After 15 years at the College, on January 18, 2019, President Knight announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2018-2019 contract year. “While this is a decision that my wife and I have been weighing for some time, I wanted to see the college through its accreditation process before informing trustees and Executive Cabinet,” Knight wrote in an email to college employees.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I want to thank President Knight for his exemplary service during his 13 years leading Clark College,” said Royce Pollard, chair of the Clark College Board of Trustees. “For more than a decade, he has provided stability and vision that has allowed the college to grow, adapt, and serve its community.”

More information on President Knight’s retirement announcement, and additional reactions from the Board of Trustees in the January 23 Board of Trustees minutes.

The Clark College Board of Trustees is responsible for the selection of Clark College’s new president. While the Board of Trustees has asked vice chair Jacobsen and trustee Speer to lead the process, decisions made by the board will be done as a full board.

 Presidential searches are the most important work that Boards do. We are not the first college to have been through a presidential search in recent years. The Deputy-Executive Director for Human Resources at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges conducted a briefing for the Board on February 26 outlining the typical process and best practices from across the system.

The Board has interviewed peer Trustees from several other colleges who have conducted successful presidential searches in recent years. Clark’s Board of Trustees includes individuals with backgrounds in executive recruiting in higher ed, the non-profit sector, the public-sector, and business – at the local, regional and national level.  Finally, the Board appreciates the professional support it receives from the Human Resources, Administrative Services, Office of Diversity and Equity, and Communications teams here at the College, and the Attorney General’s Office through our local representative – all backed by their peers across the state system.

The Board of Trustees is working to a regularly reviewed set of shared values for this process. Top on the list is to “Incorporate social equity in every step of the process (position description, search pools, screening process, final selection, & onboarding) including training support for all who participate in the process.”

More information on this can be found in the presentation material of each of the Board’s Special Meetings found on the process timeline.

Yes, absolutely. Clark College, more than just a community college, is the “community’s college”. The Board of Trustees is committed to conducting a search that incorporates social equity at each step, is transparent, is inclusive, and adheres to RCW and college policies for hiring at this level.

Various opportunities to participate are being established including:

• conducting board meetings associated with the search in public unless exempted under RCW, including time for public comment,
• providing specific opportunity for input on position descriptions by constituents both inside and outside the college,
• selecting a search firm that has demonstrated the ability to conduct successful searches in an environment of shared governance, with an equity lens,
• conducting the presidential search in alignment with college 610.025 Appointment Procedures for President which includes participation in the screening process by a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders,
• including constituents and others in the selection process for interim President,
• conducting campus forums and other outreach at various steps in the process,
• providing up to date information on the Presidential Search Page, and
• providing a dedicated email address  to submit comments or suggestions for additional FAQ’s:  presidentialsearch@clark.edu.

Yes, the Board of Trustees selected an interim president to serve between the time President Knight departs at the end of August 2019 and when a permanent president begins, just prior to the start of 2020-21 academic year. Dr. Sandra A. Fowler-Hill was selected following a two month review and interview process involving faculty, staff, students and the Board of Trustees. 

The President plays a vital role in the leadership of the college, both internally and externally. The interim President ensures continuity of that leadership during the transition.

The normal hiring cycle for college presidents takes place along the timeline of the academic year. Conducting presidential searches during the academic year maximizes the opportunity to access a broad set of qualified candidates, and maximizes the opportunity for the internal and external college community to participate in various aspects of the search process. Having an interim president also reduces pressure to rush to a decision, enabling a thoughtful and intentional search to be conducted for the right leader for the next chapter of the college.

No. A best practice for interim presidents is that they not be eligible for the permanent position. This allows a neutral/objective interim to focus on critical tasks of the office of the President during the transition, and eliminates any appearance of preference in the selection of permanent president.

All letters of interest and applications will be administered through the search firm.

Presidential Profile (position description for President) 

All letters of interest and applications will be administered through the search firm.

Gold Hill Associates was selected after a request for proposals process (RFP No. 02-2018/2019). The firm will help advertise the open positions of both interim and permanent president. The firm will screen all applicants, facilitate the interivew processes for both the interim and permanent positions and assist in public outreach to include all stakeholders in the evaluation process.