On June 17, students and faculty lined up in Clark College’s Red parking before crossing Ft. Vancouver Way to Christensen Soccer Field for the college’s 2021 Commencement ceremony. The ceremony, held outdoors in chairs spaced 6 feet apart, allowed for no guests due to Covid-19 safety precautions. It was, in many ways, a first: The first ceremony on the soccer field, the first without guests (though some proud family members lined up on a hill above the field to cheer on their grads), and the first presided over by Clark College President Karin Edwards.

“It is an honor and privilege to stand here before you tonight,” said Dr. Edwards as she addressed the Class of 2021, as well as some members of the Class of 2020 who were making up for missing an in-person ceremony the previous year. “This time last year, we could not assemble on campus or anywhere due to the coronavirus.”

Many speakers at the podium remarked on the unique challenges faced by this graduating class: pandemic, quarantine, a massive switch to online learning, and a turbulent environment of political strife and racial inequity.

And yet, as novel as this year’s ceremony was in many ways, there was much that remained the same: tassels were turned, caps were tossed, and the look of pride on graduates’ faces as they crossed the stage was as incandescent as ever. As is tradition, the recipients of both the Exceptional Faculty Awards and the Community College Presidents’ Scholarship in Honor of Val Ogden were announced. All told, more than 500 Penguins marched to receive their commemorative scrolls and celebrated their achievements together.

View more photos of Commencement 2021 on Flickr.

A fully captioned video from the live-stream of the ceremony will be available at www.clark.edu/go/grad by July 3.

Ever since he was a 10-year-old boy growing up in Kenya, Moses Kimeli Korir dreamed of being a teacher. When he grew up, he traveled 9,000 miles to Vancouver, Washington to fulfill his dreams. 

Twenty-two years later, Korir was a step closer as he attended Clark College’s 2021 Commencement ceremony to receive his Associate of Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE). And during the ceremony, he discovered that his journey had been given a huge forward boost: President Karin Edwards announced that he was that year’s recipient of the Community College President’s Award, providing full tuition for up to two years to complete his bachelor’s degree at Washington State University Vancouver. 

“Balancing parenthood, full-time employment, and college coursework is no small feat, but [Korir] has managed to do all of this while maintaining a high academic standard,” said Dr. Edwards in her announcement. “He is a great example of our students’ resilience and determination.” 

A musical awakening 

Korir’s passion for teaching is intertwined with his passion for music—both of which he discovered at age 10. 

That was when he saw a piano for the first time, while attending school in a city near Mount Elgon and the Kenyan-Ugandan border. He was intrigued. He wanted to touch it, but children weren’t allowed.  

Shortly afterward, his family moved to a rural area. He did not see a piano again for a long time.  

Finally, he discovered a neighbor who had a piano.  

Korir said, “I asked permission to play it, and I taught myself to play.” 

He already had decided he wanted to be a teacher, but his connection with the piano was another “aha” moment. 

He explained, “When I began learning the piano, that’s when I decided I wanted to become a piano teacher. I wanted to help children learn something new.” 

He bought his first keyboard at age 11. He worked and saved his money to buy his first piano when he was 17. He practiced the piano diligently. 

After high school, Korir trained to be an elementary school teacher. He taught for a year. Next, he taught piano with an international organization in Kenya for two more years. 

Then he realized the next part of his teaching dream: relocating to the U.S. to earn a teaching degree and teach in an American school. In 2019, Korir came to Clark College through its International Programs and began pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. 

The right place 

Korir said, “I found myself at Clark College. It’s the right place. The ECE path at Clark College is the best. If someone has a passion to be a teacher, it really gives you the background and knowledge to be successful.” 

At Clark College, Korir was able to get hands-on experience in his field by working part-time in the college’s Child & Family Studies program, which provides on-campus child care to students, employees, and the community. He enjoyed working with children, and eventually gained enough work experience to gain a position as a full-time teacher in a Head Start preschool classroom for Educational Opportunities for Children and Families (EOCF). He was delighted to find a job that allowed him to continue working with children and more than doubled his work hours, providing enough money to pay his tuition and provide for his wife and two young children.  

The new job meant less time for studying, but Korir made it work. He did his homework at night when his own young children were asleep. 

Despite the challenges, Korir says his Early Childhood Education classes at Clark have helped him excel in his preschool classroom. 

“All my ECE classes are going deep on how to help children,” he said. “All are applicable in the field. I’m using them every day. Not only at work, but also at home with my own children.” 

“He is a student who is hungry for knowledge and who beautifully weaves knowledge from his culture into Western practices, while thinking critically about how these things intersect,” said ECE professor Michelle Mallory. “He brings us all along on that journey.” 

A calm presence in classroom 

Wynette Francis, Korir’s supervisor at EOCF, said, “Moses has a calming presence, a steadiness in the classroom. He’s willing to learn and grow. He exudes kindness and respect.” 

Dana Taub, center director of EOCF’s program at Ellsworth Elementary, said, “Moses engages with the children. We have a child on the spectrum, and he’s very good with her.” 

Noting that the Ellsworth Head Start is an all-day program, she added, “Keeping kids engaged all day, you have to be on top of your game.” 

Korir said his education at Clark College taught him how to help children cope with their emotions—an important skill, given the challenging situations he can encounter in the classroom.  

“For instance, if a child hits another child or hits me, the teacher, I’ve learned how to calm them down,” he said. “I talk with the child and acknowledging the situation. Acknowledge their feelings. Most of the time, it works.” 

And teaching brings rewards along with the challenges. “I am enjoying my connection with the children in Head Start,” Korir said. “They make me smile.” 

Keeping the dream going 

Receiving the President’s Award will enable Korir to pursue his plans to transfer to WSU Vancouver and earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development. 

The Community College President’s Award in honor of Val Ogden is given each year to a student who has completed their studies at Clark College and is transferring to Washington State University Vancouver. They receive full tuition and fees for two years while they finish their bachelor’s degree at WSU Vancouver. The award is traditionally announced during that year’s Commencement ceremony. This year, due to COVID-19, the ceremony was held outdoors on the college’s soccer field, with only graduates and faculty attending.  

Korir’s educational goals stretch beyond his bachelor’s degree. He plans to earn his master’s degree in education and eventually become an instructor at a college or university.  

“Education is important to me because it’s an equalizer,” Korir says. “It brings everyone on board whether you’re from a poor background or a rich background.” 

And he hasn’t forgotten his piano dream—he hopes one day to open a music production studio to help others share the gift of music. He’ll be sure to let curious children who visit touch the piano keys as much as they want. 

Clark College celebrated the emancipation of Black enslaved people with its inaugural Juneteenth Drive-Through Cookout on Friday, June 11. The event was organized by the college’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and culinary programs. Clark College’s McClaskey Culinary Institute and ODEI provided 100 boxed lunches for students. 

In an email to the college community, Rashida Willard, Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, explained the significance of Juneteenth, which is also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day: “On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended, and that Black slaves were now free, nearly two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Many celebrate this holiday honoring Black culture through social gatherings, cookouts, and time with family.”  

Cuisine instructor Earl Frederick said, “Barbecue is recognized as a Black contribution to American culture. It was slaves who passed through the Caribbean, cooking animals over pits on sticks. This style of cooking called barbacoa translates now into what we know as Southern barbecue. They also picked up seeds from hot peppers in the Caribbean, which became an important flavoring for the pork in the South.” 

Cuisine students made smoked turkey, baked beans, collard greens and cornbread. Students in Professional Baking and Pastry Arts made individual hand pies for dessert. Clark’s students made all the food except for barbecued pork, which was donated by Donnie Vercher, owner of Daddy D’s Southern Style BBQ. (Vercher’s daughter, Ramona Vercher, is a Clark College alumna and recipient of the 2013-14 Community College President’s Award.) On the morning of the event, cuisine students were busy in the kitchen packing 100 lunches in boxes highlighting significant people and events in Black history.  

Students had signed up in advance to receive the lunches. During the event, students drove into the parking lot west of Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute, rolled down their window and were handed a boxed lunch from a cuisine student.   

Despite persistent rain, it was a party. Deejay Mark Kernell played Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September” as he spun what he called “good ‘70s and ‘80s R&B, backyard barbecue music.” 

Nearby, Clark College President Karin Edwards chatted with Frederick, who was busy stirring a pot of Caribbean-style paella at the wood-fired grill. A pot of gumbo simmered alongside it. 

Frederick said his maternal grandmother, a sharecropper from North Carolina, told him stories about the significance of barbecue. 

“My grandmother told me that barbecue is something that Blacks and whites in the South share,” he said. “When tobacco was harvested in the fall, it was all-hands-on-deck with Blacks and whites working together doing the harvest.” 

Workers hung tobacco leaves in tobacco barns that have slats to let air through. To prevent spoilage, this work had to happen quickly, so a big oak fire was built to cure, dry and smoke the tobacco. Throughout the night, workers stoked the fire, which accumulated hot coals.  

Frederick explained, “The tradition developed to roast a pig using those hot coals. People dug a hole in the ground, put hot coals in the bottom of the pit, put a grate over the coals, and put a butchered pig on the grate to slowly cook the pig. Everybody—black and white—ate the pig together. Something that didn’t happen any other time.” 

Next year when Clark College holds its second annual event, Juneteenth will be a state holiday, thanks to legislation passed in May. The law will go into effect in 2022. 

Aukusitino “A.J.” Ah-Yek was recently named the first recipient of the newly created Sigma Scholarship, awarded by the Clark College Mathematics Department to support and encourage students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields to pursue higher-level mathematics. “Thanks to generous donations from many of you in our college community, we are awarding AJ $1500 to go towards his future education,” wrote mathematics professor Kayoko Barnhill in an email to college employees today.

Ah-Yek enrolled at Clark College as a Running Start student, initially undecided about his degree path. Soon after finishing his pre-calculus courses, he became a math tutor and eventually an engineering and writing tutor. Throughout his time at Clark, he has played in the college’s Jazz Band and also participated in engineering competitions at the college. After graduating this spring with his Associate in Science – Transfer Track 2 degree, he plans to transfer to WSU Pullman to major in mechanical engineering and minor in mathematics. His career focus is in Aerospace Engineering.

“On behalf of the Tutoring Services Team, I would like to let the scholarship committee know that they definitely got the right candidate when they picked A.J. for this,” wrote Tutoring Services Program Manager Janice Taylor. “A.J. is not only an academic rising star, but he is also a rock star in Tutoring Services!  He is not afraid to set high goals and he will achieve every single one of them in the shortest time possible.  AJ has been an invaluable member of our team and a great resource for his fellow peers at Clark College, we are excited and sad to see him head off to Pullman.”

This will be the first time that the ceremony is held on the soccer field. Traditionally, the college’s Commencement ceremonies have been held at Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the college’s 2020 Commencement ceremony was held completely virtually. This year, as restrictions on public gatherings began to lift, the college surveyed graduates to learn which format of ceremony students preferred: virtual, drive-through, or in-person. The in-person format was the top choice of survey respondents. 

“Our students have navigated through so much this academic year—pandemic, economic downturn, social unrest, struggling with issues like job loss and food insecurity,” said Clark College President Karin Edwards. “It was important to us that we honor their achievement with a ceremony that met their hopes, while still conforming with public health guidelines.” 

Other noteworthy highlights of this year’s ceremony: 

• About 525 graduates are expected to participate in this year’s ceremony, out of approximately 1,650 graduates from the entire academic year. 
• Graduates include those receiving Bachelor of Applied Science and associate degrees, as well as certificates and high school diplomas or equivalents. 
• The Class of 2021 will include the first graduates from the college’s new Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Services degree program. 
• Some of the participants are members of the Class of 2020. When that year’s Commencement was moved online, the college invited graduates to participate in the next in-person ceremony. 
• The ceremony will be led by Dr. Edwards, and will be her first Clark College Commencement as president of the college. 
• The student speaker is Jaelyn Sotelo, a Running Start student who is transferring to University of Washington to pursue a career in political advocacy. Introducing her is student government president Josiah Joner, also a Running Start student, who is in the third generation of his family to attend Clark College and is transferring to Stanford University in the fall. 
• Also speaking are: Clark College Board of Trustees Chair Rekah Strong; faculty union president Suzanne Southerland; and Interim Vice President of Instruction Dr. Genevieve Howard. 

Dear College Community, 

As members of the Board of Trustees, we want to add our voices to the many who are expressing sorrow at the passing of our fellow Trustee, Jane Jacobsen. 

Those who knew Jane will remember her warmth, her kindness, and her seemingly limitless capacity for positive energy. Jane would show up with fresh baked shortbread cookies just because she was thinking of us. Whenever there was a college event, you could count on Jane to be in attendance, joyfully participating in any activity offered. Whenever we had the opportunity to engage with students, Jane was the first to congratulate them on their successes and let them know she believed in their capacity to build better futures for themselves.

She also unwavering when it came to making difficult decisions. When there was critical work to be done, Jane would diligently roll up her sleeves and get to it. 

Whatever your role at the college, you have probably been touched by Jane’s work. During her two terms as a trustee at Clark College, she served in many roles, including Board Chair from 2019 to 2020. She also served on the college’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee, Social Equity Advisory Council, Guided Pathways Committee, and as an alternate Legislative Action Committee Representative to the Washington State Association of College Trustees.   

Perhaps what we will miss most about Jane is her foundational belief in the power of community. She was always there to remind us that whatever decisions we made about Clark College would have profound effects on the entire Southwest Washington region. The Clark College Board of Trustees commits to honoring Jane’s memory by holding her love for our community at the center of all we do.    

It was a true honor and privilege to work with Jane. Her presence will be truly missed.   

With loving memories, 

Clark College Board of Trustees 

• Rekah Strong, Chair
• Jeanne Bennett, Vice Chair
• Cristhian A. Canseco Juarez
• Paul Speer

Today the college community learned that Clark College Trustee Jane Jacobsen had passed away over the weekend.

“Jane became a Clark College trustee in 2016, and throughout her two terms on the Board she was an indefatigable cheerleader for the college,” wrote Clark College President Karin Edwards in an email to the college community announcing the news. “She liked to say that Clark was ‘the community’s college,’ because to her, uplifting and positively impacting the community was the most important and valuable part of our mission.”

A resident of Vancouver for more than 30 years, Jacobsen had profound impact on the region. She served in leadership roles with such organizations and projects as The Columbia Land Trust, the Marshall Lecture Series, the Columbia Gorge Commission, as well as many others.

Of the many achievements in Jacobsen’s life, the one her name is perhaps most closely connected with is Confluence. Jacobsen was the founding executive director of this ambitious nonprofit project to express the history of the Pacific Northwest through art and Indigenous voices. The Vancouver Land Bridge, located within Historic Fort Vancouver, is a Confluence installation.

During her two terms as a trustee at Clark College, Jacobsen served in many roles, including Board Chair from 2019 to 2020. She also served on the college’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee, Social Equity Advisory Council, Guided Pathways Committee, and as an alternate Legislative Action Committee Representative to the Washington State Association of College Trustees.

“I know Jane touched the lives of many people at the college—including my own—and I know she will be missed,” wrote President Edwards in her email.

An email from the Board of Trustees the college community read in part: “Those who knew Jane will remember her warmth, her kindness, and her seemingly limitless capacity for positive energy. Jane would show up with fresh-baked shortbread cookies just because she was thinking of us. Whenever there was a college event, you could count on Jane to be in attendance, joyfully participating in any activity offered. Whenever we had the opportunity to engage with students, Jane was the first to congratulate them on their successes and let them know she believed in their capacity to build better futures for themselves.”

• Read the Board of Trustees’ full letter
• Read an article in Partners Magazine about Jane Jacobsen’s motivations for supporting students
• Listen to an interview with Jane Jacobsen about her work with Confluence
• Read the Columbian‘s obituary of Jane Jacobsen

A public Celebration of Life is scheduled for June 15 at 11:00 a.m. in Esther Short Park. Confluence has also created a tribute page where people can share their memories of Jacobsen and have their condolences forwarded to the family. Survivors include her husband, Paul, her sons, Ben and Gabe, a daughter-in-law, Allison, and two grandsons, Henrik and Emmett Jacobsen. 

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark College has announced the hiring of Brad Avakian in the role of Vice President of Human Resources. He will begin at the college on June 10.  

“We are excited to bring someone with Brad’s breadth and depth of knowledge into this crucial leadership position at the college,” said Clark College President Karin Edwards. “His expertise will be crucial as we begin the complex work of returning to campus after more than a year in remote operations.” 

Avakian earned his bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and his doctorate of law from Lewis & Clark University. For many years he worked as a lawyer specializing in civil rights cases. Later, he served in the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon Senate representing parts of northeast Washington County. Avakian also served three terms as Oregon’s Commissioner of Labor and Industries, during which time he was a strong advocate for career and technical education programs, as well as for equity for women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Since leaving public service, Avakian has taught Politics and Public Policy for Managers in Willamette University’s MBA program and worked in private practice as a mediator and arbitrator. 

“Clark College is a historic school with an exciting and bright future,” said Avakian. “I am so grateful for the chance to join the Human Resources team and broader Clark Community. It’s good to be a Penguin.” 

Washington Governor Jay Inslee visited Clark College on April 30 to announce the state has certified two current Clark programs as Career Launch programs. The endorsement will provide students with opportunities to “earn as they learn” as Clark partners with local employers to provide students with meaningful, paid, on-the-job experience in their chosen industry. 

Clark College’s new Career Launch programs are: 

• A partnership with Eurobake Bakery to provide students with paid work experience as they earn an Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree in Professional Baking & Pastry Arts Management 
• A partnership with MacKay Sposito to provide students with paid work experience as they earn an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Surveying & Geomatics 

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

Clark now has six Career Launch programs; three more are in development. Career Launch programs are a win-win for everyone. They create opportunities for students to get real-life paid work experience, complete their education and be successful in their chosen field. Career Launch helps our business partners fill the workforce pipeline with skilled, experienced employees.  

The two programs join the college’s already-existing Career Launch partnerships:  

• AAT in Mechanical Instrumentation (part of the Mechatronics program) in partnership with SEH America, Silicon Forest Electronics, Analog Devices, Inc., and Kyocera International, Inc. 
• AAT in Toyota T-TEN Automotive in partnership with Toyota America Corporation 
• AAT in HiTECC Automotive in partnership with Dick Hannah Dealerships 
• Associate in Science – Transfer Track 2 (AST2) in Engineering in partnership with SEH America  

Clark’s proposed Career Launch programs in cybersecurity and welding technologies are pending review by the Career Launch Endorsement Review Committee. 

Armetta Burney, Interim Dean of Workforce Professional and Technical Education and STEM, said, “At Clark College, we understand the value and importance of building relationships with our local industry partners. These relationships play a critical role in the growth and development of our students as they obtain the career and academic training they need to prepare them for their next step after graduation. Our goal is to develop Career Launch Endorsements across the many degree programs that we offer to include CTE, AA transfer and our BAS programs.” 

Benefits of Career Launch programs 

During his visit, the governor met students in the two new programs.  

Then he led a roundtable discussion about the benefits of Career Launch programs. Joining in the discussion were President Karin Edwards; Clark College Trustee Chair Rekah Strong; Armetta Burney, Interim Dean of Workforce Professional and Technical Education and STEM; Erielle Lamb, Clark Surveying & Geomatics instructor; Alison Dolder, Professional Baking & Pastry Arts Management instructor; Vickei Hrdina, Executive Director, Career Connect Southwest, Career Readiness & STEM Initiatives; and industry partners and three students. 

Geared for working adults, Clark’s Surveying & Geomatics program currently offers remote classes Monday through Thursday evenings with in-person, on-campus classes on Saturdays. About one-third of the program’s students already have a bachelor’s degree and are making a career change. Many are juggling a full-time job with full-time school. Going forward, students will benefit from being paid for their hands-on work opportunities with program partners—helping both them and their families. 

Tim Kent, the program’s coordinator, says, “It’s a grand opportunity for this to be a state-supported program that will benefit our ability to train up-and-coming survey professionals.” 

Partner input 

Industry partner Tim Schauer, past president and board of director chair of MacKay Sposito, said, “Without this program, we’d be training people ourselves—and that’s difficult and expensive.” 

He noted that these are family-wage jobs and said MacKay Sposito pays licensed land surveyors $125,000 in its Federal Way office. 

Industry partner Joshua Svenhard, Eurobake President, emphasized the benefits of the partnership with Clark College: “If I invest in the community in this way, it benefits the students, the college, Eurobake—and my industry.” 

Schauer of MacKay Sposito noted that because jobs are changing quickly, “the connection between community colleges and industry leaders is key.” 

Governor Inslee focused on the important role of community colleges in their communities: “Community colleges are the best bang for your buck. And they’re the point of entry for entry for any program you want to pursue. It opens up all those doors.”  

Looking around the room he added, “These are dream factories here.” 

Vaccination Visit 

Governor Inslee also visited a vaccination clinic being held the same day, also in the STEM Building. The clinic was conducted in conjunction with Rite Aid Pharmacies, WPEA, and AHE. It was open to Clark College employees, their families, and students. During the day, 179 individuals received the Pfizer vaccine for free. 

Vaccinations are an important step in the process of returning to on-campus operations. The college has announced it will be offering more than 500 classes with on-campus components in fall term—roughly one-third of its total class offerings for that term. 

The college will host another vaccination clinic in May so that participants can receive their second vaccine dose. Future clinics are under discussion. 

About Career Launch 

Career Launch is a program of Career Connect Washington (CCW), an organization founded to bring industry and education together to provide pathways for young people to succeed in college and career. There are already 10,000 students enrolled in Career Launch programs, including Registered Apprenticeships. The recently passed 2021-2023 biennial budget provides additional resources for Career Connect Washington to reach more young people, especially those furthest from opportunity, at a time when they are so impacted by COVID-19.  

More photos can be seen here.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Last week Clark College published its 2021 fall class schedule, which includes more than 500 classes with on-campus components. This is a major step by the college—which has been in remote operations since March 2020—to safely return to campus this fall. 

“This is an exciting moment for the college, as we prepare to safely welcome large numbers of students and employees back to a campus that has been too quiet for far too long,” said Clark College President Karin Edwards. “At the same time, it’s important to understand that we are not making this decision rashly. We will continue to follow the guidance of our state and local public health agencies to ensure that this return is done with everyone’s safety in mind.” 

Fall term begins Monday, September 20. The fall schedule is released early to give students ample time to consider their options and sign up for classes. Registration for both summer and fall terms opens on May 10. 

Currently, about one-third of Clark’s fall classes will be in-person—a much lower percentage than during pre-pandemic times, but much higher than the handful of lab classes that were being taught on campus during the 2020-2021 academic year. More classes may be added over the next several months as the college closely monitors the COVID-19 pandemic response. 

“Our faculty are excited to get back to in-person instruction in the fall, but are prepared to roll their classes back into online delivery if the COVID landscape changes,” said Interim Vice President of Instruction Genevieve Howard.  

Some of the fall in-person classes will be hybrid classes—in other words, taught partially in a classroom and partially online. This allows students to have a chance to get the hands-on learning that Clark College is known for, while still limiting the amount of people on campus at any given time. Other classes will be “web-enhanced”—taught in person, but with online materials or activities to read or complete online. Still other classes will be taught fully in person. Students can search for in-person, hybrid, and web-enhanced classes on CTCLink, the state’s online software system. 

The college is also developing plans for some support services to return to campus as well, while retaining the virtual help center that has operated throughout the pandemic. The college has already announced its plans to bring back athletic competition in the fall; athletic practice returned to campus in spring term. An announcement has also been made that the 2021 Commencement ceremony will be held in person on June 17, though with restrictions on how many people may attend. 

The college is working to ensure its infrastructure and equipment meet its needs for re-opening the college safely. Visitors may need to use safety precautions like hand sanitizing, face coverings, and health screenings in order to participate in on-campus activities. Details will be announced closer to fall term. 

The college is taking care to include student voices in its decision-making process, sending out a survey to all current students this past week to get their input on what services and supports are most important to them. The survey results will help inform the college in planning for fall.  

“We will center the students in all our planning,” said Michele Cruse, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs. “Their voice is vitally important as we begin this slow and gradual process of returning to campus.”  

This article was updated on June 22 to reflect the increased number of in-person classes being offered in fall.