Vice President of Student Affairs

As the new Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Rachel Ruiz's vision centers on efficient student access and success with a focus on developing a collaborative process to more fully integrate student services with instruction.  "The goal is for the student to experience a more holistic approach to learning and to walk away from Clark College with a set of transferable skills.” 

To accomplish this goal, she will begin by providing oversight in the development of a new Recruitment and Enrollment Plan aligned to measurable outcomes. 

Dr. Ruiz is committed to continue in making Clark College a visible and accessible institution that is easy for students to navigate and hopes to become an active participant in the Vancouver and Portland communities.

As the former Dean of Student Development and Matriculation in San Diego, California, Dr. Ruiz is recognized as a specialist in designing student learning outcomes for student services within the State of California.  She conducted several faculty and staff training sessions with the California Research and Planning Group and has presented at several national conferences on this topic.

Prior to her position at San Diego Mesa College, Dr. Ruiz was an instructional dean at Cuyamaca College in San Diego and Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, Massachusetts.  She is originally from Austin, Texas where she was the Assistant State Director for Communities In Schools, a K-12 dropout prevention program.

Dr. Ruiz earned a B.S. Degree in Speech Communications at the University of Texas at Austin, an M.P.A. in Public Administration at Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration also at the University of Texas at Austin.  On a more personal note, she enjoys dancing, yoga, reading, gardening, the arts and socializing with family, friends and colleagues.