Roslyn Leon Guerrero

Clark College Administrative Assistant Roslyn “Roz” Monique Leon Guerrero was recently appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA).

Leon Guerrero, who is of Chamorro descent, was born and raised on the island of Saipan, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). She has more than 15 years of experience working in education, with community organizations and outreach to Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) both on the islands and in Southwest Washington. Originally hired in Clark’s Office of Instruction in 2010, she currently works in the Office of Diversity and Equity where she monitors, manages, and supports the Diversity Center and the office’s leadership. She also does outreach, recruitment, and retention of AAPIs. She is the advisor of the Asian Pacific Islanders Club that leads events, education, and outreach for AAPIs at Clark College and the greater Clark County community.

Leon Guerrero works with many organizations and boards in Southwest Washington focusing on AAPIs. She is a standing member of the Faculty and Staff of Color Conference Planning Committee (a statewide committee composed of representatives from all Washington colleges) and a Washington Public Employees Association steward representative for Clark College. In 2015, she completed the Social Justice Leadership Institute, an institute designed for individuals working in higher education in Washington to hone skills, build community, and network with other higher-education professionals.

“Being appointed to the Commission on Asian Pacific America Affairs is an honor and privilege,” says Leon Guerrero. “This will actually benefit Clark College in outreaching to diverse populations. My goals while on the commission are as follows: to be the voice and advocate for equitable services for AAPIs in health, education, safety, etc.; to do outreach and educate AAPIs of Washington on the resources available to them; to represent and call out barriers and systemic challenges for AAPIs in Washington; and to work collaboratively with the other commissioners to support AAPIs in Southwest Washington.”

Leon Guerrero is not the first employee from Clark’s Office of Diversity and Equity to sit on a Washington State commission. Last year, Diversity Outreach Manager Dolly England was appointed to the Commission on African American Affairs, and Program Specialist Rosalba Pitkin served on the Commission on Hispanic Affairs for two terms.

Founded in 1972, the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs has an advisory board made up of twelve Governor-appointed commissioners representing the state’s diverse Asian Pacific American communities. Commissioners advise the Governor and state agencies on issues that concern APA communities. Commissioner terms are for three years.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Oswald greets visitors to the 2016 Clark County Fair.

In keeping with this year’s Clark County Fair Theme of “Science Fun,” Clark College is offering a host of family-friendly, hands-on activities promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Clark students, staff, and faculty will lead demonstrations every day of the fair, which runs from August 5-14. Clark College was invited to participate in this year’s theme to highlight the college’s highly regarded STEM programs, as well as the opening of its new STEM building this fall.

All activities take place in the college’s exhibit area in South Hall 1 and are free with fair admission. Scheduled events include:

Teeth and Technology
The Clark College Dental Hygiene program demonstrates modern ultrasonic methods of removing tartar or calculus from teeth. Fri, Aug. 5: 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – noon, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Science Fun with the N.E.R.D. Girls
Clark College’s N.E.R.D. (Not Even Remotely Dorky) Girls, a student club focused on getting younger students interested in engineering, lead hands-on activities like building balloon-powered pinwheels and demonstrating Newton’s third law of motion. Sat, Aug. 6: 11:30 – noon, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Pharmacy Innovations
Learn about new, high-tech ways of compounding pharmaceuticals from Clark College Pharmacy Technician faculty. Sun, Aug. 7: 11:30 – noon, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Fri, Aug. 12: 11:30 a.m. – noon.

The Science of Sourdough
Learn all about fermentation when Clark College baking instructor Alison Dolder explains how sourdough is made. Try some delicious sourdough pancakes and take home a little sourdough starter of your own. Mon, Aug. 8: 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Sat, Aug. 13: 11:30 – noon, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

POKE-A-MAN!
Faculty from the Clark College Phlebotomy program will demonstrate how to draw blood from a model arm. Participants can use a centrifuge to make their own aliquots from imitation blood and plasma. Tues, Aug. 9: 11:30 a.m. – noon, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Simulation Technology and Nursing Education
Meet the “Sims,” the lifelike automatons used by Clark College nursing students in the college’s state-of-the-art simulation lab to practice procedures ranging from tracheotomy to childbirth. Wed, Aug. 10: 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – noon, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Sun, Aug. 14: 11:30 a.m. – noon.

Additionally, visitors can test their dexterity at the college’s Automotive Technology installation and view STEM-related student projects, including an aluminum boat created by some of the college’s welding students. The college also will have staff available during the fair to answer questions about available programs, GED courses, Running Start, financial aid, and more. Staff also will be available to assist current students with registering for fall classes, looking up records, and other student support needs—and Clark’s lovable mascot, Oswald the Penguin, will be present many afternoons and evenings for photos with children.

For those interested in attending Clark, the $25.00 application fee will be waived for the first 50 applicants each day who apply at the fair. Current students and alumni and students will be able to stop by the booth for special giveaways and drawings for prizes.

For more information, visit www.clark.edu/cc/fair and follow Clark College on social media.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark College received approval last week from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the college’s regional accrediting body, to offer and begin the Applied Management baccalaureate program in January 2017. The college received approval earlier this year from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management (BASAM) is a two-year, career-oriented degree that combines technical, academic, and professional management courses. The 90-credit program prepares technically skilled graduates—those with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree—to enter their respective career fields with a bachelor’s degree that provides the managerial knowledge and expertise to meet industry demand. Sample courses include Foundations of Management, Social Media in Business, Organizational Communication, Organizational Behavior, Operations and Logistics, and Applied Management Internship.

“This program is ideal for students with an AAS or AAT degree who are looking to move ahead in their careers, take on managerial positions in their organizations, or have the skills to operate their own businesses,” said Patti Serrano, BASAM Program Director and professor at Clark College. “We have heard the demands from local businesses for this program, as well as from working adults who are seeking a bachelor’s program that fits with their schedules.”

Clark College is now accepting applications for students interested in joining the first program cohort. The cohort is limited to 35 students, and classes will begin January 2017. Courses will be offered through online, hybrid, and face-to-face evening formats.

For more information or to apply, contact Patti Serrano at 360-992-2178 or pserrano@clark.edu. Information is also available online at www.clark.edu/cc/basam.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 14,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s second largest single-campus, for-credit community college. 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 Corporate & Continuing Education program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

Judy Starr, director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Clark College Foundation, center, receives a check from David Reiter, senior vice president and private client manager for Bank of America, and Jessica Hewitt, vice president of Enterprise Business & Community Engagement for Bank of America.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently awarded Clark College a $20,000 grant to support a full-time financial literacy coach at Clark College. The coach works directly with students to help them stabilize their finances and increase the likelihood of students meeting their economic, educational, and career goals.

The grant, delivered to Clark College Foundation, provides ongoing support within Clark College’s Career Services department for students. Assuring that a full-time financial coach remains on staff allows the college to continue providing workshops, classroom presentations, and individual sessions focusing on how to budget, balance a checkbook, set long-term financial goals, and understand credit cards, credit scores and loan repayments.

“The full-time coach has been highly valuable for our students,” said Lisa Gibert, president and CEO of Clark College Foundation. “The coach assisted 64 students in one-on-one sessions over a seven-month period, held 27 different budgeting workshops for scores of other students and conducted specialty workshops for the Veterans Resource Center and the Pathways Center.”

Jamie Madison was one of those students. She was ready to graduate from Clark’s nursing program in 2015 when unforeseen circumstances led her to withdraw. When she was contemplating a return, she was unsure if she had the resources to do so. She met with Clark’s financial literacy coach, Craig Ebersole, who helped her outline her personal finances and discover ways to limit her spending and create a budget.

“I am now confident with my finances and proactively use the resources I have learned about,” said Madison, who returned to Clark to finish her degree. “These resources help me through college and prepare me for my career after graduation.”

Approximately 54 percent of Clark students come from families living below the poverty level, and 60 percent are unemployed or receive public assistance. Moreover, nearly three-quarters of Clark students are the first generation in their families to attend college.

“Bank of America understands that financial fluency and empowerment are key drivers for future financial mobility and success,” said David K. Reiter, senior vice president at U.S. Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management in Vancouver. “That is why we are proud to support Clark College Foundation on this important decision to retain a financial coach. When individuals feel financially secure and are able to achieve their financial goals, communities are made stronger and we all benefit.”

A budgeting course delivered by the financial literacy coach was added to the College 101: College Essentials course last year. All students working toward an Associate of Arts degree are required to complete the course, which introduces students to campus resources, such as campus navigation, technology, tutoring support, and financial aid.

Text and photo provided by the Clark College Foundation. 

Clark alumnus and employee Narek Daniyelyan was named to the WSU Board of Regents. Photo courtesy of WSU.

Clark College alumnus and employee Narek Daniyelyan has been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee as the student member of the Washington State University Board of Regents for the 2016-2017 academic year.

“I am excited to have Daniyelyan as our student representative on the regents,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz. “He has an impressive background and will bring a strong student voice to board deliberations.  I look forward to working closely with Daniyelyan during my first year as WSU President”

Daniyelyan has a long history of service to institutions of higher learning. During his time at Clark, he was a Student Ambassador, helping to guide new students around the college and supporting Clark events. He graduated from Clark with his Associate of Arts transfer degree from Clark in 2009, but soon returned to the college to work as a recruitment specialist. He currently works in the college’s Office of Instruction as its Education Partnership Manager, engaging with local schools, businesses and other higher education institutions to create and maintain mutually beneficial student partnership agreements. His other past work includes serving as a recreation leader for the City of Vancouver and as an intern with the Clark County Juvenile Court system.

Daniyelyan continued his education after Clark, graduating from WSU Vancouver in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development. In 2013 he began his master’s degree studies in public affairs at WSUV.

“Upon graduation, I plan to continue working in higher education and serving students in our community,” said Daniyelyan. “Education has given me an opportunity for social mobility, so I want to help others see their potential and become the best versions of themselves.”

“I am ecstatic to be serving as the Student Regent and am looking forward to representing all WSU students,” Daniyelyan said of his appointment. “During my time as student regent I hope to learn about some of the amazing things that past Student Regents have accomplished, work with current board members on some of the pressing initiatives for the year, and serve as a liaison between students and the board.”

Daniyelyan was elected vice president of the Associated Students of WSU Vancouver and has held a variety of other student leadership positions, including serving as a student ambassador and as director of Leadership Development for ASWSU-Vancouver.

Effective July 1, Daniyelyan’s appointment will run through June 30, 2017. He succeeds current Student Regent Jansen VanderMeulen, of Burlington, Wash.

This article adapted from the Washington State University news site.

Graduates from Clark College’s welding program wait to enter the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater before the college’s 2016 commencement ceremony.

“Mommy did it!” read the message on Ashley Ellis’s mortarboard cap, the glittery writing sparkling in the sun as she waited outside the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater before Clark College’s 80th Commencement ceremony on June 16.

Ashley Ellis

Ellis wrote the message for her 2-year-old son, Paul, who would be in the stands watching his mother receive her Associate in Applied Technology degree in pharmacy technician—making her the first generation of her family to earn a college degree.

“I just wanted to show my family that I could do more,” Ellis explained. “I dropped out of high school at 16, and now here I am graduating with honors.”

As was the case for many of the approximately 720 Clark graduates waiting to process, Ellis’s achievement did not come without sacrifice. “I didn’t sleep a lot,” she said with a laugh. “I got up at 3:30 a.m. to study sometimes.”

While many graduates, like Ellis, came to Clark after time away from school, others had attended Clark before they’d even graduated from high school. This year’s graduating class included 346 members of Running Start, the Washington State program that allows high school students to attend college tuition-free. This was a record number of Running Start graduates for the college; 170 of them graduated with honors.

“I really felt like the experience I had at Clark prepared me so much—not just for college, but for life,” said Running Start graduate Anita Bejan; the three fellow Running Start graduates standing with her nodded in agreement.

Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene graduates

Another large group of graduates stood together, chatting and playing with the oversized paper teeth necklaces hung around their necks. These women were some of the 23 graduates from the college’s new Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene program. This is the first cohort of students to earn their BAS since the program launched in fall 2014, making it the college’s first baccalaureate degree. The college is in the process of getting a second BAS program, in Applied Management, accredited and able to enroll students in the 2017 winter quarter.

Bruce Becker

Graduate Bruce Becker, who was waiting to receive his Associate of Arts in Business Administration, said he hoped to enroll in the new BAS. Becker came to Clark after a traffic accident left him unable to do his old job. “It had been 47 years for me since I’d last been in school, so it was a little challenging at first,” Becker said. “But it’s been really fun. I’ve had a blast.”

Jessica Sanchez was also ready for more school. Sanchez was one of about 20 Transitional Studies graduates waiting to receive their High School Diploma or GED recognition. This is the second year that Transitional Studies graduates have been recognized at Commencement.

For Sanchez, this moment had been four years in the making—two spent learning English through Clark’s English as a Second Language program, followed by two of basic education. “I already had a high school diploma,” said the 26-year-old native of Mexico, who plans to continue in Clark’s for-credit classes. “And then I had to do it all over again, but in another language. I really liked doing it at Clark College, because you can get one-on-one tutoring and there’s great support.”

Jessica Sanchez, third from left, stands with some of her fellow 2016 Transitional Studies graduates.

Another high school diploma recipient, Esmeralda “Vita” Blanco, addressed the audience inside the amphitheater as one of two student speakers included in the ceremony. Blanco, a single mother of two who dropped out of high school after becoming pregnant, spoke movingly about the ways pursuing her education has changed her and her family’s life. “I strongly believe I’m taking away more than a diploma,” she said. “What I’m really getting is a world of new opportunities, one I can share with the two most important people in my life: my daughters.”

Associate of Arts degree recipient Megan Cook, who attended Clark through Running Start, spoke about the wide range of students she’s encountered at the college. “There are graduates here who are the first in their family to go to college, and those who are learning right alongside their parents,” she said. “I’ve met people of all ethnicities, ages, and genders, and that isn’t necessarily something you find at every college or university.”

Left to right: Washington All-Academic Team member Tammy Senior, ASCC president Sarah Swift, student speaker Megan Cook, Washington All-Academic Team member Qi Wu, Clark College President Bob Knight, keynote speaker Jessica Lynch, and student speaker Vita Blanco smile with Oswald before going onstage for the 2016 Commencement ceremony.

This year’s keynote speaker was former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch. “Each one of us has some type of obstacle, some type of struggle that wants to hold us down,” she said. “Do not let it.”

The ceremony was occasion for Clark College President Robert K. Knight to announce the names of the recipients of the 2016 Exceptional Faculty Awards. The 2016 awardees are history instructor Joseph Cavalli; business technology instructor Dr. Kathleen Chatfield; geography professor Heather McAfee; and French professor Doug Mrazek, who is retiring after 38 years at the college.

President Knight also announced the recipient of the 2016-2017 Community College Presidents’ Scholarship in Honor of Val Ogden, which is given to a Clark College graduate who demonstrates leadership potential, a commitment to community service, and academic achievement. The scholarship award provides full-time tuition at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) and is renewable for one additional year, essentially providing full tuition to complete a bachelor’s degree. This year’s recipient was Holly Varner. Two other nominees, Abigail Bambilla and Adeena Rose Wade, received $1,000 each.

President Knight concluded the evening by saying, “We are excited to think of the ways in which you will change the world. And we are glad to know that Clark College will always hold a special place in your hearts. Remember: Once a member of the Penguin Nation, always a member of the Penguin Nation!”

Approximately 2,000 degrees and certificates were conferred in total on the Class of 2016.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

See more photos from Commencement in our Flickr album.

See full video coverage of the ceremony online from CVTV.

The 2016 Exceptional Faculty Award recipients are, left to right, Joseph Cavalli, Dr. Kathleen Chatfield, Heather McAfee, and Doug Mrazek.

During the 2016 Commencement ceremony, President Robert K. Knight announced the names of the recipients of the 2016 Clark College Exceptional Faculty Awards. The awards are presented annually to full-time and part-time faculty members. Nominations can be submitted by Clark College students, faculty, classified employees, administrators, alumni, Board members, and Foundation directors.

The awards are made possible through an endowed trust fund established by the Washington State Legislature and the Clark College Exceptional Faculty Endowment Fund, which was established in 1993. That fund provides recognition of exemplary work performance, positive impact on students, professional commitment, and other contributions to the college.

This year’s Exceptional Faculty members are:

• Joseph Cavalli, instructor of history
• Dr. Kathleen Chatfield, instructor of business technology
• Heather McAfee, professor of geography
• Doug Mrazek, professor of French

Joe Cavalli, History

Joseph Cavalli has taught history at schools in Croatia, Italy, and Bahrain. He began teaching at Clark shortly after returning to the Pacific Northwest in 2006. For the past five years, he has also served as the director of Clark’s award-winning Model United Nations program. He also teaches history through Clark College’s non-credit Mature Learning program and at Mt. Hood Community College.

Cavalli says he sees history more as a context for understanding the world than as a rote memorization of names and dates. “It’s not about me giving students information,” he says. “What I want to impart is the love of learning and the need to be curious.”

Students appreciate Cavalli’s efforts to make history relevant to their current lives. “I had no interest in history whatsoever until I took his class,” wrote one student. “After my first class with him, I was enthralled. Now, history is my favorite subject and my current major.”

Dr. Kathleen Chatfield, Business Technology and Management

Over the course of her 21 years at Clark, Dr. Kathleen Chatfield has taught a variety of courses, including keyboarding, microcomputer applications, Microsoft Excel, e-commerce, and project management. In truth, however, her influence goes far beyond those subjects. In fact, she has been a part of every online class offered at Clark College through her work as the senior instructional designer for the college’s eLearning Department, where she helps Clark faculty learn how to develop online classes.

“It is a daunting task to guide so many full-time and part-time instructors through all the different learning systems, while also helping them to maintain their unique styles and philosophies of teaching,” wrote one nominator. “Yet Dr. Chatfield manages to accomplish this task.”

Dr. Chatfield continues to teach classes to students as well, saying that this experience helps her better understand the needs and challenges of faculty. This adds up to more than a full-time workload, but Dr. Chatfield says, “I’m doing what I love. I’ve never woken up in the morning and said, ‘Oh no, I have to go to work.’”

Heather McAfee, Geography

Heather McAfee first became interested in geography while working for the U.S. Department of Defense, doing cultural analysis of Iraq that included mapping the civilian population there. “I love geography because it is the most interdisciplinary subject you can study,” she says. “It touches everything, even health—we have medical geography. Recently in my classes, we’ve looked at and mapped the spread of the Zika virus.”

McAfee serves as chair of the Geography Department at Clark; she also serves on the college’s AA Transfer Committee, the Library of the Future Taskforce, and the Learning Communities Taskforce. Additionally, McAfee has worked to create connections between Clark and community organizations, including the Water Resources Education Center and the Vanport Mosaic.

“She made her classroom a comfortable area where every person’s opinion and outlook was highly valued,” wrote one student. “Her teachings went much deeper than the textbook material. She wanted us to dig deep and relate every lesson to our personal lives and experiences, and it taught all of us so much about the world around us.”

Doug Mrazek, French

When Doug Mrazek was job-hunting after receiving his master’s degree in French from the University of Illinois in 1978, one of his professors told him that the Pacific Northwest was so beautiful that if he took a job there, “you’ll never want to leave.”

Those words turned out to be prophetic; Mrazek has devoted 38 years to teaching French at Clark. He has taught generations of Clark students how to conjugate être, led dozens of them on trips through France and Quebec, and helped the French Club put on countless events as its academic advisor.

Small surprise, then, that Mrazek received more than 30 nominations for this award this year. “I’m in amazement,” he says. “It’s a tremendous sense of closure. After a career of 40 years, it’s a nice way to move on.”

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

2016-2017 Community College Presidents’ Scholarship in Honor of Val Ogden recipient Holly Varner

Holly Varner had always meant to go to college. She tried taking classes a couple times, but life as a Navy wife made it difficult—she was constantly having to move to follow her husband’s 21-year-long career, not to mention taking care of three boys, now ages 8, 13, and 18. It was only when her husband retired and the family settled in Washougal that Varner could pursue her dream. She enrolled in Clark with just a GED and a handful of community-college classes on her transcript, determined to succeed academically.

During the 2016 Clark College Commencement ceremony, that determination payed off when Varner heard Clark College President Robert K. Knight announce that she was the recipient of the 2016-2017 Community College Presidents’ Award in Honor of Val Ogden. The scholarship award provides full-time tuition at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) and is renewable for one additional year, essentially providing full tuition to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Holly Varner hugs her son after hearing that she has received two years of tuition to Washington State University Vancouver.

As soon as President Knight made the announcement, Varner stood and hugged her son, Jonathan, who had attended Clark alongside his mother through Washington State’s Running Start program, which allows high school students to attend college tuition-free. The two had taken three classes together and even quizzed each other before exams.

“It was great to see him progress, to see him grow,” said Varner.

Varner’s own growth at Clark has been exceptional. She graduated with a 3.98 Grade Point Average (“I was so upset about that A-minus!”) while managing multiple volunteer and extracurricular activities. Varner served as Vice President of Service for Alpha Sigma Phi, Clark College’s chapter of the international honor society Phi Theta Kappa. In that role, Varner helped organize a Thanksgiving basket drive that provided holiday dinner supplies to more than 100 Clark College students and their families—negotiating an agreement with a new vendor that brought down the price of each basket that in turn allowed Alpha Sigma Phi to serve more students. She also coordinated drives to provide books and art supplies to families in local homeless shelters. She interviewed more than 60 homeless individuals to learn what they needed most; based on those interviews, she developed a shoe and sock drive to help them.

“She is the go-to person if advisors, other officers, or administration have questions,” wrote Professor Ruth Trejo, who serves as Alpha Sigma Phi’s advisor. “We joke about her three-inch binder, where her sticky tabs have sticky tabs.”

Varner will begin studying at WSUV this fall. She intends to major social work and/or public health. Varner said that, while her family had educational funding available to them through the GI Bill, she needed to save that funding to help put her children through school. Receiving the Community College Presidents’ Scholarship will allow her to pursue her own education, hopefully to a master’s degree.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

The Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute will improve students’ access to food on campus and provide a state-of-the-art training center for the culinary arts.

Clark College President Robert K. Knight announced that the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Family Foundation made a $4 million gift to the college’s culinary program that will transform the learning process for students, as well as the community’s on-campus dining experience.

During a celebration for donors on Wednesday evening at Royal Oaks Country Club in Vancouver, Knight revealed that the college’s new dining and teaching facility, which will undergo remodeling, will be known as the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute at Clark College. It will showcase Clark’s Cuisine and Professional Baking and Pastry Arts programs.

The lead gift from the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Family Foundation simultaneously changes the face of the college’s culinary building, while dramatically enhancing the student learning experience.

The Tod & Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute will boast an artisanal bakery, barista station, and comfortable seating.

A redesign of the building includes a glass façade, outdoor dining space, contemporary restaurant, diverse food choices and an open food court layout. A revamped academic curriculum aligns with industry standards and prepares the college to be accredited by the American Culinary Federation. This top-priority project also addresses the nutritional needs of the college community and supports student retention by providing access to food service on campus.

Knight extolled Tod and Maxine McClaskey’s contribution to the business community during Savoring Excellence, Clark College Foundation’s annual celebratory dinner.

“This gift will positively affect every student at Clark College whether they just stop by the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute for a healthy option on the way to class or graduate from the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute ready to go to work for one of the many great culinary options in the region,” said Knight.

Tod McClaskey was one of the founders of the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay, a popular hotel and restaurant enterprise that began in Vancouver.

Lisa Gibert, president/CEO of Clark College Foundation spoke about the McClaskeys’ passionate vision and values for the hospitality business and how naming the institute after them is a perfect fit to honor their memory.

“Tod believed in first-class service and an excellent dining experience. The Red Lion was also the launching pad for hundreds of careers in the hospitality business for this region and beyond. That light of excellence for the McClaskeys will now shine for generations,” said Gibert.

The McClaskey family expressed excitement about being an integral part of the college’s future.

“Clark’s new culinary program fits our family’s ideals for excellent food preparation and management, as well as collaborating with other state educational organizations. We are thrilled to be a part of this innovative project,” said Jillian Hagstrom, granddaughter of Tod and Maxine McClaskey.

Slated to open midway through 2017, the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute will improve students’ access to food on campus.

Clark College has educational partnerships with the Clark County Skills Center and Washington State University Vancouver that consolidates the steps toward achieving a college degree.

The new facility is expected to be under construction for several months with portions of it opening in spring 2017. There will a food court with several kiosks offering cooked-to-order items, soups, sandwiches, salads, and food-sensitive choices from a variety of global cuisines. A full-service bakery will serve artisanal desserts, breads and espresso. And Clark’s popular restaurant will return, modeled after modern, open-kitchen dining establishments. All services will be open to Clark’s community as well as the general public.

Clark College Foundation is accepting donations for the culinary project, which is expected to cost $10.5 million. For more information, contact Joel B. Munson, vice president of development at (360) 992-2428.

Clark College Foundation is a nonprofit organization serving as the fundraising partner of Clark College in support of student learning. Nationally recognized for excellence in fundraising and communications, we are the 2015 gold winner for our campaign fundraising communications by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in District VIII. We are also the recipient of the 2015 Educational Fundraising Award in overall performance and overall improvement from national CASE, based in Washington, D.C.

Prof. Adnan Hamideh, who chairs Clark’s Division of Business Administration, teaching Clark business students. Pending accreditation, Clark College could begin offering a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Applied Management in 2017. Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark College received approval last week from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (WSBCTC) to offer a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Applied Management. Next, Clark is seeking approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the college’s regional accrediting body, to offer and begin the Applied Management program in January 2017.

“This is an exciting and important step towards being able to give more students access to a bachelor’s degree program that is relevant, affordable, and available where they live and work,” said Dr. Tim Cook, Vice President of Instruction at Clark College. “Students who earn this degree increase their opportunities to advance in their careers, earn higher wages and salaries, and to start and own businesses. These are all vital to the health and economic stability of our region.”

The BAS in Applied Management is designed for students who have completed an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree. The program combines technical, academic, and professional courses to help students earn a bachelor’s degree that provides the applied managerial knowledge and expertise employers are seeking. The program structure includes in-person, online, and hybrid evening classes that allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as two years.

This would be the college’s second applied baccalaureate degree program. Last year, Clark began offering a BAS in Dental Hygiene to provide additional job opportunities to students while adding few additional courses to their degree plan. The Bachelor of Applied Science degree program availability at community and technical colleges is the result of legislative efforts that began in 2005 with the passage of House Bill 1794. In 2010, the Legislature moved the program out of pilot status as part of SSB 6355, the System Design Plan bill, and removed the limitation on the number of colleges that could offer the programs. New BAS degree programs must address the following areas: regional student and employer demand with an emphasis on serving place-bound students; alignment with existing programs offered by the college; a rigorous curriculum; qualified faculty; appropriate student services; and capacity to make a long-term commitment of resources.