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2008 Spring Picnic
May 14, 2008
Classes will be suspended from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information
Click here!

The Business Office has an opening that requires 10-16 hours per week doing miscellaneous filing.  The hours can be flexible and can be for the Spring and Summer quarter if desired.

Please contact any Business Office staff if interested.

Click here to find out more!

On Tuesday, the TRiO program at Washington State honored students, faculty and staff during their Ninth Annual Appreciation Luncheon at the Holiday Inn. Following the buffet lunch, Educational Talent Search (ETS) honored Andrew Bissell, Rachel Dunn and Tiffany Lauer. According to Dee Standish, director of ETS serves 850 students, grades six through 12, from 17 high schools across 4 counties.

“An average of 75% of our seniors enroll in college, far above the state and national average,” Standish said. Bissell thanked ETS for the service they provide. “The Educational Talent Search staff provide an friendly, productive arena that allowed me to search for a suitable college,” he said. Students Support Services, another TRiO program and known as Opportunity Scholars Program (OSP) at Washington State, honored Paul Byers, Jo McKinney, and Cindy Ward.

According to Molly Watson, director, Opportunity Scholars provides students the opportunity to go to college. Of the 2,183 students that attended Washington State last year, 1,429 (or 65 percent) were first generation college students. Of those, 715 (or 33 percent) were not only first generation college students, but they also received the Pell Grant. OSP serves 175 of those students. “We foster a sense of belonging in addition to the $21,800 in grant support that we provide,” said Watson.

Ward thanked OSP for helping her towards her goal of becoming an LPN. Ward said, “They listen when you need someone to talk to and the help whenever they can. Sometimes they’re just that smiling face that asks, ‘How ya’ doin’?’” Byers went on to say that Washington State had become much more than a means to end. After deciding to make a career change he chose Washington State as an affordable choice on the road to a bachelor’s degree. “Everyone has something to overcome. Keep encouraging people to reach their dreams and it will pay off in the end,” Byers told the crowd.

Upward Bound’s director, Gary Williams, congratulated Amanda Haney-Cech, assistant director of Upward Bound, for receiving the Rankin Award from the Ohio Association of Education Opportunity Program Personnel, a prestigious award from the state TRiO association.

“This award recognizes achievement, dedication, and service to income eligible/first generation students and is one of our most prestigeous awards. She received the award last week at our annual state conference,” said Williams. Haney-Cech went on to honor Matt Adkins and Gretchen King for their time in the program. Adkins reminisced about the many memories the Upward Bound program had provided him since he began the program in the ninth grade. “There are so many memories, so many good times. The counselors are there for you. If you have troubles with family, school, or just need support, they will help you with anything,” he told.

TRiO expands education opportunities because of a commitment by Congress to help low income Americans enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America’s economic and social life.  These programs are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The Board of Trustees is very pleased to announce only minimal changes to our fees for next year, beginning Summer Quarter 2008.  Our tuition will not change from what it is this year, resulting in three consecutive years of the same rate of tuition!

The Board considered it appropriate, however, to make slight changes to the fee structure.  These changes are:

• Lab and Clinical/Practicum Fees – These fees are assessed to specific courses where there are costs for consumable lab supplies, maintenance of computer software and hardware, or travel expenses for faculty to visit sites where students are assigned in their clinical or practicum program.  Specific course fees may be found in the quarterly schedule of classes.

• Late Fee – A fee is charged to students who fail to make payment by the designated date.  This fee is increasing to $25.00 for each late payment.

• Payment Plan Fee – Students pay a fee to participate in the college payment plan.  The Board approved the increase of this fee to $15.00 ($5.00 for each of three installments).

• Parking Fee – To help cover the increasing costs of maintaining campus parking lots and roadways, the Board of Trustees is changing the annual Parking Fee to $20.00.  A portion of this fee is used to provide security in the parking lots while students are on campus.

• Certificate of Completion Fee – The charge of $5.00 per Certificate of Completion is being eliminated.

With this action our Board of Trustees has once again demonstrated its intent to continue to provide high quality higher education at an affordable price!

Students who have borrowed Stafford student loans will be seeing some significant changes for 2008-2009.  Recently there have been dramatic changes taking place, almost on a daily basis, in the student loan industry.  Some lenders have decided that because of changes in government regulations student loans are no longer profitable and they are not making new student loans.

These decisions will impact student loan borrowers at Washington State Community College.  Effective in February, 2008, College Loan Corporation will not make disbursements to new Stafford borrowers.  They will continue to make disbursements for loans with a disbursement date prior to July 1, 2008.  This means if College Loan Corporation was your lender and you have a disbursement set for summer, 2008, your disbursement will be sent to Washington State if you are enrolled for at least six credit hours.  College Loan Corporation will not provide Stafford student loans for 2008-2009.

Chase will continue to provide Stafford student loans for students who have prior loans through them, but they will not provide student loans for new or first-time borrowers at Washington State.

Due to these significant industry changes, our lender list has been updated to include the following lenders who have pledged to provide service through 2008-2009.  The new list includes EdAmerica, US Bank, and Wells Fargo.  The updated 2008-2009 online Federal Loan Request Form will be available for submisssion by May 16, 2008.  Remember to submit your 2008-2009 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Then submit your Stafford student loan application at www.wscc.edu. 

Students: On May 1st you received a message in your Washington State email account asking you to complete an online student satisfaction survey. We hope you will take a few minutes to click on the link available in your message and let us know what you think. Your response will help the college improve our services to you and to future students. The individual results will be confidential and your information will not be shared but we will share a summary in a future issue of On-Campus.

If you don’t know how to access your student email account or have problems, you may contact the Help Desk from the link on the front page of our Web site at www.wscc.edu or stop by the Help Desk lab in Arts & Sciences room 253 or call them at 740.568.1949 for assistance.

Plan ahead!! The annual “College Kick Off” event will be held August 28 from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  Staff will be available to assist prospective students in applying for admission, filling out financial aid paperwork, taking the COMPASS assessment, and registering for courses. Current students who have not registered for fall quarter may also attend to complete their schedule.

There will be games, food, prizes and a remote radio broadcast.

Mark your calendars!!