruction at California's Cuyamaca College for more than 12 years, has been named interim president. Chiriboga fills the post vacated by Geraldine M. Perri, who begins a new...

Calendar.(Calendar)
July 14, 2008... JULY July 19-23, 2008 SCUP'S 43RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE and Idea Marketplace Montreal, QC (Canada) www.scup.org/annualconf/43/ July 24-27, 2008 PHI THETA KAPPA LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM ...

Nev. Chancellor: cuts would devastate higher ed.(around the nation)
July 28, 2008... RENO, Nev. (AP) -- The head of Nevada's higher education system says potential budget cuts in the double-digit percentile range would devastate the state's colleges and universities for years to come. "The Nevada System of Higher Education...

Ore. College OKs outside review of president.
July 28, 2008... COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) -- The board at Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay will proceed with an outside review of the college president's job performance and assert more oversight against staffing decisions. College President...

Penn. College may face sanctions over hiring.
July 28, 2008... YOUNGWOOD, Pa. (AP) -- Westmoreland County Community College may face sanctions if it does not do away with political influences that impact hiring and daily operations. The Middles States Commission on Higher Education, an agency that...

Arizona college program on tissue study in jeopardy.(around the nation)
July 28, 2008... TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Pima Community College could scrap its program in histotechnology--a field that involves studying tissue under a microscope--and that possibility has some medical officials worried that a shortage of technicians could...

Calif. prosecutor drops demand for college paper's notes.(around the nation)
July 28, 2008... A county prosecutor has withdrawn a subpoena for notes, unedited video footage and other documents from the student newspaper at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., which covered an on-campus assault arrest. The Orange County...

Cuts in education spending threaten Michigan plans to boost number of grads.(around the nation)
July 28, 2008... LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A reduction in state aid going to Michigan's public universities has helped spark skyrocketing tuition and threatens to undermine the state's efforts to dramatically boost its number of college graduates. While state...

A gourmet education at fast food prices: culinary arts programs at community colleges are graduating chefs for some of the nation's finest restaurants--at a fraction of the cost of for-profit culinary institutes.
July 28, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Four teams of chefs, dressed in starched white hats and linen shirts, race against time to finish preparing their dishes. A crowd is gathered around them, which isn't surprising, considering the kitchens are placed...

Feds propose using family size to determine loan deferments.(dateline: Washington)
July 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- For the first time, family size would be considered when determining whether to grant economic hardship deferments to student borrowers. The U.S. Education Department's Office of Postsecondary Education has proposed rules to...

Form would smooth application for TEACH Grants.(capitol briefs)
July 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- TEACH Grant hopefuls will have to apply online each year at the Department of Education's website using a personalized PIN number. The Office of Federal Student Aid designed the application form so applicants won't have to...

Next phase of study seeks electronic data.(capitol briefs)(Clinical report)
July 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The Institute of Education Sciences plans to ask about 2,600 private and public education agencies for electronic data in the next phase of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. The institute is continuing...

Lenders eligible for two new loan programs.(capitol briefs)
July 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Lenders can participate in two new programs during the coming academic year--a Loan Purchase Commitment Program and a Loan Participation Purchase Program. The former allows the Department of Education to buy loans from...

Ed. Dept. charges N.Y. College with improper handling of student loans.(capitol briefs)
July 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A New York City two-year college improperly sent lenders $440,487 in student loan payments and did not maintain controls on Title IV programs, according to a federal audit. Technical Career Institutes, Inc., which offers...

Report: students need to learn how to pay for college early.(capitol briefs)
July 28, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A four-part information framework is needed to get students thinking about paying for college--starting in 6th grade, according to a committee created by Congress to advise on student aid policy. Students need to be told...

Scholarships open door of elite institutions to community college students.(dateline: Washington)
July 28, 2008... The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has awarded Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships to 46 financially needy community college students, allowing them to attend some of the country's most prestigious universities. The students, chosen from a...

West Hawaii Community College gets new home in 2010.(dateline: Washington)
July 28, 2008... KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- Big Island community college students may have new digs when classes begin in the fall of 2010. Developers of Palamanui, a 725-acre subdivision north of Kailua-Kona, announced they are eyeing that date to...

In poor economy, last-minute aid options can forestall panic.(dateline: Washington)
July 28, 2008... CHICAGO (AP) -- Crunching the numbers on college costs has been a particularly grim task for parents of incoming freshmen this year. The weak economy has strained their cash resources, and the nationwide mortgage crisis has made many...

Tuition break for some Kan. illegal immigrants stands.(dateline: Washington)
July 28, 2008... TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Critics of a law giving some illegal immigrants a tuition break at state universities and colleges are promising to keep challenging it, despite a recent legal setback from the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court has...

California college's accreditation threatened.
July 28, 2008... STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) -- The president of San Joaquin Delta College says his institution is in danger of losing its accreditation if officials fail to develop a new code of ethics. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior...

Ariz. college declines downtown campus.
July 28, 2008... MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- Mesa Community College has decided against building a downtown campus in Mesa. Rising construction costs and the chance to plan a new program at a single site prompted college officials to instead move its expansion...

'Mission creep' feared as Utah college shifts mission.
July 28, 2008... SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- With the transition of Utah Valley State College into the regional Utah Valley University last month, some observers are hoping that students won't get left behind. Experts say the institution's community...

Sluggish economy fueling Ivy Tech enrollment.
July 28, 2008... INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ivy Tech Community College says a record summer enrollment may be caused by the sluggish economy. The college says more than 32,000 students are enrolled in summer classes at 23 campuses statewide. That's an increase of...

Neb. college opposes affirmative action ban.
July 28, 2008... LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Southeast Community College's Board of Governors has adopted a resolution opposing a proposed ban on affirmative action in Nebraska. Officials there say many of the school's programs would no longer exist if...

Tuition on rise at Rhode Island colleges.
July 28, 2008... PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Tuition and fees at Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island are on the way up. The Board of Governors for Higher Education on Monday approved a nearly 10 percent hike at RIC and a nearly 9...

There's more to cut and paste than you may think.(technology today)
July 28, 2008... If you've been around computers for any period of time, you may think the cut and paste operation is child's play. But there's more to it than meets the eye, and a history behind it that's fascinating. Cut and paste, and the related copy...

Md. College institutes ban on tobacco products.(technology today)
July 28, 2008... Montgomery College campuses are banning all tobacco products from its three campuses and administrative offices, becoming tobacco-free on Aug. 1. The tobacco-free policy was approved by the college Board of Trustees after a year of...

The Promise for the Future Scholarship program of the Central Arizona College Foundation is receiving a $1 million boost, thanks to the Gila River Indian Community.(grants & gifts)
July 28, 2008... The Promise for the Future Scholarship program of the Central Arizona College Foundation is receiving a $1 million boost, thanks to the Gila River Indian Community. Through the State Shared Revenue Program, Native American communities with...

Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass., received word of a five-year U.S. Department of Education grant expected to be worth more than $1.9 million.(grants & gifts)
July 28, 2008... Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass., received word of a five-year U.S. Department of Education grant expected to be worth more than $1.9 million. U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy and Congressmen Barney Frank and Jim...

Wyoming's Casper College/ ARTCORE "Equality State Book Festival," has recently received grants totaling more than $48,722 from outside funders.(grants & gifts)
July 28, 2008... Wyoming's Casper College/ ARTCORE "Equality State Book Festival," has recently received grants totaling more than $48,722 from outside funders, enhancing the college's already strong support for the program. The festival includes readings,...

Bill Ruddock, an alumnus of Victoria College, in Victoria Texas, Alum, donated $5,000 to the Victoria College Foundation for emergency assistance funds for students.(grants & gifts)
July 28, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bill Ruddock, an alumnus of Victoria College, in Victoria Texas, Alum, donated $5,000 to the Victoria College Foundation for emergency assistance funds for students. Ruddock made the donation to support students and...