Community College Week articles from June 2008

Community College Week archives from June 2008

Wash. court allows college coach to sue for wrongful termination over Title IX complaints.(around the nation)
June 2, 2008... The former coach of the women's basketball coach at Clark College can pursue claims that he was wrongfully fired for complaining about unequal treatment between his team and the men's team, the Washington Court of Appeals has ruled. In a...

Son of former Ala. College director pleads guilty.
June 2, 2008... BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- The son of the former head of the Alabama Fire College has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud in connection with a bogus contract his father arranged with Gadsden State Community College. Prosecutors at...

Jailed teen, blocked from attending college, prevails in effort for new court hearing.
June 2, 2008... A reformed juvenile delinquent, described as a "role model" of rehabilitation since her incarceration for murder, has won the right to a new court hearing on her request to attend classes at Anne Arundel Community College. The Maryland...

In reversal, N.C. bars illegal immigrants from attending state community colleges.
June 2, 2008... RALEIGH, N. C. (AP) -- North Carolina's community college system has reversed itself and said it will no longer admit illegal immigrants until federal officials formally weigh in on whether the practice is legal. The college system...

Business leaders see community colleges as linchpin of competitiveness.
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Maintaining the country's economic competitiveness in a time of globalization will require renewed collaboration between community colleges and the business community. That was the conclusion drawn last week by members of...

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 2, 2008... A story appearing in the May 5, 2008 edition of Community College Week incorrectly reported the status of bill regulating private lenders of student loans. The measure has been approved by a Senate committee but has not been approved by the...

No such thing as cancelled: a college experiments with a guaranteed class schedule and finds more upside than expected.
June 2, 2008... When William Law Jr. first contemplated offering his community college students a guaranteed class schedule, one image kept flashing in his mind: A harried, working-class single mother of two who hires a babysitter and rearranges her life so...

Proposed new GI bill encounters opposition from Pentagon.(dateline Washington)
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON (AP) -- Veterans groups say it's time to expand college aid for GIs, and Democrats want to use an election year to do it. Their biggest obstacle? The Pentagon. The Defense Department is lobbying against legislation proposed by...

Report says erratic support hampers jobs programs.(capital briefs)
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Troublesome performance system measures and erratic federal funding hamper otherwise successful collaborations for one-stop centers operated by community colleges and the workforce system. The collaborations take on different...

Dual reports identify shortcomings in Bush job training programs.(dateline Washington)
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The major employment and job training initiatives of the Bush administration have not proved their worth, according to two federal investigations. Two separate government reports, one from the Department of Labor's Office of...

Census report tracks rise in full-time students.(capital briefs)
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Some 1.37 million Full-time students were attending their first year of community college in the fall of 2006, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Another 1.33 million Full-time students were in their second...

Program aimed at increasing teaching ranks prepares debut.(capital briefs)
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- It should take about half an hour for a student to complete the Agreement to Serve for a TEACH award, the Department of Education figures. It expects about 55,800 hopefuls to apply for the program, which officially commences July...

Waivers based on disability could require more proof.(capital briefs)
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Borrowers who seek to get out of repaying student loans because of disability may have to show more proof. The Office of Federal Student Aid is proposing to revise the Discharge Petition for Total and Permanent Disability....

Prominent health care role seen for tribal colleges.(capital briefs)
June 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Tribal colleges could soon get a large role as public health promoters. The Tribal Health Promotion and Tribal Colleges and Universities Advancement Act of 2007, approved by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, would set...

Young and brilliant: ten-year-old excels at L. A. Community College.
June 2, 2008... DOWNEY, Calif. (AP) -- With the end of another academic year approaching, college sophomore Moshe Kai Cavalin was cramming for final exams in classes such as advanced mathematics, foreign languages and music. But Cavalin is just 10 years...

Impact of Ky. budget cuts means fewer slots for 2-year colleges.(money tree)
June 2, 2008... FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky's community colleges may have thousands fewer available slots next year after a state panel rejected a proposed double-digit tuition increase for them, the system's president said. As many as 6,000 students...

Calif. colleges receive record $70 million gift.(money tree)
June 2, 2008... Leaders of the California's community college system have announced a $70 million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation in what is believed to be the largest donation ever made to a two-year college system in the United States. The...

La. college system offers guarantee.
June 2, 2008... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) --The Louisiana Community and Technical College System will offer graduates for more than 100 training programs a guarantee sought by Gov. Bobby Jindal: If you can't find a job in your training area, you'll be retrained...

Okla. voters reject tax hike for colleges.
June 2, 2008... TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Voters in Tulsa County have said no to a $76 million dollar bond issue and a 1.7 mill property tax increase to benefit Tulsa Community College. The bonds would've been used for construction projects at the college's...

Wyo. Task Force begins study of colleges.
June 2, 2008... CASPER, Wyo. (AP) -- The state doesn't intend to micromanage Wyoming's community colleges with a task force created to study the institutions, Gov. Dave Freudenthal said, but the newly formed group must look after the state's best interests....

Beer, cocaine might have killed student.
June 2, 2008... MESA, Ariz (AP) -- A Phoenix-area college professor told emergency dispatchers that a female student had been drinking and doing cocaine in his apartment before she collapsed and died, police reports and dispatch recordings show. Paradise...

Bacteria lurking in your keyboard could lead to illness.(technology today)
June 2, 2008... If you pay too much attention to all the TV commercials for antibacterial soaps, wipes, lotions, and sprays, it can be difficult not to feel paranoid about all the germs out there that can get you. Now there's a new threat--or at least a newly...

Central Piedmont Community College.(around campus)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] North Carolina's Central Piedmont Community College and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte won the title of "Rookie of the Year" at the Formula Society of Automotive Engineering competition, held at the...

San Juan College.(around campus)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the challenges in teaching students to drive big rig trucks in San Juan College's commercial drivers license program is teaching them how to them to handle a truck loaded with thousands of pounds of cargo....

Bates, Technical College.(around campus)
June 2, 2008... Under the terms of a recently-awarded state grant, Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Wash., will incorporate I-BEST (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) into the college's career education programs. I-BEST training provides...

Elgin Community College is the recipient of a $1.98 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for its Pathways to Health Careers Program.(grants & gifts)
June 2, 2008... Elgin Community College is the recipient of a $1.98 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for its Pathways to Health Careers Program. This is one of the largest federal grants the Illinois college has received in its 59-year history....

Central Florida Community College is one of five colleges selected nationwide to become a mentor college in the Plus 50 Initiative.(grants & gifts)
June 2, 2008... Central Florida Community College is one of five colleges selected nationwide to become a mentor college in the Plus 50 Initiative. CFCC will receive $70,000 over three years to expand its offerings and develop new programs for the community's...

The Portland Community College Grants Office has announced an award of $234,453 from the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development for the college's career pathways efforts.(grants & gifts)
June 2, 2008... The Portland Community College Grants Office has announced an award of $234,453 from the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development for the college's career pathways efforts. This 18-month grant will fund the development...

Central Florida Community College has been awarded a Perkins Professional Institute grant from the Florida Department of Education.(grants & gifts)
June 2, 2008... Central Florida Community College has been awarded a Perkins Professional Institute grant from the Florida Department of Education. The $500,000 grant will facilitate the development of student academic, career and technical skills through the...

Joliet Junior College workforce development program has been awarded $619,109 under the Employment Opportunities Grant Program from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.(grants & gifts)
June 2, 2008... Joliet Junior College workforce development program has been awarded $619,109 under the Employment Opportunities Grant Program from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The money will be used to implement the college's...

Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, Ill., recently received a $7,470 grant through the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to install energy efficient lighting and a new lighting control board in the auditorium of the college's Business and Community Education Center.(grants & gifts)
June 2, 2008... Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, Ill., recently received a $7,470 grant through the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to install energy efficient lighting and a new lighting control board in the auditorium of the college's...

Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, has announced the establishment of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and a governing Board of Trustees.(faculty lounge)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, has announced the establishment of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and a governing Board of Trustees. The foundation was created to direct the...

Brian Brendlinger, director of student activities at Pennsylvania's Montgomery County Community College, was recently named advisor of the year by the American Students Association of Community Colleges.(honors & awards)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Brian Brendlinger, director of student activities at Pennsylvania's Montgomery County Community College, was recently named advisor of the year by the American Students Association of Community Colleges. Brendlinger...

Rod A. Risley, executive director of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society and longtime advocate for community colleges, was presented with the 2008 National Leadership Award from the American Association of Community Colleges during a historic joint session of the AACC Annual Convention and the Phi Theta Kappa International Convention in Philadelphia.(honors & awards)
June 2, 2008... Rod A. Risley, executive director of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society and longtime advocate for community colleges, was presented with the 2008 National Leadership Award from the American Association of Community Colleges during a...

Lewis and Clark Community College.(honors & awards)
June 2, 2008... Lewis and Clark Community College's Nurse Managed Center for Healthcare and Education in Godfrey, Ill., has been recognized by the Illinois Rural Health Association with a Special Exemplary Project Award. The center is credited for providing...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 2, 2008... JUNE June 2-5, 2008 ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MSU-CIBER; East Lansing, MI http://ciber.msu.edu/events/aibi/ June 4-6, 2008 "The Greening of Our Schools" BUTTE...

Highline Community College's Board of Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Highline Community College's Board of Trustees chose a familiar face to become the new president of the Washington state institution: interim president Jack Bermingham. Bermingham served as academic vice president at...

The Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees has named Jack E. Daniels Ill president of Los Angeles Southwest College. Daniels has served as interim president of the 7,000student campus since August...

College of Southern Nevada.(APPOINTMENTS)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Board of Regents unanimously voted to name Michael D. Richards as president of the College of Southern Nevada. Richards has been interim president since August. He came to the college in 2005 as vice president...

Delgado Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
June 2, 2008... Ron Wright, who has more than 30 years of experience working in community colleges, was appoint ed chancellor of Delgado Community College by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors. Before coming to Delgado,...

San Juan College.(APPOINTMENTS)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Merrill Adams has been named the new dean of the recently reorganized School of Science at San Juan College in Farmington, N.M. Adams has served as the interim dean for the past school year, and will take over on a...

Measuring up.(Figuring in Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
June 16, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Measuring Up Community college students make up the following percentages of undergraduates: All US. undergraduates: 46% First-time freshmen: 41% Native American: 55%...

Ala. Senator indicted in probe of 2-year colleges.
June 16, 2008... BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- State Sen. E.B. McClain has been indicted on bribery, conspiracy and other federal charges accusing him of pocketing more than $300,000 in government money routed through a nonprofit organization. McClain, 68,...

Gas prices push Missouri college to embrace four-day week.
June 16, 2008... POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (AP) -- With student commuters feeling the pinch of gasoline prices approaching $4 per gallon, a community college in southeast Missouri is cutting back to a four-day school week. This summer, Three Rivers Community...

Wisc. colleges want full funding for vets benefits.
June 16, 2008... MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- University of Wisconsin System leaders want lawmakers to pay the full cost of tuition benefits they've given to veterans. Wisconsin veterans can attend the UW System and Wisconsin Technical College System for free...

Virginia colleges approve tuition increase.
June 16, 2008... RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Students at Virginia's community colleges will see tuition and fees increase by $6 per credit hour, meaning a student taking 30 credit hours will pay 7.5 percent more than the previous school year. The State Board of...

Graduation rates should inform decision-making, not drive it.(top 100 associate degree producers 2008 edition)
June 16, 2008... I have to admit that I was one of those professors who always advised students not to worry about getting an associate degree from my institution but to focus on the bachelor's instead--that is, until some folks from our student services wing...

Access alone termed not enough.(NISOD Conference)(Obituary)(Conference notes)
June 16, 2008... AUSTIN, Texas -- When Vincent Tinto talks, professional educators listen. So it was no surprise that when asked for a show of hands, most of the 1,500 community college educators attending the annual conference of the National Institute...

Moving up: colleges seeing the biggest increases in associate degree production share their secrets.(top 100 associate degree producers 2008 edition)
June 16, 2008... The nation's proprietary colleges capitalized on the demand for associate degrees in recent years, recording huge increases in the number of degrees awarded, according to a Community College Week analysis. Private, for-profit institutions...

Analyzing the numbers.(top 100 associate degree producers 2008 edition)
June 16, 2008... What's the difference between a community college and a public, two-year postsecondary institution? Thirty years ago, the answer to that question would be "substantially, nothing." Since then, there has been significant change in the nature of...

House bill significantly boosts education benefits for veterans.(dateline Washington)
June 16, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Current and former military members would benefit from several significant higher education improvements under legislation passed by the House. The chamber joined the House in approving a National Defense Authorization Act...

Budget writers approve more spending for education.(capital briefs)
June 16, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Legislation to boost higher education funding next year got a green light from congressional budget writers. A congressional conference agreed to a budget for fiscal year 2009 with room to accommodate every existing program,...

Compliance forms being written for new grant program.(capital briefs)
June 16, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Along with a new scholarship program come new reporting work for colleges. The Office of Federal Student Aid is continuing to prepare forms for compliance with the TEACH grant program. Colleges will have to use one form under...

Gap in training blamed for veterans claims backlog.(capital briefs)
June 16, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A new report has identified one reason for the backlog in processing veterans education claims: though claims processors are required to take a training course, the rule is not enforced. The Veterans Benefits Administration...

Forgiveness of loans is aim of proposed legislation.(capital briefs)
June 16, 2008... WASHINGTON -- U. S. Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., introduced the TEACH for Our Future Act of 2008, referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, which would provide loan forgiveness for those who spend five consecutive years teaching in any...

Veterans' agency strives to make applying easier.(capital briefs)
June 16, 2008... WASHINGTON -- It may become easier for veterans to apply for education benefits. The Veterans Benefits Administration has asked the Office of Management and Budget to approve simplified application forms for veterans' education benefits....

California Court orders professor to reimburse college $62,000 for sabbatical that failed to meet obligations.
June 16, 2008... A former political science professor must repay $62,000 in past salary to the Chaffey Community College District for failing to meet his sabbatical obligations. The California Court of Appeal ruled that Dale Tatum breached his sabbatical...

New crop of young educators converge on Louisiana schools.(tracking trends)
June 16, 2008... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Teach For America, the national organization that recruits recent college graduates to teach in underserved public schools, will place 50 new teachers in south Louisiana this fall. The 50 teachers are among the...

Few females coaching women's sports may mean fewer role models.(Title IX)
June 16, 2008... PHOENIX (AP) -- Coaching omen's sports has become a man's world. At youth, club, high-school, college and pro levels, men are dominating head-coaching jobs in women's sports. Women's participation in sports is higher than ever, a...

Nevada guardsmen earn degrees.(Tuition Waivers)
June 16, 2008... RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Hundreds of Nevada National guard members are earning college degrees under a tuition waiver approved five years ago by the state Legislature. During the last school year, 607 National Guard members attended college on...

Report finds gaps in aid for N.C. community college students.(money tree)
June 16, 2008... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A recently released report released criticizes the grant and financial aid programs that serve the state's 58 community colleges, saying the aid programs fall short of the financial support a typical community college...

California college program aims to help vets adjusting to college and civilian life is goal.(money tree)
June 16, 2008... A model program,, called "Boots to Books at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., is helping former soldiers and their families deal with the aftermath of war. "It's to help people understand what happens to them in combat and how to...

Media Institute selects 2008 community college fellows.(money tree)
June 16, 2008... NEW YORK -- The Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media has selected six journalists as fellows and nine as associates to participate in its "Covering America, Covering Community Colleges" fellowship, a program aimed at supporting...

In Arkansas, colleges required to inquire about students' immigration status.(money tree)
June 16, 2008... LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- All Arkansas two-year and four-year colleges and universities must ask potential students if they are legal residents of the country, the director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education said. A letter by Jim...

Women hit the road: big rig program grows at Washington college.
June 16, 2008... ABERDEEN, Wash. (AP) -- If you ask the women in the Grays Harbor College commercial driver's license program if they've had good training, they're likely to answer, "10-4!" The college's program was resurrected less than a year ago. It had...

Arkansas banks on proposed lottery to fill college financial aid shortfall.
June 16, 2008... LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Arkansas college administrators are already looking to a proposed state lottery to help solve an expected $1 billion shortfall in financial aid to students over the next three decades, even before the issue makes it onto the...

Judge blocks firing of college president: reinstatement sought.(ALABAMA UPDATE)
June 16, 2008... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Former Southern Union State Community College president Susan Salatto's firing earlier this year violated the Fair Dismissal Act, according to an administrative law judge's ruling. Salatto was fired in January...

Alabama holds line on tuition at community colleges.(ALABAMA UPDATE)
June 16, 2008... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Alabama's two-year colleges will not raise tuition for the fourth straight, Postsecondary Chancellor Bradley Byrne said. Byrne's decision comes despite an anticipated budget cut from the Legislature. "As...

Bill would keep N.C. immigrant status out of admission.
June 16, 2008... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Several House members want to keep illegal immigrants in North Carolina's community colleges and public universities by barring officials from asking potential students about their immigration status. The bill filed...

Connecticut establishes financial services degree.
June 16, 2008... HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Students in Connecticut can now earn a college degree in insurance and financial services. Gov. M. Jodi Rell says the state Department of Higher Education has approved an associate of science degree in the field. ...

Duke energy gives grants to N. Carolina colleges.
June 16, 2008... RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Four community colleges in North Carolina will receive up to $250,000 each in awards from the Duke Energy Community College Grant Program. The awards will go to Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock; Cleveland...

E-mail reality: it's convenient and fast, but not private.(technology today)
June 16, 2008... One old saw about newfangled e-mail is that it's as private as a postcard. Problem is many people feel it's as secure as Registered Mail. Two recent events shed interesting, and useful, light on the issues surrounding email security. ...

Tidewater Community College.(around campus)
June 16, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From test tubes to telescopes, from biology to astronomy--science education at Virginia's Tidewater Community College now includes a new state-of-the-art science building on the Virginia Beach campus. The building...

Lake Washington Technical College.(around campus)
June 16, 2008... The distinct sound of Harley-Davidson motorcycles is now being heard in the classrooms at Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland, Washington. The college is now offering an associate degree in Harley-Davidson motorcycle repair and...

Volunteer State Community College.(around campus)
June 16, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] France, Spain, Guatemala and the United Kingdom: these are some of the places where Volunteer State Community College students will be exploring and learning this summer, thanks to a new emphasis on international...

The Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pa., was recently awarded a $984,275 three-year grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration to launch RN Achievement, a program designed to aid in expanding recruitment, retention and cultural diversity efforts in its nursing programs.(grants & gifts)
June 16, 2008... The Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pa., was recently awarded a $984,275 three-year grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration to launch RN Achievement, a program designed to aid in expanding recruitment,...

The Dallas County Community College District has received several state grants that support nursing, student recruitment and workforce development.(grants & gifts)
June 16, 2008... The Dallas County Community College District has received several state grants that support nursing, student recruitment and workforce development. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has awarded the district and El Centro College a...

Maui Community College has been awarded high-performance computing equipment by IBM for use in its electronics and computer engineering technology program.(grants & gifts)
June 16, 2008... Maui Community College has been awarded high-performance computing equipment by IBM for use in its electronics and computer engineering technology program. The grant is part of an effort to demonstrate the partnership between academia and the...

The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety at Northeast Iowa Community College's Peosta campus will be taking their safety and rescue programs on the road.(grants & gifts)
June 16, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety at Northeast Iowa Community College's Peosta campus will be taking their safety and rescue programs on the road. The center purchased a truck and trailer for the...

Mountain View College.(faculty lounge)
June 16, 2008... National and state statistics show that public school districts lack qualified teaching professionals, and the Texas State Board of Educator Certification has given Mountain View College in Dallas, Texas, a very important charge to fill the...

Mesalands Community College.(faculty lounge)
June 16, 2008... Any time you embark upon a new venture there are a myriad of unanswered questions to be solved, and the starting of the new Wind Energy Technician Program at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, N.M., is no exception. The administration...

Eduardo J. Padron, president of Miami Dade College, received the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's Henry M. Flagler Award for visionary leadership.(honors & awards)
June 16, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eduardo J. Padron, president of Miami Dade College, received the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's Henry M. Flagler Award for visionary leadership. The award is one of the chamber's most prestigious and is named...

The Santa Monica College Foundation announced a winner of the 2008 SMC Alumni Recognition Award: Jeremy S. Pal.(honors & awards)
June 16, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Santa Monica College Foundation announced a winner of the 2008 SMC Alumni Recognition Award: Jeremy S. Pal. Pal is a contributing researcher on a global warming study that earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Pal...

Anne Arundel Community College.(honors & awards)
June 16, 2008... Maryland's Anne Arundel Community College received a 2008 Innovation of the Year Award from the League of Innovation for the Community College for its "Parenting the Middle School Child" course. The 10-hour, five-session course gives parents...