Community College Week articles from March 2009

Community College Week archives from March 2009

$44 billion in stimulus money to start flowing into state coffers.
March 23, 2009... About $44 billion in educated-related stimulus funding will begin flowing to states over the next few weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The first round of funding is aimed at averting thousands of layoffs in schools...

GED classes being deluged as unemployed seek new skills.(around the nation)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ELKHART, Ind. (AP) -- Donna Sharp made a good living even without a high school diploma, earning about $19 an hour putting stripes on recreational vehicles in a northern Indiana county known as the RV capital of...

Veterans returning to college aren't victims, they're assets.(point of view)
March 23, 2009... The "Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008," or the "New GI Bill," will result in more and more veterans entering colleges and universities. Driven by concerns about these larger numbers of veterans returning home with serious...

Amid market meltdown, prepaid tuition plans getting a second look from parents.(money tree)
March 23, 2009... NEW YORK (AP) -- It's become part of financial wizardry 101: savvy parents invest in 529 college savings plans. But as the stock market suffers a relentless pounding, some parents are considering an alternative that lets them lock in...

Updating rules and measures: leaders push for new approach to measuring performance.(Cover story)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like the telegraph, the fountain pen and the horse-drawn buggy, IPEDS is a relic of a time gone by, in the view of many community college leaders. But rather than being put on some museum...

Obama's call of college for all: can it be done?(dateline: Washington)
March 23, 2009... WASHINGTON -- In his address to a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama called for every American to pursue some form of education beyond high school. It's an ambitious goal--some might say impossible. Currently, only two of...

Food for thought: culinary school cooks up plans for sports program.
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DENVER (AP) -- It happens in gymnasiums on the plains of Kansas, the coast of California and deep in the heart of Texas. At some point, the moment always comes when people see the name on the front of the...

Grads of college's auto tech school expect demand.(tracking trends)
March 23, 2009... SANFORD, Fla. (AP) -- The 40 service bays in Seminole Community College's state-of-the-art Professional Automotive Training Center are filled with the sort of vehicles you would expect to see in a school environment--a faded Ford Taurus, a...

Convicted Alabama lawmaker remains on college payroll.(tracking trends)
March 23, 2009... MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Sue Schmitz stands convicted for wrongly taking more than $177,000 in salary from a two-year college system program, but the ousted state House member is still on the program's payroll--and the beneficiary of a court...

Colleges brace for jumps in enrollment as economy sags.(tracking trends)
March 23, 2009... ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Life had a way of countering Angela Bonomo's longtime dream of earning a college degree. Still, the mother of three chipped away at it, periodically enrolling in St. Charles Community College courses over the past 18...

After truce, Nevada governor attacks chancellor in speech.(tracking trends)
March 23, 2009... RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Gov. Jim Gibbons has criticized Chancellor Jim Rogers, only days after the two declared a truce following Rogers's harsh criticism of the governor over his proposed deep cuts in higher education. Gibbons' leveled the...

Lost in translation: internet multilingualism can mean confusion.(technology today)
March 23, 2009... The Internet is an American invention, and though it has spread around the world, the bulk of the communication conducted through it is still in English. Even so, depending on what you're doing, you can come across Web pages, blogs and other...

Omaha College kicked out of state's college association.
March 23, 2009... OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- The community college district that serves Omaha and its suburbs has been kicked out of the state's community college association for not paying its full dues for the year. The vote by the Nebraska Community College...

Iowa College prof convicted Of sexual abuse charge.
March 23, 2009... DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- A Des Moines Area Community College professor has been found guilty of sexual abuse. Jeffrey Rumelhart was found guilty by a Polk County jury on one count of second-degree sexual abuse and four counts of...

Wyoming College Commission OKs 10 new programs.
March 23, 2009... CASPER, Wyo. (AP) -- The Wyoming Community College Commission has approved 10 new programs at three community colleges around the state. The commission signed off on the programs at a recent meeting in Casper. Students at Laramie...

La. College offering tuition-free training with federal grant.
March 23, 2009... MONROE, La. (AP) -- Louisiana Delta Community College this summer will offer tuition-flee training for manufacturing jobs. The program is funded primarily through a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and will train 250...

Students and friends of Lamar Institute of Technology will make prom more memorable for foster children in the area by providing them dresses.(around campus)
March 23, 2009... Students and friends of Lamar Institute of Technology will make prom more memorable for foster children in the area by providing them dresses. LIT students, faculty and staff have been collecting the dresses with assistance from its Office...

Mountain View College in Texas held a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony on to mark the opening of a new science and allied health building, as well as a new sports complex.(around campus)
March 23, 2009... Mountain View College in Texas held a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony on to mark the opening of a new science and allied health building, as well as a new sports complex. Special guests and dignitaries at the event included Wright...

Old computers and computer scrap will be accepted for disposal on the Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City and Kingman campuses of Mohave Community College in Arizona, as a fundraiser for the Mohave Community College Computer Club.(around campus)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Old computers and computer scrap will be accepted for disposal on the Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City and Kingman campuses of Mohave Community College in Arizona, as a fundraiser for the Mohave Community College...

Lee College.(grants & gifts)
March 23, 2009... Lee College in Baytown, Texas, recently received a $125,000 grant from the ExxonMobil Education Foundation. It is the second in a series of annual grants to support the college's technology programs, which provide workers to the petrochemical...

Oakton Community College.(grants & gifts)
March 23, 2009... Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Ill., was awarded a $60,000 grant to enhance campus security by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, with funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the Urban Area Security...

Victoria College Foundation.(grants & gifts)
March 23, 2009... Club Sembradores de Amistad de Victoria donated $12,000 to the Victoria College Foundation in support of Victoria (Texas) College students. The contribution is made up of a $10,000 donation to the foundation's endowment and $2,000 in direct...

A focus on environmental concerns and the possibilities arising from new "green" initiatives will be addressed at New Jersey's Bergen Community College as part of their Women's History Month celebration.(faculty lounge)
March 23, 2009... A focus on environmental concerns and the possibilities arising from new "green" initiatives will be addressed at New Jersey's Bergen Community College as part of their Women's History Month celebration. The celebration focuses on the theme...

Florida Southern College and Polk Community College in Florida have formed an innovative partnership and will offer an accelerated course of study leading to a bachelor of science degree in nursing.(faculty lounge)
March 23, 2009... Florida Southern College and Polk Community College in Florida have formed an innovative partnership and will offer an accelerated course of study leading to a bachelor of science degree in nursing. The program, which begins in fall 2009,...

Gadsden State Community College's aquaculture program has been recognized in the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Annual Report for its work with K-12 education and its teaching partnership with the extension service.(honors & awards)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gadsden State Community College's aquaculture program has been recognized in the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Annual Report for its work with K-12 education and its teaching partnership with the extension...

Ruth Randall, dean of curriculum and academic quality at Johnson County Community College in Texas, has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors Alumni Achievement Award.(honors & awards)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ruth Randall, dean of curriculum and academic quality at Johnson County Community College in Texas, has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors Alumni Achievement Award. As...

Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell named Dan Masterson, an English Professor at New York's Rockland Community College, as the county's first poet laureate.(honors & awards)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell named Dan Masterson, an English Professor at New York's Rockland Community College, as the county's first...

Calendar.
March 23, 2009... MARCH Mar. 22-25, 2009 TECH ED 2009 Ontario Convention Center Ontario, CA www.techedevents.org/2009 Mar. 28, 2009 ACADEMY FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE-A DAY DESIGNED FOR FACULTY Iowa Western Community College...

Lake Superior College.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lake Superior College in Minnesota has announced the appointment of Mark Magnuson as vice president of academic affairs. Magnuson will lead the college's academic unit and supervise all instructional activities....

Suffolk County Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 23, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shann L. McKay has been appointed interim executive vice president of Suffolk County Community College in New York. In this role, McKay will serve as the college's chief operating officer and will have authority...

Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., has welcomed two new members to its leadership team.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 23, 2009... Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., has welcomed two new members to its leadership team. Shanda Diehl has been named associate vice president of planning and effectiveness. She will be responsible for institutional research, grants...

Seminole Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 23, 2009... Seminole Community College in Florida recently named Maxine Oliver its director of campus safety and security. The law enforcement veteran brings more than 25 years experience to SCC, including 20 years in a supervisory role. Previously,...

Jobs of the Future.(Figuring it Out: A look at statistics shaping the higher education landscape)
March 9, 2009... Jobs of the Future Renewable energy and energy efficiency fields are making a major contribution to the American economy. Here is a summary: REVENUE JOBS Renewable Energy $39.2 billion 452,000...

Pa. considers boosting college grants, limiting tuition hikes.
March 9, 2009... HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A key state senator is calling for an expansion of Pennsylvania's grants for college students and strict new limits on tuition increases at most colleges and universities that get state funding. Senate Education...

Ark. college agrees to forfeit 22 games over eligibility issue.
March 9, 2009... FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) -- The Arkansas-Fort Smith women's basketball team will forfeit 22 games this season after a random audit found the Lady Lions used an ineligible athlete. The National Junior College Athletic Association conducted...

S.C. college students to lawmakers: resist cuts to education funding.(around the nation)
March 9, 2009... COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- College students across South Carolina are calling on legislators to invest more in education, saying recent slashes to public colleges and universities will only prolong the recession's effects here. More than 100...

Community colleges stand ready to aid economic recovery, but need government help.(point of view)
March 9, 2009... It is fitting that President Obama visited Elkhart, Ind., to promote his economic stimulus plan, for that city typifies the heartland's economic dislocation, as well as being a place where people are embracing new solutions. President...

Economic woes could force financial aid system to refocus on students most in need.(dateline washington)
March 9, 2009... WASHINGTON -- Johnny's a middleclass student who worked hard to get good grades and a high SAT score. Jane's record isn't as good, but her family is low-income, and without help she might not be able to go to college at all. Who should...

Green by design: colleges poised to benefit from new emphasis on green technologies.(SPECIAL REPORT: TECHNOLOGY IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES)
March 9, 2009... It was not lost on community college leaders that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Obama will invest nearly $80 billion in renewable energy, energy efficiency and green transportation initiatives. ...

Colleges expending energy on new initiatives.
March 9, 2009... Community colleges have been leading the way in embracing new green energy technologies to reduce costs and teach students skills in emerging fields. Here are descriptions of what some colleges are doing. Lane Community College, Eugene,...

Ga. lawmakers taking aim at higher ed spending.(money tree)
March 9, 2009... ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia lawmakers trying to hack $2.6 billion from the state's budget have grown frustrated with the state's higher education system, which they say hasn't borne its fair share of the cuts. Angry legislators have made...

Compromise reached on giving gambling funds to Colo. colleges.
March 9, 2009... DENVER (AP) -- College supporters and the state Historical Society have reached a deal to share the extra money that Colorado casinos are expected to rake in under new, looser rules. The House Education Committee approved the plan...

Ivy Tech, IU strike deal on transfer of education credits.
March 9, 2009... INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College have agreed on a new credit transfer program for education students. Ivy Tech students who earn an associate degree in elementary education will be able to transfer...

Miss. plan to train nurses online could strain state workforce fund.
March 9, 2009... JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi's chief of junior colleges has questions about legislation designed to meet the state's growing demand for nurses. The state Board of Community and Junior Colleges would develop an online course for...

Arkansas students push for total smoking ban on campus.(tracking trends)
March 9, 2009... JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) -- There are plenty of restrictions on smoking on campus at Arkansas State University, but the Student Government Association wants to end the practice altogether. A measure that would ban campus smoking is in the...

Washington Indian College ready to grant its first bachelor's degrees.(FUTURE PLANS)
March 9, 2009... LUMMI RESERVATION, Wash. (AP) -- Northwest Indian College will grant its first four-year bachelor's degrees this spring, a milestone in the college's evolution into a four-year institution after more than 25 years as a two-year school. ...

Professor, L.A. College District sued by student over anti-gay marriage speech.(legal corner)
March 9, 2009... LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A community college student has flied a lawsuit claiming a public speaking professor berated him and refused to let him finish a speech opposing same-sex marriage. In the suit flied in U. S. District Court, student...

Different approaches: Colo. Senator wants tuition benefit for illegal immigrants.(tracking trends)
March 9, 2009... DENVER (AP) -- The debate over b offering in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants is making its way through the state Capitol again, and this time supporters say they have the muscle of Colorado's business community to get a bill to the...

Different approaches: S. C. Law targets immigrants attending state's colleges.(tracking trends)
March 9, 2009... MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) -- Dayana Rodrigues graduated in the top 5 percent of her high school class in 2007 and completed nursing prerequisites at Horry-Georgetown Technical College. But in January, the college refused to re-enroll the...

Delay granted in sentencing of former Ala. chancellor.
March 9, 2009... BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- A federal judge has granted the government's request to delay sentencing for former Alabama two-year college Chancellor Roy Johnson. Johnson was set to be sentenced on Feb. 26, but prosecutors say he has more...

New Idaho college misses goal on initial enrollment.
March 9, 2009... NAMPA, Idaho (AP) -- Administrators at the new College of Western Idaho say they have fallen short of their first semester enrollment goal. The Nampa-based college reports more than 1,200 students are taking classes, about 500 short of...

Fla. officials issue pricing guidelines on textbooks.
March 9, 2009... FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- The governing boards for the state university and community college systems want to ensure that textbooks assigned by professors are actually used in class. The Board of Governors has issued guidelines to...

Wash. college enrollment experiencing rapid growth.
March 9, 2009... SEATTLE (AP) -- Enrollment at Washington's 34 community and technical colleges is up dramatically. College officials say fall enrollment reached 134,000 fulltime equivalent students. That's an increase of more than 9,000 over the...

Delaware tech president won't seek budget increase.
March 9, 2009... DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Delaware Technical & Community College President Orlando George has told state lawmakers he is no longer seeking the additional funds he requested last fall during a meeting with state budget officials. He says the...

Enrollment in Louisiana colleges headed upward.
March 9, 2009... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Enrollment at Louisiana's community and technical colleges is up this year. It's a nearly 13 percent increase, from 51,798 students in spring 2008 to 58,426 students this year. That's according to the latest...

Surplus bridge moved to link two colleges in Oklahoma.
March 9, 2009... ENID, Okla. (AP) -- A county surplus bridge has been moved so that it connects the Enid campuses of Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Northern Oklahoma College. Ed Vineyard, the vice president of Northern, says the bridge had...

Group asks schools to move ceremonies from church.
March 9, 2009... MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A group advocating separation of church and state has asked three school districts west of Milwaukee to move their graduations from a church. The Elmbrook, Mukwonago and New Berlin school districts have been holding...

Neb. students awarded $12m in grants to attend college.
March 9, 2009... LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- More than $12 million in state grants were awarded to Nebraska college students in 2007-08. The Nebraska State Grant program awards funding to the state's neediest students. The program reports distributing more...

Sooie! Alabama College students eat BBQ for grades.(TASTY ASSIGNMENT)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Four college students walk into a smoky restaurant, sit at a table under a blaring TV and order up their class work for the day--two slabs of spare ribs dripping with reddish sauce, white...

Old and new technologies converge in internet book readers.(technology today)
March 9, 2009... The Internet may be the world's newest communication medium, and books may be among the oldest, but the two have met in lots of interesting ways. Electronic book readers, also called e-book readers, are one of the more interesting....

Shoreline Community College.(around campus)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It wasn't a vacation, although it may have felt like it on occasion to the 44 Japanese students who graduated from the Hospitality and Tourism College Program at Shoreline Community College. Over the last 10 months...

National Polytechnic College of Science.(around campus)
March 9, 2009... The National University System, a network of affiliated institutions committed to meeting the emerging demands of education in the 21st century, announced that it has converted a former U.S. Navy vessel into a floating campus for one of its...

Lewis and Clark Community College.(around campus)
March 9, 2009... The National Weather Service and Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Ill., have teamed up to offer SKYWARN training to individuals interested in watching for severe weather events and reporting them to the weather service. SKYWARN...

Burlington County College in New Jersey has been awarded a U.S. Department of Labor grant that will enable workforce development training and help the economy grow.(grants & gifts)
March 9, 2009... Burlington County College in New Jersey has been awarded a U.S. Department of Labor grant that will enable workforce development training and help the economy grow. The Community-based Job Training Grant totals nearly $1 million and will...

Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md., has been awarded $87,000 from the Maryland Higher Education Commission through the Base Realignment and Closure Higher Education Fund grant program.(grants & gifts)
March 9, 2009... Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md., has been awarded $87,000 from the Maryland Higher Education Commission through the Base Realignment and Closure Higher Education Fund grant program. The funds will be used to expand the...

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, in Richmond, Va., has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Robins Foundation to fund the Boost Academy, a component of the school's Middle College program.(grants & gifts)
March 9, 2009... J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, in Richmond, Va., has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Robins Foundation to fund the Boost Academy, a component of the school's Middle College program. The program is designed to prepare at-risk...

Lake Region State College, in Devils Lake, N. D., has received two grants for its wind energy technician program.(grants & gifts)
March 9, 2009... Lake Region State College, in Devils Lake, N. D., has received two grants for its wind energy technician program. Gov. John Hoeven recently presented college administrators with a $368,715 North Dakota Department of Commerce workforce...

Mohave Community College.(faculty lounge)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dan Messersmith, a longtime Mohave Community College administrator and well-known Mohave County historian, presented the history of the Arizona county during a recent lecture on the college's Neal Campus-Kingman....

Howard Community College.(faculty lounge)
March 9, 2009... Howard Community College in Columbia Md., recently hosted a college fair for students with disabilities. The college's Project Access, a program designed to help persons with disabilities transition into postsecondary education and become...

Caroline Duggan.(honors & awards)
March 9, 2009... Caroline Duggan, a music teacher at New York City's Public School 59, will be the community guest of honor at the 24th Irish Heritage Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony at Bronx Community College. She will also lead the Keltic Dreams Irish...

Dianne G. Van Hook.(honors & awards)
March 9, 2009... Dianne G. Van Hook, in one of her first positions in community colleges, created a model program for Santa Ana College in California's Rancho Santiago Community College District--a program that would help other women enter the workforce by...

Kathryn Winograd.(honors & awards)
March 9, 2009... Kathryn Winograd, director of the Writers Studio at Colorado's Arapahoe Community College, has received the 2009 Jerome F. Wartgow Teaching with Technology Award. Winograd began teaching creative writing and English online in 1996 as part of...

Calendar.(Calendar)
March 9, 2009... MARCH Mar. 9-11, 2009 NATIONAL POLICY SEMINAR ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION "New Administration + New Congress = New Opportunities" Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA ...

New Mexico's San Juan College.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Henry Oh has been hired as the new director of the Health Sciences Simulation Center at New Mexico's San Juan College. The simulation center is located in the recently completed Health Science Center on the...

The Westmoreland County Community College Board of Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 9, 2009... The Westmoreland County Community College Board of Trustees has named Daniel J. Obara interim president after releasing Steven C. Ender from his contract as president. In January, Ender accepted the position of president of Grand Rapids...

Association of Community College Trustees.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 9, 2009... Wright Lassiter Jr., chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District, has been appointed serve as a member of the Association of Community College Trustees advisory committee of presidents. Lassiter's appointment began Jan. 1 and...

Johnson County Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 9, 2009... Ruth Randall has been named the dean of curriculum and academic quality at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. In her role, Randall is responsible for the development and approval process of curriculum and program reviews....

Volunteer State Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
March 9, 2009... Kyla Webb has been named director of the Health Sciences Center of Emphasis at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tenn. Webb was most recently director of health and wellness at the college. The Center of Emphasis offers health...

Two community colleges blend smart technologies: with bricks and mortar.
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In today's digital age, there is an increasing emphasis on modern educational facilities that offer students an interactive learning environment and are equipped to support schools'...

Learning technologies embodied in Monroe CC's learning center.
March 9, 2009... ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Once a typical classroom filled with desks and chairs, a newly renovated room at Monroe Community College's Damon City Campus (DCC) now functions as "a center for active learning" designed to support the many ways students...

Seminole Community College prepares for growth.
March 9, 2009... Given the current economic climate, many community colleges are bracing for dramatic enrollment increases. New students are choosing the affordable community college route and many of those who were in the workforce are going back to school...

Portable Learning System aids STEM skills.
March 9, 2009... Casting students in the role of scientists and engaging them in authentic scientific experiments through the use of digital technology can raise the bar for mastery of essential scientific concepts. This will help to prepare them for success...

Lee College extends reach with home grown broadband network.
March 9, 2009... In an effort to bring lifelong learning to the underserved population of Chambers County, Texas, Lee College and a consortium of other local organizations have established CCCnet, the Chambers County Community network. This broadband wireless...

Arkansas two-year colleges migrate to new info management system.
March 9, 2009... Like higher institutions across the country, Arkansas' two-year colleges are facing shrinking budgets and trying to do more with less. Colleague, Dataters enterprise information management solution, is being used by community, colleges across...