As I celebrate one month at Penguin Nation, I reflect on all that I am learning. What a great week – immersed in Teaching and Learning Days. This was an exceptional program and I hope you all had a chance to participate fully. I enjoyed meeting many of you at the sessions and networking and hearing about our shared work at Clark College. A shout out to the committee who worked so hard this past year to organize this exceptional program for all us. We are grateful for your whole-hearted dedication to Clark. Thank you!

• Judith Hernández Chapar and Vanessa Neal, Co-Chairs
• Nick Farron
• Laurel Tygart
• Degundrea Harris
• Michelle Golder
• Haley Tucker
• Wendé Fisher
• Rashida Willard
• Sue Ann McWatters
• Karen Foster
• Jennifer Ward
• Colleen Butcher
• Kate Ireland
• Michael Brown
• Laura See

I appreciated the variety within the program – a chance to dig into details about new programs and initiatives. Also a deeper dive into power and privilege conversations as we lean into the work of diversity, equity and inclusion. I loved the good advice of our happy-brain expert who reminded me why multi-tasking robs me of my personal energy and how important it is to take time to take care of myself. I choose happiness and hope you do, too. I also heard the knitting session ran out of seats and I’ve seen a few of you with your starter kits, perfecting the knit stitch.

What I think I enjoyed the most was watching everyone interact. It was great serving you at the Ice Cream Social and meeting more staff across the campus. Thank you to the other administrators who took time out to scoop. I look forward to more opportunities to create connections across the college and learn from you. I’m so honored to be a part of this team.

Count down: 72 days

This is my new weekly countdown: 72 days until the launch of ctcLink. On October 28 Clark College will transfer from the legacy (HP3000) system to PeopleSoft. But the transition will begin in late September. We need to have all our financial books balanced before the actual switch. That will impact some of our activities pertaining to business services and human resources. It will also impacts class drops, payroll, purchasing and travel.

It will impact all of us and so knowing the dates and deadlines are going to be critically important. Here are a few dates for you to review – I think the October 15 date is especially important for all of us.

MyClark Dates & Deadlines

• September 27 – Last day to issue fall work-study referrals.
• September 30 – Last day for purchasing. No purchasing in October.
• October 4 – Last Day for submission of travel advance requests.
• October 15 – Time Sheets must be in on time. If you miss the deadline we will not be able to write a check. You will be paid with the Nov 10 pay.
• October 15 – Last day for corrections to winter classes
• October 16 to 31 – No new employees processed. November 1 will be start date.
• October 17 – Last day for student enrollment transactions.
• October 22 – Business Services closes financial books

Thank you to everyone on the myClark ctcLink team who are doing this important work. You’ll hear more in the coming weeks about the training sessions so we can all be ready.

Cybersecurity – Keeping Clark College safe

Unfortunately one of the community colleges in our state system has recently been a victim of a ransomware attack. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that takes over your computer and prevents you from accessing files until you pay a ransom. Here at Clark, IT Services maintain controls to help protect and detect malicious activity. But we need your help, too. Scammers are always trying new tricks to break into the network. Often they’ll send malicious links or attachments in our emails that look harmless. Please take a moment and review these safety tips provided by our IT Services:

1. Do not provide sensitive personal information (example: usernames/passwords) over email
2. Watch for senders that use suspicious or misleading domain names
   1. For faculty and staff we use a portion of your name with clark.edu
   2. For students we use students.clark.edu
   3. Be wary of internal emails that do not end with the above
   4. Look for To/From misspelled names and addresses
3. Once you open an email, keep looking for clues
   1. Unrealistic threats or claims of authority demanding you act quickly
   2. Too good to be true offers
   3. Urgency for immediate response or action
   4. Links that point to different locations (hover your mouse over the link to see where it will take you to)
4. If you cannot tell if an email is legitimate or not, you can forward the original email to our cyber security team at phishing@clark.edu
   1. If the email appears to be internal you can also call the sender directly using their phone number from the Clark College published directory
5. Be especially cautions when opening attachments or clicking links if you receive an email containing our banner indicating it originated from an EXTERNAL source
6. Do not click on links or attachments from senders that you do not recognize. Be especially wary of .zip or other compressed or executable file types

If Something Seems Wrong, Notify IT

• Forward the original email to cyber security team for blocking and/or tracking
  • Email to: phishing@clark.edu
• Call the IT Help-Desk at 360-992-2425
• Walk into one of our help desk offices
  • Main campus in go to APH # 203 or library Tech Hub
  • CTC # 240
  • WSUV # 225C
• Create a help desk ticket

Thank you for helping to keep our computing environment safe from these cyber threats we appreciate your support! The risk is all too real, and we can all do our part in prevention. In my short time here, my name has already been phished and included in fake emails requesting my help.

Helping student athletes

I attended my first Clark’s Penguin Nation Golf Tournament this week, hosted by the Clark College Athletic Department, and it was a success! With over 100 registered golfers and multiple community sponsors, the tournament is on track to be one of the most successful in recent years. We’re still tallying the proceeds, but from what I saw people enjoyed themselves while knowing they were helping Clark athletes reduce financial barriers.

The Women’s Soccer team held an alumni game on Sunday, August 11. I loved seeing one of the signs made by a young fan: CLARK: Collaborative, Lightning Fast, Awesome, Rare, and Kick’n Butt. The game included a large turnout of Penguin alumni and concluded in a 1-1 tie. The women’s soccer team will be hosting Warner Pacific in a scrimmage Friday, August 16 at 6:00 p.m. at Kim Christensen field on the main campus. Go Penguins!

Your generosity

Well done everyone making the Backpack Project a big success this year! Ninety-seven children of our Clark College students will have new backpacks and all the supplies they need for school, thanks to you.

Looking for another way to help? We’re in the last two weeks of the Penguin Pantry challenge. They’re looking for new packaged toiletries and school supplies to benefit our Clark Students. There’s a tasty competition between departments. The two departments with the largest amount of donated items per employee by the end of summer quarter will receive a pizza party provided by Papa Johns. For more information, please contact Estancia Cota at ext. 2100, email penguinpantry@clark.edu or click here.

Kudos to the Clark College Foundation! Last week at the Foundation Board meeting I learned they had a banner fundraising year. Donors contributed more than $8 million in gifts and pledges during the fiscal year 2018-2019 for Promising Pathways: The Campaign for Clark College. The foundation is raising funds for a variety of initiatives determined by the college including Guiding Pathways, Advanced Manufacturing, scholarships, Cuisine and Professional Baking and Pastry Arts, the Veterans Resource Center, and more. To date, Promising Pathways has secured nearly $22 million of its $35 million goal. You can learn more about the campaign by visiting www.clarkcollegefoundation.org/campaign. Thank you to our friends at the foundation for all you do.

Next week

I am continuing my walking and listening tour of CTC, CCW, main campus, and Boschma Farms to learn more about our Facilities Master Plan for renovations, capital construction and plans for the future. I look forward to learning more about our instructional programs and services to students with several tours that are scheduled next week with the deans. I’ll also be meeting some great colleagues with whom I have worked with before from the Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing who are expanding to Southwest Washington. Finally, I’ll be celebrating the one-year anniversary of Career Launch apprentices at SEH and welcoming a new group of apprentices.

I hope you find time to enjoy this beautiful Northwest summer and choose happiness!

Sandra

Sandra A. Fowler-Hill, Ed.D.
Interim President

This message was originally sent as an email to all college employees on August 16, 2019