News Releases

Fall Focus: Clark College
welcomes students to the 2011-2012 academic year

The new academic year begins with strong enrollment,
expanded programs and accomplishments and awards

VANCOUVER, Wash. – On Monday, Sept. 26, Clark College opened the doors for its 2011-2012 academic year.  The college welcomed nearly 15,000 students on opening day, a continuation of the historically high enrollment the college has experienced since the 2008-2009 academic year.

Clark’s Running Start program welcomed 1,765 students, an increase of 75 students from fall 2010.  This year, under new legislation passed by the Washington state Legislature, there is a limit to the combined high school and college credits that the state will fund for each student.  Clark College has the largest Running Start program in the state.

Fall focus: college projects

On Sept. 29, the college will host a dedication ceremony for its new Early Learning Center, created through public and private dollars.  The ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. The college broke ground for the facility in Sept. 2010.

Work is underway on a Japanese Garden, which is being created near the music building on Clark’s main campus.  The Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden is a gift from Dr. Chihiro Kanagawa, CEO of Shin-Etsu Chemical Company, the parent company of SEH America. The garden will be dedicated during the college’s 2012 Sakura Festival on April 19, 2012.

During the summer, the college added 50 new parking spaces. Additionally, the college added parking stripes to its silver lot to maximize parking opportunities for students.

Fall focus: college programs

The Art Department and the Computer Graphics Technology Department have collaborated to create both new and updated degree programs in web and graphic design. Degree options include the Associate of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design, which is an academic transfer degree; the Associates in Applied Technology degree in Web & Graphic Design; and the Web Design and Development Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree. Additionally, students may also choose to pursue graphic design or web design certificates of proficiency, at 68 and 66 credits, respectively.

This fall also marks the expansion of Clark’s mechatronics technology program at Clark College at Columbia Tech Center.  This growing technical field of study deals with the integration of mechanical and electrical systems managed by control devices. 

Information about the program is available at www.clark.edu/cc/mechatronics.

Clark’s associate of science degree in surveying & geomatics is now aligned to the four-year program at Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT), the only such four-year program in the Pacific Northwest.  Clark’s program provides skills for a variety of occupations related to land surveying and geographic information systems, or geomatics. The training utilizes precision electronic surveying instruments, including Global Positioning System equipment and sophisticated computerized drafting, mapping, design, and analysis software.

The college is beginning the new academic year with a new statement regarding diversity and free expression.  The statement is posted at prominent locations throughout the college.  It is also available on the Clark website:  http://www.clark.edu/about_clark/documents/DiversityFreeExpression.pdf

Clark students will discover an enhanced website for the Cannell Library by visiting http://library.clark.edu/.  Clark College Corporate & Continuing Education also has a new website providing information about professional development, workplace training and lifelong learning classes:  http://cce.clark.edu/ 

People in the News

Clark College music professor Don Appert has received the 2011 American Prize in Orchestral Programming.  According to organizers, the Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award “recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.”  In addition to serving as music director and conductor for the Clark College Orchestra, Appert is the music director/conductor for the Oregon Sinfonietta in Portland. 

Appert has also received a 2011 ASCAPLUS Award.  The ASCAPLUS Award is presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). He previously received the ASCAPLUS Award in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.  The premiere of Appert’s new Concertino for bass clarinet and string orchestra will take place in March 2010 when it is performed by the Clark College Orchestra with guest artist Rocco Parisi.  Appert’s Vignette for string quartet or string orchestra which recently had its premiere at his daughter’s wedding in Ann Arbor, Mich. Both new works will be published by ABEditore in Milan, Italy

Tim Carper, Instructional and Classroom Support Technician in Clark’s Horticulture Department, has been appointed to the Vancouver Urban Forestry Commission. Carper played a key role in the college’s first Tree Campus USA designation, which reflected the college’s efforts during 2010.  Tree Campus USA is a national program that honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy management of their campus forests and for engaging the community in environmental stewardship.

Clark College Honors and Awards

On Sept. 14, the annual Exceptional Faculty and Exceptional Classified Staff awards were presented during fall orientation for faculty and staff.  

The 2011 Exceptional Classified Staff awards were presented to Mike Silva, a lab manager and information technology specialist, and Wei Zhuang, Clark’s lead graphic designer.

The Exceptional Faculty Awards honorees, who had been announced during Clark’s 2011 commencement ceremony, are Laura Demeri, Health and Physical Education Instructor; Kimberly Karaman, Math Instructor; Julian Nelson, German Professor; Dr. Marcia Roi, Addiction Counselor Education Professor; and Ann Snyder, retired Professor of Women's Studies.

In addition, Clark College President Robert K. Knight presented six presidential coins. The coins are awarded to faculty and staff members who provide exemplary service to Clark students, the college and the community.   The fall 2011 presidential coin recipients are:  Mark Bolke, Anatomy/Physiology Professor and Life Sciences Division Chair; Alyssa Brownlee, Tutoring & Writing Center Manager; Michelle Giovannozzi, Corporate & Continuing Education Corporate Relations Manager; Lori Jimerson, Fiscal Specialist; Shelley Ostermiller, Health Occupations Advising Manager; and Dan Simonson, Maintenance Mechanic.

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