This Week

What a week it has been!

I am so happy to see students andfaculty back in classes, and grateful for everyone who rolled up their sleevesthis past week and persevered.

The two-year faculty contract for2018-2020 includes significant pay raises for full-time and adjunct professors.It also spells out the distribution formula for the high-demand nursing stipendfunding as authorized by the legislature. 

The final signed copy of thecontract will be available once it has been finalized and posted onclarknet.clark.edu under Faculty Resources.

Many ofyou have expressed to me your concerns about how we will manage impacts on thebudget when we have made new commitments at the same time that our enrollmentand revenue are declining. This will likely require us to closely examine everyvacancy before we post it and to leave some positions unfilled. It will alsolikely mean holding the line on other expenses, such as travel and goods andservices. I cannot promise that we will not feel a pinch this fiscal year but Ican assure you that we will explore all options.

Lookingahead to the 2020-2021 budget, our Budget Committee is working on a processthat will engage the entire college community.  We will need everyone’sideas and contributions to help make the difficult budget decisions that lieahead. There are no magical answers out there, but I believe a budget processthat values openness, transparency and accountability will enable us to sharein the work of righting our financial picture for the near- and long-term.

Presidential Finalists

This week we also hosted two ofour three presidential candidates on campus.

Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy, vicepresident of student access, involvement, and success at SUNY WestchesterCommunity College and Dr. Karin Edwards, president of the Cascade Campusof Portland Community College, have each participated in the two-day interviewprocess.

I encourage you to go online andprovide input on the forums for both candidates. We want to hear your feedback.We have an easy-to-use link for you at www.clark.edu under“Important Updates.” For those who were not able to attend the forums, videosof the forums will be available as soon as all forums are completed andcaptioned.

Next week, Dr. Lamata D.Mitchell, vice president of instruction and academic operations at PimaCommunity College, will visit the campus for the two-day long interviewprocess.

The student forum will be heldTuesday January 21 at Foster Hall Auditorium from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Thecollege forum will be held Wednesday January 22, also at Foster Hall Auditoriumfrom 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

We received word Wednesday thatfinalists Dr. Joaquín G. Martínez, district vice provost ofinstitutional effectiveness at Miami Dade College, had removed his name fromconsideration citing personal reasons. We thanked him for his interest. We areconfident that we have a slate of highly qualified candidates who are excitedabout the opportunity to lead Clark College into the next decade.

The Board of Trustees is onschedule to make a hiring decision by early March.

As a reminder, biographies andresumes of our three finalists are available online atwww.clark.edu/presidential-search/search/finalists.php

Congratulations!

Such good news to report out ofour Welding Department that is working closely with a major manufacturer in ourregion, Vigor. Vigor has a new large military contract to build boats and needsskilled welders. They have toured our program and are excited to work with us.

Caleb White and his team arecreating curriculum that will ensure students have the skills that Vigor needs.In addition to curriculum development, we are in the process of developing anagreement with Vigor that will provide our welding students with an opportunityto participate in interviews that could potentially lead to employmentopportunities. In addition, Vigor will send their current employees to Clarkfor training.

This is exactly the kind ofpartnership we want for our students and our employers.

I thank Mohammed Maraee of theSouthwest Washington Center of Excellence, who helps develop the relationshipbetween colleges and employers in this region. He helps us better understandemployers’ needs, while helping the employer understand the rules that governhigher education and accreditation. He helps us find ways to work together.

None of this would be possiblewithout Welding Department Head Caleb White and our team of expert weldingfaculty. They bring both vision and practical skills to lead the effort tocreate curriculum that fits the needs of the employers.

Welding instructor Wade Housingerwas instrumental in showing Vigor what we do at Clark and our capacity to meettheir needs. It has been a team effort from the start. Thank you Vice Presidentof Instruction Sachi Horback and Interim Dean of WPTE Armetta Burney for makingthis a high priority.

This is a big win for ourstudents, our college and our employers. Congratulations to our Welding Programand Office of Instruction!

HS+ Student Success

Twenty-three Transitional Studiesstudents earned their high school diplomas through Clark College’s High School+(HS+) Program following fall quarter.

HS+ is a competency-based highschool diploma program for adult learners age 18 and older who do not have ahigh school diploma or equivalency.

The program was rebrandedstatewide from High School 21+ to High School+, recognizing those 18-to-20 arenow eligible for the diploma provided they satisfy state requirements for theirgraduating class.

Several of the graduates wereemployed while completing their diplomas, had jobs lined up upon graduation, orenlisted in the military. Congratulations to the graduates, and thank you toour team for helping them succeed.

Clark Music Highlights

I know you will join me insending kudos to Professor Donald Appert. Our Clark College Orchestra Conductorand Music Director is being honored internationally.

His latest composition Contrapunctus(Mirrors) for Flute and Trombone, which was commissioned by Dr. PhilipMartinson and Dr. Shelly Martinson, will be premiered at the InternationalTrombone Festival in Osaka, Japan in summer of 2020. Congratulations, youmake Penguin Nation proud.

Jazz Festival next week

The 58th annual Jazz Festival isnearly here – January 23-25 at Gaiser Student Center. It is free to all collegefaculty, staff and students. It’s a three-day event jam-packed with outstandingmusical talent all in one place. For more information: www.clark.edu/cc/music.

Clark hosts regional equity conference

Thereis an exciting conference coming up on campus next month. Registration is stillopen for the inaugural Northwest Regional Equity Conference for HigherEducation.  There is depth, weight and real value in this inaugural eventorganized and hosted by Clark College. Registration Fee is $250. This is agreat way to use professional development funds. However, if cost is a barrierplease contact the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at extension 2292.More info: www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-support/diversity-and-equity/equity-conference/index.php

Upcoming events

I’mlooking forward to attending the 10th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King BreakfastCelebration held by iUrban Teen with a team from Clark College, as well as ourannual MLK event in the Gaiser Student Center on Tuesday, January 21, andseeing the interactive hands-on display of the history of BuffaloSoldiers/Black cowboys 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and the Buffalo Soldiers of thePacific Northwest documentary discussion being held noon – 1:30 p.m.

Joinme in honoring Dr. King’s legacy of service to others by donating hair- andskin-care products for African-American families served by YWCA Clark County.Donations can be dropped off at the Student Center. More information at www.clark.edu/cc/mlk/

New date to be set for State of the College

Areminder – we will be setting a new date for the State of the College, whichwas rescheduled because of the strike this past week.

Themost exciting part, for me, is announcing the inaugural recipients of two newemployee awards: the  Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award andthe Exceptional Administrative Exempt Award.

Iwill update you on the plans next week.

Also rescheduled

TheStudent Involvement Fair has been moved to Wednesday, January 29 from 10 a.m. –1 p.m.  in the PUB student center. We can encourage our students to checkit out, enjoy a free lunch, and learn about the clubs, programs and resourcesavailable at Clark.

Alsoa student resource for all of us to remember as we interact with students: theTutoring Centers at Clark. They provide free tutors to assist with most coursesoffered at Clark. The centers also have computers, printers, calculators, andother tools for students. The link is www.clark.edu/cc/tutoring.

I amreminded of impermanence of all phenomena today as the Tibetan Monks destroythe beautiful Sand Mandala in the closing ceremony. They will be taking a smallamount of the colored sand in a procession to Columbia River, where it will bepoured into the water for the health and well-being of our waterways and marinelife, ultimately making its way to the Pacific Ocean to benefit all beingsthere.

As wecelebrate a new year, I hope we can move forward together supporting oneanother to make Penguin Nation a great place to work and to learn. In honor ofDr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service to others, take time during thislong weekend pick up some hair- and skin-care products for African-Americanfamilies to donate to the YWCA Clark County and take time to recharge.

Oneof Martin Luther King Jr.’s quotes that has guided me throughout my life is, “Ihave decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”