Community College Week articles from September 2007

Community College Week archives from September 2007

Tuition hike being considered by Florida lawmakers.(around the nation)
September 24, 2007... TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Lawmakers again are considering raising tuition for state university and community college students to help overcome a tax revenue shortfall, although Gov. Charlie Crist recently vetoed a 5 percent annual increase....

Mesa firings anger veteran fitness professors.
September 24, 2007... MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- Mesa Community College has fired 15 veteran fitness professors, saying they aren't qualified to teach classes they've led for years. But part-time professors are accusing school officials of replacing them because of...

Embracing a profit mentality.(SPECIAL REPORT: Workforce Training)
September 24, 2007... Across the country, many community college presidents find themselves increasingly focused on financial issues, trying to balance a stressed budget against the rising cost of operation. Like most postsecondary institutions, community...

A new dischotomy: can institutional change improve a community college's workforce responsiveness?(SPECIAL REPORT: Workforce Training)
September 24, 2007... When the operators of Baltimore's growing airport and seaport gazed into the future last year, they didn't like what they saw. Baby-boomers were beginning to retire in droves. New technologies were creating demand for new skills....

Bush administration's worker training program gets good marks.(SPECIAL REPORT: Workforce Training)
September 24, 2007... When President Bush first proposed the Community-Based Job Training initiative--a new federally-funded worker training program--in 2004, he made it clear that he saw community colleges as essential to aiding in the country's economic...

Federal program aims to assist displaced manufacturing workers.(SPECIAL REPORT: Workforce Training)
September 24, 2007... MASON, Ohio (AP) -- Nearly two years after losing his job at the former UBE Automotive plant here, Dan Sponaugle is starting a new career as a paralegal with the help of a little-known federal program that helps manufacturing workers who lose...

South Texas College helps Hispanic high school students explore careers in medical, engineering fields.(SPECIAL REPORT: Workforce Training)
September 24, 2007... For residents of the heavily Hispanic, poverty-stricken areas of McAllen and Weslaco, Texas, getting a college education may not rank at the top of the to-do list. That spot is reserved for making sure there's food on the table. ...

Mesa instructor faces firing over overseas trip.
September 24, 2007... MESA. Ariz. (API) -- A termination hearing looking into allegations a Mesa Community College instructor engaged in fraud and mismanaged college funds used in an overseas trip attended by students wrapped up last month. Professor Cyndi...

Congress passes legislation to boost college access.(dateline: washington)
September 24, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Pell Grants will rise by more than $1,000 over five years. Interest rates on some student loans will be cut in half. Lenders will get federal subsidies slashed. New grant programs will aim to improve access to higher education....

Two-year college costs rose 3 percent, survey finds.(capital briefs)
September 24, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The cost of attending two-year colleges rose less than 3 percent in most instances over the last two years, according to a new federal report. Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2006 and Degrees and Other...

Bill proposes new rules for textbook publishers.(capital briefs)
September 24, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Rep. Julia Carson, D-Ind., has introduced the College Textbook Affordability and Transparency Act of 2007, referred to the Committee on Education and Labor. The bill would require publishers who promote texts and supplements...

Job training strategies to be available online.(capital briefs)
September 24, 2007... WASHINGTON -- By the end of this year, a website is slated to be up providing information on successful job training strategies. MPR Inc. is preparing the site through a contract with the federal education and labor departments. MPR had...

House aims to bolster ranks of South Pacific students.(capital briefs)
September 24, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The House approved a measure to bring more students from the South Pacific to American colleges. The South Pacific Economic and Educational Development Act of 2007 calls on the State Department to create within the Fulbright...

Campus energy programs win approval from House.(capital briefs)
September 24, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Programs that develop energy will get federal financial support if the House gets its way. The chamber recently sent to the Senate several measures that could develop energy programs on campuses. House lawmakers approved...

Ala. Chancellor pledges to reverse Bishop enrollment slide.
September 24, 2007... MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Bishop State Community College's enrollment has plunged to about 2,500 students--down from about 5,200 three years ago--amid a financial scandal that two-year colleges Chancellor Bradley Byrne hopes to heal with several...

Morrison named new head of Bevill State Community College.
September 24, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- State Rep. Neal Morrison. D-Cullman, has been named interim president of Bevill State Community College in Sumiton and will give up his House seat, Chancellor Bradley Byrne has announced....

California instructor can pursue claim, appeals court rules.
September 24, 2007... A former tenured political science instructor can pursue his wrongful termination and employment discrimination suit against Chaffey College, a three-judge California Court of Appeal panel held. The court unanimously ruled that Dale...

Michigan freezes cost of prepaid tuition program.
September 24, 2007... LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The state will give parents of future college students a break by freezing the cost of buying into the state's prepaid college tuition program. The Michigan Education Trust Board plans to use $6 million of a $21...

Oklahoma college security task force moving swiftly.
September 24, 2007... OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The work of an Oklahoma task force created to examine security on the state's college campuses is moving faster and more smoothly than expected, the state's higher education chancellor said. Chancellor Glen Johnson...

Iowa College starts sustainable energy program.
September 24, 2007... FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) -- As Ray Beets talked about energy on the first day of classes at Iowa Central Community College, some of his questions fell close to home--or even inside the home. "How would you handle the flood if you didn't have...

Wyoming colleges seek $63 million in construction money.
September 24, 2007... ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) -- The Wyoming Community College Commission has decided to ask the Legislature for about $63 million to help fund a variety of construction projects. The requested money would pay for much-needed student housing on...

Rhode Island students facing tuition increase.
September 24, 2007... PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Tuition and fees charged to in-state students at Rhode Island's public university and colleges could rise between 5 percent and 6 percent after this school year under a proposal by state education officials. Jack...

N.C. college pledges to preserve historic wall.
September 24, 2007... WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Cape Fear Community College has agreed to preserve parts of a red brick wall near Wilmington's waterfront to recognize the railroad history of the port city. The college will bury most of the wall and remove some...

Top Indiana prosecutor to join staff at Ivy Tech.
September 24, 2007... INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The top federal prosecutor for much of Indiana is leaving that job for a position with Ivy Tech Community College. Susan Brooks, the U.S. attorney for the southern district of Indiana since 2001, said that she would...

Alabama board member's spouse to resign post.
September 24, 2007... HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) -- State school board member Mary Jane Caylor said her husband is resigning his part-time job with the two-year college system to avoid retaliation from legislators over her vote to bar them from working in the system....

Transfers fueling N.C. enrollment growth.
September 24, 2007... CULLOWHEE, N.C. (AP) -- Graduate students and community college transfers have helped push overall enrollment at Western Carolina University past 9,000 students for the first time in the school's 118-year history, campus officials said. ...

Louisiana enrollment continues on upward path.
September 24, 2007... BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Enrollment at many Louisiana community colleges continues to grow. Baton Rouge Community College, for example, reported record enrollment of 7,014 students for the fall semester. That's up nearly 7 percent from...

Internet provides pathway to making and solving complaints.(technology today)
September 24, 2007... Complain, complain, complain. Sometimes it seems that's all people do anymore. We complain about the weather, traffic, airline hassles, bosses, employees, spouses, children, the President, Congress, voters, lawyer fees, doctor waits, auto...

Manatee Community College.(around campus)
September 24, 2007... Florida's Manatee Community College is hosting a national mathematics competition for students from two-year colleges. The first-ever competition is co-sponsored by Manatee Community College, Mu Alpha Theta national high school and two-year...

Harrisburg Area Community College.(around campus)
September 24, 2007... Twenty-four Danish students studying international marketing will put their English to work when they meet and mix with Pennsylvania's Harrisburg Area Community College students. This is the second academic year in which Minerva College in...

San Antonio College in San Antonio, Texas, has received a $597,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Hispanic Serving Institutions Assisting Communities program to build a community center to serve low-and moderate-income residents in the college's surrounding neighborhoods.(grants & gifts)
September 24, 2007... San Antonio College in San Antonio, Texas, has received a $597,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Hispanic Serving Institutions Assisting Communities program to build a community center to serve low-and...

Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Wash., has been awarded a $250,000 Opportunity Grant by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to help low-income adults pursue educations leading to high-demand jobs.(grants & gifts)
September 24, 2007... Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Wash., has been awarded a $250,000 Opportunity Grant by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to help low-income adults pursue educations leading to high-demand jobs. Grant funds...

Lewis and Clark Community College.(faculty lounge)
September 24, 2007... The music department at Lewis and Clark Community College, in Godfrey, Ill., will present Roy Stillwell, organist, and Pauline Stillwell, pianist, in a duo faculty recital in the Benjamin Godfrey Memorial Chapel. Roy Stillwell is an...

Guilford Technical Community College.(faculty lounge)
September 24, 2007... Plans have been made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Cline Observatory at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, N.C. The featured speaker will be Michael Turner of the University of Chicago, a world renowned cosmologist....

Central Arizona College.(honors & awards)
September 24, 2007... In a battle for excellence from the Southwest to Micronesia, three of Central Arizona College's most visible community publications have been recognized by the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations with the prestigious Medallion...

Owens Community College.(honors & awards)
September 24, 2007... Two students from Ohio's Owens Community College recently earned international recognition for their exceptional knowledge and skills in the HVAC and pipe fitting industry. Andy Kennedy and John Johnson have been crowned the United...

Tarrant Community College.(honors & awards)
September 24, 2007... Four faculty members at Tarrant Community College in Forth Worth, Texas have received the 2007 Chancellor's Award for Exemplary Teaching, the college's highest award for teaching. They are: English professor Pamela Benson, computer-aided...

Eduardo J. Padron.(honors & awards)
September 24, 2007... Eduardo J. Padron, president of Miami Dade College in Florida, has been chosen to receive the 2007 Monsignor Bryan O. Walsh Humanitarian award. The award will be bestowed upon Padron at the Mercy Foundation Gala. The foundation is the...

Education Commission of the States.(APPOINTMENTS)
September 24, 2007... Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has re-appointed Anne Arundel Community College President Martha A. Smith, to the Maryland Education Council and as Maryland representative on the Education Commission of the States, which provides a national...

Rockland Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
September 24, 2007... Rockland Community College has appointed Lilia Juele as director of distance learning and instructional technology. Juele is responsible for the growth and development of the college's distance learning program, including online and hybrid...

Los Angeles Community College District.(APPOINTMENTS)
September 24, 2007... The Board of Trustees for the Los Angeles Community College District announced an interim presidential appointment for Los Angeles City College. Jamillah Moore, a former chief deputy at the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office,...

Devi Sarinjeive has joined Daytona Beach Community College as a Fulbright scholar in residence.(APPOINTMENTS)
September 24, 2007... Devi Sarinjeive has joined Daytona Beach Community College as a Fulbright scholar in residence. Hailing from Pretoria, South Africa, Sarinjeive will spend a year as a professor in the college's English department, teaching freshman English,...

Calendar.(professional notes)(Calendar)
September 24, 2007... OCTOBER October 11, 2007 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CERTIFICATION SEMINAR; Phi Theta Kappa Chesterfield, MO (near St. Louis) http://leadership.ptk.org October 17, 2007 FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ...

Troubles continue roiling Alabama two-year college system.(around the nation)
September 10, 2007... SUMITON, Ala. (AP) -- The president of Bevill State Community College, Harold Wade, has announced plans to retire amid an ongoing federal investigation of Alabama's two-year college system. Wade, 67, is the latest college president to...

Maricopa faculty balks at signing ethics form.
September 10, 2007... PHOENIX (AP) -- The governing board of the Maricopa Community College District wants faculty members to sign several forms designed to ensure ethics and accountability in the wake of financial and foreign-travel abuses in recent years. ...

Warm welcome goes cool at Ohio College.
September 10, 2007... COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A community college's attempt at a warm welcome got a little lost in translation. Signs posted around Columbus State Community College at the start of the school year said "Welcome!" in English and three other...

Florida community colleges feeling doubly squeezed by pending state budget cuts.(around the nation)
September 10, 2007... TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida's community colleges are facing a "double-whammy" from impending spending cuts because their enrollment is soaring even though their budgets are based on last year's attendance figures, Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp...

Court ordered to revisit whether Calif. College is liable for disabled professor's lawyer's fees.(around the nation)
September 10, 2007... A state appeals panel has ordered a lower-court judge to reconsider whether the Kern Community College District in Bakersfield, Calif., must pay $167,202 in attorney fees to a quadriplegic faculty member who won a $37,000 compensatory damage...

Texas community colleges mull tax hikes to cover budget veto.(around the nation)
September 10, 2007... AUSTIN (AP) -- Community college officials said they will have to consider property tax increases, tuition hikes and cuts to educational program to compensate for $154 million in funds vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry. The college officials...

Cellar students: as wine sales spike and vineyards across the country need more workers, community colleges start new programs in winemaking.
September 10, 2007... It might not surprise anyone that California's Napa Valley, home to world-famous wineries, offers a winemaking curriculum at its local community college. But what about Washington, Iowa or Oklahoma? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nationwide,...

Spellings, college presidents go abroad to boost enrollment of foreign students.
September 10, 2007... SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has recently looked more like a college recruiter, traveling through South America with American university leaders to woo international students spooked by lengthy visa...

Federal report urges more information sharing to aid Asian-American and Pacific Islander students.(dateline washington)
September 10, 2007... WASHINGTON -- A nationwide effort is needed to identify ways to help Asian-American and Pacific Islander students succeed in college, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. The U.S. Department of Education needs to...

Staffing woes stymie minority colleges.(capital briefs)
September 10, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Staffing problems and other challenges are keeping colleges from taking full advantage of federal programs designed to help minority institutions, according to a recent study from the Government Accountability Office. And...

GAO cites absence of lending rules.(capital briefs)
September 10, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Recent abuses in arrangements between colleges and student aid lenders have taken place partially because the federal government never developed an effective policing system, the Government Accountability Office charges. ...

Study examines changes in for-profit status.(capital briefs)
September 10, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Should for-profit colleges get the same access to federal Higher Education Act money as non-profits and government-run institutions? Such a step probably wouldn't cost a lot in the short run, the Government Accountability...

New Hampshire College System gets new name, streamlined processes.(dateline washington)
September 10, 2007... BERLIN, N.H. (AP) -- A new law reorganizing New Hampshire's public technical college system does more than just change the name. Advocates of the law, which takes effect incrementally over two years, say not only does it change the name...

Ohio Colleges urged to make mental health information more available.(dateline washington)
September 10, 2007... COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Colleges and universities welcoming the first incoming freshmen since last spring's shootings at Virginia Tech should do a better job of informing students about mental health services, a state task force on campus...

Wyoming panel seeks links between colleges, high schools.(dateline washington)
September 10, 2007... CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Reducing Wyoming's dropout rate and better preparing high school students are two goals of a new panel that will link K12 education in Wyoming with the state's university and community colleges. Gov. Dave...

Michigan College settles lawsuit with lawyer.
September 10, 2007... LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Lansing Community College and its former in-house lawyer have settled a lawsuit filed following his dismissal last September. Tim Zeller sued the college, saying he was fired in retaliation for going to state...

Democratic loyalist gets top Mass. job.
September 10, 2007... BOSTON (AP) -- Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed Democratic loyalist Fred Clark to be chairman of the state's Board of Higher Education. Clark, who has close ties to gubernatorial education adviser Dana Mohler-Faria, will fill the seat...

Nevada Colleges approve tougher standards.
September 10, 2007... RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Students wanting to attend Nevada's two universities will have to have better grades beginning next year under tougher admission standards approved by state regents. The board approved raising the required grade point...

Calif. enrollments rise as state economy sags.(news briefs)
September 10, 2007... SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Enrollment is up nearly 11 percent in the community-college district serving the capital area, prompting college officials to add staff members to help with admissions and financial aid and to ask part-time instructors to...

Lower the temperature when blogging turns heated.(technology today)
September 10, 2007... Emotional arguments punctuated with name-calling, insults, and other abuse have been a part of online communication since the beginning of online communication. From the days when computer bulletin board services run by hobbyists ruled the...

Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Penn., recently hosted educators from Thailand to demonstrate how the college uses adapted workstations and computer technology to accommodate students who have vision impairments.(around campus)
September 10, 2007... Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Penn., recently hosted educators from Thailand to demonstrate how the college uses adapted workstations and computer technology to accommodate students who have vision impairments. The visitors were...

A new aviation maintenance class through the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville began in a place where its 15 students can immediately get their hands dirty.(around campus)
September 10, 2007... A new aviation maintenance class through the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville began in a place where its 15 students can immediately get their hands dirty. The class will be conducted mainly at a hanger at the Batesville...

The mayor of Miami recently met with a group of environmentally conscious students from Miami Dade College.(around campus)
September 10, 2007... The mayor of Miami recently met with a group of environmentally conscious students from Miami Dade College. The students are members of GenerationEngage, a nonpartisan youth-civic-engagement initiative that connects young Americans with...

The first step to restore native plants to 12 acres of college campus property took place when Minnesota's Anoka-Ramsey Community College conducted a controlled burn on its Cambridge campus.(around campus)
September 10, 2007... The first step to restore native plants to 12 acres of college campus property took place when Minnesota's Anoka-Ramsey Community College conducted a controlled burn on its Cambridge campus. Controlled burning is used in prairie restoration...

In the effort to rebuild the city of New Orleans and neighboring regions affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the state of Louisiana has allocated $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds for a workforce training program in the field of culinary arts.(grants & gifts)
September 10, 2007... In the effort to rebuild the city of New Orleans and neighboring regions affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the state of Louisiana has allocated $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds for a workforce training program in...

Bronx Community College of the City University of New York has been awarded a $230,000 grant from the Robin Hood Foundation to implement the Making the Grade College Success Program.(grants & gifts)
September 10, 2007... Bronx Community College of the City University of New York has been awarded a $230,000 grant from the Robin Hood Foundation to implement the Making the Grade College Success Program. Making the Grade provides extra support to students who...

Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif., has been awarded a $381,774 grant from the National Science Foundation's advanced technological education program.(grants & gifts)
September 10, 2007... Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif., has been awarded a $381,774 grant from the National Science Foundation's advanced technological education program. The funds will be used to enhance the college's land survey curriculum with the...

Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs announced recently a $1.1 million grant award to the college's foundation.(grants & gifts)
September 10, 2007... Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs announced recently a $1.1 million grant award to the college's foundation. The grant was presented by the Iowa West Foundation. The foundation is one of the largest community-based private...

Montgomery College in Maryland will celebrate the talents of its fine arts faculty members from all three campuses--Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring--with a joint art exhibit entitled "Unity and Diversity.".(faculty lounge)
September 10, 2007... Montgomery College in Maryland will celebrate the talents of its fine arts faculty members from all three campuses--Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring--with a joint art exhibit entitled "Unity and Diversity." The exhibit...

A longtime English and humanities instructor at Edgecombe Community College has accepted one of only a few endowed chairs offered at a North Carolina community college.(faculty lounge)
September 10, 2007... A longtime English and humanities instructor at Edgecombe Community College has accepted one of only a few endowed chairs offered at a North Carolina community college. Monika Fleming was honored during a recent ceremony, making her the first...

Corning Community College in Corning, N.Y., has partnered with Keuka College in Keuka Park, N.Y., to present the inaugural Joint Presidential Scholarship to Corning employee Debbie Stayer Kelly, executive assistant to Corning's president.(honors & awards)
September 10, 2007... Corning Community College in Corning, N.Y., has partnered with Keuka College in Keuka Park, N.Y., to present the inaugural Joint Presidential Scholarship to Corning employee Debbie Stayer Kelly, executive assistant to Corning's president. The...

Two professors from Edison College in Southwest Florida recently received National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Awards for faculty.(honors & awards)
September 10, 2007... Two professors from Edison College in Southwest Florida recently received National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Awards for faculty. William Wilcox, professor of biology at the Charlotte campus, and Joan Van...

Santa Monica College trustee and professor Andrew Walzer has received the 2006-07 "Teacher of the Year" Award from the Los Angeles City College Associated Students Organization.(honors & awards)
September 10, 2007... Santa Monica College trustee and professor Andrew Walzer has received the 2006-07 "Teacher of the Year" Award from the Los Angeles City College Associated Students Organization. Walzer, a humanities professor at Los Angeles City College for...

Drake State Technical College.(PRESIDENTS)
September 10, 2007... John Reutter was recently appointed dean of instruction at Drake State Technical College in Huntsville, Ala. Reutter will be responsible for management of the college's educational division, including creation of new instructional programs...

Wake Technical Community College.(PRESIDENTS)
September 10, 2007... Gerald Mitchell has been named executive vice president for Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C. Prior to this appointment, Mitchell served as Wake Tech's vice president of continuing education, where he was responsible for the...

South Texas College.(APPOINTMENTS)
September 10, 2007... South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, has named Margaretha Bischoff as dean of the college's liberal arts and social sciences division. In the capacity of dean, Bischoff will oversee the management, development and direction of many of the...

Hillsborough Community College.(APPOINTMENTS)
September 10, 2007... Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Fla., has named Craig R. Johnson vice president of academic affairs. Johnson began at Hillsborough as a part-time teaching assistant in 1975 and has served an English professor, dean of dual enrollment...

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.(APPOINTMENTS)
September 10, 2007... Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has named Daniel DeMarte as its new vice president for learning. In this role, DeMarte serves as the college's chief academic officer, responsible for developing instructional programs, instructional...

Calendar.(Calendar)
September 10, 2007... Event listings are free! Send entries to: Community College Week P.O. Box 1305 1918, Fairfax, VA 22038 FAX: (703) 978-3933 or via E-mail: ads@ccweek.com SEPTEMBER September 20-22, 2007 NCCHC Annual Leadership Symposium...