President Knight delivering the 2013 State of the College Address.

Clark College President Robert K. Knight will give the annual State of the College address on Thursday, Jan. 16. As the college celebrates its 80th anniversary, President Knight will update the college and members of the community in the address, which he says will focus on “Looking Forward at 80.”

Among the topics that President Knight will be discussing are the plans to break ground on the new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) building in the summer of 2014, the progress of strategic planning efforts at the college, and the role of new programs and partnerships.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 11 a.m. in Gaiser Student Center on the college’s main campus. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Wash. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, you should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Gaiser Hall room 137, as soon as possible.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark College Foundation President and CEO Lisa Gibert, center, gives new Director of Facilities Services Tim Petta, right, a warm welcome.

Incoming Director of Facilities Services Tim Petta was welcomed warmly by the Clark College community at a reception in the Baird rotunda on Friday, November 15. Petta joined the college on November 4.

Petta has extensive experience in facilities management at the University of California Los Angeles, where he was Senior Educational Facility Planner. As part of UCLA’s facilities management team, he was responsible for supporting 175 on-campus and 100 off-campus buildings. He has been involved in a number of large new construction projects–from design and document review to building and commissioning.

Director of Facilities Services holds his welcome-to-Clark gift of a framed photo of the Chime Tower.

Petta began his career early, working in construction while in high school and college. He studied computer science at California State University Northridge, but decided to instead go into plumbing. He quickly rose to a management position, and has taken management courses through Dale Carnegie Training, Fred Pryor Seminars, and other companies, as well as college courses in mechanical engineering.

As Director of Facilities Services, Petta oversees all capital projects at the Clark College, ranging from the soon-to-be-built STEM Building to minor repairs and improvements. He is also responsible for the maintenance, grounds, and custodial services provided to the college every day. His department includes more than 50 full- and part-time staff in all facilities trades, from maintenance mechanics to grounds specialists to custodians.

Vice President of Administrative Services Bob Williamson welcomed Petta with a framed photo of the Chime Tower and a bright orange Administrative Services T-shirt.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Among the many events organized by the Emergency Management Planning Committee was this evacuation drill held on May 9, 2013.

The Emergency Management for Higher Education (EMHE) federal grant period concluded Sept. 30, 2013. Over the three-year performance period, the $744,402 Department of Education grant successfully supported expansive steps to create a safer college environment for students, personnel and guests.

Grant-funded activities were overseen by members of the Emergency Management Planning Committee. Key accomplishments include staff development, support and training; equipment and supply selection and acquisition; and creation of detailed plans such as the Emergency Operations Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan. During the grant period, the college accomplished all seven grant objectives. In its summation, the independent third-party evaluation team “found Clark College’s efforts to fulfill the intent and requirements of the EMHE grant to be exemplary. The college took its commitment to the Department of Education seriously and has found a way to overcome each obstacle that surfaced throughout the grant period. Not only did Clark College meet the goals and objectives of its integrated emergency program under the EMHE grant, in the opinion of the third-party evaluation team they exceeded them.”

A video entitled “Clark College: Development of a Community College Emergency Management Program (2010-2013)” was produced by emergency management staff. The project was developed as a “show-and-tell” piece for both contemporary and historical use and to share with other community and technical colleges. Key components of Clark College’s emergency program are featured in the 3:43 piece, which illustrates program building blocks, personnel contributions and the related college culture shift that has occurred. It is open-captioned for accessibility. EMHE grant-funding allowed staff to hire local government CVTV to film the video.

A new Emergency Response Guide was completed and distributed in October. The bright yellow, spiral-bound, 24-page guide serves as a detailed desk reference on college emergency procedures. The guide was revised and enhanced to reflect the content of the college’s Emergency Operations Plan. The cost was paid by the federal Emergency Management for Higher Education grant. Distribution was handled by Environmental Health and Safety staff and student employees, and includes all work sites throughout the college. An electronic version is also available on ClarkNet [login required], with a student version available on Clark’s website.

After the office of instruction showed their music video “Rock of All Ages” a flash mob started at the front of the gym. The flash mob enticed members of staff, faculty, students and even members of the Clark College board of trustees to get up and dance.

On September 11, Clark College employees gathered in the O’Connell Sports Center gymnasium to kick off another academic year. Opening Day festivities are an annual tradition at the college, a time to recognize employees’ accomplishments and to reinvigorate the college community for the coming year.

This year, the day began on a more somber note than normal, as President Bob Knight took a moment to acknowledge that Opening Day happened to fall on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He noted that he had been in the O’Connell gym 12 years ago, playing an early-morning game of basketball, when he first learned of the attacks. Knight then asked the gathered crowd to hold a moment of silence in memory of the victims of September 11.

Knight then mapped out some of the challenges and changes the college would face in the coming year. He noted that after years of skyrocketing enrollments, numbers are starting to slip downward again, requiring staff in many departments to focus on recruitment and retention. The college is also gearing up to adopt ctcLink, a new collection of online systems being phased into use at all 34 Washington state community and technical colleges. And while the 3-percent pay cut that affected most college employees has ended, the college is still facing some budget difficulties, partly due to decreased enrollment and partly due to being underfunding by the state. For instance, the college’s new STEM Building was funded by the state–but at $4.5 million less than originally planned.

“I am confident that you will face these challenges and overcome them, just as well as you have done in the past,” Knight said, adding that the college would continue to rely on private support gathered by the Clark College Foundation, which is ending its $20 million Ensuring a Bright Future campaign next June.

Associate Vice President for Planning and Effectiveness Shanda Diehl spoke about another upcoming challenge: crafting the college’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. “Since we will use the strategic plan as a tool to make decisions, we need all of your feedback during its development,” she said, mapping out how that would take place.

But along with the talk of challenges and policies, there was also time for fun and high jinks. Traditionally, Opening Day includes a music video about the college, and this year it fell to the Office of Instruction to create the video. Titled “Rock of All Ages,” it drew cheers and laughter from the gathered employees–and, afterward, sparked an impromptu dance party that lured to the floor faculty, staff, Student Ambassadors, and even the three trustees in attendance.

Clark President Robert K. Knight presents French professor Doug Mrazrek with an award for 35 years of service to Clark College.

The event also was occasion for President Knight to award Presidential Coins to five employees, and for Human Resources to announce the recipients of the 2013 Exceptional Classified Staff Awards and to present service-anniversary awards to employees who had worked at the college for five, ten, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. One employee, French professor Doug Mrazrek, received an award for 35 years at the college–as well as a standing ovation from the crowd. The event was also an opportunity to present plaques to the recipients of the 2012-2013 Exceptional Faculty Awards, whose names were officially announced during Commencement.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

EDITED 9/30/13 to correct end date of Foundation campaign.

Associate Vice President of Planning and Effectiveness Shanda Diehl

On Opening Day 2013, Associate Vice President for Planning and Effectiveness Shanda Diehl explained the college’s approach to creating its 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. “Since we will use the strategic plan as a tool to make decisions, we need all of your feedback during its development,” she said, mapping out how that would take place.

The process began on Opening Day with employees being randomly assigned to groups of 12. These groups met for an hour to discuss how each individual member helped support student learning, which the college has identified as the common purpose that unites all departments and programs.

These groups will meet again in October, November, January, and February to discuss different aspects of student learning.

After the small-group meetings, employees gathered near Andersen Fountain for a complimentary lunch, where some of them discussed the previous activity.

New Career Services employee Alex Martin

“You tend to stick with the people you know, so it was a good way to meet new people at the college,” said Facilities Services Office Assistant Ramona Sott. “And it’s important to be talking about this: How do we help the students here get a better education, and get them to stay?”

“I thought it was fun,” said Career Services employee (and Clark ’09 graduate) Alex Martin, who found herself providing feedback for the college’s future on her first day of work. “We had custodians in our group, people in Admissions, all kinds of employees–it was great. I learned a lot.”

Arriving in late August, The Mighty Bowl was the first food cart to move onto campus, opening September 13.

This past fall, the Culinary Arts Taskforce was formed to work on two things: revamping the Culinary Arts, Food program and improving food-service options on the main campus. Recently the Taskforce released its findings, and they could indicate dramatic changes not just in the program and the college’s dining options, but in the look and shape of the campus as well.

The Taskforce quickly recognized one major challenge facing the current Culinary Arts program: In order to stay up-to-date with modern culinary trends, students needed instructional time to develop skills and learn about new tools and technology, theories, dietary restrictions, and global cuisine. However, the program was also responsible for most of the food production at the college, which left little time for purely instructional lab activities and skill development.

At the same time, because Culinary Arts students were responsible for producing most of the food at campus, food service was limited to their class hours—and both students and employees often need to eat at times outside those hours.

Looking at these challenges, it became clear to the Taskforce that the Culinary Arts program needed to stop being the sole source of food on campus. The solution: Bring in local vendors, in a limited capacity, to augment food service for the campus community. Meanwhile, Culinary Arts students would take part in more-rigorous academics and updated lab activities—while still gaining hands-on experience by providing some food service to the college. The program would also move to a cohort model and be designed to qualify for accreditation by the American Culinary Federation.

In order to accomplish all this, however, something else needed to change: the facility itself. Students would need access to SMART classrooms and a demonstration kitchen (currently the program has neither) to learn the new curriculum, and outside vendors would want a larger, more inviting space in which to set up shop. So the Taskforce also recommended adding a second story to the northwest corner of Gaiser Hall and remodeling the first-floor section to house a modern food court with different cook-to-order kiosks, a new bakery area, and a modern dining room. The second floor would include the SMART classrooms, offices, and other facilities required for a modern Culinary Arts program.

“[A] renovation, while costly, is an investment in the program, an investment in student retention, and an investment in the goals of the Strategic Plan,” the Taskforce’s final proposal concludes. “The creation of an inviting space for students, faculty, and staff to congregate as members of a community will serve Clark College for decades to come.”

The next step will be  a predesign study to accurately budget for these renovations—after that, the fundraising process to make these proposals reality can begin. Meanwhile, the Culinary Arts, Food program is not taking new students. Learn more about the proposed changes online at http://www.clark.edu/academics/programs/culinary_arts/Taskforce_Proposal.pdf.

Meet Your (Lunch) Makers

So where will students and employees eat while the Culinary Arts, Food program goes through its transformation? In addition to currently existing food kiosks around campus and the Bakery (which will continue service during the revamp), three new food carts will set up shop on the walkway on the east side of Gaiser Hall. Here they are, with links to their websites and expected beginning month of service:

• Foody Blues BBQ
• Mighty Bowl
• Chewy’s Really Big Burritos

Photo: Clark College/Hannah Erickson

Left to right, Associate Vice President of Corporate & Continuing Education Kevin Kussman, Vice President of Student Affairs Bill Belden and Vice President of Instruction Dr. Tim Cook meet with the residents of White Salmon to discuss potential course offerings in a satellite location.

As the economy of the Columbia River Gorge has developed, so have its needs for a more highly trained workforce. Recently members of two Gorge school districts reached out to Clark College to help meet those needs.

Representatives from Clark College recently attended two public meetings in the Columbia River Gorge to hear public input and gauge interest in offering college-level classes to the communities of Klickitat and Skamania counties. The public meetings were hosted by the Stevenson-Carson School District and the White Salmon Valley School District. Held at the Wind River Education Center in Carson and at the Columbia High School Library in White Salmon during February and March, the meetings were well attended by a cross-section of prospective students, business leaders, educators and economic development advocates.

More than 200 people attended the meeting in Carson, indicating the interest was there for college-level classes. Although there was a smaller number in attendance in White Salmon, the participants there clearly stated the need for educational programming to train for workforce needs, particularly for the growing high-tech sector in the Gorge. What Clark College officials still need to determine is how many and what types of classes to offer.

“Clark has explored the option of offering for-credit classes in the Gorge before, but we know that demands change with changing economic times,” said Clark College President Bob Knight. “We really needed to hear that the interest was there for a model that we could fiscally maintain and one that would be sustainable for the workforce needs of these communities.”

Columbia High School principal Troy Whittle gives Clark College insight into the high school population in White Salmon.

Clark College is already offering adult basic education and ESL classes through the WorkSource offices in Stevenson and White Salmon and will continue those classes. The proposed expansion would bring general education offerings to the region–classes that would have broad appeal and that also could be taken by Running Start students.

“White Salmon Valley School District is excited about developing partnerships with Clark College and Stevenson-Carson School District for expanding college-level course opportunities that will better meet the growing needs of our students, adult learners, and communities,” said Dr. Jerry A. Lewis, Superintendent of White Salmon Valley School District.

Clark College may begin offering a limited number of classes this summer; the formal kickoff is scheduled for fall quarter in September. Classes in Skamania County will be offered at the Wind River Education Center, formerly the middle school for the Stevenson-Carson school district. A location for White Salmon classes is being discussed.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley