Hello, fellow Clark colleagues. We have been involved in an exciting move of some data from all community and technical colleges in Washington. In support of the FirstLink colleges (Spokane and Tacoma) going live as beta testers for ctcLink, the SBCTC technical team needed to  migrate some critical data into the new system (ctcLink) from the legacy system we are still currently using. This was done in early April, even though FirstLinks are not  going live until August.

There are types of data that are “global” in nature, meaning it may be useful to all 34 colleges in the ctcLink system. For example, the biographical and demographic data for students and employees are global. You might be a student at one college and an employee at another college–but, since both colleges are part of ctcLink, you only need one shared record with one ID for both institutions. The vendor list for colleges is another example of global data.

So in preparation for the August 2014 go-live for Firstlink colleges, the SBCTC and Ciber teams migrated the data from our legacy systems into the new ctcLink system. This was the first global movement of data into ctcLink; it was done so that as colleges move onto the new ctcLink system, the global data will be there for them.

The data that was moved is data the Clark College has been focused on in a cleanup effort so that it would migrate (move over) to the new system without a hitch. This move doesn’t affect those of us still using the legacy system, because all that student, employee and vendor data still reside in our current databases as well. The real importance is that the project of getting ready for ctcLink has met a big milestone with migration of global data into the new system. Much is to be learned as this process continues. More updates will be available on the project next month.

While we work quietly behind the scenes on other efforts in preparation for the August 2014 – May 2015 transition of Wave One colleges, I wanted to share a video that was produced by one of our fellow Wave One colleges, Grays Harbor College. It is a great short video regarding what ctcLink is, why we are doing it, and whom it will affect. Plus, it’s got a few jokes sure to appeal to those of us who remember the ’80s. You’ll just have to watch it to see what I mean.

In this video you will hear reference to our subject matter expert (SMEs). So I’m providing a link to the ctcLink internal webpage for Clark College that has additional information regarding ctcLink and who all of our SME’s are: http://team.clark.edu/sites/ClarkNet/departments/changemanagement/SitePages/ctcLink.aspx.

As always, if you have any questions regarding ctcLink, please don’t hesitate to ask!

The Association of Community and Technical Colleges offers two scholarships every year, one for employees of Washington community and technical colleges (CTCs) who are pursuing a college degree, and one for students graduating from a CTC.

The application deadline for both scholarships has been extended to May 12, 2014.

Here is a link to the scholarship application: https://sbctc.instructure.com/courses/962721.

For more information, visit The Association website.

Congratulations to Janice Taylor, recipient of the 2014 Winter Quarter Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Tutoring and Writing Center Program Manager Janice Taylor

Janice is the Program Manager for the Tutoring and Writing Center. She started working in the center as a part-time work study student in 2006; was later hired on as a full-time Program Assistant, and recently promoted to Program Manager. Her nominators describe her as a “model of organization and efficiency, regularly doing the work of several people in a single day.”

“Janice is constantly initiating new projects to better our department,” continues her nomination. “She is widely known for the respect she shows to her fellow workers and students, and her vigilance about maintaining a positive and professional environment in the tutoring centers. She figures out solutions to complex problems and finds ways of using limited resources more effectively and efficiently.”

One employee sums it up by saying, “Janice is truly amazing and a huge asset to Clark College!”

Congratulations to all of the winter quarter nominees:

Sally Demos “Sally has provided excellent service to the Clark College community for the past 29 years. She frequently goes above and beyond her basic job responsibilities because of her work ethic and belief and support of the mission of Clark College. She is an excellent communicator and possesses a wealth of knowledge that has positioned her as the go-to person regarding campus culture and the history of the college.”
Joanne Emel “Joanne is always positive and friendly. She responds with an upbeat tone and helpful attitude, and solves problems quickly and to my satisfaction. She makes my job easier by being excellent at her job.”
Darci Feider “Darci is very organized and on top of her work. She resolves issues graciously, and takes care of questions and concerns right away. Darci gets along well with her co-workers and is pleasant and professional. She reflects great customer service for the Purchasing Department.”
Vanessa Meyer “Vanessa is friendly and helpful. She remembers the needs of faculty members and retains a positive attitude, regardless of the request. She maintains the documents, keys and workspace well.” 
Derald Richards “Derald consistently performs at a level above and beyond the scope of his job. He is quick to submit ideas and solutions, and will take the lead on projects. Derald can be counted on to deliver and complete a task, no matter how difficult.” 
Sarah Thorsen “Sarah does anything and everything she can for our department. She goes out of her way to take care of the students and faculty, and she does so with a smile. Sarah is extremely intelligent and will gladly share advice for how to handle difficult situations, based on her extensive experience teaching special needs students.”

The College Community will celebrate all 2013-2014 nominees and recipients at the Annual Ice Cream Social held in September.

The Classified Staff Excellence Award was established in 2005 and recognizes classified staff who have demonstrated exemplary work performance, outstanding customer service, a positive and cooperative spirit, and special achievements or contributions to the college community. Thanks to the support of the Clark College Foundation, each quarter’s recipient receives a $400 cash award.

Karen Ferguson submitted this article. Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Director of Change Management Jane Beatty

Let’s continue to explore some of the aspects of what will change when we go live on ctcLink in May 2015. Some of us here at the college don’t use the legacy systems (PPMS, SMS or FMS). But even in those cases, ctcLink will improve our work lives. All employees will have access to a new self-service online portal, where you can change basic information–things like your address or phone number–without hunting down the right contact person or form.

There will be separate areas in the portal designed for Clark employees, students, and faculty, to adjust to their different needs. But if you’re both a student and an employee at Clark, good news! Your information will be automatically updated throughout the system–no more having to submit the same update to multiple systems.

Here is an example of an employee self-service screen shot–this is a mockup, but shows an example of what will be available in ctcLink self-service centers.

For those people at the college who use the legacy systems every day, the improvements will be more dramatic. Staff in Corporate & Continuing Education, for example, anticipate a significant change. CCE has been using a separate student management system for over six years; with ctcLink, they will all be using the same system the rest of the college uses, making everything from class management to student management much more streamlined and easily managed.

Faculty, meanwhile, can look forward to having a system that can apply a prerequisite screen for students’ registration after grades are submitted. Currently, faculty often wind up spending a lot of the first day of classes checking the prerequisites for each student, because students who passed the prerequisite class registered before the preceding quarter’s grade was submitted. Often faculty don’t even know students lack the prerequisite for the class, so they have to identify those students and find a way of speaking privately with them the first day. This just adds to the number of overwhelming tasks associated with the first week.

These are just a few examples of the changes that the new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system will bring to Clark College. Stay tuned for more examples and information on this change that Clark College, and all 34 community and technical colleges in Washington, will experience.

For more information on Clark’s adoption of ctcLink, visit the Change Management area on Clark’s intranet (login required).

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Know a great student who could use a little help paying for their classes? Now’s a good time to give them one last piece of “homework” to do over Spring Break: Filling out a Clark College Foundation Scholarship application.

Each year, Clark College Foundation gives our students hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship aid. Students don’t necessarily need to be straight-A students to qualify for scholarships: Many are designed for students who are specializing in a particular field, or who come from a particular background. The deadline for Foundation scholarship applications for the 2014-15 academic year is April 16. Students can access the application form online, but it’s important to let them know that it will take time to complete–they’ll need time to polish their application and gather the requisite letters of recommendation.

Have an event happening at the college you want to publicize? There are lots of ways to get the word out, but one of the easiest and most effective is to add it to the college’s Events Calendar.

When you add an event to the Events Calendar, not only does it make that information accessible to anyone visiting the clark.edu website, but it also feeds into the events listings shown on the clark.edu home page, where the next four upcoming events are always listed. Considering that the home page gets tens of thousands of visits a day, this is a highly effective way to spread the word about your event.

Adding an event to the Events Calendar is easy. From the ClarkNet home page (login required), click the “Tools” button on the left-hand menu; scroll down to “College Calendar” and click “Add Events.” From there, you simply fill in the fields, and your event is automatically posted onto the calendar. One thing to remember: The program that imports this data cannot read “special characters” including curly quotes, diacritical marks (accents, umlauts, etc.), ampersands, and long dashes, so don’t include those in your text.

Once your event is posted to the Events Calendar, you can click on the event’s title to bring up a web page for that particular event listing. You can share that page’s URL in emails or on social media as an easy way to direct people to information about your event.

Adding events to the Events Calendar is a quick, easy, and efficient way to get the word out about upcoming events at the college. Try out this handy tool the next time you need to advertise an event!

February 26 marks the beginning of Clark College Bookstore’s sixth annual Oswald on Spring Break Photo Contest.

Customers, students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in the contest by simply stopping by our store to complete an “adoption form” and pay a $2.50 (plus tax)  entry fee. Participants will receive an official 2014 Oswald toy and can begin snapping pictures of Oswald on location immediately. Participants enter their best picture of Oswald enjoying spring break before April 9 to be eligible for one of three Bookstore gift cards awarded to the pictures with the most customer votes.

Contest rules are available at the cash registers and on the Bookstore’s website. Bookstore employees may not enter the contest, but they may vote daily.

Contest Dates

February 26 – April 9  (or until Oswald toys are gone) Customers may enter the contest

April 9                        Contest entries are due

April 16-24                 All qualifying entries will be displayed in-store for voting. One vote per person per day

April 25                      Winners will be announced  (This is also World Penguin Day!)

Brandi Roberts contributed this article. Photo: Clark College Bookstore

As Clark College’s Director of Change Management, one of my goals is to increase awareness of the Community and Technical Link (ctcLink) project at our college. This project will change our working environment in a big–but positive–way. Please read below for more information. If you have any questions about the project, I am always available to help answer them for you.

What is it ctcLink

ctcLink is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project that will modernize, centralize, and standardize the Washington Community & Technical Colleges’ administrative systems. Our current legacy systems (Student Management, Financial Management, Payroll & Personnel Management, and Financial Aid) will be replaced by Oracle Peoplesoft applications.

Why do we need to replace our current systems?

Our current administrative system is over 30 years old. As most of you have experienced, it is usually offline for several hours each night, and it has very little flexibility or support for modern technologies and needs, such as mobile device support or 24/7 access for students and employees. If you have stories you’d like to share regarding the current system and its limitations, please send them to me. I’d love to share with everyone next month how some of these limitations can be resolved with ctcLink.

When is all this happening?

This changeover will take place in May 2015, but we have a lot to do before that happens: Cleaning up all of our current data from the old system, convert that data for the new system, and understanding how the new software will change how we do business at the college. In August 2014 (yes, just seven months away!) the SBCTC and Ciber (a vendor helping us implement the changeover) will arrive at Clark College and start taking us through a plethora of activities to get us ready. Between now and then, we have a lot of work to do to better understand the software’s functionality and to make sure our data will move over to the new system successfully. The timeline below gives a clear idea of how the change will be structured.

Who will be affected?

The short answer is: everyone! Everyone who accesses and/or administers any part of our current systems (including class, employee, financial, procurement, and student systems) will be affected. Once the ctcLink project is completed, you will be using entirely new systems. (Don’t worry: There will be training available for everyone. Training needs and schedules will vary depending on your role at the college.)

Additional Information and Resources

The Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has a dedicated ctcLink website with lots of resources and information.

Clark College also has an intranet web area for Change Management and ctcLink (ClarkNet login required). You can go to this website to find out more information and links to further information. This website also contains the names of many people who have been working diligently to help get some foundational decisions made regarding the overall architecture and infrastructure of how the system must work to comply with regulations and college policies. These are our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). You can find someone in the area in which you work.

Thanks,

Jane Beatty
Directory of Change Management
X2903
jbeatty@clark.edu

President Bob Knight presents IT Specialist Rick Bartz with a Presidential Coin at the 2014 State of the College address.

In 2007, Clark College President Bob Knight introduced a new honor at Clark College: the Presidential Coin.

The coin is given to faculty and staff members who provide exemplary service to Clark students, the college and the community. The honorees are decided by the president and are kept secret until the names are announced–generally on Opening Day in the fall or during the annual State of the College address.

Four Clark College employees received Presidential Coins during the State of the College address on January 16. They were:

Rick Bartz

In his 19 years as a media specialist at Clark, Rick Bartz has amassed extensive knowledge of the college and its programs, knowledge that allows him to provide a high level of service. He works part of his shift in the evening and is available to support evening events and faculty teaching night classes. Bartz has also been involved in the installation of the majority of smart classrooms across campus.

“He has an upbeat attitude that is frequently commented upon by the customers he supports,” said President Knight. “He is frequently called in to do last-minute setups which he does without complaint.”

Mike Godson

Automotive Technology professor Mike Godson has already earned many awards in his field. In 2009, he scored the highest out of nearly 15,000 people on the national L1 (advanced engine performance) exam, earning him L1 Master Technician of the Year award from Automotive Service Excellence and Motor Age Training. He was also chosen to present in the Faculty Speaker Series in 2012. Beginning 2012 and continuing today, he led the department in the curriculum development and program transition to a “stand-alone” T-TEN program. He has also held a leadership role at the national level with Toyota for over a decade.

Mirranda Saari

Beginning as a Program Coordinator 10 years ago, Mirranda Saari has received a number of promotions for her outstanding performance, including to her current role is Associate Director of Admissions and Assessment. She has played a lead role on several key projects: our Lean initiative in student affairs, strengthening community partnerships, and our fall enrollment initiatives.  She also represents Clark as a subject matter expert in our PeopleSoft (ctcLink) conversion.

“She strives to improve efficiencies and deliver the best in customer service to our students,” said President Knight in presenting the coin. “She has earned the respect and of her staff through listening and advocacy, she has a strong work ethic and a positive attitude.”

Jenny Shadley

Working in the Office of Communications and Marketing for more than six years, Graphic Designer/Photographer Jenny Shadley has become a familiar face around the college as she photographs special events, takes portraits of employees and students, and works with different departments to provide high-quality graphic design to support their programs and events.

“She is always willing to jump in and help, whether it as an Art Committee member or managing social media,” said President Knight. “She has a consistently positive attitude, thinking of the best ways to promote the Penguin Nation and help others look good.”

As Clark College moves forward with its Strategic Planning process, Clark 24/7 is interviewing different college employees about how they see themselves fitting into the “big picture” of Clark’s central goal of supporting student learning. For the current segment, “Engagement to Learn,” we interviewed two individuals who work in very different areas about how they help students stay engaged at Clark.

Janette Clay
Program Specialist, Office of Instruction

Give us a little background about what you do at Clark.

I work directly with the Title III Strengthening Institutions grant supporting First Year Experience (FYE) initiatives and also Outcomes Assessment. For people who are unfamiliar with FYE, these are programs designed to work with students when they first arrive at the college to help them be successful at Clark and beyond.

How do you see yourself supporting student engagement at the college?

FYE initiatives continue to expand, and the main focus is on student retention and completion. One initiative is COLL 101 (“College Essentials”), a two-credit course that teaches students concepts they’ll need to know to be successful at Clark and beyond–such as time management, financial literacy, learning styles, recognizing privilege and inequity, and knowing how to find and use resources at the college. There’s also the FYE Mentor Program and service projects that help students feel a sense of community at Clark. Another initiative, one that will expand in 2014-15, is our Learning Community model of instruction. Learning Communities are linked classes, where each class’s coursework supports that of the other class. So, for instance, you could have students taking a statistics class where all the statistics come from studies they’re reading together in their linked psychology class. Students really get a chance to feel connected both to the coursework and to their classmates. All these initiatives are designed to keep students engaged.

Students in COLL 101 discuss power, privilege and inequity with their instructor, Felisciana Peralta.

Is there a way that your department/program supports student learning that you think would surprise other people at the college?

I don’t think that all staff and faculty at Clark College know that they can be mentors for new students in the FYE Mentor Program. The mentees in these one-to-one relationships are lucky to have people to turn to for help navigating the system, whether it be registering for classes, studying for finals, or joining clubs.

Hopefully this is not a surprise, but in Outcomes Assessment, we continue to collaborate with faculty in the practice of meaningful, sustainable assessment to enhance student learning. There are many training and funding opportunities available for faculty to create and implement assessment projects, learn about researched best practices, and participate in professional development activities.

How has the Strategic Plan process made you look differently at your own role at Clark? How has it made you look differently at others’ roles?

It has made me think about the role that I can play, and that I am a part of this process like all other staff and faculty at Clark College. In looking differently at others’ roles, I learn more about what other people do, and furthermore how our roles interact now, and can interact better as we move toward 2020.

What have you enjoyed about the Strategic Plan process so far?

It is really beneficial to get to know and work with other people at the college whom I had never met prior to the Strategic Plan process. I have also enjoyed the readings, as they are very informative and thought-provoking and therefore generate good discussions. My group, the “Supernovas,” is a really fun group of people with some great ideas!

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Charles Guthrie
Director of Athletics

Give us a little background about what you do at Clark.

I oversee 11 intercollegiate teams, coaches, staff and game operations for an estimated 92 home games a year, competing in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAAC). I’m also in charge of all strategic planning, budget, Title IX compliance and external relations for the department, which is part of the division of Student Affairs.

How do you see yourself supporting student engagement at the college?

Clark College has approximately 200 student-athletes who are part of our Intercollegiate Athletics program. Student-athletes at Clark College have the opportunity not only to compete on the court or field, but to continue to hone important life skills, including the value of teamwork, individual and group responsibility, physical fitness, sportsmanship, diversity, and a sense of commitment to fellow students, faculty and the broader community. These critical skill sets will enable Clark student-athletes to engage not just during their tenure at Clark College, but as they move on through the rest of their lives.

Is there a way that you or your department/program supports student learning that you think would surprise other people at the college?

I don’t know if the broader campus community has visibility into how our student-athletes are able to learn about and promote the importance of diversity on many different levels. Our student-athletes come from various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and they learn to both accept and embrace those differences as well as find new connections and ways to unite as a team.

Student-athletes participate in study hall.

I’ve realized that our athletic program is an important component to many of the key areas outlined in the plan and we can have a positive impact on the strategic initiatives that are critical to ongoing success for Clark College as a whole. I knew this prior to engaging in the process, but did not understand to the full extent we could engage and collaborate, and I hope it has helped other departments throughout campus recognize how we can contribute beyond just athletic competition–i.e., diversity, student success, retention and access.

Where do you envision Clark College in 2020?

As the best value in higher education within the state of Washington and setting the bar for driving impactful college-wide programs like the Strategic Planning process. I would expect that Clark College will continue to earn public recognition for the passion and hard work that unite our campus community.

How do you think your department will have changed by then?

In another six years I hope to have several classes of alumni who have passed through our program who are engaged and feel strongly about continuing to support Clark College Athletics. We want to continue to improve on the academic support, facilities and life lessons we offer to our student-athletes. If these areas were to look the same in 2020 there would be a problem, because we must continue to evolve our program to fit the ever-changing needs of our students. And, of course, it would be great to add a few NWAACC Championships to the growing list of administrative, academic and athletic accolades Clark College earns each year.