Reflections from this past week

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with our Nursing faculty, Associate Dean of Health Sciences, Dean of Business & Health Sciences, and Vice President of Instruction to learn more about the Nursing Program and the Clark College building at WSUV. Shortly after our meeting, we received confirmation of the Clark College Nursing Program’s continued accreditation with Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Congratulations to everyone in our Nursing program for receiving the largest window of time regarding the next site visit (2019-2027) and for being recognized by ACEN for “Achievement of Quality and Excellence in Nursing Education.”

We celebrated Clark College at Columbia Tech Center’s 10th anniversary last week, and I was inspired by remarks made by Clark College Associated Student President Evans Kaame. Thank you to the instructors, staff and students at Columbia Tech Center who helped host a fun 10-year anniversary party. Attendees were able to tour the building and get a glimpse of the learning that happens there in Mechatronics, Business, and Economic & Community Development classes. We joined with the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce to hold a ribbon cutting. Thanks to all who helped. Read more about the event in this Columbian article.

I was honored receive gifts this week on behalf of Clark College from Vancouver’s sister city of Joyo, Japan, presented by Nami Inoue, a faculty member in our Japanese language program who grew up in Joyo. And, thanks to all who stopped by for a cupcake to celebrate your birthday in October. I look forward to celebrating the months ahead!

I just returned from attending the 50th annual Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Congress in San Francisco with Board Chair Jane Jacobsen and Trustee Jada Rupley along with 1,850 trustees, presidents, staff, and other community college stakeholders. Throughout the conference we promoted the Clark College President Search.

I was inspired by the words of ACCT Chair Connie Hornbeck: “All of higher education and industry is changing at a breakneck pace. Community colleges lie at the nexus of both. We in this room are charged with sustaining the community college sector no matter what changes come… We can’t predict, but we can and must be as prepared as possible, as nimble as possible, to keep our institutions strong for our students.”

Keynote speaker Barry Posner focused on the key leadership practices trustees and others need to manage these complex times. Co-author of the book Leadership in Higher Education, Posner focused on five key strategies based on research involving 150,000 college and university leaders, ranging from modeling and inspiring a shared vision to upending existing processes, leading from the heart, and enabling others to act.

Leaders of three state community college systems emphasized the importance of local leadership in navigating a challenging landscape that includes declining state support and growing student needs. I enjoyed learning along with our trustees about best practices in presidential searches, recruiting, and onboarding from other colleges.

All voices needed

Today is the last day to fill out the Clark College 2019 Climate Survey. The deadline is tonight at 5:00 p.m.

This is so important to our work at Clark College. The Board of Trustees has identified improving the college climate and employee morale as one of its priorities. Your input is critical to the process. This year we have added incentive: Everyone who submits a survey has the option sign up to win one of three $50 gift certificates to Amazon. Please note that your responses on the Clark College Climate Survey will NOT be connected to your name if you wish to enter the drawing.

ctcLink – one week away

Please take a minute to get your new your new ctcLink ID (open in Chrome) and get a sneak peek into the ctcLink PeopleSoft testing environment using a Clark College computer at one of the campuses or using a VPN. To get into the ctcLink PeopleSoft testing environment you will use your new ctcLink ID and preset password. Your password is your last name – capitalize the first letter only – and add the @ sign at the end, e.g., Fowlerhill@ is my password.

As for training? Some people have inadvertently deleted or declined the invitation for the SBCTC Canvas training. If you did that, please contact Jennifer Ward or call her extension at 2077 so she can reregister you. Thank you!

We are confident the result will be a positive for students and employees; far more user friendly and efficient. But we recognize change presents challenges.

I want to call out the sustained efforts of everyone on the ctcLink team led by Project Manager Susan Maxwell and Associate Vice President of Planning and Effectiveness Shanda Haluapo. Shanda’s next update for us is Wednesday this week: Please watch for them as they contain vitally important information about our process now underway!

ctcLink and our students

All student online systems are unavailable as of October 17 through October 30 while the college upgrades to the state’s new software system.

Our messaging to students? “Pease bear with us as we work to improve your online experience. You’ll be signing into the new improved My Clark on October 31. In the meantime, if you need assistance with student services, we are here for you.”

• In person: Stop by the Information Desk in Gaiser Hall.
• By phone: Call 360-992-2107
• By email: Contact registration@clark.edu

What do students need to know? On October 31, they need to go to myclark.edu. Once they sign in, they will be given a new ctcLink ID. They need to write it down. It will be needed to log in to access their information.

Here’s the great news for students: The new and improved MyClark will offer a simple, easy pathway for students to register for classes, apply for financial aid, request unofficial transcripts, and use the schedule planner at Clark College.

Clarks supports for students

The Counseling and Health Center is continuing their support groups this fall term! Please feel free to share the information below with any students you think would benefit. 

• Running Start Support Group – Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., October 16 – November 20 at the Counseling and Health Center, HSC 124. This is a space to connect with other Running Start students navigating the complicated worlds of family, high school, and college.
• Parent Support Group – Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., October 16 – November 20 at the Counseling and Health Center, HSC 124. This is an ongoing support group for students balancing school, life, and parenting.

Both groups are facilitated by CHC counselors Beth VanBuecken and Valentina Pishchanskaya-Cayanan. Students can contact Valentina at vcayanan@clark.edu to sign up, or with any questions. As always, the Counseling and Health Center provides free mental health counseling and low-cost health services to Clark students. Appointments can be made by calling 360-992-2614, or by email at chc@clark.edu.

Penguin Pantry turns two!

You are all invited to the Penguin Pantry second anniversary open house on Wednesday, October 24, from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. I want to encourage everyone to bring a donation of canned or boxed food to the open house. As you probably know, demand for food resources has increased significantly on campus. It may be that word is getting out among students about this vital resource. Thank you to everyone who supports it. The Penguin Pantry is in the Science Building (SCI) in Room 101.

Expanding RAVE

For years, our RAVE alert system has been sending Clark College employees and students emergency text and email messages whenever the college experienced a closure, lockdown, etc. I’m pleased to announce that this service has just been expanded to include families, parents and visitors to Clark College.

Now everyone can opt in. All they have to do is text the word “Penguins” to the number 67283.

This feature is for any Clark Community member (parent, visitor, etc.) who is not automatically entered into the system.

There will be a formal rollout for this feature, as well as a new app called RAVE Guardian, coming soon. In the meantime, please feel free to share the keyword and number. Thank you to our emergency management team for your work on this.

Presidential Advisory Committee

I’m excited to announce significant progress in the search for your next college president.

The Presidential Search Advisory Committee met for the first time Friday, October 11 for an all-day session that included implicit bias training. They worked through the wording of the position profile and talked about the upcoming resume screening process. As a result of their work, the Board of Trustees has approved the position profile, and it’s up on the website as active recruitment begins. Among the members of the committee are Clark College students, employees, faculty and community representatives. Thank you for serving!

• Co-chairs: Paul Speer, Clark College Board of Trustees Presidential Search Lead
• and Jane Jacobson, Clark College Board of Trustees Chair
• Al Schauer, Founder PointNorth Consulting
• Brian Taylor, Industrial Sales Manager Siemens
• Catharine Keane, Associate Director of Career Services
• Christhian Canseco, Account Manager ESCO Corporation
• Danielle Plesser, Office Of Instruction – Program Support Supv 1
• Dannie Nordsiden, Automotive Technology – Instructor (WPTE)
• Donivee Randall-Jones, Nursing – Professor (BHS)
• Dr. Siri Wickramaratne, Geography – Instructor (SOFA)
• Eric Merrill, Clark College Foundation Board Chair
• Evans Kaame, ASCC President
• Heather Adams, Office Of VP Student Affairs – Administrative Services Manager A
• Justin Flint, ASCC Club Coordinator
• Rashida Willard, Interim AVP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Suzanne Southerland, Communication Studies – Professor (BEECH) (CCAHE President)
• Tanisha Harris, CASA Program Specialist YWCA Clark County
• Tanya Kerr, CtcLink Internal Controls and Business Analyst
• Vicki Sovold-Prendergast, Mount Pleasant School District Superintendent

Kudos to faculty

Congratulations to William Goforth, our newly appointed adjunct instructor of Voice! He was one of three finalists chosen on Sunday at the Oregon District Met auditions. On to Seattle for the Northwest Regionals in January.

This week I’m looking forward to attending the Penguin Pantry Open House, as well as the Board of Trustees work session, where they will be hearing sabbatical presentations from two faculty members (Jill Darley-Vanis and Erin Staples), and interviewing four students for the Transforming Lives Award. I’m continuing my Listening Tour with the Library Faculty and WPEA this week, and celebrating our students and donors at the Foundation Scholarship Reception on Friday.

Keep walking through this Walktober, Penguin Nation!