“Over the past year, we have seen many successes and we have seen many things that seemed like a dream or a far-off vision come to fruition.” So began President Bob Knight’s 2015 State of the College Address, held January 15 in Gaiser Student Center, in a speech full of hope and celebration.

As President Knight pointed out, there was much to celebrate: the successful completion of the Clark College Foundation’s capital campaign, the beginning of the long-delayed construction of a new STEM building, the introduction of the college’s first-ever bachelor’s degree, the acquisition of land for a new North County campus, the expansion of services in the Columbia Gorge, and much more.

Regarding the North County campus, Knight noted that Hank and Bernice Boschma were sitting in the audience and thanked them publicly for the donation of land that made the North Campus location possible. Knight also announced that there would be a public monument on the new campus that told the story of the Boschma Family, who moved to Ridgefield from the Netherlands and began a successful dairy farm.

“As we look to North County we are inspired by what the Boschma family created and we are looking for the next opportunities that will allow people to live, be successful, and contribute to the community of Southwest Washington,” he said. “That is why we are looking at Clark College at Boschma Farms as a possible center for advanced manufacturing and medical programs.”

Knight also took the opportunity to unveil the final draft of the college’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, which is undergoing a final round of public feedback before being presented to the college’s Board of Trustees for approval. “A key change from our old Strategic Plan is that we don’t just want to be a place that welcomes students in,” he explained. “We want to be a learning college where people come and complete their educational goals.”

As is his tradition during the State of the College, Knight also awarded Presidential Coins to exceptional staff and faculty members in honor of their service. Early during his address, he also presented a coin to Professor Emeritus John Deurwaarder, who celebrates his 100th birthday in May.

At the end of his address, President Knight urged guests to make sure others know about the future plans and current accomplishments at the college. “You’re here because you care about Clark College and you care about our community,” he said. “You need to help tell the story about this wonderful asset in our community.”

 

See more photos from the State of the College on Flickr.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

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

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

Five Clark College employees received Presidential Coins during his 2015 State of the College Address on January 15. They were:

Carolyn Johnson

Carolyn Johnson has worked at Clark College in various capacities for 10 years, the past six of them in Career Services, where she currently holds the position of Employment Specialist & Co-op Coordinator. Her main focus and interests include assisting students with their job search and doing resume critiques. “I have seen her work tirelessly to help students start from a blank page, get the words on paper, develop a thoughtful summary statement, and assist with the smallest details of formatting,” President Knight said in presenting her with the coin. “She does this with patience and care for the student.”

Knight also cited Johnson’s work with international students, helping them to understand American employment practices and job-search strategies.

 

Izad Khormaee

Professor Izad Khormaee has taught Computer Science and Engineering at Clark College since 2002. He also has teaching experience at Oregon Institute of Technology, Washington State University, and Iowa State University, as well as more than two decades of engineering and managerial experience at prominent companies such as Hewlett-Packard. He is also the founder of e1 Solutions, a Vancouver-based online business software solution company.

Professor Khormaee also organizes a quarterly exposition where Computer Science and Engineering students can present their ideas for projects, which can range from bark-cancelling noise machines that can mute a neighbor’s noisy dog to mobile apps that help students with time management. “He loves working with students and helping them complete their projects,” said President Knight.

 

Karla Sylwester

Professor Karla Sylwester, who is retiring later this year, has been the lead restorative instructor in Clark’s Dental Hygiene program for more than 30 years. “She is regionally and nationally known for her teaching skills,” said President Knight. “People call from all over the U.S. to get help from her for their board exams.”

Sylwester regularly organizes group activities to help boost morale and student success, including her annual Halloween bowling extravaganza and her Monday night “Carving with Karla” sessions to help students pass their restorative board exams. Her no-nonsense demeanor has won her fans among students and faculty alike. “Because she cares, she’s tell you like it is,” President Knight said. “I really appreciate that.”

 

Audra Rowton

Audra Rowton began working in Clark’s Purchasing department 13 years ago. She is now the department’s secretary senior. Her work ethic began early: She earned her associate degree in secretarial science at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, California, while also working full-time.

“I love Clark College because I work with a lot of great people,” said Rowton. “I really enjoy working with the faculty and being available to help the students with their questions.”

 

Jim Watkins

Project Manager Jim Watkins has been responsible for managing and seeing through to completion many of the college’s large capital projects, including the Clark Center at Washington State University Vancouver and Clark College at Columbia Tech Center (both of which came in on time and under budget, Knight noted). Currently Watkins is overseeing the construction of the new STEM building on Clark’s main campus, after which he will begin planning Clark’s new North County campus.

“He has earned a reputation for his thorough knowledge of all aspects of facility planning, design, and construction; his attention to detail; and his problem-solving skills,” said President Knight. “He has taken on our biggest capital projects with enthusiasm, perseverance, and a commitment to building the best possible facilities for our students, faculty, and staff.”

 

Sue Williams

Sue Williams began her career at Clark in 1996 as a Human Resources Assistant Senior before becoming a Recruiting Manager, then Assistant Director of Human Resources, until moving to her current position as Associate Director of Human Resources. “She is the expert in HR policy and practices for the college,” said President Knight. “She heads the training, recruitment, hiring efforts and the benefits team of the college efficiently and with a true team spirit.”

Knight commended Williams for her “open, honest, consistent and fair” way of handling Classified Staff and Association for Higher Education discipline and grievance issues, and that “she is a huge asset to the college, supporting the students and employees without hesitation and always with a smile.”

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

 

Clark College and Washington State University Vancouver will again team up to host College Goal Washington, a free annual event that helps students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the form required to apply for federal financial assistance for higher education. The event will be held in Scarpelli Hall on Clark College’s main campus at 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 24.

Clark College and Washington State University Vancouver’s College Goal Washington is the largest of its kind in the state.

New this year, the event will also cover the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA), the new form created through Washington’s Real HOPE Act that allows certain low-income, non-citizen students to apply for state financial aid. Spanish and Russian interpreters will be available. “Because the law was passed recently, there is confusion and uncertainty about how it works and who is eligible to apply,” explained Karen Driscoll, director of financial aid at Clark College. “We are committed to helping our community’s students and their families understand their financial aid options.”

The event is open to all students and families, no matter where a student plans to go to school. Whether a student chooses a four-year college, community college, vocational or technical school, College Goal Washington can help make education more affordable. The FAFSA is considered the gateway to accessing financial aid resources such as federal and state grants, school loans, and scholarships.

Family financial information is a key part of completing the form, so students and parents are encouraged to attend together. Typically the FAFSA form takes about 45 minutes to complete.

In addition to computer labs for completing the FAFSA, College Goal Washington will offer a brief welcome presentation and helpful workshops: “Getting to College & Succeeding,” “Financial Aid 101” and “Scholarships.”

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, close to downtown Vancouver. Parking is free and widely available in the Orange Lot next to Scarpelli Hall. Maps and directions are available online.

Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event 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.

For more information about College Goal Washington, visit http://www.clark.edu/enroll/paying-for-college/events.php or call 360-992-2153.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then consider this slideshow a year’s worth of diary entries, telling the story of Clark College in 2014. It was a year of growth for the college, seeing the introduction of its first bachelor’s degree, the groundbreaking for a new STEM building, and the expansion of the college’s international student population. It was also a year in which our faculty adapted a variety of tools–from puppets to petri dishes–to help students learn in new, innovative ways. Take a look back at the year that was, and look forward with us to what’s to come in 2015!

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High school sophomores and juniors can learn how to take the next step in their education by attending one of two optional Running Start Information Night sessions at Clark College.

The identical sessions will be held 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14 and Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, in the Clark College gymnasium in the O’Connell Sports Center, located on the southwest corner of Clark College’s main campus.

Running Start allows eligible juniors and seniors to earn college credit while they fulfill their high school graduation requirements. Running Start students attend Clark classes along with “regular” college students. They can choose from a full range of academic and professional/technical courses as long as the students meet the criteria and the classes are college-level.

The program, which can significantly reduce the cost of a four-year college degree, has proven popular in Southwest Washington. Some Running Start students are so motivated that they earn their associate degree from Clark at the same time that they earn their high school diploma. According to Associate Director of Running Start Linda Calvert, these annual information nights frequently attract hundreds of interested students and parents to the college, which is why the college hosts two sessions. In fall 2014, Clark College welcomed 2,044 Running Start students, 140 more students than the previous academic year.

These information sessions are for students and parents who want to know more about beginning the program in fall 2015. Calvert explains, “These optional sessions provide a great chance to hear current Running Start students candidly describe their experiences in the program. You’ll also hear about the eligibility criteria, testing procedures, deadlines, and more.”

Running Start students pay for books, transportation, and some fees, but do not pay full Clark College tuition. Students can be part-time or full-time in Running Start.  Fees are subject to change by the Washington State Legislature. Fee waivers and limited textbook assistance are available for those demonstrating financial need.

“Running Start is not for everyone,” notes Calvert. “It requires not only college-level skills, but also college-level maturity. Successful program participants who flourish under the academic rigor of Running Start are generally self-motivated and looking for additional academic challenges. Students frequently tell us that they like the learning environment at the college and the ability to gradually sample the college environment.”

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way in Vancouver, Washington. Parking will be available in the college’s red lots on the east side of Fort Vancouver Way and in the purple lot on the west side of Fort Vancouver Way. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

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

For more information on Running Start, visit the Clark College website at www.clark.edu/runningstart. For information about Running Start Information Nights, call 360-992-2366.

Clark College Career Services is seeking clothing and cash donations for its 11th Annual Career Clothing Closet, which provides professional and/or interview clothing to Clark College students at no cost.

The Closet will be held April 23 and 24 in advance of Clark College Career Days, the college’s annual career fair that precedes spring graduation.

While students have access to lots of career-preparation support while at Clark—from resume clinics to industry-specific certification programs—many lack the resources to purchase new outfits appropriate to their chosen careers as they prepare to enter the job market after graduation. As Career Services Director Edie Blakley explains, “The Career Clothing Closet helps our students put their best selves forward in an interview or as they begin their careers. Beginning a new career can be scary, and the right clothing can help students feel confident.”

The Closet is accepting new or gently used professional, workplace-appropriate clothing for both men and women. New this year, the Closet is also accepting industry-specific clothing (including scrubs, steel-toed work boots, baking uniforms, welding and construction-specific clothing) as well as cash donations. All clothing donations should be in excellent condition, laundered or dry-cleaned prior to donation. Undergarments and torn or stained clothing will not be accepted. Cash donations will be used to purchase clothing in underrepresented sizes.

Donations may be dropped off by April 10 at Clark College Career Services, located in room PUB 002 on ground level of the Penguin Union Building, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA 98663. Hours of operation: Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. All donations are tax deductible; receipts will be provided. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Questions may be directed to Sharon Orr at or sorr@clark.edu.

While donations will be accepted through April 10, organizers are hoping to motivate donors to give now. “We know that this is a time of year when many people are getting new clothes for the holidays and purging their closets, and also when people are looking for end-of-the-year tax deductions,” explains Blakley. “Also, the more donations we gather, the more students we can help, so collecting for the Career Clothing Closet really is a year-round process for us.”

Last year, the Closet provided professional clothing to more than 200 Clark students.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Nominations are now open for the 2015 Iris Awards. The winners will be announced in January, and the recipients will be honored at a reception and ceremony on Thursday, March 5, 2015, from 5 p.m. to  7 p.m. in Clark College’s Gaiser Student Center. Tickets will go on sale in late January.

Following in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards, this year’s ceremony marks the 30th anniversary of the college’s annual recognition of women’s contributions to the community. The event began in 1985 at Clark College as a photography exhibit during Women’s History Week. Over the years, the event developed into a larger awards program and ceremony. In 2012, the Iris Awards were introduced with the same focus as previous events: celebrating the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and beyond.

As in the past, the awards will be presented in observation of International Women’s Day (March 8). Three Iris Awards may be presented annually. One recipient may be selected in each of three areas: service in the public sector, service in the private sector, and philanthropic leadership. Anyone may submit a nomination. Additionally, more than one person can fill out a nomination form for the same nominee or provide letters of recommendation.

The awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and the Clark College Foundation.

Nominations must be received by Friday, December 19, 2014.

Ever since she first became a member of the Clark College Board of Trustees in 2003, Sherry Parker has been vital presence at the college, where she has faithfully attended not just board meetings but also Opening Days, State of the College addresses, cultural events, Commencement ceremonies—even when inmates were celebrating earning their GEDs through Clark at Larch Correctional Facility, Sherry Parker was there.

Last Thursday, however, Parker attended her last board meeting, as her tenure has officially expired. There was little fanfare at the event; Clark College President Bob Knight had hosted a private celebration at his home that Monday to thank Parker for her decade-long service to the college. Even so, as each trustee rose in turn to speak, it became clear how valuable Parker has been to the board.

“Sherry Parker was Clark College at the state level,” said Trustee Jada Rupley, referring to Parker’s role as a tireless committee member of the statewide Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges.

That work earned her a TACTC Trustee Leadership Award earlier this year. Her nomination for the award cited her work in helping the college complete several key initiatives including the construction and opening of Clark College at Columbia Tech Center and the opening of the Oliva Family Early Learning Center, adding that she “has been a central figure in keeping the college focused on the student experience and student success. She is truly an advocate for students.”

Parker’s focus on students was due in part to her own experiences as a Clark student. She enrolled in the college in 1981, soon after she moved to Vancouver due to her husband’s job. Parker, who already had a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of South Florida, realized she would need to improve her computer skills to compete in the modern job market. She earned her Associate of Applied Science degree in 1983 and wound up working for the college as well, working part-time as a department secretary and teaching computer skills to mature learners through Clark’s Corporate and Continuing Education.

Eventually, Parker moved on to other job opportunities, working as a substitute teacher, in advertising, as a legal secretary in the juvenile court system, and in the Clark County Clerk’s office as Deputy Clerk. She was elected County Clerk in 2006 and served in that position until 2011.

In an email after the board meeting, Parker called the end of her tenure on the Board of Trustees “bittersweet.”

“I would be happy to continue my service, but after almost 11 years, it is time for a new perspective on the board,” she wrote. “I know [Michael] Ciraulo will do a great job as a trustee.”

Ciraulo, who also attended Thursday’s board meeting—his first—acknowledged during the speeches that he would have “big shoes to fill” in taking Parker’s spot on the board. But even though Parker’s time on the board is ending, she will continue to be a familiar presence at the college—in fact, she has already begun volunteering at the college’s Corporate and Continuing Education office.

“I will always be a member of the Penguin Nation,” Parker wrote, “and I will help out in any way I can.”

 

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

 

 

When antibiotics were first introduced in the 1930s, they seemed almost magical in their ability to save people from previously fatal infections. But recently, the medical community has warned that bacteria are evolving to resist the current drugs available, creating an urgent need for new antibiotics. Now Clark College has joined with Yale University to become part of a program searching for new antibiotics—and getting students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the same time.

Called the Small World Initiative, the project is funded and organized by the Yale Center for Scientific Teaching. Clark is offering the Small World Antibiotics Research classes (BIO 105 & BIO 106) in the winter quarter of 2019, and another session of BIO 105 in the spring quarter.

“Clark College was one of only four community colleges in the country to be picked to start this pilot program,” says Dr. Ryan Kustusch, a Clark biology instructor who teaches the Small World class. “That makes Clark not just different from other community colleges, but different from other four-year colleges, other universities. This is a very different learning experience that a lot of students in this country just don’t get.”

In Small World, students learn microbiology by doing hands-on research—in this case, collecting soil samples to test them for potential new antibiotics. Approximately 75 percent of the antibiotics currently in use are derived from microorganisms living in the soil. After students gather their soil samples, they bring them back to the classroom, where they learn to grow the organisms living within those samples in various media in petri dishes until they have enough to test. Students then purify those organisms in order to test them against four sample bacteria that are commonly used to test antibiotic-effectiveness by pharmaceutical companies, in the hopes of finding organisms that can kill them.

“It’s really student-driven,” Kustusch explains. “I give them supplies; I tell them what may work, what might not work; and then they experiment. It really is a truly hands-on, authentic research experience.”

Any promising microorganisms are sent to Yale for DNA testing to see if they already are known to medical science; if they aren’t, these microorganisms could become the source of medicine’s next broad-spectrum antibiotic. During the class’s inaugural run at Clark during the 2014 spring quarter, two students found an organism that killed all four pathogens, and while it turned out that the microorganism had already been discovered and studied by other scientists, the possibility of discovering something that could one day save people’s lives helps keep students motivated and enthusiastic.

“I told everyone I could about that class,” says pre-nursing student Dawn Smith, who enrolled in Small World after seeing a poster advertising it near Registration. “It would be so awesome to be involved in something like finding a new antibiotic. Just the idea of that is incredible.”

It’s also crucial, given that more and more infections have grown resistant to currently used antibiotics. According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year at least 2 million people in the U.S. become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria; at least 23,000 of them die due to those infections. Yet pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to research and develop new antibiotics because the drugs are rarely profitable—patients only take them in emergencies, and only for a week or two at a time.

“We simply do not have enough drugs to treat our current infections,” says Kustusch. “We’re going back to the 1800s, when you treated infection by amputation—which is a terrible vision for our future. Someone has to do the initial legwork to find these drugs. We’ll never be the people doing the clinical testing and human trials and all that, but no one else is doing this basic legwork.”

“In this class, money was stripped out of the equation,” says Smith. “All we had was the big question mark hanging over our heads—our curiosity. We didn’t have to worry about profit.”

Kustusch says that combination of hands-on learning and potential real-life rewards makes Small World the perfect way to get more students interested in science. BIO 105 has no prerequisites, meaning non-science majors can take it to complete their science requirements for their degree. If a student is interested in the second Small World course, BIO 106, but has not completed the prerequisite of BIO 105, they may contact microbiology professor Dr. Roberto Anitori for a waiver (ranitori@clark.edu).

“I had a couple students who had taken a couple classes in biology, and they said this solidified that they really want to go down this path,” says Kustusch. “But the majority of the students in this class weren’t interested in science—or thought they weren’t. Now I have two students talking to me about, ‘How do I pursue a B.S. in biology?’ I think that was the goal of this class: For the people who really like science, let’s keep them interested. And for the people who never thought of this as a potential option, they’re now excited and thinking, ‘Maybe I can do something in a STEM field.’ And that’s fantastic.”

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

On November 17, Clark College hosts its seventh celebration of International Education Week. But in many ways, Clark’s celebration began months earlier, with the launching of its new Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at the beginning of this fall quarter.

This program replaces the college’s former English as a Non-Native Language program, which focused solely on the upper levels of pre-college English. The IELP offers intensive English-language instruction, but broadens the curriculum to also include lessons about American culture and U.S. educational expectations. This approach better prepares international students to succeed at Clark and other American institutions of higher education. It also allows them to be admitted at Clark without submitting an English-proficiency test, as was previously required. As a result, 90 new international students enrolled in the IELP for fall quarter, bringing Clark’s total international enrollment to a record-setting 213 students from 29 different countries.

“Instituting an open admission policy that does not require the submission of a standardized English proficiency test allows Clark to compete with other community colleges and English language programs in the region that also offer open admissions,” says Director of International Programs Jane Walster. “It also allows the college to recruit from a larger pool of prospective students around the world, not just those students with specific standardized test scores.”

International Student Recruitment & Outreach Manager Jody Shulnak says Clark’s adaptation of the IELP has helped her attract students during her international recruitment trips, which have included countries like China, Vietnam and Japan in the last year alone.

“Clark offers comprehensive support services for international students, which I believe really sets us apart in the region,” says Shulnak. “We also have strong university partnerships that provide students with a seamless pathway to earn their bachelor’s degree in the U.S.”

Brazilian student Paulo Giacomelli says he has appreciated his experience at Clark. “The atmosphere at Clark College is great,” he says. “It made it easier for me to attend classes, get involved in activities, and be successful.”

With its strengthened support for international students and frequent events that, like International Education Week, allow those students to share their respective cultures with the Clark community, the college is growing more and more global with each year. Currently, the college’s goal is to achieve an international student population of 300.

“When students from other countries decide to study at Clark, the entire community benefits,” says Shulnak. “It is an exciting learning opportunity for everyone.”

“As global and local become more intertwined, we must all engage in the process of understanding our own culture and those of our neighbors at home and abroad,” adds Walster.

This year’s International Education Week events include presentations by international students about their home cultures, an exhibition by international students and international nonprofits, and screenings of films with international flavor. Visit the event’s web page for a full schedule of events.