This week
This past week I enjoyedcelebrating with our community 30 years of research and community collaborationat WSUV. And, the Business and Health Sciences Unit invited me for someQ&A. Thanks to the BHS faculty and staff for sharing your thoughts andconcerns with me. I especially enjoyed hearing about learning in action in aProfessional Selling Class. A student developed a sales pitch as his finalproject to propose to another student in the class. And, she said, “Yes!”Thanks James Ron Powers, Adjunct Professor, for sharing the adorable pictures.
At the L.E.A.D. meeting on Fridaywe got a sneak preview of what will be presented at the upcoming budget forums.VP Bob Williamson and Director of Business Services, Sabra Sand, did anoutstanding job of describing a very complex topic in an open and transparentway.
Budget
The Budget Committee isfinalizing instructions for the college to assist in the development of the2020-21 budget. This process will allow all members of the college community tocontribute proposals. Input is vital as the college anticipates a $5.4million shortfall in the 2020-21 budget, which will result in an approximate 8%cut.
It is important for all of us tosee the projections, the numbers and have a chance to ask questions as we moveforward through this process. The budget committee will be loading budgetdocuments onto our intranet for your ongoing review. It’s at https://clarknet.clark.edu/governance/budget.
Three budget forums will be held:
- February 27, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., PUB 258
- February 28, 8:00 – 9:30 a.m., PUB 258
- March 3, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., FHL 126
I want to thank the budgetcommittee, which includes faculty, classified, staff, and students. I want toencourage all of us to participate in this process. The committee will developa list of ideas on how we can close the gap. They will prioritize and submit tothe Executive Cabinet. The EC will give weight to the recommendations in makingbudget decisions and reporting back to the committee. This is difficult workand it is important we do it with respectful communication, discourse andtransparency.
Legislative Update
The 2020 legislative sessionpassed its halfway mark Tuesday as fiscal committees reached their deadline forpassing bills out of committee. The House and Senate used the remainder of theweek for floor action debating and voting bills ahead of the Feb. 19 floorcutoff date. The Senate confirmed several community college trustees this weekincluding Reekah Strong.
A bill to fix the fundingstructure behind the Workforce Education Investment Act is headed for theGovernor’s desk. Once he signs, it will put into place a funding structuresupporting the 2019 act, which includes the Washington College Grant and GuidedPathways.
President Search
The Board of Trustees has narrowedthe field of presidential candidates to two: Dr Karin Edwards and Dr. SaraThompson Tweedy. Their bios cans be reviewed on the Clark College Presidential Search Page.
The Board has identified a fewkey follow up questions for the two finalists. They have asked them to provideadditional information that will be used to help make a final decision expectednext Friday, February 21st.
The College began this work a year ago and I want to thank eachof you who have contributed along our collective journey. Engagement has beenkey to a transparent, equitable and inclusive process and we are grateful foreveryone who has played a part in preparing for this important moment in ClarkCollege history.
Sad news at Concordia University
As many of you already know,Concordia University Portland announced this week that they will be closing atthe end of this spring term.
This heartbreaking news hasbrought up questions. One set of questions is around what we are doing forConcordia students. Earlier this week, I reached out to Concordia’s president tooffer any assistance we can provide in supporting their students. StudentAffairs is planning on attending a transfer fair at Concordia next week. AndI’ve asked HR to reach out to their HR department to connect with employees whomay be eligible to fill open positions here.
The other set of questionsrevolve around whether what happened at Concordia could happen at Clark. It’simportant to understand that we are two very different institutions: Concordiais a private university with a large online graduate-degree program, whileClark is a public community college. Accreditors were concerned enough aboutConcordia’s finances to require additional monitoring; Clark just received avery complimentary financial audit with no findings. This informative article inInside Higher Ed explains in greater depth how Concordia’s troubles developed.
Nevertheless, this news has impacton our community. Some Clark students were planning on transferring there; someClark employees are midway through graduate programs at Concordia, or havechildren who are attending there, or are alumni themselves; and many of us knowpeople working at the university. I want to extend my sympathy to everyoneaffected.
Kudos to Team
Thank you Cath Busha, Dean of Student Engagement, who has agreedto serve as Interim Title IX Coordinator pending hiring of the Director ofCompliance position. Genevieve Howard, Associate Vice President ofInstruction, and Mike See, Director of Safety and Security, will serve asDeputy Title IX Coordinators. I appreciate all the ways our staff pitch induring times of challenge.
Clark survey of students on food and housing insecurity
This week, The HopeCenter for College, Community, and Justice released its #RealCollege2020 National Report. 330,000 students at more than 400 colleges anduniversities were surveyed about food and housing insecurity.
Here is the data specific to Clark College:
- 36% of respondents experienced food insecurity in the prior 30 days
- 46% of respondents experienced housing insecurity in the previous year
- 17% of respondents experienced homelessness in the previous year
- 55% of students at Clark College experienced at least one of these forms of basic needs insecurity in the past year
- 28% of food-insecure students utilize SNAP benefits
- 11% of homeless students utilize housing benefits
Invitations to complete the questionnaire were sent by email toapproximately 7,600
students from Clark College and 1,156 studentsparticipated. Thus, the estimated response
rate is 15.2%. To read thefull report for Clark College:
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/5bed243399f122edd399e7728/files/7a9598e1-ba5f-4be3-a523-69f5e8ad1074/RC2019_InstRpt_ClarkCollege.01.pdf
It affirms the importance of our wrap-around services for students to help them stay on the path, acknowledging the barriers that they face in their pursuit of a certificate or degree.
FacultyHonors
The Faculty Excellence AwardCommittee encourages all of us to nominate an outstanding instructor,librarian, counselor, or department head for the Exceptional Faculty Award.
This award is professionalrecognition of the highest order, as it spotlights the instructor’s teachingexcellence and positive impact for all to see. Faculty members can nominatetheir peers as well.
For more information and tonominate your favorite instructor or an outstanding peer, please go to http://www.clark.edu/cc/efa. Thedeadline for making your submission is March 13, 2020.
Next week
I hope you allenjoy the three-day holiday weekend. I will be attending the Association ofCollege Trustees (ACT) new trustees orientation and legislative advocacyconference with our trustees.
Next week thecollege is hosting the inaugural NWRegional Equity in Higher Education Conference organized by our amazing DEI team (Rashida Willard, Dee Harris,Alyssa Voyles, Melissa Williams and Rosalba Pitkin.) Speakers from, Washington(including Clark College), Oregon and Idaho are presenting on CreatingInclusive Systems Beyond Diversity: Equity in Practice.
We are alsohosting the Columbia River Economic Development Council Education Committee atCTC. I am looking forward to presenting an overview of our programs andFrancois Wevers, Director of Economic Partnerships and Customized Learning,will be providing a tour of the CTC Building. And, I am honored to serve on apanel of regional community colleges at the Greater Portland Inc. EconomicSummit to share the great work we are doing.
Great thingscontinue to happen every day here at Penguin Nation. Thanks to our wonderfulGrounds Crew (and some sunshine) the crocuses and daffodils are blooming, andthe campus looks beautiful!
Thank you forall you do to make Clark College a great place to work and to learn.
