News Releases

For Immediate Release

November 3, 2015
For additional information: 
Chato Hazelbaker
Telephone:  360-992-2921
Email:  chazelbaker@clark.edu

 

Clark College Announces Outcomes of
Academic Program Reduction Process

College working toward reducing the budget by $2 million
through program reductions and eliminations

VANCOUVER, Wash.—Clark College announced the final recommendations of the Academic Program Reduction process today.  The recommendations going forward for final approval by the Board of Trustees include reductions to eight transfer degree departments and four career and technical education programs; the elimination of all courses in six transfer degree departments; and the elimination of five career and technical education programs.  The estimated cost savings for the college are just over $2 million.

Over the last month, the college’s Instructional Council reviewed and considered hundreds of items of feedback, alternative proposals, and letters of support from the community. This feedback was used in conjunction with two rubrics to facilitate the process of determining potential areas of efficiencies, savings, or reductions. The final recommendations were based on rubric data, alignment with the college’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, as well as student and community needs.

“This was a very difficult process that took several months. We worked closely with faculty and staff to gather as much information and input as possible to allow us to make a smart and thoughtful recommendation that not only met the reductions needs, but also helped position us to move forward in providing in-demand and innovative programs. It was not easy, but it was necessary to create the educational pathways we want to create for our students,” said Vice President of Instruction Tim Cook.

President Bob Knight commented, “There was a lot of collaboration in coming up with these solutions and I appreciate the work of the committee.”  Knight added that he is pleased the committee was able to make changes in many areas that do not affect student’s ability to receive a transfer degree or complete their program.  “I feel like the process put students and the needs of the community first.”

Clark College enrollment has been decreasing over the last few years in line with what has been happening at other community colleges in the region. This steady decrease has led to college-wide budget impacts.  Over the past several years, the campus has shared relatively equally in budget reductions. 

Students currently in programs affected by the reductions will be able to complete the degree or certificate programs in which they are currently enrolled.  Following the process in the faculty contract, the campus will begin immediately determining what will happen to the faculty members affected by these reductions.  The college anticipates that fewer than five full-time faculty will lose their positions, though several part-time, or adjunct faculty are likely to be affected. 

The subsequent transfer departments and career and technical education programs will see reductions.  None of these changes will impact a student’s ability to earn a degree, but rather reduce the number of options: 

All of the course offerings in the following transfer departments will be eliminated.  The elimination of these course offerings does not impact a student’s ability to earn a transfer Associate of Arts degree at Clark College.  The following are areas in which Clark offered classes but did not have a degree program.

A proposal to eliminate the following career and technical education programs will be submitted to the Instructional Planning Team on November 20.  If eliminated, students will be allowed to complete the program if they are currently enrolled.  No new students will be allowed into the program, and students will not be able to earn a certificate or degree in this program in the future.

Information regarding program reductions and eliminations along with the rubric data is available on the college’s website at www.clark.edu/clark-and-community/about/strategic_plan/academic-planning/index.php.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 14,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s largest single-campus, for-credit community college. The college currently offers classes at three satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus; one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver; and one in the Columbia River Gorge in Bingen, WA. Additionally, its Economic & Community Development program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

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