News Archive - 2010

It's always good to see your friends do well. Here are just a few examples of current students, graduates and faculty who've gone out into the real world and made CityU proud as well as news about our sites, programs and partnerships with universities.

• CityU's Prior Learning Assessment program featured in national news story.
  11/29/2010
  
  
  The national McClatchy newspaper company recently featured City University of Seattle in an education story about adults looking to earn credit for their life and work experience.

  McClatchy owns Washington state's Tacoma News Tribune, Bellingham Herald, Olympian and Tri-City Herald newspapers along with larger national dailies, such as the Sacramento Bee, Miami Herald and Kansas City Star.

  Specifically, the news story discussed CityU of Seattle's Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program, which allows students to prepare online porfolios of their job skills so they may receive credit for relevant classes. CityU's Corrine Holden manages the PLA program.

  Earlier this month, education reporter Jon Marcus of Boston, Mass. visited the CityU Bellevue site to interview Holden, President Lee Gorsuch, Vice President of Student Services Melissa Mecham as well as students Leah Schedin and Mark Ball.

  In his story, Marcus reports on Schedin and Ball's experiences in the program as it relates to a new nationwide campaign to encourage adults to earn their higher education degrees through PLA programs.

  Marcus told the CityU Communications Department recently that he chose CityU because of its not-for-profit status, and in the story, he mentions that CityU is "at the vanguard of a movement catering to the growing numbers of adult learners and military veterans" looking to change their lives.

  A big thank you to President Gorsuch, Melissa Mecham, Corrine Holden and our students Leah and Mark for participating in this important story. Please share this article with your family and friends as well as in your social media circles.

  Read full story

• CityU and Altius Education Announce Partnership
  11/04/2010
  
  
  Altius Education, a provider of online higher education, is expanding the success of its Ivy Bridge College model with one of Puget Sound's leading private, not-for-profit universities, City University of Seattle. Ivy Bridge College, a joint venture with Tiffin University, offers students affordable and flexible online associate degrees with seamless admittance to four-year programs. Through this new partnership, called CityBridge, students apply once, and upon completion of a two-year degree at Ivy Bridge, transfer to pursue their bachelor degrees at CityU of Seattle.

  "These new partnerships with private and not-for-profit schools continue to build on the foundation of Ivy Bridge's culture - partnering with all types of students to help them succeed," explains Paul Freedman, founder and CEO of Altius Education. "We've found that more and more learners are seeking a two-year bridge to obtain a traditional bachelor's degree, while four-year institutions are looking for well-prepared junior transfer students."

  The CityU partnership was created to offer students a streamlined pathway to a bachelor's degree, with unparalleled mentoring and support. From day one, students are assigned a success coach; a single point of contact who serves as an invaluable resource from application to graduation. This high level of support ensures success in and out of the classroom to combat the challenges traditionally associated with degree completion.

  "Altius Education is helping us reach students who may not be quite ready to start a four-year program and gives them the tools they need to begin their educational journey," says Lee Gorsuch, CityU president. "This new partnership will better prepare learners to complete a four-year degree with us. We look forward to welcoming Ivy Bridge graduates."

  For more information on CityU's partnership, visit http://ivybridge.tiffin.edu/CityBridge.

  About Altius Education
  Altius Education, Inc., partners with traditional universities to create an ecosystem that improves and personalizes the delivery of education. Driven by this unique strategy, Altius identifies structural gaps in higher education and helps its partners deliver innovative online academic programs. Its first two online programs include joint ventures with Tiffin University - Ivy Bridge College, offering online associates degree programs with direct access to more than 65 accredited four-year institutions, and Mt Lyon Institute, providing a bachelor and master degree program focused on elder care. For more information, visit www.altiused.com.

• CityU to Offer American Degrees at Three Mexican Universities
  10/19/2010
  
  
  City University of Seattle has expanded its presence in Mexico with three new agreements at private and public universities that will offer CityU of Seattle business, information technology, and psychology degrees this fall. The new partners are: Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) in Monterrey, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) in Puebla, and Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (UASLP) in San Luis Potosí. The schools join CityU's first Mexican university partner Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS) Universidad in Baja California. This past June, CETYS President Dr. Fernando León García renewed the university's longstanding agreement to offer CityU degrees at CETYS' three campuses.

  As with CETYS, the new partnerships will provide Mexican students with an opportunity to earn a degree from CityU and another degree from their in-country school. These English-language programs are designed so students may work on an American degree while studying for their Mexican four-year degree in business, engineering or psychology. Depending on the university they attend, students may earn a CityU Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.), Bachelor of Arts in Management (B.A.M.), Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (B.S.I.S.) or Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology (B.A.A.P.). CityU teaching faculty will hold classes at each Mexican university campus, and during the summer quarters, students will be invited to take part in three-week intensive student mobility (study abroad) programs at CityU sites in Bellevue, Wash. and Europe. More CityU international locations will be available to students in the future.

  "I'm pleased that CityU has been able over the past several years to lead the way in developing meaningful partnerships with institutions from around the globe. Double Degree programs allow Mexican students to leverage the opportunity to learn from American faculty, and graduate with an American and Mexican four-year degree. It's just what they'll need to succeed in this tough job market where employers pursue people with a keen business sense and a global perspective," comments CityU President Lee Gorsuch.

  Dr. Fernando León García, former CityU International Division Chancellor comments, "Five years ago I helped initiate the Double Degree programs at CETYS and today I'm proud to see them flourish here at my university and soon at other three universities throughout Mexico. A shared goal between CETYS and CityU is to be able to provide opportunities for students to become global competitive learners, professionals and future leaders."

  Dr. León García adds, "I've personally seen students excel in these programs, improve their English-speaking skills and move into positions of leadership in Mexico-based American companies."

  Current CETYS students in these programs include Valente Rocha Islava who recently studied abroad in Bellevue, Wash. for the Double Degree summer session.

  "Upon boarding the airplane to Seattle, I knew this trip would be filled with a lot of memories and details that would be difficult to forget in my lifetime. They included experiences with new friends and shared knowledge from skilled faculty who all have the natural ability to impart new concepts and methodology. I know all of this will help me in my professional life," comments Rocha Islava of the CETYS campus in Ensenada.

  Mexican students who enroll in these programs gain invaluable exposure to multinational corporations. In addition, they also save money in comparison to the cost of earning an American degree abroad where they may be charged out-of-state fees. For more information about the Double Degree programs and related partnerships, please visit our locations page. Antonio Esqueda, CityU International Programs Academic Coordinator, also is available to provide additional assistance in Spanish and English. He can be reached at 425.709.5475 or via email.

  About CETYS University
  More than 60 CETYS students have graduated from the Double Degree programs since they were introduced in 2005. A private, not-for-profit university, CETYS was founded by local businesses and leaders in 1961 to offer quality education alternatives to Baja California. The nationally recognized university operates campuses in Mexicali, Ensenada and Tijuana, strategically contributing to the development of the border economy. Each year, about 6,000 students enroll in CETYS business, engineering, law, graphic design and psychology programs. CETYS holds U.S. regional accreditation candidacy status with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). It is ranked among Mexico's top five universities.

  About Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon
  Based in Mexico's top manufacturing city, UANL is a public institution founded in 1933. It is the third largest university in Mexico and ranked among the top five public higher education institutions. UANL offers 221 programs, ranging from the undergraduate to doctorate level. More than 132,000 students attend UANL and more than 15,000 belong to the business school Facultad de Contaduría Pública y Administración (FACPYA).

  About Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla
  Like CityU and CETYS, UPAEP is a private, not-for-profit university with a focus on an international education. UPAEP puts a strong emphasis on educating environmentally conscious students. The Double Degree programs will be the first degrees of its kind to be offered to UPAEP's undergraduate business and engineering students. The university was founded in 1973 and today has a student body of more than 11,500 and is one of the top ten Mexican universities.

  About Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí
  Founded in 1859, UASLP is a public university with three urban campuses and ranked among the top five public universities by the Mexican Ministry of Education. The school serves 22,000 students who live in central states, north of Mexico City. UASLP's mission focuses on educating professional, scientific, humanistic and academic graduates who are critical, creative, reflective, and ethical with an international perspective. It is ranked among the top five public universities in Mexico.

• The Women of Color Empowered
  09/24/2010
  
  
  City University of Seattle staff member Christine Katayama, faculty member Trise Moore and alumna Kandy Ritter will be honored today (Sept. 24) at the Women of Power in Education luncheon in Seattle.

  The event, hosted by The Women of Color Empowered organization, will feature 13 exceptional women recommended by their peers. Honorees are chosen based on career achievements, contributions to communities of color and inspirational leadership.

  This is Katayama's fifth year at CityU of Seattle. She works in the Albright School of Education as a program coordinator for the Master of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Certification for Teachers and National Board Certification. Prior to CityU, she served as a high school teacher, assistant principal and principal.

  Along with these responsibilities, Katayama serves as chair of the CityU Diversity Committee, which oversees the Diversity Scholars program. She won the 2002 Washington State High School Principal of the Year award along with the Phi Delta Kappa International Women in Leadership award. Katayama also helped manage a major Gates Foundation grant to start Aviation High School - an aviation-themed learning institution designed to prepare students for college.

  An alumna of CityU's School of Management, Moore designs and develops community outreach programs for non-profit organizations and educational institutions in Washington state. She earned a Master of Science in Project Management degree from CityU in 2006 and now teaches the CityU course Multicultural Perspectives on Student Achievement and Family Engagement.

  Among her achievements, Moore is a member of the Washington state governor's K-12 education advisory committee for the Washington Learns organization. She also served as a chair on both the City of Federal Way diversity commission and the south King County Habitat for Humanity community outreach group.

  Katayama and Moore are also joined by Ritter who attended CityU in 2000. She currently serves as the superintendent to the Cape Flattery School District in Sekiu, Wash.

  The Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation began the Women of Color Empowered non-profit organization of professional women in 1996. For more information, visit the website at womenofcolorempowered.com.

• CityU Appoints Three Longtime Staff Members to Leadership Positions Within Its Schools of Management And Education
  04/15/2010
  
  
  City University of Seattle has appointed longtime staff members Tom Cary, Craig Schieber and Sue Seiber to key leadership positions. Cary and Schieber now serve as associate deans for the School of Management and Albright School of Education, respectively. Seiber assumes the role of academic location leader at the CityU of Seattle site in Bellevue to support Schieber.

  Cary has been with the university for the past 13 years. He is a licensed attorney and received his law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Cary has taught on behalf of the School of Management in China, Singapore and Germany. During his tenure at CityU, he has served as senior faculty for Law and International Business, and program director for General Education. In addition to his new role as associate dean, Cary is the director of the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Management programs.

  Schieber joined CityU as a visiting instructor for the School of Education in 1999. He went onto become a senior faculty member and program director for the Bachelor of Arts in Education. He manages the university's teacher certification programs, which includes undergraduate and graduate level degrees and special endorsements, as well as serving as associate dean. Schieber earned his education doctorate degree from Seattle Pacific University and was recognized nationally as a Distinguished Teacher by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.

  Seiber began her CityU career as an adjunct instructor in the Master of Education program for Reading and Literacy. She advanced to a part-time position where she created a reading endorsement proposal for the Washington State Board of Education. In 2004, she joined the university as a full-time faculty member. In addition to her role of academic location leader, she will maintain her role as an endorsement programs manager and online lead for the School of Education. Seiber holds a Master of Education degree from Seattle Pacific University.

  Both Cary and Schieber will continue to manage their current responsibilities in addition to working on overall curriculum and assessment for the university's two schools. Seiber will focus on personnel supervision at the Bellevue site.

• Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team Wins Regional Competition, Heads to Nationals
  04/08/2010
  
  
  Bellevue, Wash. – The student SIFE team from City University of Seattle was named league champion at the 2010 Regional Competition in San Francisco on Tuesday. The team now moves on to the national competition in Minneapolis, MN on May 11. Twenty-three colleges and universities from around the country competed, and CityU of Seattle's team was named champion along with Washington State University, and placed ahead of San Joaquin Valley College, and the University of Alaska Southeast in its division. The CityU SIFE team is the only Western Washington team to advance to the national competition.

  Kurt D. Kirstein, Ed.D., dean of the School of Management comments, "All of us in the School of Management, as well as the university as a whole, are tremendously proud of the accomplishments of our SIFE team. We celebrate their achievement of becoming regional champions, and wish them continued success at the national competition."

  The diverse CityU SIFE team is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from Russia, China, Slovakia, United States, and Thailand. During the competition the team presented projects completed throughout the year that focused on children's education, empowerment of women, and the preservation of the environment. This is the seventh year a CityU SIFE team has competed in the competition.

• A Washington State Educational First: Antioch University Seattle, City University of Seattle and First Place Form New Partnership to Help Kids and Graduate Students
  03/19/2010
  
  
  Seattle, Wash. – Antioch University, City University of Seattle and First Place proudly announce the formation of a multi-disciplinary partnership to meet the training needs of Antioch University and CityU of Seattle students and the service delivery needs of First Place school's students and their families. This partnership is a first of its kind in Washington State.

  All three institutions anticipate the pilot will begin in September 2010. At that time Antioch Psychology students will work with children and families on site at First Place, impacting the community while receiving course and practicum hours toward their degree. In addition, students from CityU's Albright School of Education will begin their practicum by working with students in classrooms at First Place.

  "CityU is proud to partner with First Place to provide extended opportunities for our future Education and Early Education teachers so that they may hone their skills in a collaborative and unique learning environment, simultaneously serving the needs of this special community," comments Dr. Steven Olswang, Provost, CityU. "Our long history of providing teachers who work with special populations fits squarely with the populations First Place serves."

  "Having our Psychology students getting practicum hours working with First Place children and families will allow us to send psychologists out into the community that are trained to handle both educational and social emotional issues that are faced by many children and their families, not just homeless families," stated Dr. Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet, President of Antioch University Seattle. "This is new kind of community partnership and we are very proud to be a part."

  In the partnership, students from both Antioch and CityU will provide clinical assessment, intervention, advocacy, classroom teaching and various support services. First Place will work with professionals and students from both universities on educational philosophy and pedagogy and the unique needs and strengths of their clients.

  "CityU students will gain experience working with clinical psychologists in a classroom setting. Action research by CityU students will report on their efforts to expand teaching pedagogy through working with students coming from challenging home lives," commented Craig Schreiber, Ed.D., associate dean, CityU's Albright School of Education.

  "First Place has a history of creating strong and lasting partnerships to fulfill our mission to provide stability and education to families at risk for homelessness," said Dr. Doreen Cato, Executive Director of First Place. "Especially in these difficult economic times it is imperative that we work in concert with others who share our community goals. We have found just such a partner in Antioch."

  About First Place: First Place is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization located in Seattle's Central Area. Our mission is to educate and nurture children whose families are homeless or at risk of being homeless. First Place empowers families to achieve permanent stability through housing, culturally appropriate education and support services. Our vision is hope, home and education for every child, one family at a time. Learn more at www.firstplaceschool.org.

• City University of Seattle President Travels to India as Part of U.S. Higher education Delegation
  03/01/2010
  
  
  BELLEVUE, Wash. – Lee Gorsuch, president of City University of Seattle is taking part in a delegation of U.S. higher education leaders to India led by Dr. Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE), and Under Secretary of Education Dr. Martha Kanter to promote U.S. higher education and to enhance and expand linkages with institutions in India. The weeklong visit takes place from February 28 to March 6.

  In addition to Gorsuch, presidents and senior officials from the following colleges and universities will participate in the delegation: Bryn Mawr College, Case Western Reserve University, Chatham University, Lehigh University, Louisiana Community and Technical College, Miami Dade College, Michigan State University, New York Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rollins College, University of Kentucky, and Washburn University.

  Since 2001/2002, India has been the leading place of origin of international students in the United States, representing slightly more than 15 percent of the total international student population in the United States, according to IIE's annual Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, which is supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. In 2008/2009, there were more than 103,000 international students from India studying in the United States, an increase of nine-percent from the previous year.

  The number of students from the United States studying abroad in India has also increased rapidly in recent years, although from a much smaller base. In the 2007/2008 academic year, more than 3,000 students from U.S. colleges and universities received credit for study abroad in India, an increase of almost 20 percent over the previous year.

  While CityU of Seattle doesn't currently offer programs in India, a number of Indian students come to the U.S. to study at the university. CityU President Lee Gorsuch comments, "India is home to 15 percent of the world's population. Its economy is developing at an impressive rate, increasing the demand for educated workers. The Indian government has expressed an interest in inviting U.S. and other foreign universities to help meet this demand. CityU, with its breadth of international experience, is well positioned to contribute to India's growing knowledge economy." CityU of Seattle currently offers programs at 27 sites in 11 countries.

• CityU Unveils Washington's First Online Principal and Program Administrator Certification
  02/02/2010
  
  
  BELLEVUE, Wash. - City University of Seattle will offer the first online program for school principals and program administrators to earn their Washington certification beginning this fall.

  The online principal certification is the only program of its kind offered by a state-approved institution. The program also addresses national standards established by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC).

  "CityU of Seattle has a track record of graduating the largest number of principals and program administrators in Washington. This new online option is intended for school leaders, no matter their location, to become qualified as school administrators through a new delivery system while maintaining a rigorous program of leadership development," said Dr. Margaret Chow, CityU's Educational Leadership director.

  "The new model also allows us to serve professional educators in search of a certificate program but who cannot attend classes in person because they live in smaller, rural communities or have conflicting family and career responsibilities," echoed Judy Hinrichs, Dean of the Albright School of Education. "We're giving them a chance to set a new educational goal plus receive the same high-quality instructional strategies as their peers who take classes in-person."

  The program's face-to-face classes will continue to be offered at CityU's Bellevue and Tacoma sites following the launch of the online model. Students will have the option of taking a combination of in-person and online courses. They also may choose to complete a Master of Education degree. As part of the university's training and mentorship program, all students must complete internships under the supervision of a university-approved field supervisor in their area.

  Through the creation of the online new program, CityU also will establish another learning community of students who learn together as a cohort but live outside the Seattle area and I-5 corridor.

  "For those in more remote locations in Washington, an online program can offer a good opportunity to work toward earning residency principal certification," said Don Rash, Director of Intern and Principal Support Programs for the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). "Numerous universities offer some courses online but I believe CityU is the only university that offers the entire program online."

  Jack Tobin, Chairman of the Professional Educators Advisory Board (PEAB) to CityU's Educational Leadership Programs, looks forward to the online move. He's a graduate of the program and now serves as a principal in the Lake Washington School District. He also teaches a CityU technology course for principal candidates.

  "My colleagues and I have appreciated the high quality preparation program at CityU," Tobin said. "This new delivery mode makes the leader development program accessible to many more individuals who are not geographically located near campuses. I commend the university for reaching out and serving remote populations."