Winter Welcome Week kicked off on Monday, January 6 with a misty, then sunny first day of winter term. Thanks to the helpful volunteers who staffed the information tables inside buildings all around campus and answered students’ questions. Assisting students at the beginning of each term would not be possible without so many staff and faculty volunteering their time to help Clark students.

Just as in fall term, parking lots were crowded as thousands of students returned to classrooms and labs across the main campus, the Clark College Building at Washington State University Vancouver, and Clark’s Columbia Tech Center after winter break.

January 6 also marked the first day for two new interim vice presidents at Clark:

• Dr. Mark Wahlers, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs
• Dr. Darcy Rourk, Interim Vice President of Human Resources

Both Dr. Wahlers and Dr. Rourk are expected to serve through the academic year. Searches for the permanent vice presidents will begin in late January or early February.

Dr. Mark Wahlers, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs

In an email to faculty and staff, Dr. Karin Edwards introduced the new interim vice president of Student Affairs: “We were fortunate to work with The Registry in identifying strong candidates for the interim Vice President of Student Affairs. After careful consideration, we selected Dr. Mark Wahlers. Dr. Wahlers brings extensive experience in higher education and a deep understanding of student and academic affairs. Additionally, as a resident of our area, he is familiar with Clark College and the Clark County community.”

Dr. Mark Wahlers has worked for more than 40 years in higher education leadership. During his 25 years at Concordia University in Portland, he served as provost for 16 years as well as provost at Concordia’s Japan campus in Tokyo, and vice president of student affairs and enrollment management.

Previously, he spent 12 years in leadership roles at Concordia University in Austin, Texas, including dean of students, dean of institutional services and almost 3 years as chief administrative officer at Concordia College in Bronxville, New York. Before pursuing administrative roles, he was professor of English Rhetoric and Literature at Concordia University in Austin for 7 years. He also served as principal at the Lutheran Language Institute in Tokyo.

Dr. Wahlers holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Concordia University Nebraska, a master’s degree in education from Portland State University, and a doctoral degree in education/curriculum and instruction from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Darcy Rourk, Interim Vice President of Human Resources

Dr. Edwards wrote: “Darcy Rourk, former Vice President of Human Resources at Clark College, has graciously agreed to serve in the role. Her expertise and familiarity with the college and our community make her an excellent choice for this role.”

Dr. Rourk worked intermittently at Clark College between 2009 and 2021.

Her career in education spans five decades. Her roles in K-12 education range from teacher, principal, curriculum director, district assistant superintendent, and district superintendent. Next, Dr. Rourk worked at Northwest Regional Education Service District, Oregon’s largest ESD, first as chief personnel officer and then as assistant superintendent.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in curriculum instruction, and a doctoral degree in educational administration, all from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

Dr. Edwards added, “Please join me in welcoming Dr. Wahlers and Dr. Rourk to their interim roles. I am confident that their leadership and expertise will be valuable as we continue our efforts to support our students, staff, and faculty.”

Welcome Week kicked off on Monday, September 23, the first day of the fall term and the 2024-25 academic year. Parking lots were crowded as thousands of students returned to classrooms and labs across the main campus, at the Clark College building at Washington State University Vancouver, and Clark College Columbia Tech Center.

Warm, dry weather invited students to gather outside to sit on benches and the grass or walk the paths around campus. A brand-new reader board displayed a welcome message in multiple languages. The campus has never looked better after the grounds crew’s power washing, mowing, and trimming work over the summer. Leaves on some deciduous trees are already turning a lovely, burnished color as the Penguin Nation steps into fall term 2024.

As on every first day, students stopped to peruse their phones, campus directory, and maps all over campus, and had questions: Where is this class? Where is this building? Where do I get my free bus pass? Where is the bookstore? Can someone help me?

The strategically located Welcome tables were there to help. Brand-new student ambassadors and student government representatives, together with staff and faculty volunteers, answered students’ questions, helped them find their classes, and distributed maps, snacks, and resource information. The tabling to assist students would not have been possible without the many staff and faculty volunteering their time to help Clark students, thanks to the coordination of Sarah Gruhler and the Student Life team. Students could find resources and campus activities on social media, too, with the new TikTok account posting about important services available across campus.

Other Welcome Week activities included first day of school pictures and the Counseling & Health Center open house. The fall athletics season has already started with volleyball, soccer, and cross country all having events this week.

Around campus, students congregated in their favorite gathering spots to catch up with friends and classmates. Cannell Library was a popular gathering place for students to sit with fellow students and work on their laptops.

Inside Gaiser Hall, students gathered in the food court to meet friends and get nourishment before their next class. Several stood in line at the retail bakery to try two specialty drinks: Japanese iced coffee and saffron latte. Some students bought wraps and salads at the grab-and-go. In the coming weeks, as culinary classes find their groove and move into full-production mode, there will be more food options, when the student restaurant reopens on October 1 and the student kiosk reopens on October 15.

For more information on campus activities, keep an eye on Clark’s events calendar: https://www.clark.edu/about/governance/calendars/events.php or follow us on Clark’s social media channels: https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/social-media.php.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley
View more photos from the first week of classes on our Flickr page: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBK5Nf