Clark College President Robert K. Knight will deliver the annual State of the College address on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Gaiser Student Center.

During his speech, President Knight will address the college’s ongoing work to better meet the needs of students and the community. Among the things he will highlight are the college’s progress on implementing the “Guided Pathways” model of higher education. He will also convey the excitement created by fresh voices in the college’s leadership and by an ambitious new fundraising campaign launched by the Clark College Foundation. Additionally, he will update the community on the college’s progress toward implementing its five-year Social Equity Plan.

President Knight will also showcase the achievements of the college’s highly regarded academic and technical programs, including the launch of its third bachelor’s degree program, the recognition of its Pharmacy Technician program as No. 1 in the country, and the historic significance of the college’s nursing program graduating its 130th class. He will also share the findings of the college’s accreditation report, which was recently released by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Looking ahead, President Knight will advocate for the Washington State Legislature to pass a capital budget that provides for much-needed improvements in the state community and technical college system, including Clark College’s new advanced-manufacturing training center at the Clark College at Boschma Farms location in Ridgefield. He will also explain the need for the Legislature to pass an operating budget that addresses longstanding salary inequities in the system.

The State of the College address, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Gaiser Student Center on the college’s main campus. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Wash. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, you should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, as soon as possible.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 Iris Awards, which honor outstanding women in Southwest Washington. The winners will be announced at the end of January, and the recipients will be honored at a reception and ceremony on Wednesday, March 7, 2019, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Clark College’s Gaiser Student Center. Tickets will go on sale in January.

Award criteria and nominations forms are available at www.clark.edu/cc/irisawards. Nominations must be received by January 11, 2019. A list of past award recipients can be found at http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/iris/iris-award-honorees.php.

The Iris Awards follow in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards, which began in 1985 at Clark College. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards, still celebrated on or around International Women’s Day (March 8) and with the same core mission: honoring the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and beyond.

One Iris Award recipient may be selected in each of four areas: service in the public sector; service in the private sector; philanthropic leadership; and leadership in the promotion of civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation. This last category is a new addition to the Iris Awards, sponsored by H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed women leaders in Southwest Washington.

Anyone may submit a nomination, and more than one person can fill out a nomination form or provide letters of recommendation for the same nominee.

This year’s awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Clark College Foundation, the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and H-RoC.

Clark College recently received a $496,800 grant to help low-income parents pursue higher education.

The grant, which will be disbursed over four years, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School) program. The bulk of it will be used to subsidize child care in the college’s Child and Family Studies program for Pell Grant-eligible student-parents. About one-quarter of Clark students have dependent children, and 43 percent are low-income.

“We are thrilled to be able to take this step forward in serving our student-parents with the CCAMPIS Student Parent Support Program,” said Clark College Child & Family Studies Director Michele Volk. “We know that child care can be a barrier for many people who would like to go to college, so having safe, high-quality, and affordable early-childhood care and education right here on campus can help these students succeed and create brighter futures for their whole families.”

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, only 33 percent of students with children complete a degree or certificate within six years; for single mothers, the rate is 28 percent. One study showed that student-parents who used their college’s on-campus child care services were more than three times as likely to graduate on time as those who did not. At a time when many colleges across the country are shutting down their child-care centers, this grant will allow Clark College to expand its services to more students.

Founded during World War II as a parents’ cooperative, Clark College’s Child & Family Studies program has evolved into a full-scale child care center providing care to children ages 12 months to 5 years. Serving more than 123 families per quarter, it also serves as a learning lab for the college’s Early Childhood Education program.

Student parents can receive CCAMPIS-funded subsidies through an application process and could begin receiving subsidized child care as soon as the beginning of winter quarter on January 7. CFS hopes to serve 40 student families during the first year of the grant.

Dr. Fumiaki Kubo

Clark College will host a renowned Japanese academic for a lecture on Japan-U.S. relations on Thursday, December 6, at 11:00 a.m. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Gaiser Hall room 213, located on Clark College’s main campus at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way. The closest parking is in the Green Lot. Directions and maps are available online.

Dr.  Fumiaki Kubo will give a lecture entitled “U.S.-Japan Relations under Trump and Abe: Challenges and Hopes.” This event is sponsored by the Consular Office of Japan in Portland.

Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP). The DSS office is located in room 013 in Clark’s Penguin Union Building.

About Professor Fumiaki Kubo

Dr. Fumiaki Kubo has been the A. Barton Hepburn Professor of American Government and History at the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics of the University of Tokyo since 2003. He is affiliated with the Japan Institute for International Affairs as a Visiting Scholar, as well as the Tokyo Foundation as a Senior Research Scholar. He studied at Cornell University in 1984-1986, Johns Hopkins University in 1991-1993, and Georgetown University and the University of Maryland in 1998-99. In addition, he was an Invited Professor at SciencesPo in Paris in the spring of 2009, and a Japan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2014.

Dr. Kubo attended the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and received his B.A. in 1979 and Ph.D. in 1989. He is the author of many books which include: Modern American Politics (with Hitoshi Abe), Ideology and Foreign Policy After Iraq in the United States, and A Study on the Infrastructure of American Politics. In 1989, he received the Sakurada-Kai Gold Award for the Study of Politics and the Keio Gijuku Award.

In 2001 and 2002, Dr. Kubo served on the Prime Minister’s Commission on the Study of Direct Election System of the Prime Minister. Since 2007, Dr. Kubo has been a member of the U.S-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON). In February, 2015, he became a member of the Japan-US Educational Commission. From June, 2016, he is the President of the Japanese Association for American Studies.

Paul Speer

Paul Speer has been appointed to the Clark College Board of Trustees by Gov. Jay Inslee. His appointment began October 31, 2018, and ends September 30, 2023. His first board meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday, November 14.

“Paul has deep roots in Clark County and a diverse background that will be a great asset to the Clark College Board of Trustees,” Gov. Inslee said. “He has skills in strategic planning, fundraising and capacity building and I know that he will help the college achieve its strategic plan and vision.”

A resident of Clark County for the past 37 years, Speer has long demonstrated a commitment to his community. He has volunteered or is currently volunteering with almost 20 different organizations, including on boards of The Historic Trust, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Social Venture Partners International, Leadership Clark County, and the Nonprofit Network Southwest Washington; and advisory boards of iUrban Teen, Cascadia Tech Academy, and the Superintendent’s Management Task Force for Vancouver Public Schools. He has chaired the University of Portland’s Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and its Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation board; the City of Vancouver’s Aviation Advisory Committee; and the Pearson Field Education Center.

Currently, Speer is an executive advisor and coach who also appears as a guest lecturer and panelist on topics including leadership, new business creation, business planning, venture philanthropy, sustainable energy, and encore careers. He has a long career in the tech industry, including more than 25 years at Hewlett-Packard Company, where he retired as Vice President of Development Strategy in the Office of Strategy and Technology.

Speer earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Portland. He earned his Master of Science in Aeronautics degree from Embry-Riddle University. Among his many awards and recognitions are his 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award from Leadership Clark County and his 2013 Pilot of the Year award from the Washington Pilots Association.

Speer joins other trustees Royce Pollard, Jane Jacobsen, Jada Rupley, and Rekah Strong.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving more than 10,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Southwest Washington’s oldest public institution of higher education. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Economic & Community Development program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

Clark College Theatre begins its 2018-2019 season with The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl.

A 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Clean House is a romantic comedy about loss, love, change, and redemption. A career-oriented doctor has hired a quirky Brazilian maid who hates to clean and instead longs to be a comedienne. The doctor is deserted by her husband, who leaves her for his mistress, a passionate, older woman upon whom he recently performed a mastectomy. Sarah Ruhl’s play reminds us that there is humor and beauty to be found in life’s most unlikely messes.

This production’s cast includes:  Danielle Neblock, Becky Morin, Amy Baldwin, Kyle Reese, and Dee Harris.  The director is Mark Owsley. With the exception of Dee Harris, who is an employee of Clark College, all cast members are current students.

This show contains adult themes, language, and content.

Show Dates: November 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Theatre, Frost Arts Center, on Clark College’s main campus. Maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Ticket Information: Students (with ID) $10; Alumni (with membership) $10; Senior Citizens $12; General Admission $15. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.clarkbookstore.com/site_theatre.asp, or call 360-992-2815.

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, as soon as possible.

Members of Phi Theta Kappa get ready to distribute Thanksgiving groceries to students in 2016.

Every year, members of Clark College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society collect money to pay for grocery baskets so that Clark students in need can have all the supplies to make Thanksgiving dinner for their families. This year, they have collected the names of 100 students who could use help this holiday.

Each basket costs about $25 and includes a 12-14 pound turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, yams, green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and a pie.

PTK is asking for donations from the community to help cover the cost of these baskets. Donors may contribute by dropping off monetary donations to the Cashier’s Office in Gaiser Hall or by calling the Cashier’s Office at 360-992-2177. Either way, be sure to mention the account code “VB.” Donations need to be received by Monday, November 19 at 5:00 p.m.

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of two-year colleges.

Photo: Clark College/Hannah Erickson

This article contributed by Alpha Sigma Phi, Clark College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa

The Penguin Pantry provides Clark students with free food and supplies.

Clark College’s Penguin Pantry will celebrate is first year of serving students with an open house on Thursday, October 25, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Open House will be a ‘reverse reception’ — an opportunity for students, staff, faculty, and community partners to drop by, visit the space, and bring donations of unexpired, unopened food items; gift cards; and toiletries.

The Penguin Pantry supports a healthy college community by reducing hunger on campus and connecting students to essential resources. It provides students with a safe, comfortable place to get something to eat, pick up a necessity, and connect with additional resources and services as needed. These include counseling, public benefits, and more connection to local food banks and other local resources.

According to surveys, 43 percent of Clark College students are low-income, and 23 percent have dependent children. The Penguin Pantry has become an important resource to help students stay on the path to graduation.

The Penguin Pantry offer the following types of food/supply services to currently enrolled students:

• Grab-to-go snacks
• Groceries
• Toiletries and school supplies

The Penguin Pantry is located at Clark College in the Science Building Complex (SCI), Room 101. (Closest street is East Reserve. Park in the Orange 2 Lot.)

For additional information, visit www.clark.edu/cc/penguinpantry or call 360.992.2100.

This article contributed by Estancia Cota.

President Bob Knight welcomes Oswald back to campus after a summer makeover. The new Oswald was revealed at Opening Day on September 17.

Oswald the Penguin has been Clark College’s mascot since the college was first founded—in fact, he was donated by the college’s very first student. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed his feathers from time to time. This fall, Oswald will be receiving his first makeover in 17 years.

“We love Oswald—everybody does,” said Athletics Director Chris Jacob. “But the current costume is hard to move in. We needed to help him get into a form that allowed him to cheer at games, to run out onto the court or field, and to be able to interact with people a little more.

“Basically,” Jacob added, “we sent Oswald to the gym over the summer, and he’s come back more toned and agile.”

Jokes aside, the process of redesigning the beloved mascot required input from many members of the college community, including Student Life, Admissions, Athletics, Communications and Marketing, and the Associated Students of Clark College. Starting in March, the work group discussed how to make Oswald better able to perform his duties as an ambassador of the college at games, special events, and in the community. A key issue was making the costume less burdensome for the students who wear it, while ensuring he remained the fun and approachable penguin that makes him a family favorite at community events.

“With the old costume, the feet were these giant things that made it hard to move without falling over,” said Student Life Program Support Supervisor Sami Lelo. “We would always need to have two students available if we wanted Oswald at an event—one to wear the costume, and the other to lead Oswald around by the hand so he didn’t bump into things or trip.”

Oswald’s new costume can be put on without help.

The new costume’s feet slip over the tops of the performer’s own shoes, allowing them to wear athletic shoes for easier movement. Its arms and legs are also easier to move, allowing for better mobility—no need for a guide anymore. Also, the new costume can be donned without assistance, making it easier for Oswald to appear at events all over campus and the community.

The new Oswald will get his official reveal at the college’s annual Opening Day employee event that kicks off the new academic year, on September 17. At that point, the old costume will be officially retired and put into storage.

Cartoon images of the old Oswald, complete with tie and running shoes, will still appear in print and online media … for now.

“It’s inevitable that, once people get used to Oswald’s new look, they’re going to want to have images of him available to put on invitations, flyers, etc.,” said Clark College Senior Graphic Designer Jenny Shadley. “We’ll be ready for those requests when they start to come in.”

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Pharmacy Technician students in the Columbia Credit Union Simulation Pharmacy

Clark College’s Pharmacy Technician program has been ranked No. 1 in the nation by Washington Monthly in its annual “College Rankings” issue.

The issue, which is published in September, traditionally ranks four-year colleges and universities based on a range of criteria. However, this year marks the first time the Washington, D.C.-based magazine ranked vocational certificate programs, using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s “gainful employment” database.

Clark College’s Pharmacy Technician program is based in the college’s location at Washington State University Vancouver. Students learn in the program’s state-of-the-art Columbia Credit Union Simulation Pharmacy, as well as in externship placements with local employers. Local employers were also consulted in building the program’s curriculum, so that graduates learn the skills needed in today’s health care marketplace.

“We were already confident of our Pharmacy Technician program’s reputation in this region, but are tremendously proud to see its excellence recognized on a national level,” said Brenda Walstead, dean of business and health sciences. “Our faculty work hard to create a program that produces the kind of skilled technicians that modern pharmacies need.”

The full Washington Monthly article may be viewed at https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018college-guide.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley