This past week

I can’t believe this is the last weekly news for 2019. My time
at the Penguin Nation has flown by fast. As I reflect back on the last twenty
four weeks, I count your success and the amazing work you have done in teaching
and supporting our students. I look forward to all that 2020 brings to Clark
College, including its next President.

Correction

My apologies for the oversight in listing the Presidential
search committee members in last week’s Weekly News: I accidentally omitted
Cath Keane from Career Services. I greatly appreciate Cath’s participation on
the Search Committee. Thanks, Cath.

Presidential Finalists College Forums

The four presidential candidate
finalists will be on campus in January. I encourage everyone to attend the
college forums that will be held as part of the two-day long interview process
and provide your feedback.  We are still finalizing the location on campus
but I can tell you the forums will be held 12:00-1:00pm on the following dates:

• Tuesday, January 14: Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy, vice president of student access, involvement, and success at SUNY Westchester Community College.
• Friday, January 17: Dr. Karin Edwards, president of the Cascade Campus of Portland Community College
• Wednesday, January 22: Dr. Lamata D. Mitchell, vice president of instruction and academic operations at Pima Community College
• Friday, January 24: Dr. Joaquín G. Martínez, district vice provost of institutional effectiveness at Miami Dade College

Biographies of all four finalists are available online atwww.clark.edu/presidential-search/search/finalists.php

Budget news from Olympia

The Governor released his 2020 Supplemental Operating and
Capital Budgets on December 18. Below is a summary of the Governor’s proposals
that impact the community and technical college system:

Operating Budget

1. $2.4 Million for the Job Skills Program – In alignment with his Career Connect Washington initiative,
   the Governor proposed to expand customized, short-term and job-specific
   training for incumbent workers through the Job Skills program. Job Skills
   co-invests with employers who need customized training due to growth and
   changes in technology, and to address skills shortages. Currently, the Job
   Skills Program has $5 million in funding to provide training to meet employers’
   specific needs. Due to the high demand, the entire $5 million has already
   been committed for this biennium. If funded by the Legislature, this would
   allow a 50 percent expansion of the program, which is highly respected by both
   business and labor.

• $1.6 Million for Increased Attorney General Services – These funds were requested by both the Attorney General and
  SBCTC to cover unanticipated legal costs.

Capital Budget

The Governor’s budget does
not include any new capital funding or local financing authorities for the CTC
system.

These are the “bigger pieces” of
his budget affecting our system. Minor changes that typically occur in a
supplemental budget (i.e., changes in pension rates and funding) are also
proposed. I will let you know if we discover anything noteworthy as we dig
into the details, as well as updates on the Legislature’s budget
decisions. 

Faculty Negotiations continue

Clark College and the AHE are meeting
today, December 27, to continue negotiations to settle a contract dispute. I
want to acknowledge the strain that this places on everyone at Clark: our
students, our staff, and our faculty. Clark College is committed to our
students to ensure they are able to start and successfully complete their
winter quarter.

Contingency planning is underway in the
event there is a strike. Communication will be critically important as we move
forward. We have created a website, easily findable from the clark.edu home
page, to help everyone stay up-to-date on events and how they affect the
college’s operations.

I am deeply concerned a strike would have
detrimental impacts on students and our college community. Please know Clark
College wants to reach a settlement, move forward, and support our students.

I want to also remind employees of our EAP resources
during these times of stress. It’s easy to say and sometimes harder to do,
practicing good self-care as stressors build up.

Washington State EAP is accessible, free and
confidential. You can call (360) 407-9490 or toll-free at (877) 313-4455. You
can also visit the EAP website for more information.

Looking ahead

There is an exciting conference coming up on campus soon. Registration is still open for the inaugural Northwest Regional Equity Conference for Higher Education. Registration Fee: $250

I’m also looking forward to attending our annual MLK event in Gaiser Student Center on Tuesday, January 21, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., and seeing the interactive, hands-on display of the history of Buffalo Soldiers/black cowboys, as well as attending the Buffalo Soldiers of the Pacific Northwest documentary screening and discussion from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Join me in honoring Dr. King’s legacy of service to others by donating hair- and skin-care products for African-American families served by YWCA Clark County. Donations can be dropped off at the Student Center. More information at http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/mlk/

As we say goodbye to 2019 and head into the new year, I’m getting excited about delivering the 2020 State of the College Address on January 16. The most exciting part, for me, is announcing the inaugural recipients of two new employee awards: the  Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award and the Exceptional Administrative Exempt Award.

Thank you to all who nominated your
colleagues for the inaugural Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award. As a reminder,
this award is given to a member of the Clark College community who has
demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing equity. We are excited to
announce all the nominees:

• Dian Ulner
• Dr. Debra Jenkins
• Shanda Haluapo
• Connor Cantrell
• Cath Busha

For this inaugural year of the Exceptional
Administrative-Exempt Award, 19 nominations were received. The award honors an
Administrative-Exempt staff member who contributes in significant ways toward
building a positive climate, inclusive environment, and improvement in the
quality of life at Clark. The awards committee were impressed by all the
submissions, whether nominees were eligible or not. Congratulations to all the
nominees and heartfelt thanks to those who nominated them:

• Ben Cecka
• Kevin Damore
• Guisela Eberle
• Sarah Gruhler
• Shanda Haluapo
• Judith Hernandez Chapar
• Heather King
• Jennifer Lea
• Sami Lelo
• Kent Pruett
• Mirranda Saari
• Sabra Sand
• Ashley Schumacher
• Michael See
• Kevin Thomas
• Tasaday Turner
• Vanessa Watkins
• Melissa Williams
• Carley Willis

The winners of these two new awards will be announced at the 2020 State of the College Address on Thursday, January 16. A huge thank-you to all the nominees for making Clark College a better place to work and to learn.

If you have been nominated, be sure to
attend the State of the College Address to be recognized. Please join me in
honoring your colleagues at this event next month.

To all those who are off campus for the break, I wish you safe travels on your way back to us. I am off for a few days to attend my daughter’s wedding in Leavenworth, Washington. They are having an outdoor wedding in the snow on January 4. I’m hoping for clear roads to get over the pass.

This past week

Usually the week before the holidays is quiet on a college
campus. Not so at Clark College this past week.

Presidential Search
Finalists Named

I am happy to share the news that
four finalists have been selected in the search for Clark’s next college president.
The Board of Trustees approved the list as recommended by the Presidential
Search Advisory Committee.

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. Last week, the Presidential Selection Committee interviewed ten semifinalist candidates and made their recommendations to the Board of Trustees.

This is a milestone in the
process and I thank everyone from Clark College who served on this committee:
Danielle Plesser, Dannie Nordsiden, Donivee Randall-Jones, Dr. Siri
Wickramaratne, Evans Kaame, Heather Adams, Justin Flint, Rashida Willard,
Suzanne Southerland and Tanya Kerr. Thank you!!

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.

More information about the ongoing search process—including photos and complete biographies of the finalists—can be found at www.clark.edu/presidential-search. 

Faculty
Negotiations continue

Clark College and the AHE will meet Friday,
December 27 to continue negotiations to settle a contract dispute. I want to
acknowledge the strain that this places on everyone at Clark: our students, our
employees and our faculty.  Clark College is committed to our students to
ensure they are able to start and successfully complete their winter quarter.

Contingency planning is underway in the
event there is a strike. Communication will be critically important as we move
forward. Starting Monday, December 23, we will provide updated information on
our website on the homepage.

I am deeply concerned a strike would have
detrimental impacts on students and our college community. Please know Clark
College wants to reach a settlement, move forward and support our students.

I want to also remind employees of our EAP
resources during these times of stress. It’s easy to say and sometimes harder
to do, practicing good self-care as stressors build up.

Washington State EAP is accessible, free
and confidential. You can call (360) 407-9490 or toll-free at (877) 313-4455.
You can also Visit
the EAP website for
more information.

New campus safety tool

Clark College is launching a new safety
tool called Rave
Guardian. It’s a free mobile app that turns your smartphone into a
personal safety device and college resource center. I just downloaded it on my
phone and it was really simple.

By downloading the app on your mobile phone, you’ll have access
to safety features that directly connect you to the college’s Security and
Safety staff, as well as the ability to submit anonymous tips should you see
something suspicious. You can invite friends and family to join your network as
your “Guardians” and have one or more of them virtually walk with you on or off
campus. It’s like having a trusted friend with you at all times.

The Office of Security and Safety encourages all students,
faculty and staff to enhance their personal safety by downloading the free
app.  You can text “Guardian” to 67283 to instantly receive the download
link to register OR you go to your App Store or Google Play Store on your
mobile device and search “Rave Guardian”.

Jeff Kaliner can answer any questions you may have at jkaliner@clark.edu. I
appreciate all the work that has gone into this project, providing an extra
layer of safety on campus.

Student
Entrepreneurship

I want to give kudos to one of our Business
Professors, Nathan Webster. He’s working with students who are
entrepreneurs.  Clark College is a member of the NACCE (National
Association of Community College Entrepreneurship). Clark is hosting a
networking event on Monday January 13, from 11am-2pm. This event is open to all
students, staff and faculty.  In fact, our faculty and staff business
owners will be speakers. Nathan welcomes your questions about this event or
other activities scheduled throughout the year. You can email him at nwebster@clark.edu. Thank you Nathan for all you do.

Community Service

I want to acknowledge the service work that
you do out in our community. Clark College Director of Teaching and Learning
Center, Dr. Judith Hernandez Chapar recently spoke at the Habitat for
Humanity’s Women Build Luncheon. Her topic was the intersection between housing
and educational attainment. Judith has been a volunteer with Habitat for
Humanity and carries a strong message about the need for safe housing in our
community and the impact it has one people’s lives. Well done Judith!

This next week

To all those who are heading off campus for
the break, I wish you safe travels and good cheer shared with friends and
family.

This week

Thanks to everyone who participated in forums this past week with Dr. Chris Hill, AACC Coach, on Guided Pathways. She recognized the extraordinary work that has been done on Guided Pathways by the faculty and student services staff as well as the improvements we can make in communication and decision-making. She will be providing us with a summary of her observations and recommendations. I’ll look forward to sharing her report with you.

I stopped by the STEM building last week and was wowed by the Computer Science and Engineering students. I got to see learning in action with the students presenting ideas for their year-long projects. Walking through the lobby I chatted with students explaining their ideas for software applications, drones, robots, power systems, games, internet-of-things and online services. I can’t wait to see the results of their work later in the year.

Winter Social

You are all invited to the Winter Social Tuesday, December 10, at Gaiser Student Center. The reception begins at 2:00 p.m. and the program begins around 2:30 p.m.

As is the tradition, we will honor our Clark College employees who have retired in 2019. I am looking forward to carrying on this Penguin Nation tradition.

Supporting students during Finals Week

This will be my first Finals Week at Clark College—and the first for many of our students as well. It can be a time of stress for them. They may try to read their notes as they’re walking through the parking lots; they may show up in unconventional spaces (like an unoccupied conference room) as they try to study in peace; they may forget to eat. Let’s all offer them a little extra dose of grace and patience as they navigate this important milestone in their education.

Speaking of which, the college is offering help for their next milestone: There’s an open lab held most of this week to provide one-on-one assistance to students trying to enroll on ctcLink for next term. Located in APH 210, its hours are:

• December 9 and 10, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• December 11, 9:00 a.m. – noon

Time to nominate outstanding employees

A new award for 2020 is the Clark College Administrative and Exempt Excellence Award honoring two Exempt staff members who contribute in significant ways toward building a positive climate, inclusive environment, and improving the quality of life at Clark. Submissions can be made by filling out the online submission form by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13.

‘Tis the season

You may have seen or heard recent news reports of this season’s first confirmed measles case in Clark County. Last January, when Clark County Public Health announced an official outbreak, college employees were asked to locate their immunization records in case a confirmed case at the college led to CCPH instituting an exclusion protocol. It’s probably a good idea to once again make sure you know where those records are—just in case. Not sure if you have your immunization records? For those of you visiting childhood homes during Winter Break, they often wind up in a back drawer or old photo album. And if you were vaccinated here in the state of Washington, chances are that your records are available online. Staff at the Counseling and Health Center have very kindly volunteered to help any student or employee find their records through the state’s online database. They are located in HSC 124. Let’s all help to keep each other healthy and safe this winter!

Lace up those sneakers!

Before coming to Clark, I knew that Penguins marched, but I had no idea how many of them ran as well! Every March, a “Clark Penguins” team participates in Portland’s Shamrock Run. To register for the event, visit the2020 Shamrock Run Registration Page; this link will automatically identify you as part of Clark Penguins when you register. To find out more about this event, contact Haley Tucker in Event Services, who is organizing this year’s team.

Progress on ctcLink

Now that ctcLink has been up and running for a month, the college is starting to leverage its functionality. One great example of this is the “academic advisement reports” being created for every certificate and degree at the college. These will take the place of the myriad program worksheets, educational plans, Degree Audits, etc. that people have used to map and track students’ program progression—creating a single source of truth for students, faculty, and staff alike. As of this week, we now have academic advisement reports created for 31 of the college’s programs—including the Big One, the Associate in Arts – DTA degree (by far the most common degree that our students earn). Kudos to everyone in Credentials, Advising and the Office of Instruction for their work on this monumental task!

Great things have been happening across the college–congratulations!

Congratulations to mechatronics professor Chris Lewis on being awarded $603,397 for equipment purchases approved in the grant application for the Semiconductor and Electronics Manufacturing Technician Career Preparation and Launch program funded by the SBCTC through a capital budget appropriation

Congratulations to the Nursing Faculty and Jennifer Obbard, Associate Dean-Health Sciences, on the approval for continuing ACEN accreditation. I received a letter from a former colleague who is now the Director of Nursing Education for the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission announcing the approval and thanking the program for their continued commitment to quality nursing education in Washington State.

Congratulations to Dr. Jacob Funk, Director of Choral Activities, and Shelly Williams, Program Coordinator for Music, on a very successful Choral Festival. I recently received a letter from one of the adjudicators who noted, “I was struck by several positive aspects during the festival: the careful and thorough organization of the festival; the visible good nature of all the student helpers involved; and the star quality of the lynchpin of the day, Ms. Shelly Williams, the sine qua non of the Department, who was everywhere to solve all the little things that are bound to come up at events of this kind. Clark College should be very proud of this event.”

Looking forward to next week

Next week are Final Exams and Winter Registration for new students. As students and faculty prepare for Winter Break, I know our Enrollment Services team will be working hard to get students ready for Winter Term.

I am looking forward to hosting some new members of our community from my old neighborhood with a tour of the college with the Foundation staff and introducing them to the great programs at Clark. I’m also excited about recognizing our retirees at the Holiday Retiree Reception on Tuesday. I hope I can catch a glimpse of the Christmas ships from the riverfront this week before I leave for the Washington Association of Community and Technical College Presidents meeting on Thursday.

This week

Welcome back from the holidays! I hope you had time to rest and
enjoy time with friends and family. I enjoyed volunteering delivering Meals on
Wheels in Hillsboro with my husband and finalizing plans for my daughter’s
wedding in January. It was wonderful having 4 days to spend with family.

This morning our student leaders hosted Washington State
Legislators at the Clark College annual legislative breakfast. They talked to
our elected officials about their priorities, specifically college
accessibility and affordability. We have a strong ASCC leadership team this
year, and they were excellent representatives of our college students.

Also today, we are meeting with our AACC Guided Pathways coach, Dr. Chris Hill. She is
on campus today and tomorrow to review our work to date and assist us in moving
this important work forward. Dr. Hill will be meeting with the Guided Pathways
Core Leadership Team; Pillar 1, 2, 3 and 4 Teams; Board of Trustees; faculty;
students; and professional development teams to learn more about our progress
and plans for implementing Guided Pathways. Everyone is invited to attend the
College Debrief at the conclusion of her two-day visit on Tuesday at 4:00 –
5:00 p.m. in GHL 213.

Career
Launch at Clark College

Our Mechatronics Program has been endorsed as a Career Launch Program by the
SBCTC. This is exciting news for several reasons.

• It formally acknowledges our partnership with SEH America to
  provide students with real work experience while pursuing their AA degree.
• It also opens the door for state grants to provide equipment for
  the program.
• It provides incentives for additional businesses to participate
  in the Career Launch program.

A formal announcement will be made next week. I wanted to give
you advance notice of this great news. It signals a new chapter in our
partnerships with local employers.

I want to acknowledge the work of Mohammed Maraee, who has
brought the Center of Excellence for Semiconductors and Electronic
Manufacturing to Southwest Washington. He is working closely with Clark College
and area employers to build these important relationships.

I want to thank our team at Clark—Julie Robertson, Genevieve
Howard, Armetta Burney, Sachi Horback, and the mechatronics faculty—for your
work in responding to industry and moving this important initiative forward.

Presidential Search
Milestone

On November 25, the Presidential Search Advisory Committee,
having reviewed 65 applications, selected ten semifinalists to be considered as
our college’s next president!

The next step will be confidential semifinalist video interviews
conducted by the Search Advisory Committee during the second week of December.

Three or four finalist candidates will then be advanced to the
Board of Trustees for their approval at their December meeting.

During January, approved finalists will participate in
constituent panel interviews and public forums at Clark College. Evaluation
visits to finalists’ colleges will also take place in January.

It is expected that the Board of Trustees will make their selection
by the end of February 2020, and that our new President will begin onboarding
in the summer of 2020 in preparation for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Thank you everyone who is supporting this important work for the
College, our students, staff and community. More information on Clark’s
presidential search can be found at www.clark.edu/presidential-search.

Grant Awards

Clark College was awarded $100,000 from SBCTC to expand
access to the college’s Student Emergency Grant Program.

This funding is $50,000 per year for two years, starting January
2020.

This funding provides monetary assistance to students
experiencing unforeseen emergencies or situations that affect the student’s
ability to attend classes (e.g., paying for food, transportation, childcare, or
other goods or services needed in order for the student to continue attending
classes). This funding will provide low-barrier access for students (with no
income restrictions), even if they do not meet the traditional definition of a
“high-need” student. To date, Clark College has awarded over $44,000 in
emergency grant assistance, and this additional funding will allow the program
to prevent even more students from dropping out due to financial emergencies.

The Emergency Grant fund includes support from Clark County
Community Action Fund Grant, SBCTC Student Emergency Assistance Grant, and
Clark College Foundation. Combined, these funds provide approximately $100,000
each year to support our students! Starting in January, all Emergency Grants
will be administered through the Financial Wellness Program in Student Affairs.

Thank you to the team who helped write the grant: Julie
Robertson, Kevin Thomas, Edie Blakely, Selena Castro and Cath Busha. Well done!

Concerts this week

The Clark College Orchestra Fall Concert is set
for Wednesday evening at 7:30pm on December 4. Our congratulations to Dr.
Donald Appert: This is his 30th anniversary leading the orchestra. The
performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Skyview High School Auditorium, 1300 NW
139th St., Vancouver. Free Admission.

The Clark College Women’s Choral Ensemble and Chorale, under
the direction of Dr. Jacob Funk, will perform their Fall Concert on Thursday,
December 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Vancouver First United Methodist Church, 401 E.
33rd St, Vancouver. A second concert is scheduled for Saturday, December 7 at
7:00 p.m., also at Vancouver First United Methodist Church. Admission to both
concerts is free.

The Clark College Concert Band, under the direction of
Dr. Doug Harris, will perform “Fanfares & Dances” on Friday,
December 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Durst Theatre of the Vancouver School of Arts
and Academics, 3101 Main St. Free admission.

I want to thank everyone in the Clark College Music Department
for their talents and time in creating memorable moments for our students and
our audience. Congratulations!

Giving Tuesday

Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday – a global generosity movement encouraging people to contribute time and treasure to their favorite charities. As a reminder, we have an employee giving campaign at Clark College supporting students through the Foundation.

You can choose where and how your gift is used. There is a match
program ongoing for the Penguin Pantry. A generous donor has committed to a
$5,000 match for the pantry if we reach our goal of 220 donors who make a gift
of $10 or more by June 18, 2020. You can
make a gift here any time.

However you choose to observe Giving Tuesday, I appreciate all the ways you support our students at Clark College.

Next
week for your planning

You are all invited to the Winter Social Tuesday December 10,
2019 at Gaiser Student Center. The reception begins at 2:00 p.m. and the
program begins around 2:30 p.m.

As is the tradition, we will honor our Clark College employees who have retired in 2019. I am looking forward to carrying on this Penguin Nation tradition.

For the first time, Clark College has won Walktober, a 31-day walking challenge between Clark College, Lower Columbia College, and Washington State University Vancouver.   

Participants used fitness trackers and mobile apps to track steps and entered their daily activity on a Walktober log. The school with the most steps, Clark College, is presented with a trophy (and bragging rights).

The following three
Clark winners will be awarded prizes for taking the most steps:

• 1^st place: Sydney Brahmavar from Environmental Science with 843,756 total logged steps
• 2^nd place: Aaron McPherson from Facilities with 826,264 total logged steps  
• 3^rd place: Travis Kibota from Biology with 720,732 total logged steps

The Departmental Walktober Challenge Winner was Environmental Science, with an average daily total of 27,218 logged steps.

Official Walktober results

• 1^st place: Clark College with an average daily total of 9,694 logged steps (based on 68 participants).
• 2^nd place: Washington State University – Vancouver with an average daily total of 9,399 logged steps (based on 48 participants).
• 3^rd place: Lower Columbia College with an average daily total of 8,391 logged steps(based on 57 participants).

Now What?

• Consider participating in the Free Fall Fitness Fun Run or Walk on Tuesday, November 26 at 1:15 p.m. in front of Cannell Library.
• Keep up with your activity levels by setting Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timely (S.M.A.R.T.) goals, scheduling time on your calendar to move, and finding an accountability partner.
• Come to an event. You can find upcoming events by visiting the TLC Event Schedule. Remember, we follow a more holistic model of wellness, so there are various ways to engage throughout the year. Check out the Six Dimensions of Wellness for more information.

National Honors

Clark College has been named a 2020 Best for Vets college in the Career and Technical College category by Military Times—just one of 19 colleges across the nation to receive this designation. It’s the third year in a row Clark has earned Best for Vets status. Kudos to everyone in the Veterans Resource Center, as well as everyone across the college who helps support our student veterans!

New VP of DEI named

Please join me in congratulating Rashida Willard, who has
accepted the appointment as the new Vice President for Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion at Clark College. This is an important milestone for the Office of
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a positive leap forward for the college in
supporting our staff, faculty and students.

Rashida stepped into the role as interim 17 months ago while
still the Director of Operations and Risk Management in Administrative
Services. She has taken on additional responsibilities in service to the
college and she has earned the respect of her peers, our students, and the
community as a strong and effective leader.

During this interim period, she has created and developed
structures, spaces, and programs to help remove barriers for students and she’s
leading the effort to create a culturally competent campus to help students
succeed. She is deeply invested in this work and passionate about creating
inclusive, safe, and welcoming environments where all students have maximum
opportunities to succeed.

Rashida holds a master’s degree in Business Administration, a
bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and an associate degree in
Organizational Dynamics. She is currently attending Concordia University,
pursuing a doctorate in Education with a concentration in Professional
Leadership, Inquiry and Transformation.

Under Rashida’s leadership, the ODEI team has built good
momentum, developing new initiatives and programs that will help our college
move forward.

Please join me in congratulating and thanking Rashida for
accepting this role.

Penguin Power!

We did it, Penguins! We won the Walktober challenge between
Clark College, Lower Columbia College, and WSU Vancouver. Our 68 Walktober
participants averaged 9,694 steps during the month of October, winning us a
trophy and bragging rights. Special shout-outs to our top Penguin walkers:

• 1st place: Sydney Brahmavar
  (Environmental Science) – 843,756 steps
• 2nd place: Aaron McPherson
  (Facilities Services) – 826,264 steps
• 3rd place: Travis Kibota
  (Biology) – 720,732 steps
• Departmental winner:
  Environmental Science, with an average daily total of 27,218 steps

… And, of course, to Interim Director of Talent Acquisition and
Development Vanessa Neal, who led our Walktober efforts. I invite all Walktober
participants to join Vanessa, Oswald, and myself at noon on November 20 at the
Japanese Friendship Garden (or inside O’Connell if it’s raining) for a group
photo with our fabulous trophy.

Kudos to the STEM Team

Thanks to dozens of STEM Unit students, staff, and faculty
volunteers who hosted the Elementary Science Olympiad on Saturday, in
conjunction with the Southwest Washington Science Olympiad (WSO). Eighteen
teams of third-through-fifth graders from throughout Southwest Washington
participated, representing 14 schools from 8 school districts, with a total 270
students. The challenging and motivating events of WSO align with Washington
State Learning Standards. The events throughout the day were designed to
enhance and strengthen both science content and processing skills.

And, thanks to the Clark College Surveying and Geomatics
Department, in conjunction with the United States Forest Service, for hosting
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day on Friday. GIS is a scientific framework
for gathering, analyzing and visualizing geographic data to help us make better
decisions. GIS Day included a number of speakers, displays, and interactive
geospatial activities.

Also, congratulations to STEM Dean Peter Williams on his recent
presentation with Dr. Carli Schiffner, SBCTC Deputy Executive Director of
Education, and Dr. Gita Bangera, Dean of the RISE Learning Center at Bellevue
College, on “Scaling Up Classroom Undergraduate Research Experiences Statewide”
at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
Transforming STEM Higher Education conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Time
to nominate outstanding employees

There are three employee award programs now
accepting nominations. I hope you will look around you and decide to make a
nomination: the Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award, the quarterly Classified
Excellence Award, and the Exceptional Administrative Exempt Award.

The
Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award honors a member of the Clark College
community that has demonstrated a sustained
commitment to advancing equity. Award recipients will receive a plaque along with $1,000
funded by the Clark College Foundation. This award will be presented at Opening
Day before the beginning of fall quarter each year. This 2020 inaugural year,
the award will be announced during State of the College in winter quarter.

For 2020, nominations should be submitted by November
29 for the Executive Cabinet to review and select an award winner by
State of the College in January.

Please nominate a Clark College Employee by
visiting the Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award page and fill out the online submission form.

Do you know of an outstanding Classified employee at
Clark? Have you been looking for a meaningful way to say “thank you” to that
person who has gone above and beyond in their service to you, your department
or the college community? Now is your chance to acknowledge that special
person.

Also, nominations are being accepted for outstanding Classified
employee at Clark for the 2019 Fall Quarter Award. Please continue
reading for more information. Submissions can be made by filling out the online
submission form. Please only submit a nomination for the current quarter. The
deadline is 5:00 p.m. on
Friday, November 22. For questions, contact Vanessa Neal, vneal@clark.edu in Human Resources.

And, a new award for 2020 is the Clark
College Administrator and Exempt Excellence Award honoring two Exempt staff
members who contribute in significant ways toward building a positive climate,
inclusive environment, and improving the quality of life at Clark has been
created. Submissions can be made by filling out the online submission form by 5:00 p.m. on
Friday, December 13. For questions, contact Lisa Wolfson, lwolfson@clark.edu in the Office of the
President.

Selection
will be based on the following criteria:

• Exemplary Work Performance
  • Excellence in work performance
  • Makes a significant impact on the College (give examples of
    involvement, attitude, helpfulness, etc.).
  • Contributes and demonstrates commitment to the College’s mission
    and core values.
• Initiative and Collaboration
  • Positive interaction and engagement with all community partners
    (faculty, staff, students and the public)
  • Exhibits respect for fellow workers and students
• Special Achievements or Contributions to the College Community
  • Initiates or actively participates in projects for the
    betterment of the college community
  • Serves in leadership roles with campus groups/committees and/or
    external college partners
  • Displays consistent interest in and active support of diversity;
    seeks and promotes interaction with and between groups with differing
    ideologies, cultures, socioeconomic status, etc.

Recipients of this award will receive a glass plaque and $1,000
funded through an anonymous donor’s contributions to the Clark College
Foundation. These awards will typically be announced on Open Day before the
beginning of fall quarter each year. This inaugural year (2019-2020), the
awards will be presented at the State of the College address during winter
quarter.

To be eligible, the nominees must be a current full-time
Administrative employee who has been in their current position for more than
twelve (12) months. Members of the President’s Executive Cabinet are not
eligible to be nominated.

Congratulations, Dr. Donald Appert

The award-winning Clark
College Orchestra will present its Fall concert as part of the 2019-20 season
celebrating the 30th anniversary of Music Director/Conductor Donald
Appert on
Wednesday, December 4 at Skyview High School. 

This all-orchestral extravaganza
will include La Valse by Maurice
Ravel, Nuages and Fêtes from
Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes,and
Josef Suk’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor. The performance
is at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free and open to the
public. Donations to the Orchestra General Fund will be
accepted at the door.

For complete information about
all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs,
please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

We are
fortunate to have such treasures at Clark College.

Student Enrollment

Clark College began registering students for Winter quarter this
past week for priority registration. While Clark’s ctcLink Project Management
team works to provide access to queries that will help manage enrollment, I ask
for your patience. Planning and Effectiveness is working to redevelop our
enrollment management tools in Tableau to be available to all during winter
quarter.

Open Enrollment for
employees

It’s that time – a chance to review and make changes to your
public employee benefits. Open enrollment ends Saturday, November 30. To make
changes go to My Account on the
PEBB website. If you have questions about your benefits or account, please
contact one of our benefits team members:

• Thao Schmidt, tschmidt@clark.edu, ext.
  2628
• Amy Harrington, aharrington@clark.edu, ext.
  2325
• Guisela Eberle, geberle@clark.edu, ext.
  2119

Reflections from this
past week and looking ahead

Once again, I want to share my appreciation
for the Clark ctcLink team, who have done an amazing job throughout the goLive
conversion. I am inspired by the dedication of all the staff that I’ve seen
across the campus in Finance, HR, Student Services, Instruction, Planning and
Effectiveness, and IT who have been problem-solving throughout the week. Change
is hard, and this has been exhausting and frustrating work. This amazing team
has risen to the challenge. The whole state community college system has been
watching us to see how this is done. Congratulations again, Penguin Nation.
You’ve got this!

This next week I look forward to my first
quarterly meeting between the WSUV Executive Team and Clark College Executive
Team. The following day the Clark College Executive Team is participating in a
daylong retreat with Dr. Kathy Obear, continuing to work on improving ourselves
as a team.

Congratulations to the Penguin Men and Women who are running the
NWAC Cross Country Championship in Lacey today (Monday, November 18). Go
Penguins!!

I will be in Seattle the remainder of the
week with Shanda Haluapo, Associate Vice President of Planning and
Effectiveness and Clark College Accreditation Liaison Officer, at the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Annual Conference on Student Success, where I look
forward to learning more about the new Eligibility Requirements and
Accreditation Standards for 2020. I plan to stay in Seattle for the weekend to
have an early holiday with my family.

This coming weekend will be a busy one on campus, with
performances of “A Bright New Boise” in the Decker Theatre in Frost Arts Center
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Men’s and Women’s
Basketball games in O’Connell
Sports Complex; and the Clark College Jazz Band, under the direction of Dr.
Doug Harris, presenting its “A Salute to the Big Bands” on Saturday at 7:30
p.m. in Gaiser Student Center.

And just because Walktober is over, that doesn’t mean we Penguins
should stop being active: Get ready for the Fall Free Fun Run and Walk next
Tuesday, November 26, at 1:15 p.m. in front of the Cannell Library.
Registration is free and starts at 1:00 pm.

Clark College announced today November 14, 2019 that Rashida Willard has accepted the position of Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the college effective immediately.

“Rashida has earned the respect of her peers, our students and the
community as a strong and effective leader,” said Clark College Interim
President Sandra Fowler-Hill who made the appointment. “She has created and
developed structures, spaces and programs to help remove barriers for students
and she’s leading the effort to create a culturally competent campus to help
students succeed. The college is thrilled to make this announcement.”

Willard joined Clark College four years ago as Operations Manager
of Administrative Services. She has taught as an adjunct professor, has served
as Director of Operations and Risk Manager, and for the past 17 months has
served as Interim Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

During that time, she has developed, aligned and integrated new
and existing initiatives and procedures into a cohesive platform to foster a
more inclusive, welcoming and diverse college community.

“I am deeply invested in this work, and am passionate about
creating inclusive, safe and welcoming environments where all students have maximum opportunities to succeed,” Willard said.
“I am eager to move forward in community and collaboration, building on our
team’s momentum of the last several months.”

Willard was
a participant and graduate of the Social Justice Leadership Institute for the
Washington State Community College System in 2017-2018 and was nominated as a
Real Hero by the Learn Here Project in 2018. She is also a part of the
Vancouver Police Chief’s Diversity Advisory Team.

Willard
holds a master’s degree in Business Administration, a bachelor’s degree in
Business Administration, and an associate degree in Organizational Dynamics.
She is currently attending Concordia University, pursuing a doctorate in
Education with a concentration in Professional Leadership, Inquiry and
Transformation. Her current research explores strategies that faculty and staff
employ to create culturally engaging spaces for students of color attending
predominantly white institutions and how campus racial climate affects their
persistence and completion rates. This research will be used to examine and
identify strategies to close the equity gap among students of color in higher
education.

Veterans Day

Thank you to our student and employee Veterans who have served our country. We have 304 Veterans enrolled at Clark College this fall. I’m so proud of ourVeterans Resource Center that is available to help veterans and their dependents get connected with the resources and networks of support available to them at Clark College and in the local community. The Center provides welcoming staff, mentoring from other student veterans, and tools to succeed academically and personally including subsidized dental care, a Books for Vets program, and tutoring.

ctcLink Success

Congratulations and thank you to our amazing ctcLink team! 

89% of our staff have now activated their accounts. 47% of our students and 55% of our faculty have activated their accounts. Here’s a helpful link for students with step-by-step instructions on how to activate their new accounts. The timing is important because registration starts this week with eligible student veterans, and continues in waves through next week.

It’s the beginning of the third week and while we’ve made tremendous progress, and there is still considerable work to be done. I ask for your continued patience right now.

Staff are not able to respond to requests because they are very busy making sure the information is correct in ctcLink. It’s hard on everyone. Our staff want to respond to questions and yet they don’t have the bandwidth at this moment.

Thank you for your continued patience and let’s give grace to one another in every way possible, knowing everyone is doing the best they can.

Congratulations, Athletic Director Laura LeMasters!

What great news to see that our own Laura LeMasters has accepted the position of athletic director at Clark College. Laura joined Clark College as assistant athletic director in 2016 and most recently served as interim athletic director since June. She has a master’s degree in Kinesiology with an option in Sport Management from California State University – Long Beach and a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management with an emphasis in Communication from WSU Pullman.

Laura brings a wealth of experience in student success, college athletics, marketing, operations, and recreation from her prior roles at Occidental College, Central Wyoming College, and Lewis & Clark College. Laura is a strong student advocate and has played an important role in ensuring our compliance with state, federal and NWAC regulations. Laura is committed to continuing our focus on academic and athletic excellence in our athletic department.

Go Penguins!

I watched the Clark College women’s soccer team play hard on Saturday in the rain. The No. 4- ranked Penguins were upset by Tacoma Community College for the NWAC quarterfinal round. It was a tough ending, but much respect to Tacoma and best of luck going forward. Clark Penguins finished the season 11-4-1.Congratulations to our Penguins! You make us proud.

Time for nominations

Do you know of an outstanding Classified employee at Clark? Have you been looking for a meaningful way to say “thank you” to that person who has gone above and beyond in their service to you, your department or the college community? Now is your chance to acknowledge that special person.

We are pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the 2019 Fall Quarter Award. Please continue reading for more information. Submissions can be made by filling out the online submission form. Please only submit a nomination for the current quarter.

Nominations will be reviewed by the Classified Staff Awards Committee and will be evaluated entirely on the basis of the information submitted on the nomination form. The deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 2019. For questions, contact Vanessa Neal, vneal@clark.edu in Human Resources.

Student enrollment

Each week I’d like to share with you enrollment facts that paint a picture of our student body.

Under the Guided Pathways model, all new, degree-seeking students entering fall 2019 identified their Program of Study, under the six Areas of Study. Here are the paths our students have chosen:

• 16% Creative & Communication Arts
• 17% Business & Entrepreneurship
• 27% Healthcare & Biosciences
• 3% Advanced Manufacturing & Mechanical
• 13% Public Service, Society, & Education
• 23% Science, Technology, & Engineering

We’ll continue to work on program mapping and other vital tools within the framework of Guided Pathways to help our students choose their path and stay on the path. Thank you to the Guided Pathways team for all you do.

Open Enrollment for employees

It’s that time – a chance to review and make changes to your public employee benefits. Open enrollment ends Saturday, November 30. To make changes go toMy Account on the PEBB website. If you have questions about your benefits or account, please contact one of our benefits team members:

•         Thao Schmidt, tschmidt@clark.edu, ext. 2628
•         Amy Harrington, aharrington@clark.edu, ext. 2325
•         Guisela Eberle, geberle@clark.edu, ext. 2119

Reflections from this past week

This past week I joined Dr. Sachi Horback and Mohammed Maraee, Associate Director of the Southwest Washington Center of Excellence for Semiconductors and Electronics Manufacturers, at Portland Community College’s Swan Island Center to discuss with PCC leadership opportunities to collaborate to meet our regional workforce needs in welding. I enjoyed the McClaskey Culinary Institute’s Tapas Fiesta Bar with the Executive Council last Tuesday. It was delicious! I loved hearing from the students about how they prepared the creative menu selections. I continued my listening tour with a tour of some of the WPTE Programs. Thanks to Interim Dean Armetta Burney and the amazing faculty in Welding, Machining, and Diesel who shared the exciting work they are doing in these areas. I joined Rashida Willard at the Vancouver Education Diversity and Inclusion Committee to discuss with community leaders how we can partner to “grow our own” systemically non-dominant K-12 teachers. It was an interesting discussion with PSU Dean of Education, Dr. Marvin Lynn, sharing information about the Portland Teachers Program that has been a leader in this work for over 30 years. I ended the week with two of our Board of Trustees (Chair Jacobsen and Trustee Bennett) at the statewide Association of College Trustees Legislative Action Committee and Fall Conference in Seattle and was sorry to miss Bingo for Vets Thursday evening.

This week I am looking forward to meeting with the newly formed Clark College Community Equity Council, celebrating November birthdays with you, meeting the President of WSU at the WSUV Advisory Council, and recognizing the ctcLink team at the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday evening.

Once again, I want to share my appreciation for the Clark ctcLink team, who have done an amazing job throughout the goLive conversion. I am inspired by the dedication of the leadership team and the problem-solving that I’ve seen across the campus in Finance, HR, Student Services, Instruction, Planning and Effectiveness, and IT throughout the week. Change is hard, and this amazing team has risen to the challenge. The whole state community college system has been watching us to see how this is done. Congratulations again, Penguin Nation. You’ve got this!

Clark College recently announced
that Laura LeMasters has accepted the position of athletic director at the
college.

LeMasters joined Clark
College as assistant athletic director in 2016 and most recently served as
interim athletic director since June. She has a master’s degree in Kinesiology
with an option in Sport Management from California State University – Long
Beach and a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management with an emphasis in
Communication from WSU Pullman.

LeMasters brings a wealth
of experience in student success, college athletics, marketing, operations, and
recreation from her prior roles at Occidental College, Central Wyoming College,
and Lewis & Clark College.

“Laura is a strong student
advocate and has played an important role in ensuring our compliance with
state, federal and NWAC regulations,” said Vice President of Student Affairs
Bill Belden. “Laura is committed to continuing our focus on academic and
athletic excellence in our athletic department.”

“I am grateful and honored to be selected for the role of athletic director at Clark College,” said LeMasters. “I hope to continue to build the level of commitment to academic and athletic excellence as well as create a student experience for athletes, coaches, staff and the entire student body, that will enhance the pride of Penguin Nation.”

About Clark College Athletics

Penguin Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). The department offers 11 intercollegiate sports programs: Baseball; Men’s and Women’s Basketball; Men’s and Women’s Cross Country; Men’s and Women’s Soccer; Softball; Men’s and Women’s Track & Field; and Women’s Volleyball.

Penguin Athletics places great emphasis on academic performance as well as athletic achievement. The program offers student athletes the opportunity to reach their educational goals, as well to pursue meaningful athletic accomplishments. For more information, visit www.clarkpenguins.com.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Well done, Clark College!

It’s Day Five of the ctcLink conversion,
and I’m so proud of our ctcLink team that has put in such long days this week
to help the college through the transition. This has been a herculean task
requiring patience, perseverance, flexibility, creativity, humor and grace.
Please, as you see them, join me in thanking them for their extraordinary work:

• Susan Maxwell, myClark ctcLink Project
  Director
• Sabra Sand, Director of Business Services
  and Financial Management Pillar Lead
• Mirranda Saari, Associate Dean of
  Enrollment Services and Registrar and Campus Solution Pillar Lead
• Guisela Eberle, Human Resources Assistant
  Director and Human Capital Management Pillar Lead
• Genevieve Howard, Associate Vice President
  of Instruction and Instructional Lead
• Andy Barsotti, Director of Data Services
  and ITS Lead
• Tanya Kerr, ctcLink Internal Controls and
  Business Analyst (Campus Solutions and Financial Management)
• Jennifer Ward, Program Manager for myClark
  ctcLink
• Shanda Haluapo, Associate Vice President of
  Planning and Effectiveness and myClark ctcLink Executive Sponsor

This really is a team sport. I thank
everyone who has made this our No. 1 priority this week. I know it’s been
consuming. The long-term benefits to our staff and our employees will be
significant.

We also have student resources you can help share with
students as they log onto their new and improved MyClark. It’s vitally
important they’re in the system by next week. Registration for winter term
starts next Friday. Thank you to our faculty, our staff, our Student
Ambassadors, and Tech Hub crew for helping students make the jump onto our new
platform.

Well Done, Penguins Soccer Team!

Congratulations
to our amazing Clark College women’s soccer team! They concluded their 2019
regular season on Saturday, October 26. They have gone 64 league games without
a loss, dating back to October 2014; claimed their fourth Southern Region title
in a row; and have earned a bye for the first round of the NWAC soccer
tournament.

We
are set to host the NWAC quarterfinal round at Kim Christensen Field at noon on
Saturday, November 9. We will be host to the winner of the Tacoma CC vs.
Columbia Basin CC game set for next week. You will be hearing more about
showing your Penguin spirit with a new cool scarf that will be available soon.
Go Penguins!!

Columbia Writers Series next week

This looks like an
interesting lunchtime event next Thursday on campus: The Clark College Columbia
Writers Series kicks off its 2019-2020 season with “The Female Gaze” featuring
2019 National Book Awards Fiction long-listers Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Sabrina
& Corina) and Kimberly King Parsons (Black Light).
This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Thursday,
November 7, from noon to 2:00 p.m. in PUB 161.

The event includes a reading and discussion
on building buzz around debut short story collections and highlighting the many
faces of contemporary female identity in literature. It will feature brief
readings, a moderated conversation, and question-and-answer session followed by
a book signing.

“The Female Gaze” is presented by the National Book Foundation and Clark College in a new partnership. Information about the Columbia
Writers Series is available at www.clark.edu/cc/cws.

Reflections from this past week

Once again, I want to share my appreciation
for the Clark ctcLink team who have done an amazing job throughout the goLive
conversion. I am inspired by the dedication of the leadership team and the
problem-solving that I’ve seen across the campus in Finance, HR, Student
Services, Instruction, Planning and Effectiveness, and IT throughout the week.
Change is hard, and this amazing team has risen to the challenge. The whole
state community college system has been watching us to see how this is done.
Congratulations again, Penguin Nation. You’ve got this!

Thanks, Oswald, for stopping by in your
“penguin burger” costume to share some treats with us yesterday. I enjoyed
seeing some very creative costumes as I walked across the campus yesterday.

I’m looking forward to celebrating
Indigenous cultures at our Annual POWWOW tonight with the Dreamcatcher
Scholarship recognition and Grand Entry with drummers and dancers. It should be
a great way to end the week.

Finally, I’ve walked 152,926 steps this Walktober around the college and on
the weekends in my neighborhood. Don’t forget to turn in your steps to vneal@clark.edu to help Clark win the
Walktober Challenge. Keep on walking, Penguin Nation!