Clark College has begun a new partnership with industrial business Vigor to provide specialized training for current Vigor employees. Clark College Welding faculty have created a six-credit Marine and Pipe Welding course starting in the summer 2021 term.   

Instruction will be delivered in a hybrid format (on-line lectures and in-person labs) to 10 employees for one term. The signed memorandum of agreement (MOA) is the result of numerous conversations between the college and the company on how best to partner to give employees access to specialized training that will help them advance in their careers and fill a critical need in the ship-repair industry.   

Caleb White, who heads Clark College’s Welding and Fabrication Technology program, met with Vigor leaders and then invited them to campus pre-COVID to observe Clark’s welding lab.  

White said, “We are excited to work with Vigor as we better understand their specific needs and they can see our capabilities and our applications in working with pressure vessels. We were able to demonstrate that our faculty have the expertise and knowledge to design and facilitate the training that Vigor was seeking to enhance the skillset of their welders. Vigor benefits, Clark College benefits and most importantly our students benefit from the partnership.” 

“Vigor is excited to partner with Clark College to train the next generation of welders,” said Hilary Pickerel, Workforce Development Manager at Vigor. “This program will be a great opportunity for current Vigor employees to pursue a career in welding and family wage jobs at places like Vigor. Development opportunities like this are core to Vigor’s Evolution value, which drives our employees to grow and master their skill sets.”

About Clark College  

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 Vigor

Vigor is a values-driven, diversified industrial business operating in eight locations with 2,300 people in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Built around a collection of powerful, unique assets and differentiated capabilities, Vigor excels at ship repair, specialized shipbuilding, and handling important, complex projects in support of energy generation, our nation’s infrastructure and national defense. With deep respect for people and the planet, Vigor strives to be a positive, regenerative force for good – environmentally, in the lives of its employees and in the community. Vigor … Industrial Evolution. For more information, visit vigor.net.

Starting March 1, Clark College students will no longer have to pay for the C-TRAN bus pass called “BackPASS,” thanks to an interlocal agreement between C-TRAN and Clark College. 

“We are grateful to our partners at C-TRAN in our shared efforts to provide for students and improve accessibility,” said Dr. Karin Edwards, Clark College President. “Together we have removed one more barrier to help improve student retention and success.” 

The new benefit applies to all enrolled students. Students need to have their Clark College ID card in order to receive the bus pass sticker. Both can be obtained through the Clark College Bookstore.  

While many students are taking classes remotely and online during the pandemic, the bus pass allows them unlimited transportation on the C-TRAN’s local service area. “Many of our students rely on public transportation to get to and from work, home and school,” said Josiah Joner, Associated Students of Clark College President. “A bus pass is essential and now it’s available to everyone regardless of ability to pay.” 

Twenty-three Clark College students who earned their degree in Medical Assistant celebrated their achievement with family and friends during a virtual Pinning ceremony on January 20.  

For student Candi Clark, the Pinning ceremony was the culmination of longtime family support and inspiration. As a teen, Clark attended the Pinning ceremony for her mother, Rhonda Hansen-Boyle, who earned her nursing degree at Clark College and now works at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. 

During the virtual ceremony, Clark was surrounded by her supportive family—her mother, father and sister—to celebrate her graduation. She says her family’s support was instrumental to her success as she navigated life’s obstacles—including a global pandemic—to earn her degree. 

“I’ve always had a calling to help people,” she said. “Once I told my mother I wanted to go into the medical field, my mom was 100 percent behind me.” 

Medical assistants are in demand. Many will join the healthcare workforce in the coming weeks. The Vancouver Clinic hired 19 of the 23 students. 

In addition to her supportive family, Clark is thankful for the help and guidance she received from WorkSource, which has partnered with Clark College to help students succeed.  

WorkSource uses federal funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and provides critical support and services to workers who want to develop the necessary skills for a good job in high-demand fields such as health care services. Available services include tuition assistance, book allowances, uniforms, supplies, and career counseling. 

The program is open to a wide variety of adults including those who have been laid off, displaced, or who are under-employed. Low-income adults and veterans also are eligible.  

“Our goal is to get people back to work in high-demand occupations that provide stable and meaningful employment to benefit their families and the community,” said Karin LaValla, WorkSource Health Care Liaison. “By partnering with Clark College, we can integrate our services, working together to provide those wrap-around supports to help students succeed.” 

LaValla and her team work directly with Dr. Sarah Kuzera, Director of the Medical Assisting Program at Clark College. They attend the orientation for new students and explain their program. In this year’s class, nearly half of the students were eligible for WorkSource services. 

“They receive help with tuition, books, transportation, childcare, financial and job coaching,” said Kuzera. “This has been a stressful year for our students. We’re grateful to have WorkSource at our side as active partners helping our students succeed.”

“WorkSource has been so helpful—a combination coach and fairy godmother,” said Candi Clark. “When I needed help with tuition, supplies—even scrubs—they were there for me. It’s made all the difference in being able to complete my studies.” 

WorkSource also helps students find externships and employment. The federal program provides employers up to 50 percent wage reimbursement for a student’s first 30 to 60 days on the job. Candi Clark has already interned at Vancouver Clinic doing patient care and is eager to complete her testing and get to work.  

Certified Medical Assistants are in high demand right now, in part because of the pandemic. Medical assistants work directly with physicians and patients in both the clinical and administrative settings. They maintain the daily workflow of a medical office.  

“Our graduates are in high demand,” said Kuzera. “Our program is growing.”

The next class, called a cohort, begins spring term; the first day of classes is April 5. Interested students can learn more on the college’s Medical Assisting page.

During the Pinning ceremony—a tradition in many health care programs—the graduates celebrated one another via Zoom. “It’s harder to do basic things, like draw blood, during a pandemic,” said Candi Clark. “But we figured it out and we can be proud of ourselves that we didn’t give up.”  

Clark’s story came full circle during the Pinning ceremony, when her mother attached the pin to her daughter’s shirt. In the family photo taken immediately after the pinning, Clark proudly wears her pin. Her smiling mother is reaching out to touch her daughter’s shoulder. 

“This is so exciting for me and my family,” Clark said. “It’s been a long road to get here. I can’t wait to get to work. Healthcare is kind of the family business. We gravitate to the helping professions. It’s where we can make a difference.” 

For students interested in learning more about WorkSource Washington and its educational training opportunities for job-seekers can visit WorkSource’s website.

Registration is now open for Clark College’s 2021 Northwest Regional Equity Conference. This year’s theme is “Sharing Strategies for Equity and Anti-Racist Practices.” 

The online, two-day conference aims to improve equitable, sustainable experiences and outcomes for historically under-represented students and employees of the higher education system through effective instruction and anti-racist supports. This year the conference will broaden its scope of topics beyond higher education.  

“We see racism playing out before our eyes, and conversations around anti-racism are as much needed right now as they have always been, but what is really needed is anti-racism in action,” said Rashida Willard, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Clark College. “We all benefit by sharing our experiences and learning from those who bring their expertise to these vital conversations.”  

This conference has been broadened to include governmental, non-profit, and corporate sectors. It is really geared toward individuals across the nation who would like to broaden their social justice knowledge or remove institutional barriers for historically underrepresented populations.  

Workshops include: 

• Bias and Discrimination in AI systems 
• A Call to Anti-Racism -Teaching Cultural Diversity to Health Care Students 
• Data Storytelling   
• Creating IMPACTful Mentoring Opportunities for BIPOC Students  
• Restorative Justice  
• Employee Engagement and Retention 
• Best Practices for Working with Incarcerated Students 
• Disability Justice 
• Building a Community of Collective Care  
• Making DEI Training Count: Overcoming Common Pitfalls 
• Creating Pathways for Native, Latinx and Afrocentric Education from High School through College 
• Equity in Student Conduct  

“We created the conference last year because we saw a need to elevate the discussion, seek out best practices, and take action,” said Willard. “These are the very issues we are working on at Clark College. We are working on becoming anti-racist – not just on paper, but in everything we do. We want to share these best practices with community. We are in a time of seismic change as our nation grapples with systemic racism, politics, the pandemic and the economy. The Northwest Regional Equity Conference provides a pathway forward for communities ready to take the next step.”  

For more information about NWREC: http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-support/diversity-and-equity/equity-conference/index.php. Those who need accommodation due to a disability can contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314, 360-991-0901 video phone. 

Keynote Speakers 

Talila “TL” Lewis is a community lawyer, educator, and organizer whose work highlights and addresses the nexus between race, class, disability and structural inequity. Recognized as a 2015 White House Champion of Change and one of Pacific Standard Magazine‘s Top 30 Thinkers Under 30, Lewis engineers and leads innovative and intersectional social justice efforts that illuminate and address grave injustices within education, medical, and legal systems that have gone unaddressed for generations. A recent graduate of American University Washington College of Law, Lewis has received awards from numerous universities, the American Bar Association, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, American Association for People with Disabilities, the Nation Institute, National Black Deaf Advocates, and EBONY Magazine, among others. Lewis is a 2018 Roddenberry Fellow and a 2018 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity.  

Aaron Reader is a practitioner, poet, activist and educator, with extensive experience in diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. He has served higher education in a number of capacities over the last decade from teaching, social justice, education equity, and currently is the Vice President of Student Services at Highline College. In addition to his work in higher education he has a passion for poetry and spoken word. He has been identified as workshop leader, facilitator and speaker for colleges, summits and conferences. Reader has been recognized as a local spoken-word artist who has a powerful, emotional, real, and conscious style.  

Dr. Angel B. Pérez has worked for over two decades to realize his belief that diversity and academic excellence go hand-in-hand, and that every young person who aspires to higher education should have the opportunity to achieve. A recognized thought-leader on issues of equity and access in American education, Peréz is a tireless champion for under-represented communities and a creative advocate for reform. Named by a Forbes article in 2019 as the most influential voice in college admissions, Peréz strives to build an educational ecosystem that better represents today’s America.  

Governor Jay Inslee has appointed Cristhian A. Canseco Juarez to the Clark College Board of Trustees. Canseco Juarez is a first-generation college graduate, as well as an immigrant and an alumnus of Washington State University Vancouver. He is deeply involved in community service in Vancouver, providing resources for those who have historically been under-represented. 

“I’m honored to join the Clark College Board to support students and our community,” said Canseco Juarez. “I want to give back to this community and do my part to help create a more inclusive, equitable and enriching environment for students and their families.” 

Canseco Juarez currently serves on the Board of Directors for Lighthouse Community Credit Union. He serves as treasurer for the Southwest Washington LULAC Council and he volunteers as a council member at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. He also participated in last year’s Clark College Presidential Search Committee.  

Canseco Juarez earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Washington State University Vancouver and graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver. He and his family have lived in Vancouver for 25 years, having emigrated from Mexico to the United States in 1991. 

He begins his term on January 1, 2021 and is filling the position vacated by outgoing trustee Jada Rupley. Rupley was first appointed to the Board in 2010 and has served two five-year terms. She has served in a variety of roles in Washington’s education system over the past 25 years: as a teacher, psychologist, principal, and associate superintendent. She is currently the Superintendent of the Clackamas Education Service District in Oregon.  

“Jada has provided a depth and breadth of education experience that has been invaluable to Clark College,” said Rekah Strong, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “We are grateful for her work on the board, her expertise, and her passion for helping students succeed.” 

The Board of Trustees consists of five members appointed by the Governor of Washington. Members serve five-year terms and must live in the college’s service district. The Board is responsible for strategic planning; development and approval of college policies; and approval and oversight of the operating budget. 

Today, Clark College announced that its 2021 winter term will be taught online with limited face-to-face labs.

“I realize we just began fall term, but registration for winter term is quickly approaching,” said Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards. “It is time to make the next decision in a series of difficult ones regarding how we will deliver education in such an unpredictable environment as this pandemic.”

Clark has decided to extend remote teaching modalities through the end of the Winter 2021 term.   

Students will have three modality options as they make registration decisions for winter:

• Online – Classes will be fully online and asynchronous.
• Remote – Classes will be taught online with scheduled synchronous instruction components (i.e., live sessions using Zoom or other video-conferencing apps).
• Hybrid – Lecture components will be fully online and lab components will have scheduled face-to-face instruction. Date, time, and campus location information will be included on the schedule. This modality will be reserved for specific career technical programs and labs with hands-on requirements. Strict safety protocols will be maintained to protect the health and safety of students and faculty.

As a large institution with thousands of students and more than 1,000 employees, there remains a significant risk of exposure to COVID-19. Clark College consulted with the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, public health authorities, other colleges, students, and faculty in making this decision.

“This is a difficult decision because we want to see our students back on campus,” said Edwards. “But we also want to safeguard our students’ health. By making early decisions, we can put into place plans to support students, continue to improve our online processes, and provide students with optimal instruction online.”

Clark College has been in remote operations since Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” proclamation in March. Already, the college has taken many steps to help support students during this extraordinary time of social distancing. The college has distributed free loaner laptops and wifi hotspots to students, set up an online emergency grant application to support students facing financial crises, and established “virtual office hours” for all its student services.

With respect to winter term and college operations, there are numerous decisions that will need to be made. 

The college’s ability to accommodate on-site activities such as athletics, student club meetings and scheduled events will be dependent on several factors, such as guidance and restrictions placed on campus activities by the State of Washington. 

For the time being, Clark College will continue to operate remotely and limit or prohibit on-campus activities. As restrictions are lifted, Clark will develop procedures and protocols that will allow those activities to occur on campus safely.

Winter Term at Clark College begins January 6, 2021.

Clark College is responsible to identify and dismantle systemic racist systems and build equity into everything we do. 

Message from Clark College Board of Trustees:

In recent weeks, a long overdue awakening and acknowledgement has taken place across the country. We have witnessed the senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others who have lost their lives to racism. The cumulative trauma of these and hundreds of years of overt and systemic racism weighs heavily on communities of color and hold us all back as a society.

As the board of Trustees:

• We are in solidarity with the College in standing with those who stand up against hate, state violence, and racial inequities; and we affirm our commitment to social justice and equity.
• We acknowledge the disproportionate impact of this trauma on our faculty, staff, and students of color. We hear you; you matter and you belong here.
• We hear the voices of Clark’s students when they say “Let our Voices Be Heard”, when they declare “Racism is Alive”; and we share in their hopefulness for the future. We hear you; you matter and you belong here.
• We recognize that words can initiate change but action is what secures change. With that recognition we acknowledge our unique governance, policy, and fiduciary role and commit to listening, identifying and dismantling racist systems and policies, and ensuring that the Policies and Procedures of the Board of Trustees are consistently performed with an equity lens.

In solidarity, Clark College Board of Trustees 

Approved and Adopted June 10, 2020

Approximately 10 percent of Clark College students need assistance with technology to be able to take their classes spring quarter. Because of the state “stay home” orders, all classes have been moved to online formats.

Students were encouraged to fill out a Technology Loan Program Request Form to help them get connected with the resources they need to navigate this transition–whether that’s a loaner laptop, a wifi hotspot, or other technical needs.

Laptops are being purchased through the college’s technology fee, which is managed by a committee composed of faculty, staff, and students. The funding will allow for 500 new laptops and 100 internet hotspots for students, in addition to loaner devices the college already had on hand.

To practice safe social distancing, the college is calling each student on the list setting up appointments to come onto campus to the O’Connell Sports Center to pick up the loaner laptop.

Because of high demand nationwide, the wi-fi hotspots that have been ordered for students are not yet available. The college has set up a wi-fi hotspot in the college parking lot “Orange #2” on the east side of the main campus. Buildings are not open to the public so students will not be able to use restrooms.

A different kind of spring term

Clark continues remote operations to comply with Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home Stay Healthy” order. Even so, college staff remain available by email and/or phone to enroll, advise, support, and answer students’ questions.

Dates and deadlines for tuition and drops have been pushed further out onto the calendar to provide students more flexibility.

“Despite the multiple challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created, our dedicated Clark community is finding a way to overcome roadblock after roadblock on behalf of our students,” said Dr. Sandra Fowler-Hill. “We will walk with them working through issues and challenges every step of the way.”

The State of Washington has recognized Clark College for its outstanding work in Career Launch programs that support student learning and employment. Two Clark College automotive programs have been endorsed by the state’s Career Launch Initiative. That good news was announced April 1. 

The Hannah initiative for Technician Education  (HiTECC) supporting area Honda/Acura, Audi, and the Dick Hannah dealerships and the Toyota Technician & Education Network (T-TEN) supporting area Toyota/Lexus have been accepted into the state network of Career Launch programs.   

“We have forged dealer partnerships that have helped make our programs successful. Our ‘Earn and Learn’ model really complements those dealers who have a desire to ‘grow their own’ technician,” said Tonia Haney, head of Clark College Automotive Technologies. “Students completing these programs will have the experience and certifications to start their career. Most importantly, our graduates will have a job in a dealership that is invested in helping them grow into a successful technician.” 

Opportunities to expand

This endorsement allows Clark College to apply for additional state grants to invest in equipment and technology. It also helps the programs expand to increase the number of the students and automotive dealership partners. 

Both programs train technicians to work in the automotive industry. Clark’s students enrolled in a Dealer Ready program participate in paid internships, receive factory certified training, and graduate with credentials from highly respected automotive industry organizations including the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).  

Students learn current automotive technology by working in a 14,000-square-foot facility on state-of-the-art simulators and late-model vehicles donated by local industry.  

“Because of our collaboration with Clark College and the T-TEN program, we are able to strengthen our dealership’s core, position our company for the future, and put our people in a position to win,” said Dan Morton, Shop Manager and Diagnostic Specialist at Kuni Lexus of Portland. 

High-Demand Jobs 

Clark’s graduates are in high demand by dealerships and experience an accelerated path to better pay and benefits. Clark College is certified by the Automotive Service Excellence Education Foundation and has been training automotive technicians for more than 40 years.  

Clark now has three programs that are Career Launch endorsed. Clark’s Mechatronics program was certified last fall, working with business partner SEH-America. With Career Launch support, additional high-tech companies in Clark County plan to launch similar partnerships this fall.  

In February, Governor Jay Inslee visited  SEH-America to meet with Clark students and the Career Launch partners to learn more about the program and hear from students. 

Students have the benefit of working a part-time job in the automotive industry. The company pays the student’s tuition while they attend Clark to earn their certificate or degree. The partnership relies on the college’s ability to work with employers ensuring curriculum is relevant to the local industry. It’s a partnership that maximizes student success. 

“This is a great opportunity for Clark students,” said Dr. Sandra Fowler-Hill, Interim President of Clark College. “Working strategically with our industry partners, we can help develop the talent pipeline that will allow local companies to grow and will provide outstanding opportunities for our students to succeed.” 

The Clark College Board of Trustees has announced the completion of a major step in selecting the next Clark College President. The trustees selected four finalists Wednesday, December 18, at its monthly public meeting. The board acted on the recommendations made by the search advisory committee that conducted interviews with ten semi-finalists last week.

“It’s a milestone in our search and a moment to celebrate,” said Board Trustee Paul Speer. “The Search Advisory Committee has accomplished its task in finding Clark College four outstanding candidates. I thank them for their excellent and collaborative work.”

The four finalists are: Dr. Karin Edwards, president of the Cascade Campus of Portland Community College; Dr. Joaquín G. Martínez, district vice provost of institutional effectiveness at Miami Dade College; Dr. Lamata D. Mitchell, vice president of instruction and academic operations at Pima Community College; and Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy, vice president of student access, involvement, and success at SUNY Westchester Community College. Full biographies of all four finalists are available online at www.clark.edu/presidential-search/search/finalists.php.

Clark College received 65 qualified applications as it began its recruitment process in September with the assistance of a national search firm, Gold Hill Associates. The Search Advisory Committee comprised of community leaders, college employees and students then reviewed the applications and narrowed the field to ten semi-finalists. Last week, the committee interviewed all ten candidates and made their recommendations to the Board of Trustees.

“This was a great process to be part of,” said Al Schauer, a committee member and business leader. “I appreciated the robust discussions and ultimately, the strong consensus within the committee that Clark College has four outstanding candidates to choose from.”

“This has been an inclusive search with multiple perspectives represented in the process,” added Eric Merrill, Clark College Foundation Board Chair and member of the President Selection Committee. “This is a critical leadership position for the college and our community. It’s exciting to see high-caliber candidates who want to serve as our next college president.”

The finalists will be invited to the college in January for constituent panel interviews and public forums. It is expected that the Board of Trustees will make its selection by the end of February 2020 and that the new President will begin onboarding in the summer of 2020 in preparation for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Current Interim President Dr. Sandra Fowler-Hill was hired in June 2019 to lead the college through the transition. She was not a candidate for the permanent position. Fowler-Hill stepped in when former college president Bob Knight retired last summer.

“Having an interim president has allowed the college and the community this important time to carefully consider who will lead the college into the next decade,” said Speer. “Dr. Fowler-Hill has provided key leadership at a critical time and will help the onboarding process with our next President.”

More information about the ongoing search process can be found at www.clark.edu/presidential-search.