Area Report for Board of Trustees

Return to Campus

Faculty and staff in Academic Affairs continue with plans to return to campus. Safety plans have been developed and approved, and we are in the process of preparing videos and documentation to support faculty who will be teaching on campus for the first time in over a year. The Library has had a successful soft opening, and will continue to provide a welcoming presence for students and other community members. We are working out strategies to support new students who may be challenged in using ctcLink in filing the required attestations. We are also working with the Public Health Leadership team to identify any changes in the parameters for bringing instruction back to campus for Winter 2022, given that these schedules are due the last week of September.

HUB in Federal Way

As we all prepare to welcome students, and each other, back to an-person environment, we can add another location to the spaces ready to offer support!  Smelling of fresh paint and new carpet, The Hub, located in the heart of Federal Way, will be set to greet those curious about college and those beginning their higher education journey.  In addition to offering help with Highline’s entry processes (i.e. applying, completing financial aid applications, placement assessment/testing, connecting with other relevant student services, etc.), The Hub will offer University of Washington Tacoma professional development coursework this fall (Foundations of Project Management and Lean Six Sigma White Belt).  As we become familiar with our new community and its needs, we will expand our programming to include credited coursework, student services workshops, and additional continuing education opportunities.

 While we will open our doors to the public for the first day of Highline’s fall quarter, September 27th, we plan to host, in coordination with UW-T, City of Federal Way and the Federal Way Public Schools, a ribbon cutting ceremony/open house event later in the fall to formally announce our presence to the greater Federal Way community. 

This project has been a longtime coming and it’s exciting to have finally arrived at this stage of its development!  If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to The Hub’s Program Manager, Tammy Hauge, at thauge@highline.edu.

National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense

Highline College has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through the academic year 2026. Official letters of notification have been sent to the State Governor, Members of Congress, and appropriate Congressional Committees.

Highline College will be listed as a CAE-CD on the CAE Institution Map.

Faculty Laureates

• Ben Thomas (music):  The tango ensemble from Austin, TX that Ben works with (Atlas Tango Project) just released their new album, “Estaciones y Sueños.”  They will be out touring the album in the spring of 2022.
• Susan Rich (English) taught a sold-out class at Hugo House in August called:  The New Surrealism.
• Rhiannon Hillman (English) graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University on August 1, 2021.
• Jayendrina Singha Ray (English) wrote on EdTech and some challenges to virtual learning/teaching that instructors and students have experienced.  Her piece appeared in Seattle Weekly, The Bellevue Reporter, and other local newspapers under Sound Publishing.  Jayendrina also looked into the Afghan student community here.  She managed to interview a few students about the crisis and worked on another piece inquiring what the Afghan wants to say to ensure their perspectives and stories are heard.  This appeared in Seattle Weekly and The Auburn Reporter.  Jayendrina’s article on the Atlanta shooting and Asian Women was featured by the Committee on Gender Equality and Diversity under Faculty of Arts at University of Hong Kong in its specific page dedicated to articles of global interest with an Asian focus.
• Žanetka Gawronski (art) had a one-person show of her paintings during the month of May at the Lynn Hanson gallery in Pioneer Square.  She was also interviewed by the gallery talking about her process and the meaning behind her paintings.
• Bob Baugher (psychology) gave three Zoom workshops in July to bereaved parents for the national conference of The Compassionate Friends:  Do Men & Women Really Grieve Differently?, Intimacy & Grief, and Healthy & Unhealthy Grief.  On July 29th, in cooperation with Highline’s program “Leading with Love,” Bob gave a zoom workshop to 15 faculty and staff entitled, “Looking back on 2020 and 2021 what have I lost?  What have I gained?”
• Jennifer Jones (geography) continues to give presentations at Judson Park and Wesley Homes senior facilities.  In July, she gave a well-received five-part series on Southeast Asia via Zoom to the residents of Wesley Homes.  Topics included physical landscapes, flora & fauna, environmental issues, colonial history, culture, economic development, and COVID-19 responses.  She is currently giving a five-part series on India in person to the residents of Judson Park while following the health and safety protocols as required by the facility.  Topics include the caste system, the British Raj, gender & culture, physical geography, climate change, and the Indian Diaspora.  Each presentation draws 25-50 participants.  Residents of both facilities are very appreciative about these educational activities since many are still restricted in terms of external visitors and have limited ability to travel outside of their residences.

Report submitted August 31, 2021, by Vice President Emily Lardner, Ph.D.