Most staff at Clark College will be largely unavailable to the public while they participate in a collegewide staff training on Tuesday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 18.
Classes will continue as normally scheduled. Additionally, the following services will be available:
Students, classes, and services will return to Clark College’s main campus and other locations in fall 2021 as part of a gradual return to on-site operations. Photo: Clark College/Amy Tam
Clark College announced today its plans for fall term and the first phase of its return to on-site operations.
Earlier today, President Karin Edwards announced the following:
The college will strongly encourage students and employees to get vaccinated against Covid-19, but will not require vaccinations.
For the time being, everyone on campus must wear an appropriate face covering and observe social distancing requirements, which are now 3 feet in most circumstances. This policy (and the exact definition of safe social distancing) may change as fall term progresses, based on evolving guidance from the state.
Additionally, the college will continue with its plan for a gradually phased-in restoration of on-site activities and operations, with some employees, services, and events returning during fall term, and more employees, services, and events returning in the 2022 winter term.
The college’s decisions follow guidance from Gov. Jay Inslee’s proclamation covering higher education, which was issued on June 30 and revised on July 12. They also incorporate feedback from the college’s staff and faculty unions, student government, and interdepartmental planning groups focused on the college’s recovery and return to on-site operations.
“Our students and our employees need to know the college’s way forward in order to plan for the future,” said Dr. Edwards. “At the same time, we need to remain ready to adapt to the ever-evolving realities of this pandemic and its effects. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and provide information about fall term as we further develop our plans–always with a focus on equity, access, and the safety of our whole community.”
Additional information about the college’s decisions for fall term can be found at www.clark.edu/covid-19.
Three new Career Launch programs
The welding technologies program is one of three Clark College programs to receive certification as Career Launch partnerships.
Clark College recently received certification of three new Career Launch programs at the college.
The programs join six other Career Launch at the college. Career Launch is a Washington state program that provides students with opportunities to “earn as they learn” through partnerships between public educational institutions and local employers that provide meaningful, high-quality, and paid on-the-job experience as well as classroom learning.
a partnership with PeaceHealth to provide students with paid work experience as they earn a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Cybersecurity.
a partnership with Madden Fabrication to provide students with paid work experience as they earn a degree in Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree in Welding Technologies.
an AAT in Mechanical Instrumentation (part of the Mechatronics program) in partnership with SEH America, Silicon Forest Electronics, Analog Devices, Inc., and Kyocera International, Inc.;
Founded in 1933, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately three-quarters of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.
About Career Launch
Career Launch is a program of Career Connect Washington (CCW), an organization founded to bring industry and education together to provide pathways for young people to succeed in college and career. There are already 10,000 students enrolled in Career Launch programs, including Registered Apprenticeships. The recently passed 2021-2023 biennial budget provides additional resources for Career Connect Washington to reach more young people, especially those furthest from opportunity, at a time when they are so impacted by COVID-19.
Executive Vice President of Operations named
Galina Burley. Photo courtesy of Galina Burley.
Clark College has announced the hiring of Galina Burley in the role of Executive Vice President of Operations. She will begin at the college on July 8.
Burley was hired through a nationwide search. She will be entering a newly created position which oversees college operations including facilities, business, finance, security and safety, marketing, communications, and auxiliary services.
“Galina brings a breadth of experience and significant skill in leading complex organizations. Additionally, Galina demonstrated her understanding, appreciation and commitment to social equity and inclusion,” wrote Clark College President Karin Edwards in an email announcing the hire to the college community. “This position serves a crucial role at the college, especially as we recover and plan our post-Covid future.”
Burley (pronouns: she/her/hers) immigrated to Vancouver, Washington from Sochi, Russia with her parents in 1991. Her history at Clark College began soon afterward, when she began taking English as a Second Language classes and then went on to earn her associate degree. Burley also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Concordia University and a Master of Public Administration from Troy University. In addition, she earned certification in High Performing Organizations from the University of Virginia and is a 2012 alumna of Leadership Clark County.
Burley’s previous work experience includes leadership roles at the City of Norfolk, Clackamas County, and the City of Portland. Most recently before joining Clark College, she served as Clark County Parks and Lands Manager. She has received an award for leadership from the American Association of Public Administrators of Hampton Roads; the Golden Ivan Award for her work with the Slavic refugee communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington; the President’s Recognition Award from the Crime Prevention Association of Oregon; and nomination as a Woman of Achievement by Washington State University Vancouver. Burley identifies as Armenian-Russian-American. In her free time, she enjoys reading, volunteering, and spending time with her family.
“It feels very special to return to the Penguin Nation, where I began my educational journey and learned English,” said Burley. “I look forward to sharing my experience and lifelong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion with our college community. I also hope that my journey will inspire others to join Clark College, where we will help you discover your greatest potential.”
Together at last
Three nursing graduates pose for a photo at the 2021 Commencement ceremony.
On June 17, students and faculty lined up in Clark College’s Red parking before crossing Ft. Vancouver Way to Christensen Soccer Field for the college’s 2021 Commencement ceremony. The ceremony, held outdoors in chairs spaced 6 feet apart, allowed for no guests due to Covid-19 safety precautions. It was, in many ways, a first: The first ceremony on the soccer field, the first without guests (though some proud family members lined up on a hill above the field to cheer on their grads), and the first presided over by Clark College President Karin Edwards.
“It is an honor and privilege to stand here before you tonight,” said Dr. Edwards as she addressed the Class of 2021, as well as some members of the Class of 2020 who were making up for missing an in-person ceremony the previous year. “This time last year, we could not assemble on campus or anywhere due to the coronavirus.”
Many speakers at the podium remarked on the unique challenges faced by this graduating class: pandemic, quarantine, a massive switch to online learning, and a turbulent environment of political strife and racial inequity.
And yet, as novel as this year’s ceremony was in many ways, there was much that remained the same: tassels were turned, caps were tossed, and the look of pride on graduates’ faces as they crossed the stage was as incandescent as ever. As is tradition, the recipients of both the Exceptional Faculty Awards and the Community College Presidents’ Scholarship in Honor of Val Ogden were announced. All told, more than 500 Penguins marched to receive their commemorative scrolls and celebrated their achievements together.
A fully captioned video from the live-stream of the ceremony will be available at www.clark.edu/go/grad by July 3.
Exceptional Faculty Awards
Professor Michelle Mallory is all smiles before Clark College’s 2021 Commencement ceremony. Photo: Clark College/Tarek Kanso
Six outstanding members of Clark College’s faculty have been recognized for their contributions to the college with a 2021 Clark College Exceptional Faculty Award.
These awards are presented annually to full-time and part-time faculty members. Nominations can be submitted by Clark College students, faculty, classified employees, administrators, alumni, Board members, and Foundation directors. Traditionally, they are announced during Commencement. This year, Commencement was held on June 17 on Christensen Soccer Field.
The awards are made possible through an endowed trust fund established by the Washington State Legislature and the Clark College Exceptional Faculty Endowment Fund, which was established in 1993. That fund provides recognition of exemplary work performance, positive impact on students, professional commitment, and other contributions to the college.
Below are this year’s Exceptional Faculty members, along with quotes from their nominators:
Kayoko Barnhill, mathematics
“I have been taking Math for Elementary Education courses, and her course is very tailored not just to learning the materials, but learning how to teach each others in class. I have struggled with math my whole life, and her course gave me confidence that not only could I learn it, but I could gain deeper understanding and effectively teach it.”
Tony Chennault, biology
“He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. He encouraged me to keep going, he told me I could do it when I didn’t think I could do it myself. He teaches in a way that you understand, even if it’s not your strongest subject. He is so inspiring, motivating, and encouraging.”
Nami Inoue, Japanese
“When I first began at Clark College, I had a very negative outlook on school based on my previous high school experiences. I decided to take some classes for fun and try out a college environment. Inoue Sensei’s passion for teaching and love for her students was so warm compared to any teacher I’ve had before. She helped me rediscover the love I have for learning and school.”
Michelle Mallory, early childhood education
“To know Michelle is to love Michelle! She is a fierce defender of the learner and believes strongly in meeting the learner where they are at and with respect, dignity and recognition of the learner’s culture and style of learning.”
Joshua Patrick, English
“Professor Patrick has taught me that I should never be ashamed to voice my opinion. He made me feel smart, validated, and taught me how to communicate my thoughts and opinions to others in an effective way to make them listen. He also engraved some very useful critical-thinking skills into my brain that I think will be very helpful throughout the rest of my college experience—but most importantly, I’ll be able to apply these skills to my daily life.”
Kristi Taylor, dental hygiene
“Kristi has been incredibly supportive in a time of great financial uncertainty and worked on behalf of all her students to help us figure out a plan, or make contact with those who could offer us answers and help. She worked to provide all of us with an avenue for covid vaccination if we desired it. She works tirelessly on our behalf and still manages to answer emails in less than an hour. She’s basically Wonder Woman!”
Professor Kristi Taylor, top row second from left, stands with faculty, staff and graduates from the Dental Hygiene program at Clark College’s 2021 Commencement. Photo: Clark College/Tarek Kanso
Student earns math scholarship
Aukusitino “A.J.” Ah-Yek. Photo: Maddy Bisila, courtesy of Aukusitino “A.J.” Ah-Yek
Aukusitino “A.J.” Ah-Yek was recently named the first recipient of the newly created Sigma Scholarship, awarded by the Clark College Mathematics Department to support and encourage students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields to pursue higher-level mathematics. “Thanks to generous donations from many of you in our college community, we are awarding AJ $1500 to go towards his future education,” wrote mathematics professor Kayoko Barnhill in an email to college employees today.
Ah-Yek enrolled at Clark College as a Running Start student, initially undecided about his degree path. Soon after finishing his pre-calculus courses, he became a math tutor and eventually an engineering and writing tutor. Throughout his time at Clark, he has played in the college’s Jazz Band and also participated in engineering competitions at the college. After graduating this spring with his Associate in Science – Transfer Track 2 degree, he plans to transfer to WSU Pullman to major in mechanical engineering and minor in mathematics. His career focus is in Aerospace Engineering.
“On behalf of the Tutoring Services Team, I would like to let the scholarship committee know that they definitely got the right candidate when they picked A.J. for this,” wrote Tutoring Services Program Manager Janice Taylor. “A.J. is not only an academic rising star, but he is also a rock star in Tutoring Services! He is not afraid to set high goals and he will achieve every single one of them in the shortest time possible. AJ has been an invaluable member of our team and a great resource for his fellow peers at Clark College, we are excited and sad to see him head off to Pullman.”
Clark College holds in-person Commencement
This will be the first time that the ceremony is held on the soccer field. Traditionally, the college’s Commencement ceremonies have been held at Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the college’s 2020 Commencement ceremony was held completely virtually. This year, as restrictions on public gatherings began to lift, the college surveyed graduates to learn which format of ceremony students preferred: virtual, drive-through, or in-person. The in-person format was the top choice of survey respondents.
“Our students have navigated through so much this academic year—pandemic, economic downturn, social unrest, struggling with issues like job loss and food insecurity,” said Clark College President Karin Edwards. “It was important to us that we honor their achievement with a ceremony that met their hopes, while still conforming with public health guidelines.”
Other noteworthy highlights of this year’s ceremony:
About 525 graduates are expected to participate in this year’s ceremony, out of approximately 1,650 graduates from the entire academic year.
Graduates include those receiving Bachelor of Applied Science and associate degrees, as well as certificates and high school diplomas or equivalents.
Some of the participants are members of the Class of 2020. When that year’s Commencement was moved online, the college invited graduates to participate in the next in-person ceremony.
The ceremony will be led by Dr. Edwards, and will be her first Clark College Commencement as president of the college.
The student speaker is Jaelyn Sotelo, a Running Start student who is transferring to University of Washington to pursue a career in political advocacy. Introducing her is student government president Josiah Joner, also a Running Start student, who is in the third generation of his family to attend Clark College and is transferring to Stanford University in the fall.
Also speaking are: Clark College Board of Trustees Chair Rekah Strong; faculty union president Suzanne Southerland; and Interim Vice President of Instruction Dr. Genevieve Howard.
College mourns Trustee
Jane Jacobsen
Today the college community learned that Clark College Trustee Jane Jacobsen had passed away over the weekend.
“Jane became a Clark College trustee in 2016, and throughout her two terms on the Board she was an indefatigable cheerleader for the college,” wrote Clark College President Karin Edwards in an email to the college community announcing the news. “She liked to say that Clark was ‘the community’s college,’ because to her, uplifting and positively impacting the community was the most important and valuable part of our mission.”
A resident of Vancouver for more than 30 years, Jacobsen had profound impact on the region. She served in leadership roles with such organizations and projects as The Columbia Land Trust, the Marshall Lecture Series, the Columbia Gorge Commission, as well as many others.
Of the many achievements in Jacobsen’s life, the one her name is perhaps most closely connected with is Confluence. Jacobsen was the founding executive director of this ambitious nonprofit project to express the history of the Pacific Northwest through art and Indigenous voices. The Vancouver Land Bridge, located within Historic Fort Vancouver, is a Confluence installation.
During her two terms as a trustee at Clark College, Jacobsen served in many roles, including Board Chair from 2019 to 2020. She also served on the college’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee, Social Equity Advisory Council, Guided Pathways Committee, and as an alternate Legislative Action Committee Representative to the Washington State Association of College Trustees.
“I know Jane touched the lives of many people at the college—including my own—and I know she will be missed,” wrote President Edwards in her email.
An email from the Board of Trustees the college community read in part: “Those who knew Jane will remember her warmth, her kindness, and her seemingly limitless capacity for positive energy. Jane would show up with fresh-baked shortbread cookies just because she was thinking of us. Whenever there was a college event, you could count on Jane to be in attendance, joyfully participating in any activity offered. Whenever we had the opportunity to engage with students, Jane was the first to congratulate them on their successes and let them know she believed in their capacity to build better futures for themselves.”
A public Celebration of Life is scheduled for June 15 at 11:00 a.m. in Esther Short Park. Confluence has also created a tribute page where people can share their memories of Jacobsen and have their condolences forwarded to the family. Survivors include her husband, Paul, her sons, Ben and Gabe, a daughter-in-law, Allison, and two grandsons, Henrik and Emmett Jacobsen.
Clark College Trustee Jane Jacobsen, center, was a tireless cheerleader for the college who could be counted on to show up at college events, like this Sakura Ceremony.
Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley
New VP of HR named
Brad Avakian. Photo courtesy of Brad Avakian.
Clark College has announced the hiring of Brad Avakian in the role of Vice President of Human Resources. He will begin at the college on June 10.
“We are excited to bring someone with Brad’s breadth and depth of knowledge into this crucial leadership position at the college,” said Clark College President Karin Edwards. “His expertise will be crucial as we begin the complex work of returning to campus after more than a year in remote operations.”
Avakian earned his bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and his doctorate of law from Lewis & Clark University. For many years he worked as a lawyer specializing in civil rights cases. Later, he served in the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon Senate representing parts of northeast Washington County. Avakian also served three terms as Oregon’s Commissioner of Labor and Industries, during which time he was a strong advocate for career and technical education programs, as well as for equity for women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Since leaving public service, Avakian has taught Politics and Public Policy for Managers in Willamette University’s MBA program and worked in private practice as a mediator and arbitrator.
“Clark College is a historic school with an exciting and bright future,” said Avakian. “I am so grateful for the chance to join the Human Resources team and broader Clark Community. It’s good to be a Penguin.”
