Fill - Free fillable 2018 Year Seven Self Evaluation Report (Clark College) PDF form

Mission Fulfillment and Sustainability

Self-Evaluation Report

August 2018

Prepared for the

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Clark College

1933 Fort Vancouver Way

Vancouver, Washington 98663

www.clark.edu

Table of Contents

Institutional Overview ................................................................................................................... 1

Basic Institutional Data Form ........................................................................................................ 5

Preface.......................................................................................................................................... 31

Standard One: Mission, Core Themes, and Expectations ............................................................ 37

Section A – Eligibility Requirements .................................................................................... 38

Section B – Standard 1.A: Mission ........................................................................................ 39

Section C – Standard 1.B: Core Themes ................................................................................ 43

Standard Two: Resources and Capacity ...................................................................................... 57

Section A – Eligibility Requirements .................................................................................... 58

Section B – Standard 2.A: Governance ................................................................................. 61

Section C – Standard 2.B: Human Resources ........................................................................ 84

Section D – Standard 2.C: Educational Resources ................................................................ 90

Section E – Standard 2.D: Student Support Resources ........................................................ 107

Section F – Standard 2.E: Library and Information Resources ........................................... 120

Section G – Standard 2.F: Financial Resources .................................................................. 127

Section H – Standard 2.G: Physical and Technological Resources .................................... 131

Standard 3A: Institutional Planning ........................................................................................... 139

Standard 3.A: Institutional Planning ................................................................................... 140

Standard 3B and Standard Four: Core Theme Planning, Assessment, and Improvement ......... 153

Section A – Eligibility Requirements .................................................................................. 154

Section B – Core Theme Planning, Assessment, and Improvement.................................... 155

Section C – Core Themes, Objectives, and Programs and Services .................................... 167

Academic Excellence ................................................................................................... 167

Social Equity ................................................................................................................ 177

Economic Vitality ......................................................................................................... 185

Environmental Integrity ............................................................................................... 198

Standard Five: Mission Fulfillment, Adaptation, Sustainability ............................................... 207

Section A – Eligibility Requirement .................................................................................... 208

Section B – Standard 5.A: Mission Fulfillment ................................................................... 209

Section C – Standard 5.B: Adaptation and Sustainability ................................................... 216

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 221

Works Cited ............................................................................................................................... 225

Acronyms ................................................................................................................................... 227

Appendix A: Ad Hoc Reports for BASDH and BASAM............................................................... i

Institutional Overview

Clark College, Washington State’s Community College Service District 14, is situated in the

southwest region of the state, serving Clark, Skamania, and western Klickitat counties. As a community

college, located in the city of Vancouver, Washington, Clark is part of the Portland (Oregon)-Vancouver

MSA; yet the college also benefits from strong local roots and a community identity distinct from

Portland to the south. Clark College offers two-year transfer degrees, career and technical education

programs, basic education classes, bachelor of applied science degrees, and corporate and continuing

education; in total, Clark serves more than 20,000 full-time and part-time students each year. In 2017-

2018, Clark was the fourth largest district in terms of full-time equivalent students (FTES) in the

Washington State system of 34 community and technical colleges. The significant majority of students

reside within the service district.

Clark College has well-qualified and dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators. The president of the

college reports to the Board of Trustees, consisting of five members who are appointed by the governor of

Washington State. Each member serves a five-year term and must live in the college’s service district.

The board seeks to ensure the quality and relevance of college programs and provides stewardship of

public resources. In this role, the board is responsible for personnel management of the president,

strategic planning, development and approval of college policies, and approval and oversight of the

operating budget. The president, members of the president’s Executive Cabinet, and the college

community establish, implement, and assess objectives based on the strategic plan, which provides the

blueprint for supporting student learning and success throughout the institution.

Since Clark College’s beginnings in 1933, the college has provided high-quality learning

opportunities that meet the community’s needs and enable students to achieve their educational and

professional goals. Today, the college takes a more active approach to serving the community and

students: rather than just providing high-quality learning opportunities, the college now concentrates on

guiding individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals—in service to the community—

through its focus on academic excellence, social equity, economic vitality, and environmental integrity.

Clark College takes pride in and seeks to improve its programs, services, and ability to guide learners.

The college is undergoing a major transformation of its programs and services to implement the essential

practices of guided pathways, the primary framework the college has chosen for mission fulfillment. This

transformation requires the college to shift its operations from preparing students to be college-ready to

making the college student-ready. This shift evolved as the college examined improvement strategies—

based on assessment of the conditions necessary to meet community need, facilitate student learning and

success, and advance the effectiveness of programs and services. These assessments showed that, in

addition to offering excellent programs and services, the college must provide students with clear paths

and guidance to maximize the value of their education and increase their ability to succeed.

Academic Excellence is woven through all of Clark’s operations. The college has identified the

methods shared by other academically excellent programs, and has developed plans to incorporate the

best of these methods within the core theme objectives, essential practices of guided pathways, and the

academic plan. Specially, Clark will implement or enhance its active learning strategies; dynamic and

reflective curriculum; virtual and physical environments conducive to learning; equitable learning

outcomes; learning opportunities integrated into the external community; and direct pipelines to gainful

employment and transfer. The college engages students in more than 100 certificate and degree certificate

programs at multiple locations. Clark College students can earn career and technical education degrees,

transfer degrees, college credit to transfer to a baccalaureate institution, applied bachelor’s degrees, and

certificates in a wide range of programs, in which students learn today’s technology and use Clark’s state-

of-the-art equipment to develop the skills that employers will expect them to bring to the job. To meet

today’s business and industry needs, more than 240 professionals serve on 25 career and technical

education program advisory committees, representing more than 160 businesses and industries.

Because learning takes place both in and out of the classroom, community events and student

activities play a vital role in the life of the college. Community events provide enrichment opportunities

outside the classroom and include lectures, performances, and multicultural events that bring members of

the greater community to the college. Students can participate in the Associated Students of Clark College

(ASCC) – the student government; The Independent, the award-winning student newspaper; Phoenix, the

nationally-recognized student art and literary magazine; more than 50 chartered student clubs and student

programs, such as the Black Student Union and Queer Penguin Club; and the Clark College chapter of

Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges, which has received numerous national

awards.

Clark College commits to Social Equity by continuous improvement of the conditions necessary for

all students to learn and achieve their educational goals. Equity is more important than ever, given that the

student body is becoming increasingly diverse as the college attracts more students from systemically

non-dominant communities each academic year. Today, one-third of Clark’s students enrolled in state-

supported classes are people of color, three in four are first-generation, three in five students are low-

income, 7% are students living with a disability, and 13% of students report a systemically non-dominant

sexual orientation or gender identity. The college recognizes that intercultural competency among

employees and students is essential for all students to learn. The college encourages, and in some cases

requires, employees and students to participate in learning opportunities related to challenging systems of

power, privilege, and inequity that increase intercultural competency to effectively and equitably compete

in an increasingly global society and workplace.

Clark College is an open-access institution committed to Economic Vitality for its students,

community, and itself. Many students attend part-time, juggling work, family, and educational pursuits. In

recent years, Clark College has added a financial literacy program, increased scholarship awards, and

found alternatives for expensive textbooks. Clark has implemented processes that regularly monitor and

improve its educational programs that result in 1) students’ gainful employment after leaving Clark and/or

transferring to a baccalaureate institution, and 2) alignment with high-demand occupations in the region.

Finally, the college, supported by the Clark College Foundation, manages its resources and engages in

resource generating activities to improve its capacity to effectively serve its students, and thereby fulfill

the mission.

The college selected the core theme, Environmental Integrity, to make sure the college implements

environmental sustainability practices while still ensuring that the physical, virtual, and social

environments are conducive to student learning. Beyond the main campus, the college serves students

through Clark College Economic and Community Development and at Clark College at Columbia Tech

Center (CTC), a state-of-the-art facility with LEED® gold certification. Clark also plans to serve students

in a new building expected to open in 2021 in Ridgefield: Clark College at Boshma Farms, located 13

miles north of the college’s main campus.

With a focus on student learning and success—supported by thoughtful planning and continuous

improvement—Clark College’s vision is clear: Clark College inspires learners to excel, transforms

lives, and strengthens our increasingly diverse community.

Basic Institutional

Data Form

NWCCU REPORTS | BASIC INSTITUTIONAL DATA FORM

Infor

mation and data provided in the institutional self-evaluation are usually for the academic and fiscal year preceding the year of the evaluation

committee visit. The purpose of this form is to provide Commissioners and evaluators with current data for the year of the visit. After the self-

evaluation report has been finalized, complete this form to ensure the information is current for the time of the evaluation committee visit. Please

provide a completed copy of this form with each copy of the self-evaluation report sent to the Commission office and to each evaluator. This form

should be inserted into the appendix of the self-evaluation report (see the guidelines).

Institutional Information

Name of Institution:

Mailing Address:

Address 2:

City:

State/Province:

Zip/Postal Code:

Main Phone Number:

Country:

Chief Executive Officer

Title (Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.):

First Name:

Last Name:

Position (President, etc.):

Phone:

Fax:

Email:

Accreditation Liaison Officer

Title (Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.):

First Name:

Last Name:

Position (President, etc.):

Phone:

Fax:

Email:

Chief Financial Officer

Title (Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.):

First Name:

Last Name:

Position (President, etc.):

Phone:

Fax:

Email:

1933 Fort Vancouver Way

Vancouver

98663

360-699-6398

USA

Mr.

Ms.

Robert

Shanda

Knight

Diehl

President

Associate Vice President of Planning and Effectiveness

360-992-2101

360-992-2421

360-992-2891

rknight@clark.edu

sdiehl@clark.edu

Mr.

Bob

Williamson

Vice President of Administrative Services

360-992-2123

bwilliamson@clark.edu

Clark College

Institutional Demographics

Instit

utional Type

(Choose all that apply)

Comprehensive

 Specialized

 Health-Centered

 Religious-Based

 Native/Tribal

 Other (specify):

Degree Le

vels

(Choose all that apply)

 Associate

 Baccalaureate

 Master

 Doctorate

 If part of a multi-institution system,

name of system:

Calenda

r Plan

(Choose one that applies)

 Semester

 Quarter

 4-1-4

 Trimester

 Other (specify):

Institutional Control (Choose all that apply)

 City  County  State  Federal  Tribal

 Public OR  Private/Independent

 Non-Profit OR  For-Profit

Students (all locations)

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Enrollment (Formula used to compute FTE: IPEDS)

Official Fall: (most recent year) FTE Student Enrollments

Classification Current Year: _____________ One Year Prior: _____________ Two Years Prior: _____________

Undergraduate

Graduate

Professional

Unclassified

Total all levels

Full-Time

Unduplicated Headcount Enrollment. (Count students enrolled in credit courses only.)

Official Fall: (most recent year) Student Headcount Enrollments

Classification Current Year: _____________ One Year Prior: _____________ Two Years Prior: _____________

Undergraduate

Graduate

Professional

Unclassified

Total all levels

2017

2016

2015

7451

7241

7231

7451

7241

7231

2017

2016

2015

10000

10318

10477

10000

10318

10477

Faculty (all locations)

• Numbers of Full-Time and Part-Time Instructional and Research Faculty & Staff

• Numbers of Full-Time (only) Instructional and Research Faculty & Staff by Highest Degree Earned

Include only professional personnel who are primarily assigned to instruction or research.

Total Number: Number of Full-Time (only) Faculty and Staff by Highest Degree Earned

Rank

Full-Time

Part-Time

Less than

Associate

Bachelor

Masters

Specialist

Doctorate

Professor

Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

Instructor

Lecturer and Teaching

Assistant

Research Staff and Research

Assistant

Undesignated Rank

196

379

357

Faculty (all locations)

Mean Salaries and Mean Years of Service of Full-Time Instructional and Research Faculty and Staff. Include only full-time personnel with professional status who

are primarily assigned to instruction or research.

Rank

Mean Salary

Mean Years of Service

Professor

Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

Instructor

Lecturer and Teaching Assistant

Research Staff and Research Assistant

Undesignated Rank

63,970

10.17

Institutional Finances

Financial Information. Please provide the requested information for each of the most recent completed fiscal year and the two prior completed fiscal years (three years total).

Please attach the following as separate documents submitted with the Basic Institutional Data Form

• Statement of Cash Flows

• Balance Sheet – collapsed to show main accounts only; no details

• Operating Budget

• Capital Budget

• Projections of Non-Tuition Revenue

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





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

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 



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

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



  

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



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



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









  







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

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























































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











































 





























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



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























 

 

 

  





 







 

 





 







 

 



 





 



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

 



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











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

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









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

 

 



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 



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

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New Degree / Certificate Programs

Substantive

Changes

Substantive changes including degree or certificate programs planned for - (YYYY-YYYY) approved by the institution’s governing body. If NONE, so

indicate. (Add additional pages if necessary. Please feel free to use the hyperlinked Excel spreadsheet to supplement the Basic Information Data Form and submit them together.)

* This listing does not substitute for a formal substantive change submission to NWCCU

Substantive Change

Certificate/Degree Level

Program Name

Discipline or Program Area

2018

2019

Minor Change

BAS

Cyber Security

Network Technology

DomesticOff‐CampusDegreeProgramsandAcademicCreditSites

Reportinformationforoff‐campussiteswithintheUnitedStateswheredegreeprogramsandacademiccreditcourseworkisoffered.(Addadditionalpagesif

necessary.)

 DegreePrograms–listthenamesofdegreeprogramsthatcanbecompletedatthesite.

 AcademicCreditCourses–reportthetotalnumberofacademiccreditcoursesofferedatthesite.

 StudentHeadcount–reportthetotalnumber(unduplicatedheadcount)ofstudentscurrentlyenrolledinprogramsatthesite.

 FacultyHeadcount–reportthetotalnumber(unduplicatedheadcount)offaculty(full‐timeandpart‐time)teachingatthesite.

ProgramsandAcademicCreditOfferedatOff‐CampusSiteswithintheUnitedStates

NameofSite PhysicalAddress City,State,Zip DegreePrograms Academic

CreditCourses

Student

Headcount

Faculty

Headcount

ClarkCenterWSUV

14204NESalmon

CreekAvenue

Vancouver,WA

98686

CE‐NursingAssistant;CA‐

Phlebotomy;AAT‐Pharmacy

TechnicianLeadership;CP‐Pharmacy

Technician;AssociatesinArtsDTA

(InterestareasinAmericanSign

Language,Journalism/NewsMedia,

Communications,Drama,English,

JapaneseLanguage,Philosophy,

SpanishLanguage,orStudioArts);

AssociatesinArtsDTA(Interestareas

inPre‐MedBiology,Health&

PhysicalEducation);Associatesin

ArtsDTA(Interestareasin

ElementaryEducation,Geography,

History,PoliticalScience,Power

PrivilegeandInequity,Sociology,

Women'sStudies);AssociatesinArts

DTA(InterestareasinAnthropology,

Mathematics,orPsychology);AA‐

Nursing

38 609 24

NameofSite PhysicalAddress City,State,Zip DegreePrograms Academic

CreditCourses

Student

Headcount

Faculty

Headcount

ColumbiaTechCenter 18700SEMillPlain

Blvd

Vancouver,WA

98683

AAT‐NetworkTechnologies;AAT‐

AdministrativeAssistant;AAT‐

MechanicalAutomation;AAT‐

Instrumentation/Control

Automation;CP‐Mechanical

Automation;CP‐

Instrumentation/Control

Automation;CC‐Mechatronics

Fundamentals;AAT‐Industrial

MaintenanceTechnologies;CA‐

IndustrialMaintenanceTechnician;

AA‐AssociateinArtsDTA;Business

Management‐GeneralEducation

Theory;AssociatesinArtsDTA

(InterestareasinAmericanSign

Language,Journalism/NewsMedia,

Communications,Drama,English,

JapaneseLanguage,Philosophy,

SpanishLanguage,orStudioArts);

DentalHygiene‐GeneralEducation

Theory;AssociatesinArtsDTA

(InterestareasinPre‐MedBiology,

Health&PhysicalEducation);

AssociatesinArtsDTA(Interestareas

inElementaryEducation,Geography,

History,PoliticalScience,Power

PrivilegeandInequity,Sociology,

Women'sStudies);AssociatesinArts

DTA(InterestareasinAnthropology,

Mathematics,orPsychology)

84 2080 62

WestCoastBank 500BroadwaySt

Vancouver,WA

98660

NULL 5 133 2

MarshallCommunity

Center

1009EMcLoughlin

Blvd

Vancouver,WA

98663

NULL 3 47 1

AdventistMedicalCenter 10123SEMarket

Portland,OR

97216

NULL 1 23 2

NameofSite PhysicalAddress City,State,Zip DegreePrograms Academic

CreditCourses

Student

Headcount

Faculty

Headcount

CrosleyBowlLanes

2400EEvergreen

Blvd

Vancouver,WA

98661

NULL 1 18 1

ClarkCountyJail 707West13thStreet

Vancouver,WA

98660

NULL 1 172 3

FortVancouver

Convalescent 8507NE8thWay

Vancouver,WA

98664

NULL 1 48 3

GoodSamaritanHospital 1015NW22nd

Portland,OR

97210

NULL 1 22 1

LarchCorrectionsCenter

15314NEDoleValley

Road

Yacolt,WA

98675

CP‐SmallBusinessEntrepreneur;CC‐

SupervisoryManagement;CA‐

22 403 5

LegacySalmonCreek 2211NE139thStreet

Vancouver,WA

98686

NULL 1 30 2

NWRegionalTraining

Center

11606NE66thCircle,

Suite103

Vancouver,WA

98662

NULL 1 69 1

OpenHouseMinistries 900West12thStreet

Vancouver,WA

98666

NULL 2 40 2

PeaceHealthSouthWest

MedicalCenter

400N.E.Mother

JosephPlace

Vancouver,WA

98664

NULL 2 90 7

SourceClimbingCenter 1118MainStreet

Vancouver,WA

98660

NULL 1 57 1

SarahJ.Anderson

Elementary 2215NE104thStreet

Vancouver,WA

98686

NULL 1 32 1

CascadeMiddleSchool 13900NE18thSt

Vancouver,WA

98684

NULL 1 75 1

HathawayElementary

School 63024thSt

Washougal,WA

98671

NULL 1 31 1

HenriettaLacksHigh

School 9105NE9thSt

Vancouver,WA

98664

NULL 1 21 1

LegacyHighSchool 2205NE138thAve

Vancouver,WA

98684

NULL 1 22 2

BattleGroundSchool

District 11104NE149thSt

BrushPrairie,

WA98606

NULL 1 52 2

DistanceEducation

DegreeandCertificateProgramsof30semesteror45quartercreditsormorewhereatleast50%ormoreofthecurriculumisofferedbyDistanceEducation,

includingITV,online,andcompetency‐basededucation.Adjustentriestocategorylistingsbelowasappropriate.Ifyourlistislongerthantenentries,please

createalistusingtheheadingwehavespecifiedanduploaditintheboxprovidedasanExcelspreadsheet.

* ThislistingdoesnotsubstituteforaformalsubstantivechangesubmissiontoNWCCU

NameofSite PhysicalAddress Degree/CertificateName/Level ProgramName Student

Enrollment

(Unduplicated

Headcount)

On‐Site

Staff

(Yesor

No)

Co‐Sponsoring

Organization(if

applicable)

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AAS‐Accounting(AssociateinApplied

Science)

Accounting 213 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AAS‐BusinessAdministration

(AssociateinAppliedScience)

Business

Administration

255 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AAS‐EarlyChildhoodEducation

(AssociateinAppliedScience)

EarlyChildhood

Education

172 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AAS‐Marketing(AssociateinApplied

Science)

Marketing 53 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AAS‐SupervisoryManagement

(AssociateinAppliedScience)

Supervisory

Management

50 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AA‐AssociateinArtsDTA(Associatein

ArtsDTA)

AssociateinArts

DTA

5234 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AA‐ElementaryEducationWSUV

(AssociateinArtsinElementary

EducationWSUV/DTA)

Elementary

EducationWSUV

283 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AA‐BusinessAdministrationDTA/MRP

(AssociateinBusinessAdministration

DTA/MRP)

Business

Administration

DTA/MRP

1071 No N/A

NameofSite PhysicalAddress Degree/CertificateName/Level ProgramName Student

Enrollment

(Unduplicated

Headcount)

On‐Site

Staff

(Yesor

No)

Co‐Sponsoring

Organization(if

applicable)

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AS‐TransferTrack2(Interestareasin

Astronomy,ComputerScience,

Physics)(AssociateinScience

Transfer‐Track2)

TransferTrack2

(Interestareasin

Astronomy,

ComputerScience,

Physics

406 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AST‐BioengineeringandChemical

EngineeringMRP(Associatein

ScienceTransferinBioengineering

andChemicalEngineering‐Track

2/MRP)

Bioengineeringand

Chemical

EngineeringMRP

69 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

AST‐ComputerEngineeringand

ElectricalEngineeringMRP(Associate

inScienceTransferinComputer

EngineeringandElectrical

Engineering‐Track2/MRP)

Computer

Engineeringand

Electrical

EngineeringMRP

430 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

CP‐AccountingClerk(Certificateof

Proficiency)

AccountingClerk 38 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

CP‐OfficeSoftwareApplications

(CertificateofProficiency)

OfficeSoftware

Applications

5 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

CP‐StateEarlyChildhoodEducation

Certificate(CertificateofProficiency)

StateEarly

Childhood

Education

4 No N/A

ClarkCollege 1933Ft.Vancouver

Way,Vancouver,

WA98663

CP‐SupervisoryManagement

(CertificateofProficiency)

Supervisory

Management

8 No N/A

Programs and Academic Courses Offered at Sites Outside the United States

Report information for sites outside the United States where degree programs and academic credit coursework is offered, including study abroad programs and

educational operations on military bases.

(Add additional pages if necessary. Please feel free to use the hyperlinked Excel spreadsheet to supplement the Basic Information Data Form and submit them together.)

• Degree Programs – list the names of degree programs that can be completed at the site.

• Academic Credit Courses – report the total number of academic credit courses offered at the site.

• Student Headcount – report the total number (unduplicated headcount) of students currently enrolled in programs at the site.

• Faculty Headcount – report the total number (unduplicated headcount) of faculty (full-time and part-time) teaching at the site.

Program

s and Academic Credit Offered at Sites outside the United States

Name of Site

Physical Address

City, State/Province,

Zip/Postal Code

Degree Programs

Academic

Credit Courses

Student

Headcount

Faculty

Headcount

Japan (Green River)

Kogakuin University

Hachioji, Japan

N/A

Australia & New Zealand

Newman College & Unitec University

Melbourne, Australia & Auckland, New Zealand

N/A

Costa Rica

Instituto de Cultura y Lengua Costarricense

Alajuela, Costa Rica

N/A

London WCCCSA

University of London Union

Bloomsbury, England

N/A

Preface

Clark College is a dynamic institution of higher learning that strives to meet the needs of students and

the community. Since the last review by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in

2013, the college has made significant changes. The college developed and adopted a new strategic plan

that takes a proactive role in serving the educational needs of the community, in part by doing more than

ever before to guide individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals. No longer does Clark

just provide high-quality educational opportunities in hopes that students will succeed. The college

annually assesses the community’s needs and the factors associated with student learning and success.

The college uses these assessments to make the necessary improvements to its programs and services,

ensuring that Clark offers relevant educational programs and the necessary conditions for all individual

students to learn and succeed. Finally, the college’s recent, thoughtful, and comprehensive assessments

illuminated the value of guided pathways, leading Clark College to adopt the American Association of

Community College’s s pathways model as the primary framework for mission fulfillment.

The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

took two years to develop. The considerable scope of

Clark's programs and services and its impact on the community account in some ways for the extended

timeline of this undertaking. More accurately, however, the lengthy process can be attributed to Clark’s

intentional inclusivity and shared governance. The development process reached out to students, faculty,

administrators, employees, board of trustees, local school districts, local businesses, transfer universities,

as well as economic and workforce organizations. Over the period of the plan’s development, these

groups worked collectively and individually. They brainstormed. They envisioned. They critiqued. They

questioned. They suggested. Quite simply, they dreamt. They dreamt of an institution that can overcome

its challenges, change students’ lives, and serve as a leader for the future good of its community. And

while those dreams were wide-ranging and diverse, a common thread ran through them all: a commitment

to inspiring, supporting, and enhancing student learning. This focus informed many of the developmental

conversations that gave shape to the plan; in turn, this new strategic plan continues to guide the direction

of the college’s future.

The strategic plan development process brought about a significant culture shift toward supporting the

whole student, rather than just the student’s learning: Learning is impeded if students’ basic needs are not

met or if they are victims of bias—and an increasing number of Clark students face multiple

impediments. Approximately 88% of Clark College students come to Clark from systemically non-

dominant groups, including low-income, first generation, people of color, people living with a disability,

non-cisgender, and/or systemically non-dominant sexual orientation; there are also many students who are

academically underprepared and/or experiencing food or housing insecurity. Some students belong to

more than one of these groups. This finding was illuminated by the environmental scan produced in

support of the strategic plan development. The scan led to the development of the strategic plan, including

the four core themes, within which, all of the Clark’s programs and services now operate.

The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan includes a vision that recognizes and values its

obligations to its students and the broader community: Clark College inspires learners to excel, transforms

lives, and strengthens our increasingly diverse community. Its mission statement acknowledges the

common focus of the college’s employees in supporting student learning: Clark College, in service to the

community, guides individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals.

The plan includes four core themes: Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and

Environmental Integrity. Each theme advances the goal of facilitating student learning and success, but

with a particular focus. Academic Excellence seeks to provide the conditions for intellectual growth

through scholarship, discovery, application, creativity, and critical thinking. Social Equity directs the

college’s work to provide the conditions that improve educational outcomes and eliminate systemic

disparities among all groups. Economic Vitality emphasizes providing programs, services, and

conditions that improve the economic well-being of the students, college, and community. Environmental

Integrity directs the college to facilitate student learning by providing the conditions that continually

improve the college’s physical, virtual, and social environment.

Finally, the plan asserts six values—ideals that guide Clark’s pursuit of its mission, vision, and core

theme objectives: social justice, partnerships, innovation, sustainability, continuous improvement, and

shared governance.

Clark’s culture shift resulting from the new strategic plan was so significant that it needed operational

plans and a framework to fulfill its mission. Therefore, the college immediately organized teams to create

the Clark College 2016-2021 Academic Plan

—the college’s primary operational approach to the strategic

plan—and the Clark College 2015-2020 Social Equity Plan. These operational plans outline the “how” by

establishing processes and clear intended results for the goals that link to the core themes and core theme

objectives. Yet still, achieving these plans’ goals did not bring about the hoped-for degree of success.

Therefore, the college sought to join—and was accepted into—the

AACC Pathways 2.0 Project cohort in

spring of 2017. Guided pathways and the AACC Pathways 2.0 Project membership provide the necessary

structure and tools for mission fulfillment, as the guided pathways outcomes perfectly align with Clark

College’s six mission fulfillment outcomes:

• Increase student completion;

• Improve student learning;

• Eliminate systemic disparities in educational outcomes;

• Enable students to attain employment and transfer;

• Reduce student debt; and

• Achieve enrollment targets.

The college is proud of the many accomplishments it has made since the last evaluation visit in 2013,

including being named one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges in 2017 by the Aspen Institute.

Highlights of these accomplishments and changes are presented below within the context of the college’s

core themes: Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity:

Academic Excellence

Utilizing the U.S. Department of Education, Title III-A Strengthening Institutions funding, awarded

from 2011-2016, Clark institutionalized practices that support evidence-based and data-informed decision

making at the college in order to increase student completion. These data included assessment of regional

economic demand, community demand, student success indicators, and student learning outcomes

assessment. With these resources and the goal to implement and institutionalize practices that increase

completion, the college community determined that a comprehensive operational plan (i.e., academic

plan) was needed to align programs and services throughout the college. The development of the Clark

College 2016-2021 Academic Plan identified guided pathways as the primary framework for mission

fulfillment. The Academic Plan also included strengthening the educational program improvement

process to include greater focus on program-level learning outcomes assessment, use of active learning

strategies, destination pathways for students exiting the program, and inclusive and dynamic curriculum.

Social Equity

With the adoption of social equity as a core theme, the college developed and adopted the Clark

College 2015-2020 Social Equity Plan. The plan identifies strategies to accomplish the three core theme

objectives. Clark has made significant progress to improve social equity at the college:

• Created and adopted a policy to ensure all course materials are universally designed, per

Administrative Policies and Procedures 440.070

• Developed curriculum for College 101 to improve students’ intercultural competency, including

students’ ability to analyze the impact of power, privilege, and inequity in the United States.

• Developed a rubric to determine which courses support the mastery of student learning regarding

the ability to analyze power, privilege, and inequity.

• Offered multiple professional development opportunities, specifically designed for faculty,

regarding mitigating, challenging, and bringing awareness to power, privilege, and inequity in the

classroom.

• Improved hiring practices to ensure 25% diversity in all employee applicant pools. Clark now

requires Equity in Hiring Training among all people serving on hiring committees, and employs a

full-time employee recruiter focused on representatives from systemically non-dominant

communities reflective of Clark’s students.

Economic Vitality

The college’s commitment to the community is at the forefront of its mission statement: “Clark

College, in service to the community, guides individuals to achieve their educational and professional

goals.” The college takes that commitment seriously in its annual scans of its community and workforce

needs. Born from these external assessments are the college’s newer bachelor of applied science (BAS)

programs. Two BAS programs are currently serving students: Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental

Hygiene and Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management. The third program, Bachelor of

Applied Science in Human Services, has begun accepting students to begin in Fall 2018. See Appendix A

To ensure that Clark College’s programs are aligned with regional workforce needs, an annual report

outlines the college’s educational programs strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats – including

the need for emerging programs. The Instructional Planning Team (IPT) analyzes the information and

identifies the need for changes in current programs and potential programs as a crucial component of their

work. IPT conducts this work to make sure programs are designed to transition students to gainful

employment directly or through transfer institutions. The Program Improvement Process Committee, a

subgroup of IPT, examines labor market data for program graduates and makes sure program faculty have

strong partnerships with relevant community organizations. Where programs fall short, the Program

Improvement Process (PIP) Committee recommends improvement strategies.

Clark College has made significant gains in making college more affordable for Clark’s students. As

a national leader in the Working Student Success Network

, Clark developed a financial literacy/wellness

program that includes the following: integration of curriculum within College 101, student success

workshops, and a full-time dedicated Financial Literacy Coach. In addition, the Clark College Foundation

increases its scholarships awards every year to reduce dependence on student loans; in 2017-2018 the

Clark College Foundation awarded about $1,000,000 in scholarships to students.

To maximize the college’s return on investment by responsibly allocating available resources, the

college recently adopted a comprehensive budget process. This process includes development of college-

wide annual strategies to enable the college to achieve mission fulfillment. The budget development

process engages the entire college community to identify resources needed to support annual strategies to

accomplish the core theme objectives.

Environmental Integrity

The college recognizes that in order for students to learn and be successful, the physical, virtual, and

social environment must be conducive to learning. Goal 4 of the Academic Plan outlines the criteria for

the physical and virtual learning environments. The college has used these criteria to build new spaces

and to remodel existing spaces, including classrooms. In addition, the college has a new STEM building

that opened in Fall 2016, which the built environment adheres to the criteria written in Goal 4 as well as

sustainability practices. The college also assesses its adherence to the Clark County Sustainability

Standards and is listed as a Clark County Green Business. In addition, The Associated Students of Clark

College (ASCC) purchased water bottles refill stations to reduce the amount of water bottle waste.

The social climate is also key to a healthy environment conducive to learning. To improve cross-

departmental collaboration, mutual respect, and shared governance, the college reorganized its committee

structure. The new structure attempts to reduce the number and redundancy of the college’s committees’

scope and align the work with the mission fulfillment outcomes, core theme objectives, and indicators of

achievement. In addition, Clark developed an internal student experiences survey specific to the strategic

plan and guided pathways to assess and use the results to make improvements to the students’ experiences

and social climate.

Clark College is amidst transformation throughout the college, programs, and services to meet the

community’s needs and guide individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals. The most

significant transformation is guided pathways, which has provided the framework to engage in continuous

improvement and the redesign of college programs and services practices. Implementing the essential

practices of guided pathways will result in making the college student ready by institutionalizing the

interrelated practices and conditions for all students to learn and be successful.

Response to Commission’s Previous Recommendations

1. The Evaluation Committee recommends that, for each year of operation, Clark College

undergo an external financial audit and that the results from such audits, including findings

and management letter recommendations, be considered in a timely, appropriate, and

comprehensive manner by the Board of Trustees (Eligibility Requirement 19 and Standard

2.F.7).

Clark College has taken the necessary steps to fully comply with the Commission’s Eligibility

Standard 19 and Standard 2.F.7 as documented in the NWCCU response February 22, 2016

. Clark

College has met the three milestones of coming into compliance with the Northwest Commission on

Colleges and Universities’ Eligibility Requirement 19 and Standard 2.F.7. The college completed the

following:

1) Developed and submitted financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting

principles to the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Beginning with the first submission in

December 2014, statements are now submitted annually.

2) Contracted with the Washington State Auditor’s Office, professionally qualified personnel, to

audit the financial statements. The first audit was in Spring 2015 and audits have been carried out

annually since that time.

3) Reviewed and considered the results of the financial statement audit in a timely, appropriate, and

comprehensive manner by the college’s administration and board

annually beginning in June

2015.

2. The Evaluation Committee recommends that Clark College ensure that all courses have

published learning outcomes and that assessment methodologies are being used for program

improvement and learning across the institution (Standards 2.C.2 and 2.C.5).

Clark College prioritizes learning outcomes assessment and has addressed the concern and second

recommendation of the Fall 2013 Year Three Report. At the time of the evaluation, all courses had stated

learning outcomes. However, these learning outcomes were not published publically. Subsequent to the

report, the Clark College Catalog published learning outcomes for each of its courses beginning with the

2014-2015 catalog and continuing through the current catalog for 2017-2018 catalog. The course

outcomes are now listed in the class schedule

beginning in 2018-2019. This change provides students

with the ability to review course outcomes as they are selecting classes. As was true in 2013, the courses

learning outcomes are also published in the course syllabi. Program learning outcomes continue to be

published within the Clark College Catalog.

The college uses assessment methodologies and findings as criteria within the program improvement

process, as stated in the Clark College 2016-2021 Academic Plan and documented in the

Program

Improvement Process Handbook. In 2017-2018, the Outcomes Assessment Committee took a more

formal and proactive role in reviewing the outcomes assessment methodologies and findings for the

degree and certificate programs that are scheduled to be reviewed in the subsequent years. This review is

intended 1) to improve the assessment methodologies used for program and learning improvement

throughout all of the college’s educational programs and 2) to increase the use—and usability—of the

findings to make improvements, as student learning outcomes are a crucial component of the program

improvement process.

Standard One

Mission, Core Themes, and

Expectations

Standard One: Mission, Core Themes, and Expectations

Section A: Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirement #2 – Authority:

Clark College meets NWCCU Requirement #2. Clark College is one of 34 community and technical

colleges in the state of Washington and derives its authority from the Community College Act of 1967

(revised as the Community and Technical Act of 1991), Revised Code of Washington (RCW 28B.50

The Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) authorizes Clark College

to operate as a higher education institution and to award degrees. Authority is further delineated in RCW

25B.50.140, which defines the Board of Trustees’ duties and powers, stating that it “may grant to every

student, upon graduation or completion of a course of study, a suitable diploma, degree, or certificate

under the rules of the state board for community and technical colleges that are appropriate to their

mission.”

Eligibility Requirement #3 – Mission and Core Themes:

Clark College meets NWCCU Requirement #3. Clark College’s mission and core themes are clearly

defined in the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, which was approved on March 18, 2015

, and

implemented on July 1, 2015, by the Clark College Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees directs the

college president to carry out the strategic plan throughout all operations of the institution. The college

accomplishes its mission by directly linking all efforts within the college to at least one core theme and

related objective as appropriate to the work performed in each area of the college. Since all college efforts

are linked to a core theme, and the core themes derive from the mission—which is fully articulated in the

strategic plan—all Clark College resources are used to support the educational mission and, by extension,

those resources are well invested in the residents of Clark College’s service district.

Section B:

Standard 1.A, Mission

Mission

The Clark College Mission Statement declares that “Clark College, in service to the community,

guides individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals.” The mission statement manifests

in full the properties mandated by Standard 1.A.1, which states, “The institution has a widely published

mission statement – approved by its governing board – that expresses a purpose appropriate for an

institution of higher learning, gives direction for its efforts, and derives from, and is generally understood

by, its community.”

Clark College complies with the components of Standard 1.A.1 as the college publishes its mission

statement throughout the college in order to provide directions through well-articulated objectives; that

statement, generally understood by the college community, was created by a rigorous and lengthy process

of shared governance and approved by the Clark College Board of Trustees

at the March 2015 board

meeting. The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan development process reached out to students,

faculty, administrators, the board of trustees, employees, local school districts, local businesses, and

transfer universities, as well as economic and workforce organizations. Over the two-year period of the

plan’s development, these groups worked collectively and individually. A common thread ran all of the

engagement activities, reading groups, and forums: a commitment to inspiring, supporting, and enhancing

student learning and success. This focus informed much of the developmental conversations as the plan

took shape, and it continues to be the path for the college’s future.

Specifically, the mission statement was crafted to represent what the college needed to do to support

student learning for all students. It became clear that the work done by all the college’s employees was

aimed – directly or indirectly – toward the achievement of student learning. Similarly, members of the

greater community, regardless of their particular industry priorities, shared an investment in that same

student learning. Succinctly stated, the mission, core themes, and objectives direct the college to become

student ready – a significant cultural shift away from expecting students to be college ready.

In detail, the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan includes a vision that recognizes and values its

obligations to its students and the broader community: Clark College inspires learners to excel, transforms

lives, and strengthens our increasingly diverse community. The mission statement acknowledges the

common focus of the college’s employees in supporting student learning. As well, the plan includes four

core themes: Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity. Each

theme advances the goal of facilitating student learning from its particular focus. Academic Excellence

seeks to provide the conditions for intellectual growth through scholarship, discovery, application,

creativity, and critical thinking. Social Equity directs the college’s work to provide the conditions that

improve educational outcomes and eliminate systemic disparities among all groups. Economic Vitality

emphasizes providing programs, services, and conditions that improve the economic well-being of the

students, college, and community. Finally, Environmental Integrity directs the college to facilitate student

learning by providing the conditions that continually improve the college’s physical, virtual, and social

environment.

The strategic plan is clearly communicated both internally and externally. The Strategic Plan, i.e.,

vision, mission, core themes, and objectives, is available on the College’s intranet and internet sites.

Moreover, at every Board of Trustees meeting, each member of Executive Cabinet

presents his or her

exceptional monthly activities and outcomes linked to the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan’s core themes and

mission fulfillment outcomes. This information is recorded publicly.

Mission Fulfillment

The implementation of the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan and improvement practices meets

the criteria for Standard 1.A.2: The institution defines mission fulfillment in the context of its purpose,

characteristics, and expectations. Guided by that definition, they articulate institutional accomplishments

or outcomes that represent an acceptable threshold or extent of mission fulfillment. At Clark College, six

mission fulfillment outcomes are monitored monthly through their respective indicators of achievement.

Updates of mission fulfillment outcomes, related indicators of achievement, and highlights of work

accomplished are presented to the Clark College Board of Trustees monthly in the form of scorecard

Clark College declares that it has reached mission fulfillment when all six of the mission fulfillment

outcomes are achieved by 2020:

Core Theme

Mission Fulfillment Outcome

Academic Excellence

Increase Completion - 40% or more of all degree and certificate students

earn a degree or certificate within 3 years

Improve Student Learning - 100% of degree and certificate programs

improved curriculum based on assessment of program learning outcomes

Social Equity

Eliminate Disparities in Educational Outcomes - Eliminate the disparity in

degree or certificate completion rates among all groups of systemically non-

dominants students with systemically dominant students

Economic Vitality

Achieve Enrollment Targets - Achieve annual enrollment and budget targets

Enable Students to Attain Employment and Transfer - At least 85% of

graduates are employed or transfer within one year of graduation

Reduce Student Debt - Decrease the three-year student loan default rate to

less than 15%

Clark College selected these mission fulfillment outcomes because they are specific to the mission:

student learning and student success. The objectives represent active and broad strategies to organize

the work of the college’s departments both independently and collaboratively that will result in

achievement of the mission fulfillment outcomes.

The college ensures it is using both the organizational structure and system of shared governance to

evaluate and enhance progress toward mission fulfillment. The six mission fulfillment outcomes have

been assigned to core themes – and the progress for objectives and mission fulfillment outcomes have

been assigned to both an executive cabinet member as well as a core theme council. However, it is

important to note that the Environmental Integrity core theme does not have a direct mission fulfillment

outcome because the objectives are related to process and infrastructure conducive to support student

learning and success.

Lu ci d ch art

The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan provides the framework to achieve equity and improve

teaching and learning by infusing support services throughout the student experience. Moreover, it directs

the college to offer programs and services in a manner that truly benefits the region’s workforce as well as

students. The Strategic Plan acknowledges the need for a change in culture and perspective to enable the

college to fulfill its mission. Therefore, the college developed the

Clark College 2016-2021 Academic

Plan as the primary operational plan for the strategic plan. And, it outlines the process of transforming the

college’s programs and services within the framework of guided pathways. In addition, the Clark College

2015-2020 Social Equity Plan was created to operationalize the objectives within the Social Equity core

theme so that the college can effectively eliminate systemic disparities in educational outcomes. The

college’s commitment to these two plans is demonstrated in the selection of indicators of achievement for

the objectives within each core theme.

Section C

Standard 1.B, Core Themes

Clark College “identifies core themes that individually manifest essential elements of its mission and

collectively encompass its mission,” as stated in Standard 1.B.1. The core themes, Academic Excellence,

Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity, are the thematic areas on which the

college must focus all its efforts to effectively guide individuals to achieve their educational and

professional goals. The core themes were selected in the process of developing the

Clark College 2015-

2020 Strategic Plan in order to be more deliberate in serving Clark’s community and students.

One of the first steps of the strategic plan development process was to conduct an environmental scan.

The environmental scan, released in June 2014, details both the challenges and the opportunities that lie

ahead for the college. Taken as a whole, those details painted a comprehensive picture of the state of the

college and the broader educational landscape. During the time in which the development process was

underway, the college was recovering from the impact of significant cuts in public funding that supports

infrastructure, spurring awareness of sustainability, both fiscal and environmental. All of the

development work identified what must be done to support individual students with their needs and

within their cultural context – but how does the college meet this mandate with no additional funding and

in a way that respects our environment and value of environmental sustainability? Given this challenge,

the environmental scan was framed within the three pillars of sustainability which the college adopted as

our core themes (i.e., Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity). Additionally,

Academic Excellence was identified as a core theme in direct support of Clark College’s purpose.

Following the three-pronged framework of the scan’s sustainability framework, the research first

delves into social equity. As an open-access institution, Clark College plays a vital role in sustaining and

advancing social equity for its students and community. Related specifically to student learning, the

college found that most students enter Clark below college-level in at least one area of study, and at

varying levels of technological proficiency. In addition, Clark College’s students are largely low-income

and more diverse than the college’s faculty, staff, and the greater community. Only about 25% of degree-

seeking students actually attain educational completion. Finally, students of less privileged backgrounds

express more dissatisfaction with the college climate and succeed at significantly lower rates.

With its research into the regional economics of student learning, the environmental scan details that

local counties (Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat) have lower rates of educational attainment than the rest of

Washington State. Research further reveals that the local service district population is aging, with more

volatile unemployment rates than the state or nation. As for the economics of the college itself, state

support remains disproportionate to the number of full-time equivalent students (FTES) served by the

college, and this funding continues to decline significantly. For their part, Clark College’s students are

facing tighter federal financial aid regulations, while former students are defaulting more frequently on

their student loans than they have in the past. Moreover, tuition rates and school-related expenses have

increased significantly over the past decade.

The environmental scan’s third area of concern focused on Clark College’s environment. It found that

efforts to promote environmental sustainability at the college lacked coherent organization. It also found

that the college’s infrastructure is aging significantly, with one of the smallest allotments in the state of

square footage for its students. Resources, facilities, technology, and shared governance earned the lowest

marks among Clark College employees’ perception of climate.

Academic Excellence was a necessary core theme to specifically address Clark’s official purpose as

stated in the Revised Code of Washington: The college is mandated to “offer thoroughly comprehensive

educational, training and service programs to meet the needs of both the communities and students served

by combining, with equal emphasis, high standards of excellence in academic transfer courses; realistic

and practical courses in occupational education, both graded and ungraded; community services of an

educational, cultural and recreational nature; and adult education, including basic skills and general,

family, and workforce literacy programs and services" (RCW 28B.50.020(2)

). Academic Excellence at

Clark College provides the consistent theme to improve the conditions for intellectual growth through

scholarship, discovery, application, creativity, and critical thinking, and thereby honor the true purpose of

Clark College.

Clark College’s core themes, objectives, and indicators of achievement, taken comprehensively, paint

a clear picture, unique to Clark College, about the ways in which the college strategizes and works to

produce comprehensive student learning and success.

Academic Excellence

Mission Alignment: Fulfillment of the Clark College mission depends on academic excellence. Only

when the college guides students to and through the relevant educational opportunities that support the

community and workforce needs, can individuals achieve their educational and professional goals.

Description: With academic excellence as a core theme, Clark College facilitates student learning by

providing the conditions for intellectual growth through scholarship, discovery, application, creativity,

and critical thinking. The conditions necessary are engaging teaching and learning methods - such as

active learning strategies and a dynamic curriculum; an environment reflective of our students and of

global perspectives; and the necessary infrastructure and practices required to support learning. The

dedication to providing those conditions serves as the foundation for decisions and actions that 1) provide

high-quality, innovative education and services that permit students to achieve their goals; 2) support

intended outcomes related to students, faculty, and the entire college community; and 3) enhance current

teaching and learning as well as the college’s continuous pursuit of future improvements with respect to

planning, technology, location (service delivery), instructional methods, assessment, and outcomes.

Objective AE1 – Implement and institutionalize practices that increase academic performance,

retention, and completion.

AE1.1 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of degree-seeking students that are

retained from first to second quarter

Clark’s % = 80%

Objective AE1, Retention and Completion, Measurement Rationale: This indicator effectively

measures Objective AE1 because students cannot complete unless they are retained from quarter to

quarter. Students are most vulnerable in their first quarter. Therefore, in order for the college to

increase completion to 40%, students will need to be retained. First-to-second quarter retention is one

of the most predictive indicators of completion.

AE1.2 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of transfer students completing college-

level math within first four quarters.

Clark’s % = 55%

Objective AE1, Retention and Completion, Measurement Rationale: This indicator was chosen due to

its power in predicting whether students will complete. Among transfer students who placed in the

lowest levels of pre-college math, fewer than 10% earn college-level math credit – a requirement for

associate of arts and science transfer degrees. Moreover, students in many of Clark’s Career and

Technical Educational programs are not required to complete a college-level math course as a degree

requirement. Therefore, this indicator focuses on college-level math course success among transfer

students as an indicator for the first objective.

Objective AE2 – Create and sustain an inclusive and dynamic curriculum and environment

that reflects our diverse college community.

AE2.1 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of college’s degrees with a PPI learning

outcome.

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective AE2, Dynamic and Reflective Environment, Measurement Rationale: The Clark College

2016-2021 Academic Plan calls for each degree program the college offers to have a learning

outcome associated with preparing students to analyze power, privilege, and inequity. This indicator

is a preliminary indicator and, once achieved, a new indicator will be set: “80 percent of students in

all degree programs will be able to demonstrate their ability to analyze systems of power, privilege,

and inequity.”

Objective AE3 – Integrate active learning strategies within and across courses, disciplines, and

programs with a global perspective.

AE3.1 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of program learning outcomes that are supported by active

learning strategies

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective AE3, Active Learning Strategies, Measurement Rationale: To promote a deeper level of

student learning, more dynamic instructional strategies have been developed to help students think

critically and creatively, work effectively in groups, and develop personal connections to the learning

process. Active learning strategies result in 1) a shift of emphasis from transmitting knowledge to

developing student skills; 2) student engagement in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation – higher-order

thinking skills; and 3) activity-based learning. This indicator is measured at the time that the degrees

and certificates are reviewed.

Objective AE4 – Create and advance accessible, integrated, and technology-enriched learning

environments.

AE4.1 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of new and remodeled learning spaces that have

adhered to the criteria listed in the academic plan, Goal 4.

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective AE4, Learning Environment, Measurement Rationale: In order to foster an inclusive learning

environment that supports active learning, Clark’s physical spaces must provide for mobile learning,

connected learning (connecting students to resources and the broader learning community), visual and

interactive learning, and universally designed and supported learning. Annually, the college measures

whether the new and remodeled areas throughout the college adhere to the criteria as outlined in the

academic plan.

AE4.2 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students who agree that learning environment

includes appropriate technology to support student

learning.

Clark’s % = 85%

Objective AE4, Learning Environment, Measurement Rationale: Because this indicator focuses on

students’ experiences and perceptions of how technology is used to enhance learning, this indicator

measures the effectiveness of technology indirectly. Nevertheless, the indicator does measure students’

perceptions of whether technology strategies and tools support their learning. The indicator of

achievement is set at 85% to take into account the wide range of expectations and students’ aptitude for

technology as they enter the college. The indicator is measured by a representative sample survey of the

student body once every two years.

Objective AE5 – Engage faculty, administrators, and staff in professional development

experiences that enhances student learning.

AE5.1 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of faculty/staff (adjuncts included) who

participate in professional development activities –

beyond the required professional development

activities – related to universal design; challenging

systems of power, privilege, and inequity; active

learning strategies; and guided pathways.

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective AE5, Professional Development, Measurement Rationale: The 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

was transformational. The plan directed the college community to change its focus from expecting

students to be college-ready to expecting the college to become student-ready. In order to make this

significant change, employees must understand the reasons for and the scope of the shift. Therefore,

this indicator focuses the college to invest in the necessary professional development specifically

designed on the key components of that transformation. The indicator is measured by tracking

employee participation in professional development opportunities.

Objective AE6 – Align curriculum with learning outcomes and apply outcomes assessment

evidence to continually advance student learning.

AE6.1 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of program and course learning outcomes

that have established learning targets.

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective AE6, Outcomes Assessment, Measurement Rationale: Student learning is at the heart of

Clark’s Strategic Plan. Therefore, in order to assure students are learning within courses and

programs, the courses and programs must have established learning targets and assess learning for

those targets. Clark has a well-developed system of student learning outcomes assessment and this

indicator is the most foundational expectation of this system. This indicator is measured within the

required annual reporting of assessing and improving curriculum based on assessment findings.

AE6.2 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of programs that have mapped the courses

to the program learning outcomes.

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective AE6, Outcomes Assessment, Measurement Rationale: Clark’s primary strategy for mission

fulfillment is guided pathways. The key component to guided pathways is having coherently designed

educational programs that optimize student learning.

The college, specifically faculty, must ensure

that every course is deliberately selected, appropriately sequenced, and rigorously assessed as part of

a continuous cycle of curricular and structural improvement that will result in students’ mastery of the

program learning outcomes.

Social Equity

Mission Alignment: The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan requires the college to provide the

conditions that improve educational outcomes and eliminate systemic disparities among all groups. The

college’s strategic plan established the expectations that all students are prepared for life and work in a

multicultural, diverse, and international society, and that they are exposed to a variety of beliefs, cultures,

and differences as a catalyst for intellectual growth while challenging the systems of power, privilege, and

inequity. The core theme, Social Equity, directs the college’s work to provide the conditions that improve

educational outcomes and eliminate systemic disparities among all groups.

Description: The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan unites all members of the college to

support student learning and to become student ready. In order to fulfill this renewed purpose, the college

must address its role –on both a micro and macro level – in social equity. The only way to eliminate

systemic disparities in educational outcomes is to challenge systems and mitigate consequences of power,

privilege, and inequity. This core theme explicitly recognizes, facilitates awareness of, and addresses

patterns of social inequity at Clark College. This desire for equity is reflected in its definition and vision

at Clark College and is based on several assumptions:

1. Clark College approaches diversity from the standpoint of differences among social groups, not

among individuals. For example, while the presence of a variety of psychologically diverse attributes,

such as personality or individually based values, are critical to our institutional development, these

are not the areas specific to social inequity in which groups of people systemically experience

inequitable treatment and institutional barriers to success.

2. Social groups are marked by socially created differences in power, privilege, and access. Approaches

to social difference, social identity, social location, and social inequity call for appreciation of the

multiple, complex, fluid, and cross-cutting aspects of social identities, and awareness that the

inequities experienced by any and all disadvantaged groups warrant attention and collective efforts

towards remedy (Adams et al., 2013).

3. Fostering social equity requires purposeful, institutional-level change. Individual-level strategies by

themselves cannot create and sustain a diverse college community.

4. The terminology used in the strategic plan replaces “historically disadvantaged” with the title

“systemically non-dominant” to bring the attention to the current systems of oppression and address

the way oppression manifests today. For purposes of this core theme, systemically non-dominant

groups refer to groups of people outside the dominant group within systems of oppression. Systems of

oppression provide benefits and assets for members of specific groups. The recipient groups are

referred to as dominant groups because such advantages grant impacting levels of power, privilege,

and status within social, economic, and political infrastructures of a society (Jenkins, 2015).

Objective SE1 – Accessible and Inclusive Environment: Create and sustain an accessible and

inclusive environment by utilizing principles of universal design and social justice so that all

students can achieve equitable outcomes.

SE1.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of degree-seeking systemically non-dominant

students who complete a degree or certificate within

150% of expected time.

Clark’s % = Whichever is higher: >=

40% or equal to or higher than

systemically dominant students.

Objective SE1, Accessible and Inclusive Environment, Measurement Rationale: One of the six mission

fulfillment outcomes is to eliminate systemic disparities in educational outcomes. Completion of a degree

or certificate – which is the degree- or certificate-seeking students’ goal – is the direct indicator of making

sure students from systemically non-dominant groups achieve their goals equitably. The indicator keeps

the college focused on the outcome and the objective provides a framework to achieve the outcome.

Moreover, the Social Equity Plan

identifies the strategies the college has determined will provide the

conditions for students from systemically non-dominant groups to achieve their goals equitably.

SE1.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students who agree that course materials are

accessible for all students.

Clark’s % = 85%

Objective SE1, Accessible and Inclusive Environment, Measurement Rationale: Accessibility of course

materials is a requirement for students to be successful. Clark has policies and procedures in place that

require course materials to be universally designed. While the policies and procedures focus on students

with disabilities, accessibility is also a perception that can disproportionally impact students victimized by

oppression. Therefore, this indicator measures students’ perceptions of course materials – measuring

whether the college’s course materials are student ready and accessible for all.

Objective SE2 – Intercultural Competency: Demonstrate improved intercultural competency

among employees and students through comprehensive professional development and curricular

transformation.

SE2.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of employees who engage in professional

development to understand and challenge systems

power, privilege, and inequity.

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective SE2, Intercultural Competency, Measurement Rationale: Intercultural competency is necessary

to challenge systems of power, privilege, and inequity as well as to create and sustain the conditions that

produce equitable outcomes. In order to create these conditions, employees from all levels need to be able

to evaluate the cultural relevancy of our environment, policies, and practices for students from all

backgrounds.

SE2.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students who agree they know how to

evaluate the influence of power, privilege, and inequity

within the context of their educational program.

Clark’s % = 85%

Objective SE2, Intercultural Competency, Measurement Rationale: While this indicator is an indirect

measurement of intercultural competency for students, it does measure whether students are aware of the

expected learning outcome related to analyzing the influence of power, privilege, and inequity.

Understanding systems of power, privilege, and inequity comes only when students are exposed to

different cultures and how the consequences of oppression shape others’ perceptions and interactions with

people from different cultures.

SE2.3 Indicator

Indicator of Achievement

Percent of college’s degrees with a PPI learning

outcome.

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective SE2, Intercultural Competency, Measurement Rationale: The Clark College 2016-2021

Academic Plan calls for each degree program the college offers to have a learning outcome associated

with preparing students to analyze power, privilege, and inequity. This indicator is a preliminary

indicator and, once achieved, will be revised to state that “80 percent of students in all degree

programs will be able to demonstrate their ability to analyze systems of power, privilege, and

inequity.”

Objective SE3 – Retention and Hiring: Institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge

systems of power, privilege, and inequity.

SE3.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of full-time employees from systemically non-

dominant groups is equal to or higher than the student

population (race, gender identity, disability, and sexual

orientation).

Clark’s Employee % = Clark’s Student

Objective SE3, Retention and Hiring, Measurement Rationale: The intent of this indicator is to make sure

that Clark College students who identify as a person from systemically non-dominant race, gender

identity, disability status, and sexual orientation find people like them so they can connect, be supported,

and be understood within their specific culture and experiences. Accomplishing this expected outcome

will strengthen the college’s ability to provide the conditions that are relevant and relatable to students

within their cultural context.

SE3.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students who agree with the metric based on

the following two items: 1) I can identify with my

instructors and 2) I can identify with college employees.

Clark’s % = 85%

Objective SE3, Retention and Hiring, Measurement Rationale: Similar to the intent of the SE3.1

indicator, this indicator measures whether students are understood and can connect with instructors and

other employees. Their comfort in this regard is especially important because research in higher education

associates students’ relationships with faculty members especially, but also other employees, as a

significant positive predictive factor for student success.

SE3.3 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Fall-to-fall retention of systemically non-dominant

degree- or certificate-seeking students.

Clark’s % = 60% and/or equal or greater

than systemically dominant students

Objective SE3, Retention and Hiring, Measurement Rationale: The purpose of the strategic plan’s ninth

objective is to provide the human connections and conditions for students from systemically non-

dominant groups to be more successful. A primary indicator that measures the effectiveness of those

conditions is that students from systemically non-dominant students will return the next year to complete

their educational goals with the college.

Economic Vitality

Mission Alignment: Economic vitality is a core theme needed to make sure students are guided to

achieve their educational and professional goals. The college focuses its work in this area on three

components of economic vitality: 1) aligning educational programs to workforce needs, 2) making the

college affordable, and 3) sustaining fiscal stability. Clark works to make sure that the programs are

aligned and continuously improved to serve the workforce needs resulting in gainful employment for

students once they leave Clark College or after they successfully complete higher credentials at a

baccalaureate institution. The college also focuses on improving its affordability to students by designing

programs and educational experiences that allow students to use their time at Clark most effectively –

thereby reducing student loan debt and opportunity costs. Finally, in order to adequately support student

learning and success – to become ready for each individual student – the college strives to be fiscally

responsible so that investments and innovation can be made.

Description: Clark College serves the workforce needs of the service district by training and

educating employees, workers seeking retraining, and people in career and technical programs. The

college offers many different types of programs

that provide workforce development opportunities. These

opportunities are available through programs to upgrade job skills as well as through short-term training

programs and career and technical programs, in both credit and noncredit instruction. Moreover, the

college is redesigning all of its educational programs, including the transfer programs, within the guided

pathways framework with the ultimate goal of meaningful and gainful employment.

Objective EV1 – College Affordability: Improve college affordability by expanding access to and

information about financial resources, clarifying career and educational goals, providing pathways

to success, improving college readiness, increasing financial literacy, and managing costs.

EV1.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Amount of average loans taken out annually Clark’s Average Annual Loan Amount < $2,500

Objective EV1, College Affordability, Measurement Rationale: Clark wants students to accrue as little

debt as possible. The college and the Clark College Foundation implement debt reduction strategies that

include scholarships, institutional hires, and coherent degree designs to decrease the chance that students

will pursue unnecessary credits or spend more time than needed at Clark.

EV1.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students receiving opportunities to reduce cost of

education (i.e., scholarships, financial aid grants, waivers,

and special programs that reduce the cost of education)

Students receiving opportunities to

reduce cost of education > 50%

Objective EV1, College Affordability, Measurement Rationale: Clark College can secure and offer

opportunities that reduce the cost of education and increase the affordability for students. This indicator

holds the college accountable to engage in activities to increase both the opportunities and the number of

students utilizing the opportunities to reduce the cost of education.

EV1.3 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students

who agree that the

college has created

80% of the student responses will agree with the following: 1) I have the

skills and knowledge to make informed decisions with my financial

resources; 2) I know what classes I need to complete my degree; 3) I know

an educational

experience that is

affordable (as

measured by the

Student Experiences

Survey)

how long it will take to earn my certificate or degree; 4) I know the

certificate or degree(s) I need for my preferred career; 5) I have the

information I need about financial resources to complete my educational

goals; 6) I have access to financial resources, including financial aid and

scholarships, to complete my educational goals: 7) I have access to purchase,

rent, or borrow the textbooks and course materials required for my classes; 8)

Clark College is committed to making college affordable for all students.

Objective EV1, College Affordability, Measurement Rationale: Because this indicator focuses on

students’ agreement with aspects of college affordability, this indicator measures accessibility indirectly.

Nevertheless, the indicator does measure students’ perceptions of the many aspects of making college

affordable within the framework of guided pathways.

Objective EV2– Aligning Programs and Need: Align program offerings with regional workforce

needs to include technical and work-readiness skills.

EV2.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of discrepancies in alignment between educational programs

and regional labor market are addressed in feasibility subgroups with

recommendations to VPI

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective EV2, Aligning Programs and Need, Measurement Rationale: The college annually reviews the

alignment between its existing programs and workforce needs. Through analysis, the college identifies

occupations that are not being served by the colleges throughout the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan

area. Once these occupations are identified, the college convenes a subgroup to look at the feasibility of

creating a program to meet the needs. This indicator was selected to keep the college on track for this type

of regular and systematic analysis of programs.

EV2.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of programs that are identified as preparing graduates for

high-demand occupations

Clark’s % >= 80%

Objective EV2, Aligning Programs and Need, Measurement Rationale: The college has set up processes

as outlined in the Clark College 2016-2021 Academic Plan to ensure that the educational programs

prepare students for high-demand occupations. This indicator measures the progress toward aligning

programs with the high-demand workforce needs.

Objective EV3 – Partnerships: Align, expand, and enrich the relationships with regional industry

leaders to increase internships, advisory committee participation, financial support for students’

education and programs, hiring pipelines, grant partnerships, mentorships, and apprenticeships.

EV3.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of educational programs that have reported partnerships Clark’s % = 100%

Objective EV3, Partnerships, Measurement Rationale: Clark College’s program improvement process

outlines the multiple indicators of the program’s success. One such indicator is that partnerships are

established and utilized as described in the twelfth objective. When programs come up for review, these

partnerships are identified as a part of the review process.

EV3.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of workforce-development focused grant applications

submitted that require regional partnerships

Clark’s % >= 50%

Objective EV3, Partnerships, Measurement Rationale: To identify emerging workforce needs, Clark

College relies on its partnerships in business and industry. Joint projects strengthen our bonds with

partners and clarify mutual goals. Collaborating with area partners increases the quality of the grant

proposals that Clark College submits, the likelihood of acquiring those grants, the interest of employers in

Clark's students prior to their graduation, and, ultimately, the benefits provided to students during and

after their education at Clark.

EV3.3 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of degree and certificate program advisory committees that

have executive-level industry leader members

Clark’s % = 100%

Objective EV3, Partnerships, Measurement Rationale: Executive-level industry leaders provide the vision

and put the resources into place to achieve the vision for the regional workforce. This type of vision is

essential for the continuous improvement of the college’s programs and, therefore, Clark College seeks to

have at least one executive-level member on each of the college’s advisory committees.

Objective EV4 – Return on Investment: Maximize the college’s return on investment by

responsibly allocating available resources.

EV4.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of funded initiatives that have a measureable business plan Clark’s % = 100%

Objective EV4, Return on Investment, Measurement Rationale: Clark College recognizes the importance

of business plans due to the significant transformations occurring (e.g., guided pathways and changing the

student, finance, and personnel management systems) regarding timeline, processes, and expected

outcomes. This indicator tracks the progress toward outlining an implementation plan for the funded

components of the transformation, thereby maximizing the college’s return on investment.

Objective EV5 – Leverage Resources: Leverage resources to create and sustain future innovations.

EV5.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Total grants and contracts funds expended and Clark College

Foundation’s philanthropic contributions received in a biennium

Clark’s total amount of

grants and contracts funds

expended and the

philanthropic contributions

increased from previous

biennium.

Objective EV5, Leverage Resources, Measurement Rationale: Clark College approaches acquiring new

resources and utilizing existing resources as a way to create and sustain future innovations. Acquiring

additional resources, as outlined in this indicator, requires investment. This investment is a primary way

to leverage resources to fund future innovations. The college should expect to see an increase in funds and

other support derived from grants, contracts, and philanthropic efforts each biennium.

Environmental Integrity

Mission Alignment: Environmental Integrity is one the four core themes of the Clark College 2015-

2020 Strategic Plan. Specifically, this theme directs the college to “facilitate student learning by

providing the conditions that continually improve the college’s physical, virtual, and social environment.”

This charge acknowledges that our shared outcome of student learning is influenced to a large extent by

the environments in which learning takes place. In short, high quality learning is impeded by substandard

physical and virtual learning spaces as well as an unhealthy social climate.

Clark College must maintain and enhance its infrastructure in order to accomplish the mission of

guiding individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals in service to the community. This

core theme frames the necessary infrastructure within the context of environmental integrity. The college

values environmental sustainability and aims to embed this value within the context of the built and

virtual environment. Moreover, environment is likewise affected by the social climate as it provides the

conditions for students and employees to do their best work. Clark College emphasizes environmental

integrity as a core theme in its own right because the college recognizes that success in every other core

theme and in their constituent objectives—i.e. Mission Fulfillment—becomes possible only when all

systems function together seamlessly to carry out their respective tasks.

Description: College systems are all those systems that indirectly support student learning. The first

objective within this core theme specifically aims to make all of the college practices environmentally

sustainable. Sustainable practices can enhance the college systems, especially in terms of cost savings,

minimized depreciation of college facilities, and the reduction of the carbon footprint of Clark College

operations. The conditions and tangible built environment where learning occurs encompass both brick-

and-mortar buildings and available technology. Physical comfort, climate setting, classroom

arrangements, and equipment are all critical elements in creating a physical environment conducive to

students’ meeting course and program learning outcomes (Hiemstra & Sisco, 1990). Moreover, the built

environment influences both the cognitive and social dynamics that contribute to learning.

Considerations of the physical settings in which Clark College situates learning, therefore, must

emphasize accessibility and adaptability in order to foster inclusiveness. Bolted-down desks and non-

compliant technologies might do more than just inhibit students’ interactions with course material;

inhospitable classrooms or campus spaces might lead to undue hardships for, or outright exclusion of,

groups of students. At the same time, the college recognizes the importance of incidental learning when

reconsidering our physical surroundings. Creating inviting gathering spaces, both physical and virtual, –

in which students, faculty, and staff might interact with one another – is a crucial strategy in promoting an

inclusive and sustainable community of learners. Beyond the controlled environment of our classroom,

unplanned encounters with others with diverse backgrounds and ideas – in lounges, libraries, and eating

spaces – have the potential to contribute directly to the learning of every person on campus.

Objective EI1 – Environmental Sustainability: Incorporate environmental sustainability priorities

into all college systems.

EI1.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Improve the Sustainability of Facilities based on a metric provided by

completion of the Clark County Green Survey.

Continue to increase

score (average score in

2018 is 2.1)

Objective EI1, Environmental Sustainability, Measurement Rationale: Clark County, the location of

Clark’s main campus, promotes environment sustainability throughout the county.

One of the county’s

initiatives is to have local companies or organizations annually assess their own environmental

sustainability practices and submit results to the county. The environmental sustainability areas assessed

are energy usage, storm-water, waste and recycling, water and wastewater, messaging to the organization,

and use of toxins. For each area there is at least one clear standard by which the college is asked to rate its

adherence on a five-point scale. The criteria for compliance with the standard is put into a rubric; if the

organization is not meeting the standard, it will be rated as 1 and if the college does more than meet the

standard, it will be rated as a 5. All of the scores are averaged. Clark College expects that its average

score will increase annually. This indicator was chosen because it effectively measures the effectiveness

of the college’s environmental sustainability for discrete standards with criteria.

Objective EI2 – Physical and Virtual Environment: Improve the college’s physical and virtual

environment to maximize access and appropriate use of space and technology.

EI2.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students who

agree that the college has

physical and virtual

environments supportive

of learning

80% of the student responses will agree with the following: 1)

Learning environments are designed to contribute to learning, 2)

Learning environments demonstrate the college’s commitment to the

student and their learning, 3) Online learning environment is well-

organized and easy to navigate.

Objective ES2, Physical and Virtual Environment, Measurement Rationale: Although student perception

is an indirect measure of whether the college achieved this outcome, it is important to determine if

students feel that the learning environments are conducive to their individual learning.

EI2.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of classes offered through eLearning modalities Current Year % > Previous Year %

Objective EI2, Physical and Virtual Environment, Measurement Rationale: Increasingly, Clark students

need more options for courses offered in eLearning modalities. The college has determined this through

student surveys; the annual increase the numbers of online courses for more than a decade; and the fact

that online and hybrid classes fill faster, on average, than face-to-face classes. To meet this need, the

college must continue to offer online and hybrid classes (i.e., classes in eLearning modalities) to meet the

needs of the students.

Objective EI3 – Social Environment: Integrate principles of mutual respect, collaboration, clear

communication, and inclusivity in all interactions.

ES3.1 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of students

who agree that the

college has an

environment of

mutual respect,

collaboration, clear

communication, and

inclusivity

The average score of student responses will be 4.0 or higher (scale:

1=strong disagree and 5=strongly agree) cumulatively with the following:

Mutual Respect: 1) People at Clark College respect and support one

another and 2) Most of my instructors genuinely care about my success in

their courses; Collaboration: 3) Most of my classes at Clark College

require me to cooperate in groups to explore course material and 4) Clark

College has contributed to working effectively with others; Clear

Communication: 5) Employees make sure I get to the right place when I

need to find information or resolve an issue and 6) During my first quarter

at Clark, I received the information and services I needed to be a successful

student; and Inclusivity: 7) I feel accepted and included as part of the

Clark College community and 8) Clark College’s campuses are accessible

and welcoming for all students, including students with disabilities.

Objective EI3, Social Environment, Measurement Rationale: The Student Experiences Survey is an

internally developed and administered survey that allows the college to measure students’ experiences

directly related to the college’s expectations. This objective is dependent on students’ perceptions of

mutual respect, collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity which are defined and operationalized

by Clark College.

ES3.2 Indicator Indicator of Achievement

Percent of

employees who

agree that the

college has an

environment of

mutual respect,

collaboration,

clear

communication,

and inclusivity

The average score of student responses will be 5.0 or higher on a 7-point scale

(scale: 1=strong disagree and 7=strongly agree) cumulatively with the

following: Mutual Respect: 1) Employees are expected to treat each other

with respect and 2) Overall, Clark College provides an environment conducive

to the open discussion of issues; Collaboration: 3) Areas and departments

throughout the college work cooperatively and 4) When other areas and

departments across the college make decisions that impact my work, I am able

to offer input before the decision is made; Clear Communication: 5) I am

well informed about what is happening at Clark College and 6) Criteria by

which decisions are made are clearly communicated; and Inclusivity: 7) I feel

accepted and included as part of the Clark College community and 8) My work

area provides an environment that is welcoming for employees from

systemically non-dominant groups.

Objective EI3, Social Environment, Measurement Rationale: The Clark College Climate Survey is an

internally developed and administered survey that allows the college to measure employees’ experiences

directly related to the college’s expectations. This objective is dependent on employee’s perceptions of

mutual respect, collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity which are defined and operationalized

by Clark College.

Standard Two

Resources and Capacity

Standard Two: Resources and Capacity

Section A: Eligibility Requirements

Clark College continues to meet each of the eligibility requirements established by the Northwest

Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

Eligibility Requirement #4—Operational Focus and Independence:

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

gives Clark College the authority to

operate and grant degrees and certificates as referenced in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC

132N) and the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 28B.50). Clark College provides comprehensive

educational opportunities, which include academic programs, career and technical education programs,

and basic education to meet the needs of Southwest Washington, defined as Clark, Skamania, and western

Klickitat counties. Clark College offers open admissions policies consistent with the critical role the

college plays in guiding individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals. Moreover, Clark

College has the operational independence and capacity to meet NWCCU’s standards and eligibility

requirement.

Eligibility Requirement #5—Non-Discrimination:

Clark College affirms a commitment to freedom from discrimination

for all members of the college

community. The College expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin,

age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual

orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military

status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal. The college engages in meaningful educational

opportunities, dialogue, recruitment, and retention strategies to support and enhance diversity as

experienced by all students and employees.

Eligibility Requirement #6—Institutional Integrity. Clark College adheres to Washington State’s

Ethics in Public Service statute, Chapter 42.52

of the Revised Code of Washington, in all its actions and

decisions. To ensure understanding of state law and college policy, all employees are required to

complete an annual online training session on ethics in public service. To define the college’s standards

for trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and students, the college publishes several documents that

define the college’s standards and expectations, such as the Ethics in Public Service 417.030 and Board of

Trustees 100.B30/103.B35 policies.

Eligibility Requirement #7—Governing Board:

The college is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees

, appointed by the governor of the state of

Washington. The board is responsible for the quality and integrity of the institution and monitors progress

towards achievement of the institutional mission and core themes. Board members have no contractual,

employment, or personal financial interest in the institution.

Eligibility Requirement #8—Chief Executive Officer:

The college president

is a full-time employee, appointed by the Board of Trustees, who serves as the chief

executive officer for the institution. The president’s full-time responsibility is the organization and

administration of the college, including rules, regulations, policies, and programs, as well as goals

adopted by the Board of Trustees. Neither the college president nor any other executive officer of the

institution chairs the Board of Trustees.

Eligibility Requirement #9—Administration:

Clark College employs a sufficient number of qualified administrators. These administrators have a

clearly defined scope of responsibility, defined by their position descriptions. Administrative employees

of the college meet all qualifications and have the appropriate level of education to effectively lead and

manage the institutional functions. Administrators work collaboratively across functions to fulfill the

college’s mission and accomplish its core theme objectives.

Eligibility Requirement #10—Faculty:

The college employs a core of professionally qualified, full-time faculty

, adequate in number and

qualifications to achieve the educational mission and core theme objectives of the college. Faculty are

involved in the formulation of institutional policy through membership in college committees and

councils, and they participate in curriculum development and academic planning through the

Curriculum

Committee and Instructional Planning Team. Faculty members also participate in academic advising and

institutional governance. Full-time and adjunct faculty members are evaluated periodically and

systematically through well-documented processes. Faculty workloads are defined in the Clark College

Association of Higher Education Agreement and reflect the mission and goals of the college as well as the

talents and competencies of the faculty. Faculty workloads allow sufficient time to ensure the integrity

and continuity of academic programs. The college demonstrates its commitment to faculty development

through its allocation of resources, and faculty development activities are incorporated into faculty

members’ workload.

Eligibility Requirement #11—Educational Programs:

The college offers educational programs leading to the award of degrees and certificates

. The college’s

Curriculum Committee and the Instructional Planning Team ensure that all degrees are based on a

recognized field of study; are of sufficient content, length and rigor; and make effective use of

information resources. Both committees, in partnership with the

Outcomes Assessment Committee,

ensure that the college’s educational programs culminate in the achievement of clearly identified student

learning outcomes. Specialized programs leading to the award of professional/technical degrees are

accredited by the appropriate professional body. The college ensures faculty and student interaction by

policies defining levels of faculty availability, academic advising and orientation sessions, student

leadership activities, and participation in college committees, including the four core theme councils.

Eligibility Requirement #12—General Education and Related Instruction:

The college’s transfer degree programs require a core of general education components, commensurate

with standards and requirements at receiving institutions and comparable to requirements at other

community colleges. The college’s professional and technical degrees include identified outcomes in

communications, computation, and human relations. Certificates of 45 credits or more require a core of

related instruction.

Eligibility Requirement #13—Library and Information Resources:

The college provides library and information technology resources and services

for students and faculty

for all its educational programs, wherever located and however delivered. The library provides on-campus

and remote access to print and non-print resources, and library faculty provide instruction to students and

faculty on use of the tools.

Eligibility Requirement #14—Physical and Technological Infrastructure:

Clark College ensures the physical and technological infrastructure required to adequately support student

learning and fulfill its mission. The physical infrastructure needs are assessed and improved through the

facilities master planning

process, which are directly linked to both the college’s Strategic Plan and to the

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ (SBCTC) facilities and capital projects

funding processes. Clark College also engages in information technology planning for the college, which

is directly aligned with and in support of the college’s Strategic Plan. SBCTC provides the technological

management systems to support students, payroll, finance, and human resources.

Eligibility Requirement #15—Academic Freedom:

Clark College adheres to the principles of academic freedom in contractual agreements and related policy

Faculty are accorded academic freedom to pursue scholarship, research, and artistic creation. Both faculty

and students are free to examine and test all knowledge judged appropriate to their discipline or area of

major study by the academic/educational community.

Eligibility Requirement #16—Admissions:

The college is an open admissions

institution, with selective eligibility and special admissions procedures

for some programs, including Nursing and Dental Hygiene. Admission requirements are published in the

college catalog, and adherence to these policies is monitored through Student Affairs.

Eligibility Requirement #17—Public Information:

The college annually publishes an electronic catalog

that contains accurate and current information

describing the mission and core themes; admission requirements and procedures; grading policy,

academic rules and regulations directly affecting students, programs and courses; degrees offered and

degree requirements; costs and refund policies, opportunities and requirements for financial aid; academic

credentials of faculty and administrators; the academic calendar; and student rights, responsibilities, and

grievance procedures.

Eligibility Requirement #18—Financial Resources:

The college maintains a stable funding base, a budget development process

that supports institutional

mission and objectives, a balanced budget, and a limited level of debt.

Eligibility Requirement #19—Financial Accountability:

Clark College is audited by the Washington State Auditor’s Office as mandated. The most recent audit—

completed in December of 2017

—focused on grants, contributions, and expenditures. No findings or

management letters were issued. The college complies with all federal, state, OFM, and Governmental

Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements. All audit results are reported to the president and the

Board of Trustees.

Eligibility Requirement #20—Disclosure:

The college, through annual institutional reports and

periodic accreditation reports, visits, and

communications, discloses to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities any and all such

information as the commission may require to carry out its evaluation and accreditation functions.

Eligibility Requirement #21—Relationship with the Accreditation Commission:

The college accepts the standards and related policies of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and

Universities and complies with these standards and policies as currently stated. The college agrees that the

commission may share information with members of the public regarding its status with the commission.

Section B

Standard 2.A. Governance

2.A.1 The institution demonstrates an effective and widely understood system of governance with

clearly defined authority, roles, and responsibilities. Its decision-making structures and processes

make provision for the consideration of the views of faculty, staff, administrators, and students on

matters in which they have a direct and reasonable interest.

Clark College’s internal and external documentation delineate the authority, roles, and responsibilities

of all members of the college community. The authority, roles, and responsibilities of all college

community members support the shared governance

practices that Clark College adopted. Various aspects

of these roles and responsibilities are articulated in multiple resources available in many formats.

Significant effort has been made by the college over the last five years to align stated and actual

governance relationships, roles, responsibilities, and authority structures among students, classified staff,

faculty, administrators, the Board of Trustees, and the

Washington State Board for Community and

Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and to articulate that alignment in the following resources:

• Organizational charts that are accessible on the college intranet inscribe the supervisory

relationships and job titles of personnel in each of the college units.

• The Administrative Procedures Manual documents a wide range of institutional procedures,

including each committee’s structure, purpose, and role in the decision-making processes,

administrative job titles, employee evaluation processes, student rights and responsibilities, and

protocols for the use of facilities.

• The Clark College Board of Trustees Policies & Procedures Manual specifies the duties and

responsibilities of the Board of Trustees, board meeting procedures, the process for selecting the

board chair and vice chair, and the governance relationship between the Board of Trustees and the

college president.

• The Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) and the Clark College Association of

Higher Education (CCAHE) collective bargaining agreements specify job responsibilities,

working conditions, and compensation for classified staff and faculty, respectively.

• The Constitution and Bylaws of the Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC) describe the

structure and scope of student government and the governance relationship between ASCC and

the college.

• The SBCTC Policy Manual and supporting governance documents identify SBCTC

responsibilities and the governance relationship between the SBCTC and the state’s community

and technical colleges, including Clark College.

• The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) section 28B.50 (Community and Technical Colleges)

specifies the laws guiding the operations of community and technical colleges in the state of

Washington (e.g., distinct boundaries, SBCTC authority, part-time faculty health care benefit

eligibility, and the full-time faculty tenure processes).

Clark College chose to call its governance structure “shared governance” and has committed to

decision-making processes that make provision for the consideration of perspectives and opinions of

faculty members, staff, administrators, students, the public, and the Board of Trustees. This commitment

is illustrated in the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

, where one of the college’s stated values is

Shared Governance: Clear communication, inclusive consultation, and respectful consideration of

multiple perspectives guide decision-making throughout the college. The college also has a college-wide

objective to support the core theme Environmental Integrity that identifies the commitment to “integrate

principles of mutual respect, collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity in all interactions.”

The definition of shared governance has been widely distributed since 2004 but has not always been

consistently interpreted by all college stakeholders; in the past, some employees have misinterpreted

shared governance as shared decision-making. The college continues to reinforce that shared governance

is not shared decision-making.

Definition: Shared governance at Clark College is a decision-making framework in

which institutional policies and priorities are determined in collaboration with those

affected. Roles and responsibilities of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees

are clearly defined and communicated to ensure accountability. Effective shared

governance requires all members of the college community to contribute to an

environment of mutual respect and trust.

The practices of shared governance—soliciting and considering the input of faculty, staff,

administrators, and students—are significant components of the decision-making process. According to

the results of the Winter 2017 college-wide Employee Climate Survey

, 79% of the employee respondents

reported that their supervisor considers their input. Clark College engages in these processes in many

ways, some of which are identified below:

Shared Governance Committees/Groups and Responsibilities

Committee/Group Responsibilities

Academic Excellence Council

Core theme councils are responsible for the following within

the context of mission fulfillment outcomes and strategies,

core theme objectives, and college programs and services:

• Evaluate indicators of achievement, mission fulfillment

outcomes, and college practices related to the core theme

objectives.

• Develop and provide appropriate recommendations of

strategies that improve programs and services to the

college’s leadership teams, especially the President’s

Executive Cabinet, based on the findings of the

evaluation.

• Assist with establishing a process for annual budget

development and reviews budget projections

Social Equity Council

Economic Vitality Council

Environmental Integrity Council

Instructional Council

Makes recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction

about instructional programs, resources, and planning

Student Affairs Council

Discusses and makes recommendations to the Vice

President of Student Affairs regarding topics related to

programs, services, resources, policies, and strategic

planning.

Instructional Planning Team

Oversees instructional planning and program review

processes, and makes recommendations about academic

policies, new programs, and changes to existing programs.

Clark College Association of

Higher Education (CCAHE)

President, CCAHE Vice President,

Vice President of Instruction, and

College President – meet monthly

Discusses issues impacting faculty and the college.

Shared Governance Committees/Groups and Responsibilities (Cont.)

Committee/Group

Responsibilities

Clark College Washington Public

Employee Association (WPEA) job

stewards and college administration

– meet monthly

Meets to provide communication between the parties and

promote constructive, meaningful, and cooperative labor-

management relations.

Penguin Roundtable

Solicits input on college issues as well as provides training.

Associated Students of Clark

College (ASCC) and Executive

Cabinet – meet quarterly

Discusses issues of concern, provides student input in

decision-making, and builds stronger working relationships

with Executive Cabinet mentors.

Quarterly President’s Open

Dialogue – meet intermittently

Provides announcements on matters that impact the college

and responds to questions from the college community.

CCAHE Vice President, CCAHE

President, Associate Vice President

of Human Resources, and Vice

President of Instruction – meet

weekly

Discusses issues impacting faculty and the college.

2.A.2 In a multi-unit governance system, the division of authority and responsibility between the

system and the institution is clearly delineated. System policies, regulations, and procedures

concerning the institution are clearly defined and equitably administered.

The SBCTC

governs the Washington State public community and technical college educational

system. Clark College is one of the 34 community and technical colleges within the 30 community and

technical college districts that comprise this educational system. The SBCTC sets policy and direction,

receives state funds, determines the method of allocating state funds, disperses state funds, approves

property acquisition, sets tuition rates, and serves as the legislative liaison for the entire state community

and technical college educational system. The SBCTC ensures that each college maintains an open-

admission policy; offers specified educational, training, and service opportunities to the colleges’

respective service districts; creates and administers the criteria for new colleges and service district

boundaries; and functions within a specific set of operational standards. These responsibilities are stated

within

The Community and Technical College Act of 1991 (RCW 28B.50).

The Community and Technical College Act of 1991 also identifies the roles and responsibilities of the

Board of Trustees. Each of the 30 community and technical college districts is governed by a five-

member board. Each member serves a five-year term and is appointed by the governor. The local board of

trustees is responsible for determining strategic direction for the college; evaluating institutional

effectiveness; setting policy; employing college presidents; approving and monitoring the institutional

budget; and granting degrees, certificates, and faculty tenure status. Clark College is a single college

district and, therefore, the college president is responsible for all other decisions. The president delegates

authority for specific matters. The delegated authorizations are documented within the

administrator

position descriptions.

2.A.3 The institution monitors its compliance with the Commission's Standards for Accreditation,

including the impact of collective bargaining agreements, legislative actions, and external

mandates.

Clark College monitors its compliance with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities’

(NWCCU) Standards for Accreditation through several strategies. These strategies involve educating

multiple people from different areas throughout the college about the accreditation standards. This

knowledge informs the work and decisions made throughout the college.

Several college-wide representatives attend and engage in NWCCU trainings and annual meetings to

ensure knowledge and understanding of standards and expectations. These representatives serve multiple

capacities within the college to ensure compliance with accreditation standards. Compliance with

accreditation standards and eligibility requirements is ensured through analysis of policies and

procedures; compliance is emphasized throughout department improvements made to programs and

services.

The Instructional Planning Team

(IPT) institutes and oversees the instructional planning process;

makes recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction regarding academic policies such as

distribution, transfer, and degree requirements; oversees program review; and makes recommendations to

the Vice President of Instruction regarding the approval of new programs and changes to or deletions of

current programs. These processes are informed by and may be changed to ensure compliance with

accreditation standards. Changes in process, academic policy, and status of educational programs are

monitored and compliance is ensured by the accreditation liaison officer and the associate dean of

instructional operations.

Recently, Washington State community and technical colleges have been impacted by legislative

changes, including budget reductions, personnel compensation reductions, and financial aid award

restrictions. All implementation of legislative mandates is monitored to ensure accreditation standard

compliance by the president’s Executive Cabinet (EC)

Representatives from both administration and faculty ensure compliance with the agreement between

the college and its faculty as delineated in the collective bargaining agreement

. Representatives verify

compliance with all proposed changes to the contract before they become official. Examples of contract

language informed by accreditation standards are listed below:

• Five-year evaluation cycle for full-time faculty;

• Adjunct medical benefit eligibility standards;

• Outcomes assessment and program review duties in faculty job description;

• Full professors’ required coordination of projects that support unit operational plans;

• Associate faculty’s required participation in assessment initiatives;

• Composition of Reduction-in-Force Committee to include faculty majority; and

• Increase in Adjunct Faculty Development Fund to support professional development.

2.A.4 The institution has a functioning governing board consisting of at least five voting members, a

majority of whom have no contractual, employment, or financial interest in the institution. If the

institution is governed by a hierarchical structure of multiple boards, the roles, responsibilities, and

authority of each board—as they relate to the institution—are clearly defined, widely

communicated, and broadly understood.

The authority of the Clark College Board of Trustees is established in

Washington State RCW

28B.50.140. The duties, responsibilities, and operational policies and procedures, including terms and

selection of board members, are outlined in the Board of Trustees Policies & Procedures Manual, as

amended and adopted in August 2018.

The board consists of five members appointed by the governor of the state of Washington for five-

year, renewable terms. No member of the Board of Trustees has a contractual, employment, or financial

interest in the institution. The Board of Trustees represents various stakeholders in the local community,

and each member has a substantial record of public service. All members reside in the college’s district

and are qualified electors. The Board of Trustees convenes monthly during the academic year.

Current Board of Trustee membership includes:

Trustee

Occupation

Current Term

Royce Pollard, Chair

Former Mayor of Vancouver

2016 - 2021

Jane Jacobsen, Vice Chair

Gramor Development and the City of Vancouver

2016 - 2019

Jack Burkman

Former Vancouver City Council Member

2013 - 2018

Rekah Strong

Educational Opportunities for Children & Families

2017 - 2022

Jada Rupley

Clackamas Education Service District

2015 - 2020

2.A.5 The board acts only as a committee of the whole; no member or subcommittee of the board

acts on behalf of the board except by formal delegation of authority by the governing board as a

whole.

The Board of Trustees acts only as a committee of the whole, as mandated in

Board of Trustees

Policy 100.B22, which states: "For the enhancement of its work, the board may create board committees

as necessary to research and report on specific issues to the board. These committees do not speak on

behalf of the board except when the board delegates such a responsibility to that committee."

2.A.6 The board establishes, reviews regularly, revises as necessary, and exercises broad oversight

of institutional policies, including those regarding its own organization and operation.

Board of Trustees Policies 100.F10 and 100.F30

describe the process by which the board considers

and amends its own governing policies and procedures. The most recent comprehensive amendment to

these policies was completed in 2018. The Board of Trustees plans to

review their policies and procedures

every two years.

The board delegates responsibility for the development and approval of the institution's administrative

procedures to the president. The board requires that the president advise the board "in all areas of policy

and make recommendations on all matters that affect the district before action is taken by the board," as

stated in the Board of Trustees Policies & Procedures Manual. In accordance with state law, the board is

also responsible for hearing and approving all amendments and additions to the college's

Washington

Administrative Code.

The Board of Trustees plays a significant role in Clark College’s strategic planning. As described in

Policy 100.B70, the board periodically reviews the college's Strategic Plan

. Additionally, the board

formally reviews the college's scorecards monthly—one scorecard for each of the six mission fulfillment

outcomes. The scorecards also include timely updates to selected indicators of achievement that the board

has identified as critical. The board also reviews reported progress the college's mission fulfillment

strategies as included on the scorecards and in the monthly

President’s Report. These annual mission

fulfillment strategies are developed to address the most critical gaps as revealed by the indicators of

achievement and the mission fulfillment outcomes.

During its annual retreat, the Board of Trustees develops goals for the college president based on the

annual missional fulfillment strategies as well as progress toward the mission fulfillment outcomes,

linking the board's agenda with the strategic plan. The board also uses this retreat to review the progress

the college has made in implementing the mission fulfillment strategies.

2.A.7 The board selects and evaluates regularly a chief executive officer who is accountable for the

operation of the institution. It delegates authority and responsibility to the CEO to implement and

administer board-approved policies related to the operation of the institution.

The Board of Trustees maintains responsibility for selecting and appointing the Clark College

President and for setting the salary, terms, and conditions of employment as defined in

Board Policy

100.B70. The Board of Trustees evaluates the president’s performance annually. The annual evaluation

articulates the board’s view of how well the president carries out the work directed by the strategic plan.

The Board uses materials

prepared by the college to evaluate the performance. Every three years, the

Board of Trustees conducts a 360° evaluation process of the president. This process includes an

anonymous community survey to regional municipal and business leaders. Respondents are asked to rate

their perception of the performance of the Clark College President. The president serves under a three-

year contract.

2.A.8 The board regularly evaluates its performance to ensure its duties and responsibilities are

fulfilled in an effective and efficient manner.

The Board of Trustees participates in an annual retreat, where it evaluates its progress toward

fulfilling the core theme objectives. The three typical agenda items (i.e., evaluation of president,

self-

evaluation of the board, and evaluation of the college’s progress toward mission fulfillment) are data-

informed, utilizing the college’s scorecards. In addition, the board meets with the president and other

college personnel as appropriate to “appraise the efficiency and effectiveness of District operations and

the educational programs and services of the college" and to "[c]onduct an annual

self-evaluation and

determine a corrective course of action as necessary," as stated in the

Board of Trustees Policies and

Procedures Manual.

2.A.9 The institution has an effective system of leadership, staffed by qualified administrators, with

appropriate levels of responsibility and accountability, who are charged with planning, organizing,

and managing the institution and assessing its achievements and effectiveness.

The leadership of the college is separated into four major areas: instruction, student affairs,

administrative services, and executive departments. Instruction, student affairs, and administrative

services are led by vice presidents who have the educational background and leadership experience to

effectively lead the college toward mission fulfillment. The executive departments are Human Resources;

Information Technology Services; Planning and Effectiveness; Communications and Marketing;

Economic and Community Development; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Each of the executive

departments is led by individuals

who are proven experts in their fields with strong leadership ability.

(See 2.A.11.)

Each area of the college is organized differently, as noted on the organizational charts. However,

these differences reflect each area’s distinct work in the overall operations of the college. Each member of

the executive leadership team engages in planning, organizing, and managing a specific aspect of the

institution, as well as in determining its effectiveness.

Various tools that measure effectiveness are used throughout the college. First, the effectiveness of

the college’s collective leadership and work is measured in the scorecards

—the tool used to evaluate

mission fulfillment. Second, Clark College leaders regularly utilize interactive reports created by

institutional research professionals within the

Office of Planning and Effectiveness. These reports allow

college members to see data to manage enrollment, assess instructional programs, and evaluate student

success. All leadership groups throughout the college use these reports to plan, manage, and assess the

impact their areas of responsibilities have on mission fulfillment.

True to the spirit of shared governance, the committee structure at Clark College reinforces the

effective system of leadership. The current leadership and management for the college’s major support

and operational functions are organized under the leadership of the president’s Executive Cabinet

(EC).

Secondary leadership under the EC is the Administrative Services Leadership Team, Instructional

Council, and the Student Affairs Council. The appropriate members of EC lead the second tier leadership

groups as a way to give input and solicit feedback to inform decision-making.

Clark College has two collective bargaining organizations providing leadership regarding the

management of human resources: the Clark College Association for Higher Education and the

Washington Public Employees Association.

All stakeholder groups are represented at the college’s four core theme councils, which make

recommendations about college-wide objectives, the direction of the institutional planning process,

institutional effectiveness systems, and college-wide policies. Qualified faculty, staff, and administrators

are members.

Board of Trustees

The Clark College Board of Trustees consists of five members appointed by the governor of

Washington. The board ensures the quality and relevance of college programs and provides stewardship

of public resources. In this role, the board is responsible for oversight of strategic planning, approval of

the college’s policies, and approval and oversight of the operating budget. The Board of Trustees meets

on a monthly basis.

Executive Cabinet

The president and his Executive Cabinet provide leadership in accordance with Clark College’s

Strategic Plan. Executive Cabinet oversees implementation of the college's Strategic Plan and operational

plans. The Executive Cabinet meets on a weekly basis and consists of the President; Vice President of

Instruction; Vice President of Administrative Services; Vice President of Student Affairs; Chief

Communications Officer; Chief Information Officer; Associate Vice President of Planning And

Effectiveness; Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Vice President of Human

Resources and Compliance; Vice President of Economic and Community Development; and the Clark

College Foundation President/CEO.

Student Affairs Council

The Student Affairs Council meets weekly to explore ideas, issues, and initiatives—all grounded in

student development theory—that promote student success and completion through a shared-governance

model. The Student Affairs Council is comprised of the Vice President of Student Affairs, the two student

affairs deans, and directors in student affairs.

Instructional Council

Instructional Council meets weekly to advise and make decisions regarding the creation,

implementation, and evaluation of policies, processes, and resource allocations related to instruction.

Also, members of Instructional Council collaborate to address instructional operational issues and

practices. Instructional Council is comprised of the Vice President of Instruction, the six instructional

deans, the Associate Dean of Instructional Operations, program directors who report to the deans, and the

Instructional Finance Manager.

Administrative Services Leadership Team

Led by the Vice President of Administrative Services and comprised of the director of business

services, director of facilities services, director of information technology services, director of risk

management services, director of safety and security, bookstore manager, and special projects and

activities manager, this team meets monthly to discuss strategic and operational planning issues; establish

budget priorities; develop and review changes in policies, procedures, and system processes; and address

other matters of departmental concern. At the monthly meeting, the vice president also shares information

and decisions from EC, the SBCTC, and the Business Affairs Commission (BAC).

Clark College Association of Higher Education

The Clark College Association of Higher Education (CCAHE) represents faculty members locally

and is affiliated with the Washington Education Association (WEA) at the statewide level and the

National Education Association (NEA) at the national level. Over 85 percent of full-time faculty members

belong to CCAHE. The Clark College AHE Senate consists of representatives from each instructional

unit and the elected officers; the senate meets twice a month. CCAHE manages labor relations between

administration and faculty.

Washington Public Employees Association

Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) is an independent labor organization,

representing over 4,500 classified staff at 14 different community colleges across the state in addition to

other general government office and public library employees. All full-time and part-time classified staff

at Clark College who have attained permanent status in a job classification are members of the WPEA

union.

Associated Students of Clark College

Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC) is the student government. ASCC advocates for and

represents the students of Clark College by serving as the liaison between students on the one hand, and

faculty, staff, administration, and the community on the other. By involving students at the college,

ASCC enhances a sense of community through leadership, respect for differences, engagement, and

service. ASCC leadership is charged with the review and implementation of the ASCC Constitution

and

Bylaws, committee appointments, club promotion and approval, recruitment for student involvement, and

oversight of the services and activities (S&A) fees.

2.A.10 The institution employs an appropriately qualified chief executive officer with full-time

responsibility to the institution. The chief executive officer may serve as an ex officio member of the

governing board, but may not serve as its chair.

The Clark College President provides administrative leadership in accordance with the college’s

strategic plan. The president’s full-time responsibility is the organization and administration of the

college, including rules, regulations, policies, and programs, as well as goals and strategic initiatives

adopted by the Board of Trustees. The current president, Robert Knight

, has been in the position

permanently since August 2007. The president serves as the chief executive officer of the college with

full-time responsibility to the college. Listed below are the

president’s primary responsibilities:

• Assume responsibility for the organization and administration of the college;

• Submit policy recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding matters of concern to the

college;

• Recommend and implement changes in personnel and personnel policies, including the

appointment, placement, suspension, promotion, reduction-in-force, or dismissal of any or all

employees of Clark College, Community College District 14;

• Submit annual budgets to the board and make any recommendations for budget changes;

• Provide and/or approve programs of in-service training and development for all Clark College,

Community College District 14 employees;

• Exercise broad discretionary powers along policy lines established by the Board of Trustees;

• Assume responsibility for establishing and maintaining an adequate public relations program;

• Formulate all reports required by the Board of Trustees, state, and national agencies;

• Serve as secretary or designate another person to serve as secretary (non-board member) to the

Board of Trustees. Attend all board meetings;

• Develop and present long-range planning recommendations relative to facilities, buildings,

grounds, enrollment, and curricular development for periodic review by the Board of Trustees;

• Recommend establishment of citizens’ and trade advisory groups and assist the board in

proposing names of members to be appointed by the Board of Trustees to such groups;

• Attend professional meetings and such conventions and conferences as deemed necessary by the

Board of Trustees;

• Administer the rules, regulations, policies, and programs adopted by the Board of Trustees;

• Approve or disapprove all travel within budgetary allocations as approved by the Board of

Trustees in the current operating budget of the college;

• Maintain and keep current the Board Policies and Administrative Procedures; and

• Establish and maintain all committees and organizations necessary for the operation of the

college.

2.A.11 The institution employs a sufficient number of qualified administrators who provide

effective leadership and management for the institution's major support and operational functions

and work collaboratively across institutional functions and units to foster fulfillment of the

institution's mission and accomplishment of its core theme objectives.

Clark College employs a sufficient number of qualified administrators. Each administrator has a

clearly defined scope of responsibility as identified in the relevant position descriptions. Employees of the

college meet all qualifications and have the appropriate level of education to provide effective leadership

and management for the institutional functions, and all administrators work collaboratively across

functions to foster fulfillment of the college’s mission and accomplishment of its core objectives.

Lead Administrators

Title

Name

Qualifications/Experience

President Robert Knight

Executive MBA, Golden Gate University

30 years in Leadership

Vice President of Instruction Sachi Horback

PsyD, Chesnut Hill College

15+ years Higher Education/Leadership

Vice President of Administrative

Services

Bob Williamson

M.A., Western Washington University

31 years Education/Leadership

Vice President of Student Affairs William Belden

M.Ed., Western Washington University

23 years Higher Education/Leadership

Vice President of Human Resources

and Compliance

Stefani Coverson

M.A., Washington State University

17 years of Human Resource Leadership

Vice President of Economic and

Community Development

Kevin Witte

M.B.A., University of Michigan

30+ years Executive Leadership

Director of Operations and Risk

Management and Interim –

Associate Vice President of

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Rashida Willard

M.B.A., Concordia University

19 years Risk Management

Associate Vice President of

Planning & Effectiveness

Shanda Diehl

M.P.H., University of Washington

19 years Higher Education/Leadership

Chief Information Officer Valerie Moreno

B.S., DeVry University

30+ years IT Leadership

Interim Director of Communications

& Marketing

Hannah Erickson

B.A., Macalester College

10 years Leadership

Director of Planning and Grant

Development

Julie Robertson

M.P.H, M.S.W., Portland State University

10 years Planning, Grant Development,

Evaluation

Lead Administrators (Cont.)

Title

Name

Qualifications/Experience

Director of Business Services Sabra Sand

B.A., Washington State University

12 years Leadership

Director of Facilities Services Tim Petta

Avis Contractor’s License School

27 years Construction and Maintenance

Director of Security & Safety Mike See

M.S., Kaplan University

20 years Management/Leadership

Dean of Social Sciences & Fine Arts Miles Jackson

M.S., University of Washington

30 years Higher Education/Leadership

Interim Dean of Libraries and

Academic Success Services

Korey Marquez

M.A. Portland State University

22 years Higher Education/Leadership

Dean of Basic Education, English,

Communications & Humanities

Jim Wilkins-Luton

M.A., Gonzaga University

26 years Education/Leadership

Dean of Business & Health Sciences Brenda Walstead

Ed.D., Walden University

22 years Higher Education/Leadership

Dean of Science, Technology,

Engineering & Mathematics

Peter Williams

Ph.D., Oregon State University

29 years Higher Education/Leadership

Dean of Workforce & Career

Technical Education

Genevieve Howard

M.A., California State University

15 years Higher Education/Leadership

Director of the Teaching & Learning

Center

Judith Hernandez

Chapar

Ph.D., Oregon State University

10 years Higher Education

Dean of Student Enrollment Selena Castro

Ph.D., Washington State University

16 years Higher Education/Leadership

Dean of Student Engagement

Cathleen “Cath”

Busha

M.S.W., Arizona State University

25 years Education/Leadership

Director of Advising Services John Maduta

M.S., Warner Pacific College

7 years Higher Education/Leadership

Director of Athletics Christopher Jacob

MA, University of Albany

10 years Leadership

Director of Career Services Edie Blakley

Ed.M., Oregon State University

22 years Education/Leadership

Director of Disability Support

Services and ADA Compliance

Officer

Megan Jasurda

M.Ed., Portland State University

10 years Higher Education/Leadership

Director of Enrollment

Services/Registrar

Mirranda Saari

M.Ed., Concordia University

17 years Higher Education/Leadership

Director of Financial Aid

Chitpasong

“Chippi” Bello

M.S., Portland State University

20+ years Higher Education/Leadership

Director of International Programs Jane Walster

M.S.W., University of Washington

6 years Higher Education/Leadership

Director of Services for Children and

Families

Michele Volk

B.S., Warner Pacific

32 years Education/Leadership

Director of Student Life

Sarah Gruhler

M.Ed., Seattle University

12 years Higher Education/Leadership

Director of Workforce Education

Services

Armetta Burney

M.B.A., Cardinal Stritch University

10 years Higher Education/Leadership

Interim Director of Student Care

Natalie Shank

Ed.D., George Fox University

18 years Higher Education/Leadership

All Clark College administrators belong to key leadership groups listed in Standards 2.A.1 and 2.A.9.

In addition, each major area of the college has a seat on the president’s Executive Cabinet.

Strategic

decisions are made based on the discussions and feedback presented by these councils and teams. All

administrators are members of multiple teams, councils, and committees. The members of these teams,

councils, and committees work collaboratively to support one or more core theme objectives and to align

work within the college’s mission. Moreover, these teams across the college function to coordinate and

unite the work performed within each department to achieve the core theme objectives.

Administrators lead the work throughout the college in alignment with the institution’s mission core

theme objectives, and annual mission fulfillment strategies. This work is recorded in Strategic Planning

Online (SPOL). Each core theme objective plan identifies the annual strategies and indicators of

achievements for each objective. Through the annual evaluation process, administrators identify what

activities are needed for the subsequent year to bring the college closer to mission fulfillment. The

strategies are presented to their respective leadership groups annually. All progress toward the mission

fulfillment strategies and core theme objectives are accessible to the public in the

monthly Board of

Trustees materials.

Collectively, the entire college community annually evaluates Clark College’s effectiveness. The

evaluation instrument utilized is referred to as the mission fulfillment scorecards

. The scorecards present

the mission fulfillment outcomes and selected indicators of achievement. The core theme councils

monitor progress toward mission fulfillment, review college programs and services within the context of

mission fulfillment outcomes, and recommend improvement strategies. Simultaneously, each core theme

objective of the strategic plan is assigned to an executive cabinet member. The executive cabinet

members review progress and align efforts to implement the annual strategies and improve progress to

achieve mission fulfillment. The results of the evaluation toward mission fulfillment performed by

leadership, core theme councils, and college departments are used to develop the strategies that are

priorities in budget development for the subsequent year.

2.A.12 Academic policies–including those related to teaching, service, scholarship, research, and

artistic creation–are clearly communicated to students and faculty and to administrators and staff

with responsibilities related to these areas.

Clark College clearly communicates academic policies to students, faculty members, staff, and

administrators in multiple publications. These include the

Clark College Association of Higher Education

contract, the 300 section of the Clark College Administrative Procedures, the Clark College Catalog,

course syllabi, Clark College Student Handbook, Clark College website, Faculty Handbook, and New

Student Orientations.

Clark College has a procedure outlining the college’s credit hour policy in administrative procedure

320.001. The credit hour policy outlines the number of hours a student should expect to spend in class

and in class preparation work. These expectations are based on both the number of credits and type of

course. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has established rules for how community

and technical colleges determine course credit hours. These rules are based on the type of instructor

contact hours and the number of weeks in a quarter. "Credit hours" are defined as the unit by which an

institution measures its course work. The number of credit hours assigned to a course is defined by the

number of hours per week in class and the number of hours per week in out of class preparation. Clark

College uses these rules to establish credit hours assigned to each course offered by the college. Credit

loads are determined based on the credit hours for which a student enrolls.

A credit hour is an amount of work necessary to achieve the intended learning outcomes, verified by

evidence of student achievement, and institutionally established as an equivalency that reasonably

approximates not less than:

a. One hour of classroom (or direct faculty) instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class

student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of

credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a

different time; or

b. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in the above paragraph for other academic

activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practicums,

studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Credit ratios for the three basic categories of instruction, based on a quarter, rather than a semester,

system are:

• Theory: Students are engaged with faculty and class members in learning theoretical material

and/or engaging in activities to apply the theory leading to mastery of course outcomes. Modes of

instructional delivery could include, but are not limited to, lecture, small group discussion, guided

conversation, demonstration, case studies, role-playing, problem based inquiry, and collaborative

activities. Instruction may be a mix of presentation, facilitation, and guided activities, evidenced

by frequent ongoing communication between instructor and students. Such activities could take

place in a variety of instructional modalities. One credit is generated by one weekly contact hour

of instruction or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, and generally

requires out-of-class student effort, typically two hours per class hour.

• Guided Practice: Students are actively engaged in practicing and mastering skills under the

supervision of the instructor. This category of instruction could include but is not limited to, labs,

studios, shops, clinical experiences, computer-mediated learning, hands-on projects, or other skill

building activities. Instruction may be individualized or group-focused and include skills

assessment. Such activities could take place in a variety of instructional modalities. One credit is

generated by two weekly contact hours of instruction or the equivalent amount of work over a

different amount of time, and may also include out-of-class student effort, typically one hour per

two class hours.

• Field-Based Experience: Students are engaged in autonomous study or related work activity

under the intermittent supervision of the instructor. This mode includes working with or under the

direction of professional practitioners and may include preceptorships, co-ops, internships, or

service learning activities. Verification of learning outcomes is documented by college faculty in

collaboration with professional practitioners. One credit is generated by a minimum of three

weekly contact hours of supervised learning experience. Programs may determine that additional

hours are needed for the student learning needs. However, only one credit will be generated for

enrollment counting purposes as well as the students’ transcripts.

All instructional modalities use the credit hour determination provided above. Credit hours for all

instructional modalities are determined based on the equivalence of credit hours to the Clark College's

traditional face-to-face courses.

Contact hours in online, hybrid, and competency-based classes may vary from more traditional face-

to-face classes. Students should demonstrate equivalent learning outcomes regardless of instructional

modality.

• Traditional (face-to-face) Classes: Students and instructors meet together for a certain number

of hours in a classroom and on a regular weekly schedule.

• Online Classes: Online classes consist entirely of online elements with no face-to-face

component. Some online classes require students to interact with each other, the faculty, and

content at specific times, while others are entirely self-paced. The number of credits offered in an

online course is based on equivalency of learning outcomes of face-to-face modality.

• Hybrid Classes: Hybrid classes combine face-to-face classroom time with online instruction.

Students in a hybrid class come to campus at scheduled times and meet face-to-face with

instructors and students. Many class activities are conducted online, including class work

assignments, discussions, and group projects. The number of credits offered within a hybrid

course is based on equivalency of learning outcomes of face-to-face modality.

• Flipped Classes: The flipped classroom reverses the traditional educational arrangement by

delivering instructional content outside of the classroom, often online. Students spend classroom

time actively engaging in concepts to clarify and apply the knowledge, under the guidance of the

instructor. The number of credits offered within a flipped course is based on equivalency of

learning outcomes of face-to-face modality.

• Competency-Based Education: Competency-based education (CBE) allows students to earn

credit based on their proven mastery of a subject rather than classroom time. The number of

credits offered within a CBE course is based on equivalency of learning outcomes of face-to-face

modality. CBE courses are offered within the quarter system. A week of instruction within the

CBE courses are any seven-day period in which the institution makes available to the students

enrolled in the CBE program the instructional materials and faculty support to enable the student

to engage in an educational activity. CBE courses are faculty led with weekly consultations

between faculty members and students to discuss academic course content in addition to

assessments of learning.

Exceptions are noted in the quarterly schedule (some classes are not scheduled in the usual college

class periods.) On the class syllabus

, faculty members identify the number of class hours weekly and

provide the assignments students will be required to complete. In addition, the Curriculum Committee

approves the number of credits for each course as it relates to the expected course outcomes and hours on

behalf of the faculty, and students are expected to meet the course outcomes.

2.A.13 Policies regarding access to and use of library and information resources –regardless of

format, location, and delivery method –are documented, published, and enforced.

Clark College Libraries publish policies regarding access to and use of library and information

resources. The library policies cover a wide range of topics, including computer use, borrowing terms,

Library staff members receive training, and changes to library policies are communicated to all staff

through regular staff meetings.

2.A.14 The institution develops, publishes widely, and follows an effective and clearly stated

transfer-of-credit policy that maintains the integrity of its programs while facilitating efficient

mobility of students between institutions in completing their educational programs.

It is Clark College’s policy, as listed in the catalog and on the Credential Evaluation website

, to

accept only credits listed on an official transcript from a regionally accredited institution. The college uses

Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education, published by the American Council on Education, as

the reference guide to determine accreditation qualifications. Transferable credit posted on another

college’s transcript is not accepted. Students must submit unique transcripts from each institution to

receive transfer credit.

Credential evaluators determine transfer credit applicability. Credential evaluators

may consult with faculty subject experts on transfer equivalency. While most college programs require

transfer coursework with a grade of D or better, some college programs require a C or better to transfer

the course. The

Clark College Catalog states specific requirements for each degree and certificate

program. Students and faculty are able to review transfer course placement using the application, “Degree

Audit,” the state-run degree audit system that is utilized by Clark College. All incoming students receive

an initial transcript evaluation upon payment of the Clark College admission fee and submission of

official transcripts to the advising and credential evaluations departments.

A co-admission option with Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) allows Clark College

students to formulate academic plans for both associate and bachelor’s degrees at the beginning of their

educational careers. Eastern Washington University (EWU) and Clark College partner to offer the

bachelor’s degree in social work; these courses are offered at Clark College’s main campus. Clark

College faculty and staff collaborate with other colleges and universities in the region to develop

articulation agreements and partnerships. Additional agreements and partnerships

are maintained with

City University, Seattle; Colorado State; Concordia University; Eastern Washington University;

Evergreen State College; Portland State University; University of Phoenix; University of Portland -

Airforce ROTC; Warner Pacific University; Washington State University Vancouver, and Western

Governors University.

2.A.15 Policies and procedures regarding students' rights and responsibilities–including academic

honesty, appeals, grievances, and accommodations for persons with disabilities–are clearly stated,

readily available, and administered in a fair and consistent manner.

Comprehensive information about Clark College policies and procedures related to students’ rights

and responsibilities are clearly stated and available in a variety of locations: the Clark College Catalog

the Clark College Student Handbook, and the Code of Student Conduct. Additionally, student right to

know, discrimination and harassment policy and procedures, student complaint process, accommodations

for persons with disabilities, and college policies and procedures are also available online. Grievance and

appeal processes are clearly defined to ensure processes are administered in a fair and consistent manner.

2.A.16 The institution adopts and adheres to admission and placement policies that guide the

enrollment of students in courses and programs through an evaluation of prerequisite knowledge,

skills, and abilities to assure a reasonable probability of student success at a level commensurate

with the institution's expectations. Its policy regarding continuation in and termination from its

educational programs–including its appeals process and readmission policy–are clearly defined,

widely published, and administered in a fair and timely manner.

Clark College adheres to clearly defined admission and placement policies that are designed to

support student success and to fulfill the college’s mission. These policies are published in the college’s

700 section of the Administrative Procedures Manual and in the

Clark College Catalog in Section A,

“Enrollment, Aid, and College Life.” The college uses multiple measures to assess writing and

mathematics skills, which helps determine the level of coursework for which the student is prepared as

well as readiness for entry into specific programs:

• Students may utilize the following methods for mathematics:

o Smarter Balanced scores

o High School Math Bridge Class

o Prior COMPASS placement

o AP placement

o ALEKS - requires three hours of pre-test review

o Transfer credits

o Placement from another Washington State community and technical college to place into

math courses at Clark College

• Student may utilize one of the following placement methods for English:

o Smarter Balanced scores

o High School English Bridge Class

o High School GPA-2.75 or higher

o Prior COMPASS placement

o AP placement

o English Readiness Assessment: Students respond to an essay prompt, which is then evaluated

by English faculty for placement.

o Transfer credits

o Placement from another WA State CTC to place into English courses at Clark College

Prerequisite scores for classes in these areas are listed within the course descriptions located in the

Clark College Catalog. The CASAS exam is used to place students into the appropriate level of

Transitional Studies: CAP, GED, or ESL classes. It assesses students' competency through a two-part

examination, consisting of reading and listening comprehension. Students are informed about

expectations of academic performance that could impact their continuation in or termination from the

college’s educational programs through the Academic Standards Policy and Procedure

found in the Clark

College Catalog and the Clark College Student Handbook as well as online. Appeals processes are

detailed and readmission requirements are clearly defined.

2.A.17 The institution maintains and publishes policies that clearly state its relationship to co-

curricular activities and the roles and responsibilities of students and the institution for those

activities, including student publications and other student media, if offered.

Clark College maintains and publishes information regarding co-curricular activities and the roles and

responsibilities of students and the institution in those activities in a variety of mediums. The published

information clearly identifies the roles, decision-making authority, and the current opportunities to engage

in co-curricular activities. The procedures are published in the documents listed below:

• Administrative Procedures: 715.000 Student Organizations and Publications

;

• Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC) Constitution;

• ASCC Bylaws;

• ASCC Financial Code;

• ASCC Club Handbook;

• The Independent, official Clark College student newspaper;

o Ethics Agreement for Independent Staff;

o Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics; and

o Social Media Policy.

2.A.18 The institution maintains and publishes its human resources policies and procedures and

regularly reviews them to ensure they are consistent, fair, and equitably applied to its employees

and students.

Human Resources has established and implemented policies and procedures, which are published in

the 600 section of the Administrative Procedures Manual,

accessible to all employees via the Clark

College website. These procedures are consistent with and directly support the college’s core themes:

Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity. The policies are

drafted, maintained, and administered to ensure the Board of Trustees, legal, and contractual compliance

as well as consistent application to all employees. These procedures address hiring; accommodations for

illness; personnel records information; student and volunteer selection processes and conditions for

employment/volunteerism; affirmative action and non-discrimination; employee salary and benefits;

leaves; separation; employee development; employee evaluation; negotiations; and grievance processes.

Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated. Forms that enable administration of policies

and procedures are also published online within the “

Forms” section of the intranet. These documents are

periodically reviewed and updated to ensure currency and legal compliance.

In addition, the college provides access online to the Clark College Association for Higher Education

Collective Bargaining Agreement. This collective bargaining agreement governs the conditions of work

for all full-time and part-time faculty members. The Washington Public Employees Association Collective

Bargaining Agreement governs the conditions of work for all classified employees and is also available

online. These labor contracts and procedure manuals outline terms and conditions of employment and

standards for discipline, which provide a framework to ensure consistent and fair treatment of all

employee groups.

2.A.19 Employees are apprised of their conditions of employment, work assignments, rights and

responsibilities, and criteria and procedures for evaluation, retention, promotion, and termination.

Clark College’s newly hired employees are apprised of basic terms and conditions of employment,

such as salary potential, work location, and job duties and requirements through published recruitment

announcements. After hire, employees receive letters confirming their appointments, including the agreed

upon starting salary.

To ensure that new employees benefit from a consistent orientation process, employees, excluding

part-time faculty, are required to complete twelve assigned training modules within 30 days of their start

date. Online Compliance training modules are offered through a Learning Management System (LMS)

called Higher Ed Works

and cover college policies, guidelines, and expectations for employees regarding

conduct, including diversity, ethics, use of college resources, FERPA (Federal Education Rights and

Privacy Act), sexual harassment, and professional behavior. Specifically, training modules are titled as

follows:

1. Clark College Policies and Procedures.

2. Disability in the Workplace.

3. Discrimination-Free Workplace.

4. Drug-Free Workplace.

5. Emergency Protocols at Clark College.

6. Ethics in Public Service Act.

7. Hazard Communication.

8. Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect.

9. New Employee Success Training (NEST).

10. Sexual Harassment.

11. Slip, Trips and Falls Prevention.

12. Student Privacy Rights (FERPA).

Each employee receives an email training notification with instructions to access the online course.

After an employee successfully completes all twelve modules, trainings will be due on an annual basis

(usually September 29 of each year). A record of incomplete and complete training modules is maintained

electronically and can be accessed by Human Resources. Throughout the year, incomplete training reports

and reminder emails are sent to each employee and their direct supervisor. To ensure compliance with

Fair Labor Standards Act

(FLSA), non-exempt employees are instructed to complete training modules

only during work hours and are provided time to do so.

Newly benefited permanent employees are also able to attend New Employee Success Training

sessions, which cover the following:

• How to be a Clark College Brand Ambassador.

• Employee Development, how to connect and engage. (Retention)

• Options and eligibility for Clark College sponsored benefits relating to group health, dental, and

life insurance coverage; retirement; leaves; and tuition assistance. A summary of benefits

published on the Human Resources website along with information about benefits program

enrollment. (Retention)

• Payroll. (Procedure)

• Security procedures and Information Technology Services.

• Information from the Washington Public Employee Association. (WPEA)

• Strategic Plan.

Offering both online and on-campus new employee training is consistent with Clark College’s core

theme objective: “Academic Excellence: engage faculty, administrators, and staff in professional

development experiences that enhance student learning.”

Information regarding pay, withholding, and current leave accrual, usage, and balances are available

to employees online. Administrators, exempt employees, and faculty also receive annual salary notices

confirming their salary. Classified staff members receive notifications about the amount and date of their

salary increments.

Employees within Clark College’s two bargaining units, the classified bargaining unit (WPEA

) and

the faculty bargaining unit (CCAHE), are further apprised of terms and conditions of employment

through their labor agreements. Both collective bargaining agreements contain key employment

provisions, including but not limited to types of appointments, probationary periods, compensation and

benefits, work location, employee job movement, reductions-in-force, leave, work performance

evaluation procedures, disciplinary standards and due process, and non-discrimination and grievance

procedures. New faculty training is also offered annually to provide newly hired full-time faculty with

information about college policies, benefit options, and other resources. Faculty job descriptions are

published in the CCAHE agreement.

Human Resources publishes job classification descriptions for college employees (other than faculty)

and the process for requesting classification reviews on the intranet site. Human Resources staff are

available to help answer questions in the areas of employment, compensation, benefits, training and

development, employee and labor relations, and employee records.

Human Resources publishes job classification descriptions for college employees (other than faculty)

and the process for requesting classification reviews on the intranet site. Faculty job descriptions are

published in the CCAHE agreement.

2.A.20 The institution ensures the security and appropriate confidentiality of human resources

records.

Clark College maintains the privacy of personal information. To that end, Human Resources is

located in a secured area with limited access. The procedures to release human resource information are

outlined in the 616.000 section of the Administrative Procedures Manual

Official personnel files are maintained in a locked room and kept on site in Human Resources.

Personnel files may be reviewed by the employee, an authorized college representative, or the employee’s

union representatives. Review of files is under the supervision of Human Resource staff, and personnel

files of active employees may not be transported to other office locations. These procedures are

documented within the 616 series of the Administrative Procedures.

Employee medical records submitted to Human Resources and records of employee accommodation

requests, grievances, and disciplinary matters are maintained in secured file cabinets within the Human

Resources area; many of these documents are further secured in file cabinets within locked offices.

Personnel, grievance, and disciplinary files of separated employees are maintained at a secure off-site

storage facility.

Employees whose positions require them to view, access, or maintain confidential information are

responsible for maintaining the security and confidentiality of that information and for using the

information only to conduct authorized Clark College business. Personal employee information may in

certain circumstances be disclosed to third parties to conduct business operations in order to provide

public records as requested, or to comply with subpoenas for records.

2.A.21 The institution represents itself clearly, accurately, and consistently through its

announcements, statements, and publications. It communicates its academic intentions, programs,

and services to students and to the public and demonstrates that its academic programs can be

completed in a timely fashion. It regularly reviews its publications to ensure integrity in all

representations about its mission, programs, and services.

Clark College discloses information to the public in multiple mediums pertaining to academic

intentions, programs, and services to students. These mediums include, but are not limited, to printed

publications, the Clark College Catalog, syllabi, and, most commonly, the Clark College website

. All

mediums are reviewed and updated at least annually by responsible departments throughout the

institution.

The college also provides to the public the college’s retention and graduation rates along with the

number of students completing specific programs, degrees, and certificates in an academic year. This

information can be found on the college’s website on the Consumer Information page under the

Student

Outcomes and Graduation Rates heading. The data on the National Center for Education Statistics

College Navigator

site is monitored and updated annually by the college’s Planning and Effectiveness

Department. The Clark College Catalog communicates the specific course and credit requirements for

degree and certificate completion and is continually revised to ensure accuracy and address state and

institutional modifications.

2.A.22 The institution advocates, subscribes to, and exemplifies high ethical standards in managing

and operating the institution, including its dealings with the public, the Commission, and external

organizations, and in the fair and equitable treatment of students, faculty, administrators, staff,

and other constituencies. It ensures complaints and grievances are addressed in a fair and timely

manner.

Clark College adheres to Washington State’s Ethics in Public Service statute, Chapter 42.52

of the

Revised Code of Washington, in all of its actions and decisions. To ensure understanding of state law and

college policy, all employees, with the exception of adjunct faculty, are required to complete an annual

online training session on ethics in public service. The college publishes several documents that define the

college’s standards and expectations regarding conduct for trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and

students, such as the

Ethics in Public Service 417.030 and Board of Trustees 100.B30/103.B35 policies.

By allowing verbal, written, and emailed submission of complaints and grievances, Clark College

promotes fair and equitable treatment and ensures open avenues of communication for all. General

grievance procedures for administrators, exempt staff, and other classified staff are outlined in the

680.000 section of the Administrative Procedures Manual. Administrative Procedure 735.000

clearly

outlines the grievance process for students attending Clark College. The college believes that any student

or group of students with a grievance concerning college policies or procedures has the right to be heard

fairly and promptly. Once a grievance is brought forward, a dean or director is tasked with reviewing the

specific grievance and attempting to resolve the issue with a specific solution.

The grievance process is outlined for faculty members, including adjunct faculty, in Article VIII of

the collective bargaining agreement with the CCAHE. Faculty grievances are presented to the employee’s

immediate supervisor or the Vice President of Instruction.

Classified staff members adhere to the grievance process described in Article 30 of the collective

bargaining agreement with the WPEA. Classified staff members are encouraged to address any

complaints to the appropriate supervisor and to Human Resources if the claim requires mediation. All

grievances are reviewed and addressed in a timely manner as outlined in the policies.

2.A.23 The institution adheres to a clearly defined policy that prohibits conflict of interest on the

part of members of the governing board, administration, faculty, and staff. Even when supported

by or affiliated with social, political, corporate, or religious organizations, the institution has

education as its primary purpose and operates as an academic institution with appropriate

autonomy. If it requires its constituencies to conform to specific codes of conduct or seeks to instill

specific beliefs or world views, it gives clear prior notice of such codes and/or policies in its

publications.

Clark College clearly expresses guidelines of an expected code of conduct for all employees in the

Clark College Board of Trustees Policies & Procedures Manual.

Each member of the Board of Trustees

and all employees of the college are expected to place the interests of the college above self-interest.

Board members and employees are expected to resolve issues in accordance with both good, ethical

judgment and the basic principle that their position of trust may not be used for personal gain or private

advantage. In resolving issues regarding conflicts of interest, the following statements from state law shall

be considered:

• Board members and college employees may not have a financial interest or engage in any activity

that is in conflict with the proper discharge of their official duties.

• Board members and college employees may not use their official positions to secure special

privileges for themselves or any other person.

• Board members may not receive compensation from any person, except the State of Washington,

for performing their official duties.

2.A.24 The institution maintains clearly defined policies with respect to ownership, copyright,

control, compensation, and revenue derived from the creation and production of intellectual

property.

The college maintains ownership of (or property rights over) all written materials, as defined in

administrative procedure 675.000

including but not limited to, software programs and audio visual

materials. Products become the property of the college if the product was developed by an author or

producer who is compensated and/or reimbursed by Clark College for the work, who prepares the work

within the scope of employment or for hire, or who consumes goods or services purchased by the college

in the creation of the work. If materials or products are developed by an employee on his or her time,

without cost to the college, then ownership is retained by the employee.

Clark College employees cannot receive anything of value for the sale of a textbook written by the

faculty teaching the class, as explained in administrative procedures 417.031 and 417.032

. All proceeds in

such a case are donated to the Clark College Foundation and may be kept to benefit the department as

long as the proceeds do not violate ethics standards. The Vice President of Administrative Services and

the employee will determine the method by which any revenue derived from the sale of a self-written or

published textbook will be transferred to the Foundation.

2.A.25 The institution accurately represents its current accreditation status and avoids speculation

on future accreditation actions or status. It uses the terms "Accreditation" and "Candidacy" (and

related terms) only when such status is conferred by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S.

Department of Education.

Clark College accurately represents its current accreditation status with the

Northwest Commission

on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The United States Department of Education and program-

specific accrediting bodies require evidence of accreditation. Clark College excerpts the language from

the most recent NWCCU reaffirmation letter for reporting purposes.

All self-studies and reaffirmation

letters are posted to both the internet and intranet to be used for reporting requirements and for the

public's interests.

2.A.26 If the institution enters into contractual agreements with external entities for products or

services performed on its behalf, the scope of work for those products or services–with clearly

defined roles and responsibilities–is stipulated in a written and approved agreement that contains

provisions to maintain the integrity of the institution. In such cases, the institution ensures the scope

of the agreement is consistent with the mission and goals of the institution, adheres to institutional

policies and procedures, and complies with the Commission's Standards for Accreditation.

In accordance with the Revised Code of Washington, Chapter 39, “

Procurement of Goods and

Services,” Clark College, as an agency of the state of Washington, is required to make all purchases

within the laws and guidelines established by the Washington State Office of Financial Management and

Department of General Administration.

Purchasing procedures are outlined in the 440.00 section of the Clark College Administrative Policies

and Procedures Manual. Consultant/contractor agreements are those services that are considered

professional or technical in nature to accomplish a specific study, project, task or other specialized work.

Consultant/contractor agreements should be used strictly to meet particular college needs. College

departments shall work with Purchasing Services to establish such agreements.

2.A.27 The institution publishes and adheres to policies, approved by its governing board,

regarding academic freedom and responsibility that protect its constituencies from inappropriate

internal and external influences, pressures, and harassment.

Clark College’s policies on academic freedom and responsibility are clearly and consistently

presented in a number of college documents, policies, and procedures that protect the college’s

constituencies from inappropriate internal and external influences, pressures, and harassment.

The academic freedom and responsibility policy as it applies to Clark College’s faculty is outlined in

Article VI, Section A of the CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement

(The Agreement by and between

Clark College and the Clark College Association for Higher Education/WEA/NEA, dated September 24,

2014). The policy states, “The college subscribes to the

1940 ‘Statement on Academic Freedom and

Tenure’ issued by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Association of

American Colleges.” The AHE Contract ensures academic freedom for faculty in research and teaching,

provided the topics bear a clear relation to the subject matter taught and the information is presented

accurately.

The Clark College Faculty Handbook also addresses issues of ethics in academics and Washington

State ethics law. Topics include conflict of interest and a section on “Core Ethical Principles,” referencing

RCW 42.52.900. Clark College’s ethics policies emphasize important core academic values, such as

selflessness in public service, integrity, objectivity, and accountability. The college’s academic freedom

policy is also reiterated on Clark College

305.000 - Academic Freedom webpage.

Clark College administrative procedure 417.030, which accords with Chapter 42.52 RCW of the

Ethics in Public Service Act, provides all college employees the necessary guidelines to restrict activities

and/or external influences that might violate—or encourage the violation of—Washington State ethics

laws. All college employees are required to successfully complete an online training module on Chapter

42.52 RCW, utilizing the

HigherEd Works forum for the training.

The academic freedom of Clark College’s students is also protected by college policy. The Student

Rights section of The Clark College Student Code of Conduct addresses WAC 132N-125-030

which

states:

As members of the academic community, students are encouraged to develop the

capacity for critical judgment and to engage in an independent search for truth.

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic

freedom. The freedom to learn depends upon appropriate opportunities and

conditions in the classroom, on the campus, and in the larger community.

Students should exercise their freedom with responsibility. The responsibility to

secure and to respect general conditions conducive to the freedom to learn is

shared by all members of the college community.

This policy encourages Clark College’s students to embrace academic freedom as a cornerstone in

their development as successful learners and contributing members of their community.

2.A.28 Within the context of its mission, core themes, and values, the institution defines and actively

promotes an environment that supports independent thought in the pursuit and dissemination of

knowledge. It affirms the freedom of faculty, staff, administrators, and students to share their

scholarship and reasoned conclusions with others. While the institution and individuals within the

institution may hold to a particular personal, social, or religious philosophy, its constituencies are

intellectually free to examine thought, reason, and perspectives of truth. Moreover, they allow

others the freedom to do the same.

In a number of key documents, Clark College affirms its commitment to define and promote an

educational environment that supports independent thought in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge

in a number of key documents published on the college’s intranet, website, and in various printed formats.

The Clark College Vision Statement defines the college’s commitment to 1) inspire learners to excel,

2) transform lives, and 3) strengthen the increasingly diverse community while the mission statement

recognizes students as individuals within their own cultural context. The Clark College mission statement

mandates the college to guide individuals, in service to the community, to achieve their educational and

professional goals.

The “Values of the Clark College Community

,” presented in the policy on “Diversity and Free

Expression,” proclaims a learning environment absent of censorship and bigotry. This document commits

to and safeguards processes that respect the dignity of all persons, discourage bigotry, and support all

Clark College students and employees to learn, work, and develop.

Two core themes of the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan establish foundations for innovative

education and development opportunities for all employees. The first core theme, Academic Excellence,

is the underpinning for high-quality and innovative education, and stipulates all employees have

opportunities for professional development. The core theme Social Equity calls the college to improve the

intercultural competency among all community members to eliminate systemic disparities in educational

outcomes that improve social equity and social justice.

The CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement and “The 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic

Freedom and Tenure” encourage all opinions and freedom of expression.

Clark’s administrative procedure 510.090 ensures freedom of expression so long as it is not “hateful.”

The Diversity and Free Expression at Clark College Policy states that “free expression requirements may

protect many forms of hateful or intolerant speech and expressive conduct.” However, under a heading

titled “Free Expression--Our Values,” the following statement clarifies the college’s position:

[A]ny expression of hatred or prejudice is inconsistent with the values of Clark

College and the purposes of higher education in a free society. So long as

intolerance exists in any form in the larger society, it will be an issue on college

campuses. Clark College is committed to maintaining an environment free from

prejudice, inequity, and the misuse of power and privilege, and will use

opportunities such as open dialogues, debates, and discussions to broaden

understanding of the scope of protected speech and the role of tolerance in our

community.

The Code of Student Conduct ensures students’ rights to academic freedom (WAC 132N-125-030

)

and states, “Students are guaranteed the rights of free inquiry, expression, and assembly upon and within

college facilities that are generally open and available to the public.”

2.A.29 Individuals with teaching responsibilities present scholarship fairly, accurately, and

objectively. Derivative scholarship acknowledges the source of intellectual property, and personal

views, beliefs, and opinions are identified as such.

The CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement

addresses academic freedom and the responsibilities

of the teaching professionals, including the duty to respond to the accuracy of and respect for the opinion

of others. Article VI, Section A.4 of the CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement affirms that faculty

hold a

special position in the community [which] imposes special obligations. As a person of learning

and an educational officer, he or she should remember that the public may judge the profession

and the institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, exercise

appropriate restraint, show respect for the opinions of others, and make every effort to indicate

that they are not an institutional spokesperson.

The Clark College Faculty Handbook

addresses copyright and plagiarism issues for students. This

document addresses academic dishonesty and procedures for faculty when academic dishonesty is

discovered.

The Code of Student Conduct, available on Clark website, addresses and defines academic

dishonesty for students.

The CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement also includes a section pertaining to copyright and

intellectual property (Article VII, Section F.1-5). Copyright infringement policies are also set forward in

the Administrative Procedures Manual (

405.035 and 675.000) and cover topics such as the use of copy

machines, unauthorized duplication of computer software, general policies on copyrights and patents for

use by all employees, and a student policy on transmitting copyrighted information by email and

computer.

2.A.30 The institution has clearly defined policies, approved by its governing board, regarding

oversight and management of financial resources–including financial planning, board approval and

monitoring of operating and capital budgets, reserves, investments, fundraising, cash management,

debt management, and transfers and borrowings between funds.

The Washington State Legislature grants overall authority

for financial management of the

community and technical colleges to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Locally, the

Clark College Board of Trustees holds the authority to adopt an annual budget to finance the operation of

the college and to authorize borrowing money, and issuing and selling revenue bonds.

The board has

delegated to the president the responsibility for planning, and administering the annual budget. The Board

of Trustees receives monthly budget and expenditure status reports, and it reviews and approves the

annual operating budget sometime between June and September, depending on when the state legislature

passes a budget.

The president monitors budget status, college reserves, and cash management via monthly reports

prepared for his use with the Board of Trustees. The college has debt

of $7,765,000, excluding interest,

related to an energy efficiency grant and the remodel of our culinary facility and has minimal borrowing

between funds.

Clark College has an established board-approved reserves policy which requires a reserve of between

5 and 10 percent of the operating budget to allow for fluctuation in revenue and/or expenditure amounts

in a given fiscal year. The required reserves are calculated at the beginning of each fiscal year and the

ensuing figures are reported to the board in the monthly

fund balance report.

The college and the Clark College Foundation (Foundation) have entered into an agreement that

specifies the relationship between the two entities and describes the obligations of each. The Foundation

“is organized in order to: Operate exclusively for the purposes of promoting, supporting, maintaining,

developing, increasing, and extending educational offerings and the pursuit thereof at or in connection

with state community colleges operated by Clark Community College District No. 14” (

Foundation

Operating Agreement, December 28, 2009). The agreement includes the requirement for each party to

provide separate and audited accounting records. “The Foundation will list its accomplishments for the

preceding year and share with the college its revenue and expense statements for the preceding year and

its end-of-year balance sheet” (Foundation Operating Agreement, December 28, 2009).

Section C

Standard 2.B. Human Resources

2.B.1 The institution employs a sufficient number of qualified personnel to maintain its support and

operations functions. Criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selection of personnel are clearly

and publicly stated. Job descriptions accurately reflect duties, responsibilities, and authority of the

position.

Clark College guides individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals primarily

through a sufficient number of qualified employees, as more than 80% of the operational budget is

expended on personnel. Clark offers a variety of educational programs and disciplines of study. Faculty

members are selected to offer coursework to support these programs based on their qualifications as

outlined in the Clark College Association of Higher Education (CCAHE) Agreement, Article III

Moreover, faculty members, administrators, exempt staff, and classified staff are selected based on their

qualifications to provide the necessary resources and services to support Clark College’s core themes of

Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity. Collectively, the

work of these qualified employees culminates in students’ ability to learn and achieve their educational

and professional goals.

Community and technical college employees must meet specific qualifications outlined in the

Washington Administrative Code 131-16-080

. Qualifications of all college employees are maintained in

personnel files in Human Resources, and the qualifications of administrators and faculty members are

listed publicly in

the Clark College Catalog. Qualifications for key administrators are reported in

Standard 2.A.11. All full-time and part-time faculty members are required to submit official transcripts,

licensures, or credentials to confirm their educational background and professional experience. Currently,

the Human Resources department has official transcripts, licenses, and/or credentials for all full-time and

part-time faculty members.

The college uses carefully defined screening processes to ensure all employees are qualified for and

adept in the position they were selected to serve. All published recruitment announcements clearly state

the criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selection. The screening procedures are documented for

each classification as identified below:

• Administrative and Exempt Staff: Administrative Procedure 610.040

;

• Faculty Members: CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article III, Section L and

Administrative Procedure 610.048; and

• Classified Staff: Administrative Procedure 610.050.

There are a sufficient number of qualified personnel at Clark College. The match between need and

staffing is determined by two processes. The first process is as follows: executive cabinet members bring

staffing needs to carry out a function directly supporting an institutional objective, or department/unit

leads identify their needs within the context of the mission fulfillment strategies, core theme objectives,

and six mission fulfillment outcomes. If the college is not making the expected progress, then the

executive of the related programs and services requests resources needed as part of the college’s

continuous improvement process.

The second process involves ensuring the appropriate number of faculty for each discipline. Each

instructional unit creates a prioritized list to fill full-time faculty positions. Annually, the Vice President

of Instruction and instructional deans evaluate the lists and select the requested faculty positions

(including tenure-track and non-tenure track) that will be filled. The selections are based on the following

criteria:

• Current and projected enrollment growth in the discipline, and

• Disproportionate numbers of adjunct faculty members to full-time faculty members.

If personnel are needed to support and maintain current operations, but the positions cannot be filled

with the area’s current budget, Executive Cabinet members meet to discuss, prioritize, and determine

funding for those budget requests that most fully support the strategic plan.

All job descriptions accurately reflect the duties, responsibilities, and authority of the position. The

administrators, exempt staff, and classified staff job descriptions are updated annually in each employee’s

performance evaluation. Current job descriptions are available for all administrators online in an online

application entitled NeoGov. For classified staff, the annual evaluation process

begins with supervisor’s

review of the position description. Supervisors make updates at that time. Hard copies of the evaluation

documents are stored in locked and secured file cabinets in the Human Resources Department. Faculty

job descriptions are negotiated and recorded in Appendix C of the CCAHE Collective Bargaining

Agreement.

2.B.2 Administrators and staff are evaluated regularly with regard to performance of work duties

and responsibilities.

Administrators and staff are evaluated annually with regard to performance of work duties,

responsibilities, and the relevancy of their work to the college mission. The evaluation procedures for

administrators and staff vary by position, and are facilitated by a variety of tools that support the

evaluation process.

Administrators are evaluated every year by their direct supervisor and, every other year, receive a

comprehensive evaluation. A comprehensive evaluation includes three components: 1) self-evaluation; 2)

evaluation by peers, subordinates, students, or others as designated by the supervisor; and 3) supervisor

evaluation. This process is outlined in Administrative Procedure 665.000

. Criteria for the evaluation are

based on the work duties; responsibilities; soft skills, such as communication; and, the case of

administrators, success in carrying out the strategic plan.

Classified staff members utilize the Washington State Department of Human Resources performance

and development plan and forms. Supervisory employees are trained regarding the performance and

development plan, and are instructed to review the employee’s job descriptions as a part of the evaluation

process. Clark College has the policy that full-time classified employees are evaluated on an annual basis;

this process is outlined in Administrative Procedure 662.000

To ensure employees are evaluated on an annual basis, Human Resources records the date of the

evaluation as each is submitted. This practice allows the Human Resources department to monitor the

date of an individual’s most recent evaluation.

2.B.3 The institution provides faculty, staff, administrators, and other employees with appropriate

opportunities and support for professional growth and development to enhance their effectiveness

in fulfilling their roles, duties, and responsibilities.

Consistent with the core theme of Academic Excellence

and the objective, “Engage faculty,

administrators, and staff in professional development experiences that enhance student learning,” Clark

College encourages and provides faculty members, administrators, classified staff, and temporary hourly

employees with opportunities and support for professional growth and development. These opportunities

are selected to offer employees ways to enhance their effectiveness in fulfilling their roles, duties, and

responsibilities at the college.

Human Resources, along with the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), ensures the college provides

all employees with the appropriate opportunities and support for professional development.

There are two essential guides at the college which guide the direction for professional development

on campus: Employee Development and Faculty Development

(the latter of which is led by the Director

of the Teaching and Learning Center). Under the direction of Human Resources, Employee Development

leads professional development opportunities for administrative, exempt, classified, and temporary hourly

staff. The Faculty Development department leads professional development opportunities for faculty. The

two departments work closely together to maximize participation and exposure to the professional

development opportunities offered by the college; this partnership is especially critical since all offerings

support the college’s strategic plan.

Employee Development within Human Resources offers a variety of growth and development

opportunities for staff and faculty through on-campus trainings, online learning, the

Employee Assistance

Program (EAP), employee recognition, supervisory training, wellness activities, and professional

development funding. In addition, employee development is charged with welcoming and orienting new

employees to the college, and ensuring employees are aware of pertinent college policies essential to the

safety, health, and well-being of the organization and its community members. On-campus trainings are

designed to reflect current college and departmental initiatives, as well as the interests and needs of

employees. Past training sessions include topics on Drug Free Workplace, the WPEA contract, Equity in

Hiring, leadership training, policy and law, just cause and employee discipline, effective performance

management, employee benefits, and topics related to technology, public speaking, conflict resolution,

and safety in the workplace. Online learning opportunities exist in two forms: a Learning Management

System (i.e., Higher Ed Works), which provides safety and regulatory compliance training for staff and

full-time faculty, and access to

Lynda.com, an online subscription library that offers unlimited access to

over 1,300 business and software courses, delivered through high-quality instructional videos. Employee

Development also sponsors off-campus training opportunities that align with the college’s core themes

and are relevant to the employee's job duties.

Faculty Development offers a rich variety of resources and faculty development opportunities

designed to support Clark College’s mission, core themes, and core theme objectives. The college’s

strategic plan provides the connection for faculty to contribute to student success in a learning-centered

community by cultivating and supporting teaching excellence in a collaborative environment. Faculty

Development offers orientations for all new faculty members, retreats for new tenure-track and full-time

faculty, and Faculty Focus, a two-day professional development event each fall. Mentoring opportunities

and some faculty learning communities are facilitated through the TLC. Classroom management,

workplace and classroom communication, pedagogical use of technology, open education resources and

other pertinent topics have been offered routinely in one-time, bi-monthly, or monthly workshops and

meetings. To accommodate the varying needs and schedules of faculty, a weekly on-demand webcast

addresses an array of topics and interests such as how to help student veterans succeed, experiential

learning techniques, and how to refer students for help.

The Teaching and Learning Center partners with Outcomes Assessment, eLearning, the

Office of

Diversity and Equity, Information Technology Services, and Clark College Libraries to deliver relevant,

coordinated professional development opportunities for all employees. The TLC is proud to have received

a Commendation in the 2008 Accreditation report.

The Clark College Foundation supports the development of all employees by funding additional

opportunities. Many of these funds and opportunities are further supported by the operational budget.

• Administrative, exempt, classified, and temporary hourly staff members are eligible for up to

$300 of professional development funds per employee, per year, for off-campus training that

expands job skills in support of the college’s mission and core themes.

• All full-time faculty members receive an $800 Individual Faculty Development allowance each

biennium.

• Adjunct faculty members have access to professional development funds through their unit

budgets.

• Classified employees can also access an additional $500 of funding from the classified staff

professional development fund.

Clark College is able to provide many opportunities specifically for administrative and exempt

employees because of its membership with the

Community and Technical College Leadership

Development Association (CTCLDA), a professional development organization for college leaders of

publicly-funded community and technical colleges in Washington State. Clark College professionals are

encouraged to attend conferences sponsored by CTCLDA, which focus on timely issues for all levels and

divisions of community and technical colleges. These conferences are held in various locations around the

state. Clark College annually sends executive leaders to the

Washington Executive Leadership Academy

(WELA) that provides year-long and in-depth training and mentorship to become a vice president or

president. Supervisory staff members are also encouraged to attend many of the supervisory trainings

offered by the college, located in the region, and sponsored by the Washington State Board for

Community and Technical Colleges.

2.B.4 Consistent with its mission, core themes, programs, services, and characteristics, the

institution employs appropriately qualified faculty sufficient in number to achieve its educational

objectives, establish and oversee academic policies, and assure the integrity and continuity of its

academic programs, wherever offered and however delivered.

Clark College employs a sufficient number of qualified faculty members to fulfill the mission; ensure

the integrity and continuity of the educational programs offered; and establish and oversee the academic

policies. The college has multiple processes and contractual agreements with the Clark College

Association of Higher Education (CCAHE) regarding the college’s compliance with this standard.

Qualifications for faculty members are contained in WAC 131-16-091

and further defined in the

CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement. Faculty credentials are reviewed by hiring departments and

supervisors to ensure the educational objectives can be achieved and the integrity and continuity of the

academic programs can be maintained. Human Resources requires the submission of official transcripts,

licensures, or credentials for each new full-time and part-time faculty member hired. Official transcripts

are maintained in the faculty member’s personnel file.

Faculty who teach academic transfer courses must hold at least a master’s degree in the appropriate

discipline, although a few exceptions exist such as those made for some faculty members in the music

discipline. Faculty teaching in career and technical education programs must meet the standards for their

profession, which, at a minimum, include industry certification and experience. Current hiring practices in

Transitional Studies, ESL, and Developmental Education require full-time faculty to have earned a

master’s degree. Part-time faculty teaching in learning labs must hold a minimum of a Bachelor of Arts

degree with two years’ teaching experience in the field.

Faculty members are actively involved in overseeing academic policies and educational objectives,

and ensuring the integrity and continuity of academic programs. Faculty members actively participate on

the following committees

regarding academic policies, educational objectives, and academic programs:

Instructional Planning Team (IPT), Curriculum Committee, Professional Placement and Advancement

Committee, Adjunct Faculty Affairs Committee, CCAHE Senate, Outcomes Assessment Committee,

Program Improvement Process Committee, Associate of Arts (AA) Advisory Committee, and tenure

review committees. Faculty members also serve on the college’s core theme councils and guided

pathways pillar workgroups, which are important vehicles for shared governance.

The college’s educational objectives, academic policies, and the integrity and continuity of academic

programs are addressed primarily in three committees, referenced previously: Instructional Planning

Team, Curriculum Committee, and the Outcomes Assessment Committee. Both the Instructional Planning

Team and Curriculum Committee are referenced in the CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement in

Article I, Sections H and I. As stated in Article I, Section H, “The Instructional Planning Team is

responsible for instituting and overseeing the instructional planning process; making recommendations to

the Vice President of Instruction regarding academic policy such as distribution, transfer, and degree

requirements; developing and revising program review procedure, monitoring the scope of program

review, resolving disputes related to program review activities; and making recommendations to the Vice

President of Instruction regarding the approval of new programs and changes to and deletions of current

programs.” The team is composed predominantly of faculty members as specified in the collective

bargaining agreement.

The Outcomes Assessment Committee performs as a subcommittee to the IPT since IPT has the

authority to develop and revise program review procedures. Educational objectives and outcomes

assessment are the key components of program review. Most committee members are faculty.

According to Article I, Section I of the CCAHE Agreement, “The Curriculum Committee is

responsible for reviewing the appropriateness and integrity of course offerings, approving new courses

and course changes, and deleting individual courses. Committee review includes consideration of

appropriateness as a lower division course, congruence between content and credits, rigor of course, and

effect on students, programs, and college resources.” The team is also made up predominately of faculty

members as specified in the collective bargaining agreement.

While these committees ensure faculty members establish, oversee, and safeguard instructional

quality and integrity, it is up to the instructional deans and the Vice President of Instruction to assign a

sufficient number of faculty members to do this work well. As referenced in Standard 2.B.1, the

instructional deans and Vice President of Instruction annually evaluate where additional full-time faculty

members are needed. One of the two criteria for allocating additional full-time faculty positions is the

college’s commitment to address areas in which there is a disproportionate number of adjunct faculty

members to full-time faculty members. The ratio must be considered, in part, because full-time faculty

members are—and part-time faculty are not—responsible for committee work that ensures college and

instructional integrity and effectiveness. The college must fund adjunct faculty members separately to do

this work.

In sum, as described in the faculty position description

, faculty members must serve on committees

and engage in outcomes assessment activities to ensure that faculty oversee teaching and learning quality

and integrity. Their roles in these areas and in teaching and learning are critical to Clark College’s

mission fulfillment.

2.B.5 Faculty responsibilities and workloads are commensurate with the institution's expectations

for teaching, service, scholarship, research, and/or artistic creation.

The bargaining unit, the Clark College Association for Higher Education (CCAHE), represents

faculty members. The college negotiates a collective bargaining agreement

(CBA) with CCAHE that

specifies hours, wages, and other terms and working conditions for the faculty members.

Faculty workload for each department is described in the CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement

in Article VI, Section F. Workloads are negotiated by the Vice President of Instruction with the CCAHE.

A full load is calculated based on specific faculty contact hours in accordance with the chart included in

the collective bargaining agreement. Workload is a composite of many factors and may include contact

hours, office hours, number of class preparations, assessment of student learning, number of students,

number of students advised, committee assignments, curriculum development, hiring, and supervision of

staff and adjunct faculty.

The annual contract for full-time employees is 173 days, which includes 13 days of on-campus work

beyond days of instruction. The standard workweek consists of forty (40) hours, of which an average of

twenty-five (25) will be on campus. The on-campus requirement for counselors and librarians is thirty-

five (35) hours per week.

Faculty work responsibilities—as identified in the faculty position description and the annual contract

in terms of workload and number of days and hours—provide faculty members the ability and expectation

to engage in teaching, service, scholarship, research, and/or artistic creation. These activities provide the

necessary support to fulfill the college’s mission with regards to learning.

2.B.6 All faculty are evaluated in a regular, systematic, substantive, and collegial manner at least

once within every five-year period of service. The evaluation process specifies the timeline and

criteria by which faculty are evaluated; utilizes multiple indices of effectiveness, each of which is

directly related to the faculty member's roles and responsibilities, including evidence of teaching

effectiveness for faculty with teaching responsibilities; contains a provision to address concerns that

may emerge between regularly scheduled evaluations; and provides for administrative access to all

primary evaluation data. Where areas for improvement are identified, the institution works with

the faculty member to develop and implement a plan to address identified areas of concern.

All tenure-track faculty members participate in a rigorous and comprehensive performance evaluation

led by the tenure-review committee established for each probationer, as outlined in CCAHE Collective

Bargaining Agreement Article III, Section C

. The tenure committee is responsible for working with the

probationer until they are either granted tenure or is no longer employed by the college. The tenure-

review process is directed toward enhancing the quality of the probationer’s performance related to his or

her discipline or program. Each tenure committee establishes methods—consistent with the Tenure

Review Oversight Committee rules and appropriate for the discipline or program—of evaluating the

performance of each probationer and advises each probationer, in writing, at least quarterly of the

probationer’s progress. The consistency of the tenure process among probationers is overseen by the

Tenure Review Oversight Committee, as described in the collective bargaining agreement. The tenure-

review committee recommends tenure or termination to the Vice President of Instruction.

Post-tenure faculty evaluations are conducted on a five-year schedule and include the following

indices: student evaluations; peer feedback and observations; supervisor evaluation; and self-evaluation.

This process is described in

Article III, Section D of the CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Additionally, the collective bargaining agreement contains language to address a faculty member’s areas

for improvement, if needed. Such a need may lead to a recommendation for a professional development

plan that is developed in consultation with the instructional dean or supervisor and focused on identified

areas in need of improvement. The instructional dean or supervisor then reviews both the faculty

professional development plan and the individual’s progress toward achievement of plan objectives with

the faculty member at least annually.

All other faculty, including non-tenured faculty, adjunct, temporary, and special programs are

evaluated annually within the first three years of employment, according to Article III, Section D. Student

evaluations (collected in one course per quarter), peer evaluations including classroom observation

(collected once per year), and supervisor evaluations including classroom observation (collected once per

year) are the assessments used to evaluate other non-tenured or tenure-track faculty members (e.g., full-

time temporary faculty and adjunct). After these faculty members

have been with the college longer than

three years, they are evaluated in the same manner as the post-tenure faculty members. These procedures

are described in Article III, Section D.3 of CCAHE Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Section D

Standard 2.C. Education Resources

2.C.1 The institution provides programs, wherever offered and however delivered, with

appropriate content and rigor that are consistent with its mission; culminate in achievement of

clearly identified student learning outcomes; and lead to collegiate-level degrees or certificates with

designators consistent with program content in recognized fields of study.

Adhering to its mission to guide individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals, and

consistent with core themes, Clark College offers baccalaureate-level and associate-level degrees and

certificates that demonstrate appropriate content and rigor, while utilizing standards consistent with

program content in recognized fields of study. Clark College offers educational opportunities that lead to

collegiate-level degrees and certificates in academic and career and technical education, as well as

coursework in basic education.

Academic—Transfer Studies

Clark College offers multiple programs in academics, also known as transfer studies. (The college

does not differentiate the degree requirements for a terminal Associate of Arts [AA] degree from those for

a transfer AA degree because internal research demonstrates those pursuing a terminal AA degree are as

likely to transfer as those who declare they intend to transfer.) The purpose of transfer studies is to

provide students with a breadth and depth of general education knowledge and prepare them to transfer to

a four-year institution to pursue bachelor’s degree programs. The degree, in most cases, meets the first

two (2) years of general education requirements. Students select and complete coursework from

discipline-rich course offerings within distributions areas. Students can earn the Associate of Arts—

general transfer degree without selecting an area of interest or they can select other transfer degrees that

emphasize a major-related program of study, such as Biology. Listed below are the academic degrees

students can earn at Clark College:

• Associate in Arts (AA) degree: completion of a program of study for transfer to a baccalaureate

institution (including Major-Related Programs, Direct Transfer Agreement, and Option B);

• Associate in Science Transfer 1 (AST-1) degree: completion of a program of study in biological

sciences, chemistry, earth science, environmental/resources sciences, and geology in preparation

for transfer to a baccalaureate institution;

• Associate in Science Transfer 2 (AST-2) degree: completion of a program of study in computer

science, atmospheric science, engineering, and physics in preparation for transfer to a

baccalaureate institution; and

• Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree: completion of a program in fine arts in preparation for

transfer to a senior institution.

Career and Technical Education

Clark College provides educational opportunities in career and technical education (CTE) programs.

These programs provide students with skills and knowledge they can immediately apply to a specialized

field upon completion of the program. Clark College offers many CTE programs, listed in the

Clark

College Catalog. These programs are designed for students interested in gaining specific technical career

skills. The programs focus the students on completing program specific coursework, balanced by minimal

general education courses. In addition to its apprenticeship programs, Clark Colleges offers the CTE

degrees and certificates listed below:

• Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS): completion of an applied baccalaureate program in a career-

technical area with ability to transfer to graduate-level programs of another institution;

• Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree: completion of an applied program of study in a

career-technical area;

• Associate in Applied Science—Transfer (AAS-T) degree: completion of an applied program of

study in a career-technical area and enhanced general education for transfer;

• Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree: completion of a program of study in a career-

technical program;

• Certificate of Proficiency: completion of a program of study in a career-technical program

requiring a minimum of 45 credits;

• Certificate of Achievement: completion of a program of study in a career-technical program

requiring a minimum of 21 credits; and

• Certificate of Completion: completion of a program of study in a career-technical program

requiring fewer than 21 credits.

Basic Education

Basic Education, also referred to as Transitional Studies

, offers classes to students 16 years and older

to improve their skills in reading, writing, and math. The purposes of these courses are to improve

students’ abilities in order to promote their success in entry-level work and prepare them to transition to

academic or career and technical education programs.

The Transitional Studies department offers opportunities to earn a high school diploma, take the GED

test, learn English, or gain skills to be college or work ready. The department includes the following:

• Adult Basic Education (Career and Academic Preparation (CAP))

• English as a Second Language

• High School 21+ Program

• Adult Diploma Program

• General Educational Development Preparation (GED)

• I-BEST

• Transitional Studies Tutoring Center

Through integrated processes, Clark College ensures that all degree and certificate programs are

composed of discipline-specific courses with coursework that supports both the program learning

outcomes, and, where appropriate, general education and the learning outcomes of the related areas of

instruction. All new courses, revisions, and deletions are approved by the Clark College Curriculum

Committee, Administrative Procedure 845.000

. Composed primarily of faculty members, the Curriculum

Committee “reviews the appropriateness and integrity of course offerings and approves new courses,

course changes, and the deletion of individual courses. Committee review includes consideration of

appropriateness as a lower-division course, congruence between content and credits, rigor of course,

effect on students, programs, and College resources.”

The Instructional Planning Team (IPT), Administrative Procedure 865.000

, also plays a key role in

ensuring that all Clark College programs, defined as degrees and certificates, culminate in the

achievement of student learning outcomes and lead to collegiate-level degrees or certificates. The

Instructional Planning Team (IPT), also composed primarily of faculty members,

“institutes and oversees

the instructional planning process; makes recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction regarding

academic policies such as distribution, transfer, and degree requirements; oversees program reviews; and

makes recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction regarding the approval of new programs and

changes to and deletions of current programs.”

A third key college committee ensures Clark College’s educational programs culminate in

achievement of clearly identified student learning outcomes: the Outcomes Assessment Committee,

defined in Administrative Procedure 872.000

. This committee, consisting primarily of faculty members,

has three vital and closely related tasks: 1) it oversees and coordinates the development and assessment of

program-level assessment plans for all transfer and career and technical degree and certificate programs;

2) it supports the development and assessment of course learning outcomes; and 3) it assists in the

Program Improvement Process to ensure programs are closing the loop and improving based on

assessment feedback. Currently, there is a college initiative for instructional departments to formally

review course-level outcomes and link them to the appropriate program-level learning outcome(s).

Clark College is a member of the

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

(SBCTC), Intercollege Relations Commission (ICRC) of Washington State’s Student Achievement

Council, and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Each organization

works to ensure that the education programs offered within the member institutions have appropriate

content and rigor and that degrees and certificates culminate in collegiate-level learning outcomes. The

SBCTC must approve all new, substantive revisions, and deletions in

career and technical education

programs, including baccalaureates of applied science. ICRC establishes the requirements for the AA-

Direct Transfer Agreement that is recognized by all of the state’s publicly-funded baccalaureate

institutions. The process for reaffirmation of accreditation status within NWCCU requires that all

proposed programs, as well as proposed

substantive changes to or deletions of programs be reviewed and

approved by NWCCU. These three organizations require that their member institutions follow specific

processes as a condition of membership. These mandated processes are external requirements that Clark

College adheres to, and all are consistent with the 2.C.1 standard.

Clark College’s degree and certificate programs undergo a continuous improvement process, utilizing

the college’s newly developed and revised Program Improvement Process

(PIP); this process was

developed and approved in 2011-2012 by the Instructional Planning Team. PIP was implemented in

2012-2013 in order to improve student learning and assist the college’s instructional programs in

becoming more learning-centered. PIP was revised in 2016-2017 to include new indicators of academic

excellence as outlined in

Goal 2 of the academic plan.

Program review begins each fall when the Program Improvement Process (PIP) Committee reviews

data from the online Virtual Notebook

. Data indicators within the Virtual Notebook include enrollment,

retention, completion, course success, labor market information, transfer rates, and employment rates. The

Virtual Notebook is updated annually and is available to program faculty members and administrators on

the Clark College intranet.

In addition to the virtual notebook data, the PIP Committee reviews the following information from

the Clark College Academic Plan: identification of entry (including pre-college) paths; organization of

program curriculum within a guided pathway; exit pathways to transfer and/or employment; mapping of

courses and assignments to program outcomes; self-reported active learning strategies to support each

program outcome; evidence that students have learned program and course outcomes; evidence of

students' ability to analyze systems of power, privilege, and inequity; evidence that the appropriate

advisory committee has reviewed the program improvement process indicators; identification of program

improvement strategies (especially since last review); and active partnerships of program faculty with

actual businesses, educational institutions, and others.

Currently, learning outcomes are communicated to the PIP Committee by the college’s outcomes

assessment liaison who serves as an advisory member to the PIP Committee. The liaison provides

information to the committee about the previous year’s outcomes assessment projects and student

achievement of program-level learning outcomes.

The PIP Committee reviews all the data for programs scheduled for review during the current

academic year. Depending on the number of indicators that do not meet their benchmarks, the committee

will determine the extent of the follow-up action required by program faculty and make recommendations

for improvement. For some programs, the follow-up may simply require the faculty to provide additional

supporting documentation. For other programs, the follow-up will call for the formation of a Program

Action Team, consisting of the dean, program faculty, and other members chosen by the committee. The

Program Action Team's primary focus is developing an action plan to address the indicators that have

been noted as not meeting the benchmark. The Program Action Team then presents its findings and

improvement plan to the Instructional Planning Team for discussion and approval. Once approved by IPT,

the action plan is submitted to Instructional Council, made up of instructional deans and administrators, to

ensure budgetary support as well as to ensure that initiatives outlined in the plan are included in the

instructional planning process. Programs that have specialized accreditation may use their self-study

process and findings within the Program Improvement Process.

Clark College’s process to develop new programs ensures appropriate content and rigor, and

culminates in the achievement of learning outcomes in recognized fields of study; this process is outlined

in the Clark College Academic Plan

. As a recommending body to the Vice President of Instruction, IPT

has a direct line of communication to the college’s Executive Cabinet. A primary responsibility of IPT is

to help set the direction of the college’s program offerings. The Instructional Planning Team will still

provide program approval functionality (as it historically has done), but it now also has a more central

role in the instructional planning process. As of 2016-2017 IPT undertakes regular evaluation of regional

labor-market gap analysis coupled with information from community partners such as the Columbia River

Economic Development Council (CREDC) and Workforce Southwest Washington, educational partners

along the K-20 continuum, and information from members of the college community.

Based on this evaluation, IPT develops a work plan that prescribes the major programmatic changes

that Instruction will enact. Thus, IPT has become a more directive body, providing recommendations

about programs to expand, new programs to develop, programs that should be closed, and timelines for

these changes. To perform this new proactive and directive role, IPT conducts analysis of current

programs annually during fall quarter, based on an annual SWOT

(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,

and threats) report of Clark’s educational programs produced by the Office of Planning and Effectiveness

for the six-county region in both Washington and Oregon: Clark, Skamania, Klickitat, Multnomah,

Washington, and Clackamas. These SWOT reports include information from the labor-market gap

analysis between community need and college service, a mapping of college programs to

community/industry sectors, and an overlay of program costs/revenues on this mapping. The report

data—along with the identification of priority areas—derives from Economic Modeling Specialists

International (EMSI), the Columbia River Economic Development Council, Greater Portland Inc. (GPI),

advisory committees, strategic plans of regional partners, instructional program faculty, and the Clark

College Foundation. These reports also help identify the emerging need for new programs. IPT convenes

subgroups with associated faculty to further assess themes that emerge from the SWOT analysis. The

subgroups assess either the viability of potential new programs or changes in workforce and higher

education institutions that impact the college’s current educational programs.

Once the proposed or major revisions to a current program’s curriculum and outcomes have been

developed, they are presented to and approved or rejected by the appropriate program advisory

committee. Once approved, the program is presented to the Instructional Planning Team. New programs

must go through a minimum of two readings by the Instructional Planning Team to ensure that all

information items, issues, and questions have been presented and addressed. Program faculty members

also complete the Course Action Request

forms (CARs) for the new courses. These forms contain course

details such as course descriptions, pre-requisites, course rationale, content, hours, credits, fees,

capacities, transferability, course-level student learning outcomes, and complete syllabi. The CARs are

reviewed by the Curriculum Committee and used as the basis to approve or reject the curriculum

revisions. New transfer programs adhere to the same process outlined above with the exception of the

need for advisory committee approval.

The Clark College Curriculum Development Handbook also outlines required documentation to

prepare a new program for review by institutional stakeholders. Institutional stakeholders involved in the

process of new program development and approval include the instructional department and unit,

Instructional Council, Instructional Planning Team, Curriculum Committee, Executive Cabinet, and the

Board of Trustees. Vetting new programs through these institutional bodies permits the relevant area(s) of

the college to offer input and feedback, which enables that area to clarify and more effectively fulfill its

duty to support the necessary staffing, advising, library acquisitions, marketing, facilities, and equipment.

2.C.2 The institution identifies and publishes expected course, program, and degree learning

outcomes. Expected student learning outcomes for courses, wherever offered and however

delivered, are provided in written form to enrolled students.

All Clark College’s degree and certificate programs have identified and published program-level

outcomes in the Clark College Catalog

. The course-level student-learning outcomes are published in

course syllabi, as modeled in the college's syllabus template and on the online class schedule when

determining the course item number. All new courses, course deactivations, and revisions to existing

courses require

Course Action Request forms that specify student-learning outcomes and that must be

approved by Curriculum Committee, referenced in Administrative Procedure 845.000.

2.C.3 Credit and degrees, wherever offered and however delivered, are based on documented

student achievement and awarded in a manner consistent with institutional policies that reflect

generally accepted learning outcomes, norms, or equivalencies in higher education.

Clark College’s credits and degrees, regardless of location or modality, are based on documented

student achievement and awarded in a manner consistent with SBCTC, ICRC, and institutional practices.

Course credit is earned by students who meet the course’s student learning outcomes, and is awarded to

students in the form of grades recorded on transcripts

. Faculty members publish their criteria for grading

within their course syllabi.

Clark College's expectations and requirements for obtaining a certificate or degree are outlined online

in the Degree and Certificate Requirements section of the Clark College Catalog. In addition, by selecting

a program’s hyperlink in the online catalog, students can see all related certificates and degrees,

descriptions of the curriculum sequence, requirements, and the related program outcomes.

The SBCTC authorizes community and technical colleges to award various degrees and certificates as

official indicators of postsecondary program completion, and to award a high school diploma as an

indicator of high school-level completion. Colleges in Washington State are asked to identify each award

in the common administrative system using exit codes and specific Classification of Instructional

Programs (CIP) codes. In addition, the SBCTC requires that colleges identify completion of federal

apprentice programs, alternative certifications, and individually tailored workforce programs in the same

common administrative system. Clark College complies with all SBCTC and NWCCU mandates and

expectations in these areas.

Students may utilize Clark College's online degree audit system

to check their progress within degree

or certificate programs. Official evaluation of credits earned and applications for degree completion are

offered through the Credential Evaluations office. Upon the fulfillment of completion requirements and

prior to graduation, students submit a graduation application to the Credential Evaluations office in order

to be awarded a degree or certificate. Students are encouraged to submit this application one quarter

before they plan to complete their requirements. The Credential Evaluations office then conducts an audit

to ensure satisfactory completion of the program of study.

2.C.4 Degree programs, wherever offered and however delivered, demonstrate a coherent design

with appropriate breadth, depth, sequencing of courses, and synthesis of learning. Admission and

graduation requirements are clearly defined and widely published.

Clark College’s degree and certificate programs demonstrate a coherent design with appropriate

breadth, depth, sequencing of courses, and synthesis of learning. Clark College delivers education through

a variety of traditional locations and technology-based formats. Clark College facilitates student learning

by providing the conditions for intellectual growth through scholarship, discovery, application, creativity,

and critical thinking. To provide these conditions, the college has committed to the following core theme

objectives:

• Implement and institutionalize practices that increase academic performance, retention, and

completion.

• Create and sustain an inclusive and dynamic curriculum and environment that reflect our

diverse college community.

• Integrate active learning strategies within and across courses, disciplines, and programs with a

global perspective.

• Create and advance accessible, integrated, and technology-enriched learning environments.

• Engage faculty, administrators, and staff in professional development experiences that enhance

student learning.

• Align curriculum with learning outcomes and apply outcomes assessment evidence to

continually advance student learning.

Excellence of degree and certificate program design is ensured through the work of the Instructional

Planning Team (IPT). The Instructional Planning Team reviews and recommends the approval of new

degree and certificate programs and significant changes to existing programs through a process of checks

and balances; a change of 25 percent or more to the requirements of a program or certificate is considered

significant and requires committee approval. Requirements for transfer degrees are evaluated against the

criteria of the Intercollege Relations Commission (ICRC),

which oversees the transfer of credits among

all colleges and universities in Washington State. Any change to a program’s general education

requirements must have two readings before IPT approval so that all impacted departments may be

notified and consulted. All other degrees and certificate programs are based on Clark College criteria and

approved by the SBCTC.

The breadth, depth, sequencing, and synthesis of courses is ensured through the work of the

Curriculum Committee and by input from individual faculty content experts and departments whose work

includes consideration of prerequisite requirements and consecutive course numbering. Student learning

at Clark College is also actively monitored through mandated outcomes assessment processes for courses,

degrees, and certificates. Course, degree, and certificate sequences are available in the

Clark College

Catalog on the college website.

The quality of Clark College’s courses and degree and certificate programs is monitored and

improved through the work of the Program Improvement Process (PIP) Committee and the Outcomes

Assessment Committee (OAC). Clark College has developed a comprehensive Program Improvement

Process (PIP), which involves the joint efforts of the PIP Committee and OAC. The work of the PIP

Committee takes place under the direction of the Instructional Planning Team. The PIP Committee and

IPT make recommendations for the improvement of Clark College’s degree and certificate programs and,

if necessary, form Program Action Teams to address areas of concern; the goal of this work is always the

improvement of student learning.

Clark College’s admission requirements and deadlines are clearly defined and widely published in the

Clark College Catalog on the college website. Clark College also publishes and implements

admissions

policies that support open access, utilizing a completely web-based admissions application. The online

catalog lists requirements for general admission, limited and/or competitive-entry programs, and

exceptions to the general admissions policy. Alternate application formats are available through

Disability

Support Services for students who require special accommodations. Information for international student

admission is located on the Clark College website in multiple languages, as well as in International

Programs promotional materials. For international admissions, the college requires proof of English-

language proficiency; evidence of readiness includes a minimum score on the Test of English as a Foreign

Language, IELTS, STEP-Eiken, or successful completion of a predetermined course level from a partner-

intensive English program. Information for proof of English-language proficiency is provided on the

Clark College website.

Clark College’s graduation requirements are clearly defined and widely published online in the Clark

College Catalog. The online annual student catalog includes the requirements for each degree and

certificate, as well as information regarding the application of credit, including courses applied toward

each degree and/or certificate. The Clark College Catalog articulates program, degree, and certificate

requirements, as well as Student Right-to-Know Act

disclosures. Credential evaluators follow program,

degree, and certificate requirements for verifying completion as listed in the Clark College Catalog,

advising worksheets, and degree audit evaluation tools. Regarding exceptions for graduation

requirements, credential evaluators consider substitutions, waivers, and academic standards petitions.

Clark College is in the process of developing an online graduation application.

2.C.5 Faculty, through well-defined structures and processes with clearly defined authority and

responsibilities, exercise a major role in the design, approval, implementation, and revision of the

curriculum, and have an active role in the selection of new faculty. Faculty with teaching

responsibilities take collective responsibility for fostering and assessing student achievement of

clearly identified learning outcomes.

Clark College faculty members exercise a major role in the design, approval, implementation, and

revision of course curriculum; the commitment to faculty leadership in curricular issues is reflected in

Clark College’s committee structure.

The Clark College Curriculum Committee

includes two tenured faculty members from each

instructional unit, as well as one adjunct faculty member. As per the official committee description, the

Curriculum Committee “

reviews the appropriateness and integrity of course offerings and approves new

courses, course changes, and the deletion of individual courses. Committee review includes consideration

of appropriateness as a lower-division course, congruence between content and credits, rigor of course,

effect on students, programs, and College resources.”

Faculty members also participate in the work of the Instructional Planning Team (IPT),

with two

tenured faculty members from each instructional unit, as well as one adjunct faculty member. As outlined

in the official committee description, the Instructional Planning Team “

oversees the instructional planning

process; makes recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction regarding academic policies [in

areas] such as distribution, transfer, and degree requirements; oversees program reviews; and makes

recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction regarding the approval of new programs and

changes to and deletions of current programs.”

The Program Improvement Process Committee, which "functions as a sub-committee of IPT and is a

recommending body," as defined in the Program Improvement Process, also includes four faculty

members (two CTE and two transfer) and one faculty outcomes assessment liaison. The program

improvement process at Clark College improves and enhances student learning through continuous

improvement of instructional programs. Program improvement ensures that Clark’s programs practice

academic excellence by ensuring the conditions for student learning and intellectual growth.

The Outcomes Assessment Committee "oversee[s] and coordinate[s] the development of program-

level assessment plans for all transfer and CTE degree and certificate programs," and includes ten faculty

members, including at least four CTE faculty, and one faculty outcomes assessment liaison. Additionally,

Appendix C of the AHE Collective Bargaining Agreement specifies "fulltime and associate faculty

participate in outcomes assessment activities that impact student success.”

Under the direction and guidance of the Outcomes Assessment Committee and the Instructional

Planning Team, Clark College’s faculty develop and assess student-learning outcomes for each course

and degree or certificate program. This work is coordinated by the college’s outcomes assessment liaison,

whose full-time responsibility is the facilitation of this work for the college’s transfer and career and

technical degrees and certificates. Faculty groups have the autonomy to determine the most appropriate

outcomes and assessment methods for courses within their areas of expertise, while larger groups of

faculty stakeholders (Division, Department and/or Outcome Assessment Committee members) participate

in the development of program-level outcomes and assessments for the college’s many degrees and

certificates in collaboration with the Outcomes Assessment Committee and Instructional Planning Team.

As outlined in the college’s Academic Plan

and expected as one of the six mission fulfillment

outcomes, all programs must implement at least one action to improve student learning based on the

results of outcomes assessment. To achieve this, each degree and certificate must:

• Maintain assessable program learning outcomes,

• Complete the assessment cycle for each of its program learning outcomes,

• Map assignments and courses to program learning outcomes, and

• Base curricular improvements on assessment results.

The Outcomes Assessment Committee, in partnership with the PIP Committee, will ensure, assist and

support this work.

2.C.6 Faculty with teaching responsibilities, in partnership with library and information resources

personnel, ensure that the use of library and information resources is integrated into the learning

process.

Faculty utilize the library and other information resources in the teaching and learning process. This

use is facilitated through Clark College’s organizational structure, frequent professional development

opportunities for faculty members, program learning outcomes, and collection development partnerships

between librarians and other faculty.

The Dean of Clark Libraries and Academic Success Services is one of the six instructional deans

under the Vice President of Instruction. Faculty learn about library and information resources through

faculty development events (e.g., New Faculty Orientation) and collaboration with librarians.

The librarians collaborate with other faculty to design library instruction sessions

to meet specific

course outcomes, objectives, and assignments. Library faculty teach classes to a number of courses within

many departments. Librarians use the

Clark College Libraries website as an instructional tool, working

with faculty across the college to develop point-of-need class guides that are customized to the outcomes

of the class. Librarians have also created a number of subject-specific tutorials for faculty to use in their

classrooms.

Library personnel work with faculty to provide access for students to textbooks and supplemental

course materials

such as videos and journal articles. Library personnel also work with faculty to purchase

and provide access to classroom films. Additional partnerships with departments provide access to

equipment and study spaces.

Clark College’s transfer degrees call for information literacy. The librarians updated the competencies

for the information literacy outcome in 2016 to align with the

Framework for Information Literacy for

Higher Education. In Fall 2017, faculty librarians used artifacts from biology, chemistry, and

communication studies classes to assess the college-wide information literacy outcome. Findings and next

steps were submitted to the college’s outcomes assessment liaison.

Librarians share responsibility for selecting library resources in assigned areas of the curriculum.

Faculty members collaborate in collection development by submitting requests for materials in their

respective academic fields. The Clark College Libraries Collection Development Policy

defines selection

criteria and outlines procedures with respect to purchases, gifts, and removal.

2.C.7 Credit for prior experiential learning, if granted, is: a) guided by approved policies and

procedures; b) awarded only at the undergraduate level to enrolled students; c) limited to a

maximum of 25% of the credits needed for a degree; d) awarded only for documented student

achievement equivalent to expected learning achievement for courses within the institution’s

regular curricular offerings; and e) granted only upon the recommendation of appropriately

qualified teaching faculty. Credit granted for prior experiential learning is so identified on

students’ transcripts and may not duplicate other credit awarded to the student in fulfillment of

degree requirements. The institution makes no assurances regarding the number of credits to be

awarded prior to the completion of the institution’s review process.

The Clark College

administrative procedure 320.030, Earning and Awarding Credit for Prior

Learning, articulates when and how credit for prior experiential learning is awarded. Credits may be

awarded only if the learning experiences align with the course curriculum of the college and cannot

duplicate credits already awarded. Credit is awarded only to enrolled students and is limited to a

maximum of 25 percent of the credits required for a degree. Further, credit is awarded only if a student

achievement equivalent can be documented and linked to the expected learning outcomes for courses

within Clark College’s existing curriculum. The credit-by-examination option is awarded only when

recommended by appropriately qualified teaching faculty.

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) is the academic credit awarded and transcripted only when a

student’s demonstration is documented and assessed to show that applicable course outcomes are met as a

result of their prior learning experience(s). Policy:

1. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) may be awarded for documented experiential learning outside

the college upon the recommendation of appropriately qualified teaching faculty. Appropriately

qualified faculty hold credentials substantiating their experience, training, and degrees

commensurate with their designated career and professional areas and disciplines.

Documentation may be in the form of, but is not limited to, a licensure or certification document,

a transcript, or a portfolio project that demonstrates that learning outcomes have been

accomplished. Experiential learning outside the college may include volunteer and community

involvement experiences, military service, cooperative education, work experience, business and

industry certifications, and other applicable life experiences.

2. Credits may be determined and awarded only upon the recommendation of appropriately

qualified teaching faculty to ensure that the learning experiences fall within the regular

applicable course outcomes of the college.

3. No more than 25% of degree or certificate requirements can be satisfied by CPL credit. Students

with International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or Advanced Placement (AP) credits earned prior to

entering college may transfer in up to 60 credits. IB and AP credits do not apply to the 25% of

degree or certificate requirements that can be satisfied by CPL.

4. Prior learning assessment processes, procedures and associated fees will be communicated to

potential students through publication on the Clark College Website and in the college catalog.

5. Clark College will track data on the number of students awarded credit for prior learning

including, but not limited to: the number of credits awarded for prior learning, types of

assessment methods used, and associated costs to the students. This data, as well as other

required information, will be submitted to the Washington Student Achievement Council as

required.

6. Documentation for all Prior Learning Assessments will be kept in accordance with the

Washington Student Achievement Council and state archiving requirements.

2.C.8 The final judgment in accepting transfer credit is the responsibility of the receiving

institution. Transfer credit is accepted according to procedures which provide adequate safeguards

to ensure high academic quality, relevance to the students' programs, and integrity of the receiving

institution's degrees. In accepting transfer credit, the receiving institution ensures that the credit

accepted is appropriate for its programs and comparable in nature, content, academic quality, and

level to credit it offers. Where patterns of student enrollment between institutions are identified, the

institution develops articulation agreements between the institutions.

Students who have attended other institutions of higher education may choose to transfer credit to

Clark College to meet degree requirements. Clark College publishes its transfer policies in the

Degree and

Certificate Requirements section of the Clark College Catalog. Transfer credits are accepted by the

college if earned at an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association recognized by the

United States Department of Education and/or if the credit accepted is appropriate to its program and

comparable in nature, content, and academic quality.

The Credential Evaluations office administers the process to accept or deny transfer-in credits. The

process is documented in the training materials for all Credential Evaluations office staff. Some

determinations to accept transfer-in credit are made relatively straightforward by Clark College’s

participation in

common-course numbering for publicly funded community and technical colleges in

Washington State and the precedent set for commonly transferred courses. Outside of these examples, the

Credential Evaluations office staff reviews the course content and determines whether at least 75% of the

course material matches the Clark College course. If credentials staff cannot determine the similarities in

learning content and outcomes, they will review the course syllabus. If a determination still cannot be

made, the Credential Evaluations office consults with the appropriate dean and/or faculty member to

make final determinations in accepting transfer credit from other institutions.

The Academic Standards Committee, referenced in Administrative Procedures 803.000, also plays a

role in the determination to accept transfer-in credit to count toward a degree or certificate. One of the six

responsibilities of this committee is to “evaluate credits transferred from non-accredited institutions,

service schools, training institutions, etc.” Almost half of the committee members are faculty. Appropriate

faculty members outside of the committee are consulted in making the determination of whether to accept

transfer credit in these situations. In addition, the Academic Standards Committee makes

recommendations to the Instructional Planning Team regarding educational requirements.

Clark College is a member of the Intercollege Relations Commission (ICRC) of the Washington

Student Achievement Council. The purpose of ICRC is “to facilitate transfer between institutions for all

students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in Washington State.” ICRC is composed of Washington State’s

community and technical colleges and universities. ICRC is the organization that determines the courses

and competencies that will be included in the Associate of Arts—Direct Transfer Agreement degree (AA-

DTA), the most common type of degree earned by Clark College students.

Clark College is also a member of Articulation and Transfer Council (ATC), which is part of the

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). The ATC recommends

solutions related to state-wide transfer issues to the SBCTC’s Instruction Commission and generally

carries out the state-wide work of implementing the solutions to issues once those recommendations have

been approved by the Instruction Commission. In addition, ATC also develops and establishes common

major-ready pathways for the state’s community colleges. Clark’s membership and compliance with the

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guidelines in both ICRC and ATC help to ensure that incoming as well as outgoing transfer credits

support transfer degrees of high academic quality.

Students with credits from international institutions of education, like students from U.S. schools,

may submit their academic records for credit consideration. With a few exceptions, Clark College does

not recognize English coursework completed at institutions outside of the United States. Clark College

requires translation and evaluation of the student’s academic record from a member agency of the

National Association of Credential Evaluation Services

. The cost of the agency service is the

responsibility of the student.

Clark College works with local high schools and institutions of higher education at large to facilitate

transfers into and out of Clark College. Articulation agreements with high schools occur within the

Tech

Prep program. The purpose of Tech Prep is to put students on the pathway to earning a degree from Clark

College by allowing them to complete selected career and technical education classes while still in high

school.

Clark College currently has articulation agreements with other colleges and baccalaureate institutions

to support successful transfer. These articulation agreements are developed in response to student demand

and employment conditions. The appropriate dean and/or a faculty lead work with representatives of the

other institutions to develop the articulation agreement. The Advising Department uses the information to

advise students.

2.C.9 The General Education component of undergraduate programs (if offered) demonstrates an

integrated course of study that helps students develop the breadth and depth of intellect to become

more effective learners and to prepare them for a productive life of work, citizenship, and personal

fulfillment. Baccalaureate degree programs and transfer associate degree programs include a

recognizable core of general education that represents an integration of basic knowledge and

methodology of the humanities and fine arts, mathematical and natural sciences, and social

sciences. Applied undergraduate degree and certificate programs of thirty (30) semester credits or

forty-five (45) quarter credits in length contain a recognizable core of related instruction or general

education with identified outcomes in the areas of communication, computation, and human

relations that align with and support program goals or intended outcomes.

Clark College offers transfer associate degrees, applied associate degrees, certificates of proficiency

requiring 45 quarter credits, and bachelor of applied science degrees. The transfer associate of arts

degrees require coursework in general education areas identified within this standard as well as

coursework designed to help students meet outcomes in health and physical education; information

literacy; and power, privilege, and inequity. Career and technical education baccalaureate-level, associate-

level, and certificate programs require not only specific courses to meet general education requirements,

some programs also incorporate these general education abilities within the program-specific courses.

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The table below presents the number of credits for general education requirements for each degree

and certificate:

Degree

Required General Education Credits

Humani-

ties and

Fine

Arts

Mathe-

matics

and

Natural

Science

Social

Science

Communi-

cation

Computa-

tion

Human

Rela-

tions

Oth-

Bachelor of Applied

Science

10 15 10 10 N/A N/A 15

Associate of Arts

N/A

Associate of Science

Transfer—Track 1

5-10 62 5-10 5 N/A N/A 8

Associate of Science

Transfer—Track 2

5-10 35 5-10 5 N/A N/A 35

Associate of Fine

Arts—Graphic Design

5 10 5 5 N/A N/A 65

Associate of Fine

Arts—Studio Art

5 10 5 5 N/A N/A 65

Associate of Applied

Science

3 3 3 6 3 3 62

Associate of Applied

Technology

N/A N/A N/A 5 5 5 75

Certificate of

Proficiency

N/A N/A N/A 3 3 3 36

All other college-level credits required to earn a degree or certificate.

The general education learning outcomes are listed below:

Humanities and Fine Arts:

• Interpret the human experience, within appropriate global and historical contexts, through

evaluation, analysis, creation, or performance.

Mathematics and Natural Science:

• Analyze and interpret quantitative information presented verbally, graphically, numerically,

and/or symbolically.

• Demonstrate and clearly explain an effective strategy to solve a quantitative problem.

• Apply a method of scientific inquiry, valid to the natural sciences, to evaluate claims about the

natural world.

Social Science:

• Evaluate, analyze and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and methods

in the Social Sciences.

Communication:

• Articulate well-considered ideas and written claims to an academic audience, using effective

rhetorical techniques, properly credited evidence, and a command of Standard English.

• Apply communication theory to demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

Computation:

• Demonstrate and clearly explain an effective strategy to solve a quantitative problem as

appropriate for a career and technical education program.

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Human Relations:

• Demonstrate interpersonal/human relations skills as appropriate for a career and technical

education program.

Coursework within all degrees

offered by Clark College guides students to be more effective learners

and prepares them for a productive life of work, citizenship, and personal fulfillment. All transfer degrees

offer students courses to learn about their own unique personal and professional interests;

human

development; physical education and health; equity within the context of systems of power, privilege and

inequity; information literacy; service learning; and civic engagement. Most career and technical

education degrees offer students the ability to complete elective coursework that supports their interests in

work, citizenship, and personal fulfillment, but all require communication, computation, and human

relations.

2.C.10 The institution demonstrates that the General Education components of its baccalaureate

degree programs (if offered) and transfer associate degree programs (if offered) have identifiable

and assessable learning outcomes that are stated in relation to the institution's mission and learning

outcomes for those programs.

The Clark College Catalog

identifies the college’s mission: "Clark College, in service to the

community, guides individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals." To assist students in

achieving this end, Clark College’s transfer and applied baccalaureate degrees are designed around

assessable student learning outcomes consistent with the college’s mission, with emphasis on the

college’s commitment to academic excellence, social equity, and economic vitality.

All of Clark College’s transfer and applied baccalaureate degrees have approved student learning

outcomes that reflect what students know and can do upon the completion of the degree. These program

learning outcomes are reviewed for clarity of language and ability to assess by the Outcomes Assessment

Committee, which ultimately makes recommendations to the program faculty if changes are needed.

Finally, that same committee approves the learning outcomes on behalf of the Instructional Planning

Team.

The program-level student learning outcomes

for the Associate of Arts—General Transfer degree (to

include all of the Major-Related Programs, Direct Transfer degree, and Option B) and general education

components of the bachelor or applied science degree are clearly identified in the catalog and listed

below. Clark College’s applied baccalaureate degrees share the same general education learning outcomes

as the transfer degrees. Each outcome is systematically assessed by multi-disciplinary groups of faculty

members with teaching responsibilities.

• Associate of Arts

o Obtain, evaluate, and ethically use information.

o Articulate well-considered ideas and written claims to an academic audience, using

effective rhetorical techniques, properly credited evidence, and a command of Standard

English.

o Analyze and interpret quantitative information presented verbally, graphically,

numerically, and/or symbolically.

o Demonstrate and clearly explain an effective strategy to solve a quantitative problem.

o Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors.

o Interpret the human experience, within appropriate global and historical contexts, through

evaluation, analysis, creation, or performance.

o Analyze patterns of power, privilege, and inequity in the United States.

o Evaluate, analyze, and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and

methods in the Social Sciences.

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o Apply a method of scientific inquiry, valid to the natural sciences, to evaluate claims

about the natural world.

o Apply communication theory to demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

• Bachelor of Applied Science

o Interpret the human experience, within appropriate global and historical contexts, through

evaluation, analysis, creation, or performance.

o Evaluate, analyze, and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and

methods in the Social Sciences.

o Apply a method of scientific inquiry, valid to the natural sciences, to evaluate claims

about the natural world.

o Apply communication theory to demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

o Articulate well-considered ideas and written claims to an academic audience, using

effective rhetorical techniques, properly credited evidence, and a command of Standard

English.

o Analyze and interpret quantitative information presented verbally, graphically,

numerically, and/or symbolically.

Clark College’s science degrees have similar yet distinct outcomes appropriate to the degree.

Assessment of all program-level outcomes for all transfer-associate degrees and applied baccalaureate

degrees follows a systematic process overseen by the Outcomes Assessment Committee. The assessment

projects of the shared learning outcomes across the AA, two associate of science degrees, and bachelor of

applied science degree are common and results are used to measure the learning outcomes across all

transfer and applied baccalaureate degrees. Those outcomes distinct to Associate of Science Transfer-1

and Associate of Science Transfer-2 are assessed separately. The outcomes for these two science transfer

degrees are as follows:

• Associate of Science Transfer-1

o Apply scientific methodologies to develop and answer questions about the natural world.

o Demonstrate understanding of the derivative as an instantaneous rate of change and the

definite integral as a limit of a sum.

o Analyze and solve multi-step problems using techniques through single-variable calculus.

o Acquire scientific information from appropriate sources to analyze issues, claims or

situations.

o Apply a method of scientific inquiry, valid to the natural sciences, to evaluate claims

about the natural world.

o Articulate well-considered ideas and written claims to an academic audience, using

effective rhetorical techniques, properly credited evidence, and a command of Standard

English.

o Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors.

o Interpret the human experience, within appropriate global and historical contexts, through

evaluation, analysis, creation, or performance.

o Obtain, evaluate, and ethically use information.

o Analyze patterns of power, privilege, and inequity in the United States.

o Evaluate, analyze, and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and

methods in the Social Sciences.

o Apply communication theory to demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

o Demonstrate and clearly explain an effective strategy to solve a quantitative problem.

• Associate of Science Transfer—2

o Demonstrate understanding of the derivative as an instantaneous rate of change and the

definite integral as a limit of a sum.

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o Apply fundamental principles and relationships from the Natural Sciences to analyze

technological or scientific problems.

o Apply scientific and technological knowledge and methodologies to creatively solve

technological or scientific problems.

o Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors.

o Obtain, evaluate, and ethically use information.

o Acquire scientific and technological information from appropriate sources to examine

issues, claims or situations.

o Analyze and solve multi-step problems using techniques through single-variable calculus.

o Articulate well-considered ideas and written claims to an academic audience, using

effective rhetorical techniques, properly credited evidence, and a command of Standard

English.

o Interpret the human experience, within appropriate global and historical contexts, through

evaluation, analysis, creation, or performance.

o Evaluate, analyze, and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and

methods in the Social Sciences.

o Analyze patterns of power, privilege, and inequity in the United States.

o Analyze and interpret quantitative information presented verbally, graphically,

numerically, and/or symbolically.

o Apply communication theory to demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

o Demonstrate and clearly explain an effective strategy to solve a quantitative problem.

2.C.11 The related instruction components of applied degree and certificate programs (if offered)

have identifiable and assessable learning outcomes that align with and support program goals or

intended outcomes. Related instruction components may be embedded within program curricula or

taught in blocks of specialized instruction, but each approach must have clearly identified content

and be taught or monitored by teaching faculty who are appropriately qualified in those areas.

All of the applied degrees and certificate programs offered by Clark College have documented and

assessable program learning outcomes, including the related areas of instruction (See 2.C.9). All program

learning outcomes have been reviewed and approved by the Outcomes Assessment Committee as

identifiable and assessable. The program learning outcomes are published in the Clark College Catalog.

Six of the seven related areas of instruction are similar to six of the learning outcomes found in the

associate-level transfer degrees. Each career and technical education (CTE, i.e., applied) program has at

minimum the related instruction learning outcomes associated with communication, computation, and

human relations, but may select from four additional related instruction outcomes. Since the coursework

to fulfill these learning outcomes is similar to—or, in some cases, the same as—the coursework that

supports the AA degree, common assessment results are used to assess these learning outcomes in applied

degrees. Where the coursework differs, assessment will occur within the specific courses. The learning

outcomes of related instruction are as follows:

• Communications: Articulate well-considered ideas and written claims to an academic audience,

using effective rhetorical techniques, properly credited evidence, and a command of Standard

English. as appropriate for a career and technical education program

• Computation: Demonstrate and clearly explain an effective strategy to solve a quantitative

problems appropriate for a career and technical education program

• Human Relations: Demonstrate interpersonal/human relations skills as appropriate for a career

and technical education program

• Health & Physical Education: Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors as appropriate for

a career and technical education program

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• Humanities: Interpret the human experience, within appropriate global and historical contexts,

through evaluation, analysis, creation, or performance as appropriate for a career and technical

education program.

• Social Science: Evaluate, analyze, and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using

perspectives and methods in the Social Sciences as appropriate for a career and technical

education program.

• Natural Science: Apply a method of scientific inquiry, valid to the natural sciences, to evaluate

claims about the natural world.

Program faculty members are actively engaged in assessing all program-level outcomes. CTE (i.e.,

applied) program faculty members have aligned the course outcomes to the program outcomes. Therefore,

as course outcomes are assessed, the program outcomes are also assessed.

CTE teaching faculty members must have a current vocational certification on file with Clark College

and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). This requirement is

outlined in the Washington Administrative Code 131-16-092. Compliance with this regulation ensures

that faculty members who teach applied programs are qualified.

Vocational certification includes a professional development plan. CTE faculty members must update

their professional development plan every five years; new CTE faculty must complete the professional

development plan within their first three years. CTE faculty members must perform at least one

assessment activity from the following list in order to complete their professional development plan and

receive their vocational certification:

• Identify, evaluate, and modify current outcomes.

• Create, evaluate, and modify assessments.

• Implement curriculum, outcomes, and assessments.

• Identify, evaluate, and modify program outcomes and assessments.

• Initiate, develop, and implement student assessments.

• Modify instructional material and methods based on student and industry assessments and

feedback.

2.C.16 Credit and non-credit continuing education programs and other special programs are

compatible with the institution's mission and goals.

Economic & Community Development’s

(ECD) lifelong learning programs offer training and courses

for upgrading job-related skills, as well as personal and cultural enrichment. These programs support the

college’s core themes of academic excellence and economic vitality. Because ECD plays such a critical

role in carrying out the strategic plan, the vice president reports directly to the president, and also meets

regularly with the Vice President of Instruction to partner in their offerings where appropriate. ECD offers

courses and training that include

professional development for the workplace, Corporate Education,

Community Education, and Mature Learning.

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2.C.17 The institution maintains direct and sole responsibility for the academic quality of all

aspects of its continuing education and special learning programs and courses. Continuing

education and/or special learning activities, programs, or courses offered for academic credit are

approved by the appropriate institutional body, monitored through established procedures with

clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and assessed with regard to student achievement. Faculty

representing the disciplines and fields of work are appropriately involved in the planning and

evaluation of the institution's continuing education and special learning activities.

Economic & Community Development maintains direct and sole responsibility for the academic

quality of all aspects of its continuing education and customized training programs and classes

. All

programs and classes are approved by program managers, monitored through established procedures with

clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and assessed with regard to student achievement.

Economic & Community Development’s instructors are appropriately involved in the planning,

teaching, and evaluating of classes. Instructors draft proposed curricula

and learning outcomes for all

classes, except where the curriculum and learning outcomes are mandated by the state: e.g. Certified

Nursing Assistant courses. The proposed curriculum is submitted to Economic & Community

Development’s leadership who approves it or sends it back for revisions based on business advisors and

subject matter experts. All courses are

evaluated on a consistent and ongoing basis. Student evaluation

results are reviewed with instructors by Economic & Community Development staff in a continuous

improvement cycle, and changes are implemented accordingly.

2.C.18 The granting of credit or Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for continuing education

courses and special learning activities is a) guided by generally accepted norms; b) based on

institutional mission and policy; c) consistent across the institution, wherever offered and however

delivered; d) appropriate to the objectives of the course; and e) determined by student achievement

of identified learning outcomes.

Economic & Community Development offers classes, workshops, and seminars for Continuing

Education Units (CEUs) according to Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

and Washington State’s Office of the Superintendent (OSPI) guidelines and policies

The Economic & Community Development registration department issues and maintains records of

students who have been issued CEUs as outlined by each CEU provider. Program managers maintain

course records that include the type of training, level of training, and quality of service as a component of

the evaluation process for non-credit courses.

2.C.19 The institution maintains records which describe the number of courses and nature of

learning provided through non-credit instruction.

Economic & Community Development uses an in-house student and course management system,

Campus CE

. Information is also stored in the college’s student management system, SMS, to provide a

comprehensive picture of all the courses that the college offers. All students who register through the

online system are registered into both Campus CE and SMS. Courses are created and maintained in

Campus CE; these records include class dates, times, instructors’ names, student information, and class

rosters.

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Section E

Standard 2.D. Student Support Resources

2.D.1 Consistent with the nature of its educational programs and methods of delivery, the

institution creates effective learning environments with appropriate programs and services to

support student-learning needs.

Clark College creates effective learning environments with appropriate programs and services to

support student learning and success needs as reflected in the mission statement and the first college-wide

objective of the core theme, Academic Excellence

: “Implement and institutionalize practices that increase

academic performance, retention, and completion.” Due to the diverse characteristics of students and

comprehensive nature of the college’s programs, Clark offers many different learning environments to

enhance student success. A few of these programs and services are listed below:

Academic Early Alert

Early alert systems in higher education are a best practice to enhance academic performance,

retention, and completion. In response to student feedback, Clark College developed an early alert

technology application in 2010 to support student success and learning at the course level. In Summer

2018 that technology application was replaced with a different application—

Penguin Alert for Student

Success (PASS)—that allows faculty to indicate specific areas of academic concern and write comments

to students who then receive official notification of the alert through their Clark College email. Staff who

support specific student cohorts then outreach to those who receive alerts to discuss academic and

personal challenges, provide individualized recommendations for campus support services, and encourage

communication with instructors.

Tutoring Services

at Clark College provides academic support at no cost to students in a variety of

pre-college and college-level courses. Tutoring focuses not only on helping students to understand course

content, but also on teaching them to build strategies and habits that enhance student success: e.g. study

skills, organization, and time management. Four tutoring centers are located on the main campus:

Language & Writing Center, Accounting & Business Center, Transitional Studies Tutoring Center, and

Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Center. Additionally, Clark College is a member of the

Western eTutoring Consortium on eTutoring.org, which offers synchronous and asynchronous tutoring

online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To ensure quality and consistency of support for students, Tutoring Services is overseen by an

associate director and employs two additional full-time administrative staff. Faculty, paraprofessional,

and peer tutors are available to meet the diverse academic needs of Clark’s student population. Tutoring

help is offered by appointment and on a drop-in basis. Tutoring Services utilizes tracking software that

allows the college to gather student usage data that is correlated with students’ academic records.

Integrated Basic Education Skills Training (I-BEST)

The I-BEST program

is designed to help students get further faster on a career or educational

pathway or academic transfer. I-BEST has two instructors: one is a specialist in his/her technical field and

the other is a specialist in academic skills, such as writing, reading, and math, and may also have

qualifications to teach technology, research, and soft skills. They work together to integrate the

curriculum. Students have the benefit of being part of a learning community cohort of 20-25 students with

the same two instructors. Students may take an I-BEST program if they are assessed at a basic education

level in reading or math; meet CASAS testing requirements; are working on their GED, ESL, or Basic

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Skills; and are interested in an I-BEST track offered by Clark. Clark offers the following I-BEST

programs: Nursing Assistant Certificate, Early Childhood Education Certificate of Achievement,

OnRamp to Healthcare, and Academic I-BEST.

Disability Support Services

Clark College and the Disability Support Services (DSS)

staff assist those with disabilities in

pursuing their educational goals. The DSS staff is committed to ensuring that Clark College, its services,

programs, and activities are accessible to all individuals with disabilities. The institution takes seriously

its responsibility to follow both the spirit and letter of all pertinent federal and state mandates.

Clark College recognizes that traditional methods, programs, and services may need to be altered to

provide full accessibility to qualified persons with disabilities. The DSS office is the primary focus of

efforts by Clark College to ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of disability. Through DSS, qualified

persons with disabilities express their concerns regarding attitudinal or procedural barriers. DSS addresses

any academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids needed to ensure equal access. DSS provides information

and auxiliary aids or services, and serves as the resource to the college community in striving to make

Clark College both an accessible and a hospitable place for persons with disabilities to enjoy full and

equal participation.

Co-Curricular Activities

Many co-curricular activities—most of them funded by the Associated Students of Clark College

(ASCC)—are offered to students. Student-funded co-curricular programs provide students with a wide

variety of opportunities for personal growth and development; these programs also support student

learning through engaging students in environments within their fields of study or career goals.

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Co-Curricular Activity

Description

Archer Gallery

Provides educational and cultural exhibitions to the Clark College main campus,

as well as to the community as a whole.

Athletics

Supports various athletic programs at Clark. Funds allocated for athletics cover

costs for insurance, tournaments, officials, and training supplies.

Child and Family

Studies

Offers on-campus childcare to Clark College students, faculty, staff and local

community parents.

Clark Art Talks

Brings an artist in each month to talk about different artistic techniques as well as

their experiences as an artist.

Counseling and Health

Center

Provides Clark students with valuable advice, counseling, and treatment for

health-related issues.

The Independent

Produces the Clark College campus newspaper, The Independent.

Instrumental Music

Provides students the opportunity to participate in Jazz Band.

Intramural

Provides students the opportunity to participate in intramural sports.

Men’s and Women’s

Athletics

Provides opportunities to participate and become a member in men’s and

women’s athletic teams. The funds support their travel expenses and necessary

gear.

Model United Nations

(MUN)

Provides opportunities to participate in simulated United Nations activities.

Students become delegates representing different countries and research topics to

adopt that country's view.

Diversity and Equity

Focuses on supporting diversity at Clark by providing program support, services,

and activities that assist all students, staff, faculty, and the greater community.

Orchestra

Provides students the opportunity to participate in Concert Band.

Pathway Peer Mentors

Provides services to support students’ academic success and personal

development. The goal is to mentor students and help them overcome barriers as

they transition to higher-level coursework from basic education.

Pep Band

Provides the opportunity to students to participate in Pep Band.

Phi Theta Kappa

Provides opportunities to students to develop leadership and service skills among

students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above.

The Phoenix

Creates and publishes an award winning art and literary magazine titled The

Phoenix.

Student Ambassadors

Provides outreach, both at Clark and away. Ambassadors provide services such as

tours and general information.

Student Government

Provides opportunities to participate in Student Government, a service-oriented

program that emphasizes ethical leadership.

Student Nursing

Association of Clark

College

Promotes social activities and health-related service activities on and off campus,

and provides an atmosphere that fosters life-long learning. Weekly meetings

inform students of political trends in nursing.

Students of the

American Dental

Hygienists’ Association

Focuses on student professional development and community service through

support of social, cultural, educational, and leadership experiences with the

college campus, local community, and the National Dental Hygiene Association.

Theatre

Presents three plays each year, generally one musical dinner theatre and two

plays.

Vocal Music

Provides students the opportunity to participate in Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Concert

Choir, and Women's Choir.

World Languages

Provides Clark College students with study abroad opportunities of varying

lengths and costs in German-, French-, Spanish-, and Japanese-speaking

countries. Each program determines eligibility criteria for participation, and most

programs travel in the summer.

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Library

The college offers many learning environments for students to study independently, work in groups,

and receive assistance from reference librarians both at the main campus and the Columbia Tech Center.

Physical space for library services and corresponding learning environments are offered at the Cannell

Library [main campus], and the Information Commons [Columbia Tech Center]. These environments

provide the needed physical environment to effectively support student-learning.

Student Success Workshops

Student Success Workshops are offered to students at no cost through the Career Services department.

The workshops engage students in curriculum to strengthen their skills and abilities. These workshops

also teach students how to use successful strategies to pursue and obtain employment in their preferred

fields. Listed below are workshops in which students can participate:

• Academic Success Resources.

• APA & MLA Citation.

• Assertive Communication.

• Budgeting Basics.

• Career Exploration.

• Choosing a Career/Major.

• Conflict Resolution.

• Coop/Internship Info.

• eLearning/Moodle.

• Interview Skills.

• LinkedIn for Job Search.

• Myths of Multitasking.

• Procrastination.

• Professional Networking.

• Reading for College.

• Resume Building.

• Stress Management.

• Study Skills.

• Test Taking Tips.

• The Informational Interview.

• The 60-Second Commercial.

• Time Management.

• Value of Volunteering.

The Pathways Center provides learning support to students enrolled in the Basic Education program

at Clark College. The Student Learning Center provides:

• Specialized individual and group tutoring;

• Peer mentors who support students and help them access needed resources;

• English conversation and pronunciation practice groups;

• Computers with educational software;

• A learning resource collection; and

• Workshops that help improve literacy and life skills.

STEM Help Centers

Three Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) help centers are offered on the main

campus: Math Help Center, STEM Help Center, and Women in STEM Math Help Center. Students can

drop-in to receive free student support/tutoring for courses in math, astronomy, chemistry, physics, and

other areas. The centers provide tutoring and online resources that assist students with strategies and

clarification to understand coursework and complete assignments.

2.D.2 The institution makes adequate provision for the safety and security of its students and their

property at all locations where it offers programs and services. Crime statistics, campus security

policies, and other disclosures required under federal and state regulations are made available in

accordance with those regulations.

Clark College’s Security and Safety

department reports to the Vice President of Administrative

Services and is dedicated to ensuring that faculty, staff, students, and visitors can work, study, and

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participate in college activities in a reliably safe environment. To this end, the college provides 24/7/365

security coverage—including holidays—on the main campus and at the Columbia Tech Center. Security

at the Clark Center is provided by WSU-Vancouver’s campus law enforcement.

Security and Safety’s primary responsibility is to promote safety by preventing crime: responding to

incidents and medical calls; providing information to all members of the college community; enforcing

parking and traffic regulations; lending emergency assistance; managing lost and found; escorting faculty,

staff, and students to and from buildings and/or parking lots as requested; working closely with other

areas of the college—such as the bookstore, cashiering and the Student Conduct Office—to address

specific risks; and collaborating with local law enforcement, including the school resource officer at

nearby Hudson’s Bay High School.

In the past year, the college has undertaken a number of security enhancement initiatives, including

upgrading exterior lighting, installing window coverings in buildings vulnerable to an active shooter, and

adding security cameras. Crime statistics and other required disclosures,

available on the college website,

indicate that Clark continues to be a safe environment, even given our large population of faculty, staff,

students, and visitors and the size of the main campus (over 100 acres).

In addition to managing day-to-day security operations, the director of Security and Safety also serves

as one of two main points of contact for launching the college’s bias-based incident response protocol,

oversees the Emergency Management and Response program, and lends expertise as a standing member

of the college’s Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (BITA) team (see below for more

information).

The multi-disciplinary BITA team is a crucial part of the college’s overall security program. The team

proactively identifies, intervenes, and responds to student behaviors that raise concerns that a student

poses a danger to self, others, or the college community. Anyone in the college community can report

unusual or threatening behavior by students to the online BITA Incident Report/Referral Form

even if

such behavior is not perceived as a direct threat or an immediate danger. The BITA team consists of

representatives from Student Affairs, Diversity and Equity, Security and Safety, Student Conduct,

Disability Support Services, Counseling, and Instruction. The team reviews all reports, consults with

others, and takes action as appropriate, which may include making referrals.

2.D.3 Consistent with its mission, core themes, and characteristics, the institution recruits and

admits students with the potential to benefit from its educational offerings. It orients students to

ensure they understand the requirements related to their programs of study and receive timely,

useful, and accurate information and advising about relevant academic requirements, including

graduation and transfer policies.

Clark College’s Entry Services and Enrollment Services provides outreach and recruitment efforts in

line with the college’s mission, core themes, and characteristics. Admitted students who are new to

college are required to both participate in an orientation event and meet with an advisor prior to

completing education planning and first quarter registration. Program-specific academic advising occurs

following the new student orientation. Academic advising

is also required for all credit-accumulating

students at specific points of progress in the student’s academic career at Clark College in order to ensure

that the student is on track for graduation. Comprehensive advising and academic planning resources are

available online; these include

Degree Audit, educational planning tutorials, advising worksheets, and

program information guides. Programs of study, degree and certificate requirements, general academic

requirements, graduation information, and transfer policies are available in the Clark College Catalog.

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2.D.4 In the event of program elimination or significant change in requirements, the institution

makes appropriate arrangements to ensure that students enrolled in the program have an

opportunity to complete their program in a timely manner with a minimum of disruption.

Clark College students enrolled in programs that may be eliminated or placed on hiatus for review are

provided opportunities to complete their program in a timely manner through a teach-out process or

through the substitution of other approved courses. The Instructional Planning Team (IPT) provides

oversight and recommendations to the Vice President of Instruction regarding

Curriculum and Program

Development, as well as program changes and/or deletions.

The Clark College teach-out procedure is established by the Vice President of Instruction to direct in

the elimination of an instructional program at Clark College. Programs enter the teach-out process upon

the direction of the Vice President of Instruction.

Key roles of all campus entities:

a. Dean of affected program (hereafter referred to as “the dean”): Initiates the teach-out process;

serves as initial main point of communication for students, faculty, and staff; presents

information to students in open forum setting (if applicable); collects and tracks pertinent

documents for teach-out; and moves the program(s) through the appropriate internal deactivation

process.

b. Enrollment Services: Eliminates the program intent code associated with the teach-out program,

assigns and applies an Unusual Action (UA) track code, and monitors the students in teach-out

program each term to verify eligibility for program.

c. Planning and Effectiveness: Provides pertinent data about all students eligible for teach-out, such

as courses students are currently enrolled in, courses completed, and courses remaining.

d. Advising: Assists students identified in teach-out and assists the dean on developing course-

sequencing schedule for courses remaining for program completion and makes

recommendations for course offerings.

e. Office of Instruction (OOI): Assists dean and affected department(s) with the deactivation of

program and courses through the appropriate committees, updates the Program Toolbox to

reflect these changes, sends notice of changes to impacted entities (SBCTC, other departments,

Financial Aid, Dept. of Ed, NWCCU, Advisory Committee volunteers, etc…), and updates all

appropriate documents and media.

f. Financial Aid: Assists students with any financial aid questions or concerns regarding the teach-

out process. Notifies the Department of Education of program deactivation. Financial aid is able

to provide funding for up to three years for students participating in a teach-out.

g. Communication and Marketing: Removes program from website, removes key word search

capabilities from the website, deactivates social media accounts, discards recruitment materials,

and removes mention of program from future advertising materials.

h. Program Faculty: Assist the dean in the communication of the teach-out process, refer students

to the campus resources, and assist in tracking the students in program.

1. Starting the Teach-Out Process:

a. The dean will provide OOI with a memo notifying OOI of the program teach-out with

effective deactivation date. OOI will then change status of teach-out program to “hidden” in

the program list interactive in the program toolbox, which removes it as an option on the

major declaration application. OOI will submit memo to IPT and identify and notify any

other programs that rely on courses that are exclusive to the program in teach-out. Once

approved, OOI will put the deactivation date in the program tool box as well as remove the

program from the next year’s catalog and notify the State Board Community and Technical

Colleges (SBCTC) and Financial Aid of program deactivation and teach-out timeline. The

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dean and department will provide a list of “do not print” courses for the catalog, and submit a

deactivation CARs to OOI.

b. The dean will define a date and/or term when the teach-out process will begin. To be

considered for the teach-out process, a student must be coded as pursuing the program of

study by the designated date.

c. Planning and Effectiveness will compile a list of all students currently coded as pursuing a

certificate or degree in the program being taught out. In addition to current students, all

students coded as pursuing the teach-out program from the past three years will be included

in the teach-out eligibility list.

i. All students who have successfully completed the program will be removed from the

teach-out eligible list.

ii. All students are required to identify a program of study upon entering the college.

Intent codes are periodically checked against enrollments by Financial Aid and

Advising to ensure the coding is as accurate as possible.

d. The dean will communicate pertinent teach-out information to other impacted instructional

areas and to the larger college community and will work with Communications and

Marketing to remove all program information from the college website, social media, and

advertising materials.

e. The dean will draft a letter explaining both that the program is being deactivated and that a

teach-out process is being initiated. The letter will provide an overview of the process and

instruct the student that, if they want to complete the program, they need to fill out the

accompanying Major Declaration Form (MDF) and return the form to the dean’s office by the

date named in the letter. Generally, students are given three to four weeks to return the form

to the college. If the student is not interested in completing the program, no action is required.

The letter, along with the MDF, is sent via email and US postal service to all students on the

teach-out eligibility list.

f. Upon receipt in the dean’s office, all MDFs are time and date stamped.

g. Once the date for returning the MDF has passed, a list of those who have indicated a desire to

complete the program is generated.

i. The official teach-out list of students is sent to Advising Services, Financial Aid, and

Enrollment Services.

ii. Enrollment Services applies the Unusual Action code to all students on the teach-out

list.

h. Using the teach-out list, the dean and Advising will create a spreadsheet of courses required

for degree completion, noting each teach-out student’s successfully completed coursework

and identifying the remaining requirements specific to program completion.

i. Based on the identified courses required, the dean will work with faculty and

Advising Services to create the teach-out schedule. The teach-out schedule outlines

what quarters each courses will be offered to provide each student with an

opportunity to complete all required coursework in the most efficient timeframe. This

process takes into account pre-requisite course requirements and the number of

credits students can reasonably be expected to attempt in a given quarter.

ii. In conjunction with the development of the teach-out schedule, Advising develops

educational plans for each student.

iii. It is the responsibility of each student to successfully complete all coursework

identified in their teach-out schedule. Failure to do so may jeopardize their ability to

continue in the teach-out.

i. All courses in the given program area are changed to permission only and an Unusual Action

(UA) code is created by Enrollment Services and placed on the transcript of each student

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participating in the teach-out. This step allows the college to identify and track those students

who are confirmed teach-out participants.

j. The dean and/or associated faculty will take the program deactivation through IPT, and once

approval is granted, OOI will remove the program(s) slated for teach-out from the upcoming

catalog, communicate the deactivation of the program to the SBCTC, and update the program

toolbox.

k. Once the program teach-out is complete, the program deletion will be finalized with SBCTC

and the Department of Education, and all associated classes will be deleted from the college’s

inventory through Curriculum Committee.

2. Monitoring the Teach-Out Process:

a. Once a program has been officially deactivated, SBCTC allows the institution three (3) years

to conduct the teach-out. If a student does not meet the deadline for completion, the student is

removed from the teach-out and prompted to declare a new program of study by Enrollment

Services.

b. Instructional dean, Enrollment Services, and Advising Services will monitor quarterly the

enrollment and progress of students in the teach-out program and assigned the Unusual

Action (UA) code for the teach-out. These entities will find and flag the following:

i. A break in enrollment and program requirements prevents the student from]

completing with remaining course offerings; student will be removed from teach-out

process.

ii. A student changes their program code (UA should be removed).

iii. A student is enrolled in courses that are not part of teach-out program.

c. If students who are not part of the teach-out return with an old program code, Enrollment

Services will remove the code and prompt the student to declare a new major.

2.D.5 The institution publishes in a catalog, or provides in a manner reasonably available to

students and other stakeholders, current and accurate information that includes: a) Institutional

mission and core themes; b) Entrance requirements and procedures; c) Grading policy; d)

Information on academic programs and courses, including degree and program completion

requirements, expected learning outcomes, required course sequences, and projected timelines to

completion based on normal student progress and the frequency of course offerings; e) Names,

titles, degrees held, and conferring institutions for administrators and full-time faculty; f) Rules,

regulations for conduct, rights, and responsibilities; g) Tuition, fees, and other program costs; h)

Refund policies and procedures for students who withdraw from enrollment; i) Opportunities and

requirements for financial aid; and j) Academic calendar.

The Clark College Catalog

is located online with the option to download by page, or in its entirety as

a PDF. The Catalog Review Team includes representatives from Instruction, Advising Services,

Registrar, Student Engagement, Enrollment Services, and Financial Aid. The catalog has moved to

CourseLeaf software to increase accuracy and accessibility.

Information for Clark College’s academic programs can be accessed through numerous online entry

points including the following: the main page, program pages/areas of study, and the academics drop

down menu. When a program is selected, degrees and certificate options appear, which contain general

education and major area requirements and program outcomes. Timelines for completion are included

under the

Gainful Employment Program Information heading; these timelines also appear on the

homepage of the catalog.

The current Clark College Catalog publishes Clark College’s vision, mission, and core themes on the

main homepage. In the section titled Enrollment, Aid and College Life, one can readily locate

information, policies, and procedures that address admissions requirements, financial aid, refund policies

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for students who withdraw from enrollment, tuition and fees, and grading policies. Visitors to the site will

find program costs on the homepage of the catalog under the Gainful Employment Program Information

link, which is updated annually. Information regarding rules, regulations for conduct, and rights and

responsibilities can be found in the section called College Information. Directories, located in the section

titled Directories and Academic Calendar, include the name, title, degrees held, and conferring

institutions for the Board of Trustees, Executive Cabinet, Administration, Faculty, and Clark College

Foundation staff. The current academic calendar can be found in this section as well.

2.D.6 Publications describing educational programs include accurate information on: a) National

and/or state legal eligibility requirements for licensure or entry into an occupation or profession for

which education and training are offered; b) Descriptions of unique requirements for employment

and advancement in the occupation or profession.

The Clark College Catalog

provides general information about the licenses and degrees required for

entry into occupations and professions for academic and career and technical programs, but it does not

provide specific up-to-date information detailing the requirements for licensure or entry into an

occupation for every program offered by Clark College. The

Career Pathways webpage identifies the

unique requirements of employment and advancement opportunities in occupations or professions related

to the college’s programs.

Individual program websites contain information detailing specific

requirements for these programs: e.g. Nursing, Pharmacy Technician, and Dental Hygiene.

2.D.7 The institution adopts and adheres to policies and procedures regarding the secure retention

of student records, including provision for reliable and retrievable backup of those records,

regardless of their form. The institution publishes and follows established policies for

confidentiality and release of student records.

Clark College follows the general records

retention schedule for the Washington State Community

and Technical College System, and the appropriate disposal of records is managed in accordance with

these guidelines. Prior to disposal, required hardcopy student records are scanned into the college’s

document imaging system, ImageNow, in the event of a need for future reference. All electronic records

are saved and backed up through a process that occurs each night.

Clark College publishes Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) information in the Clark

College Catalog, on the Policies and Procedures page of the college’s website, and in the Administrative

Procedures Manual (710.020). Students may request a copy of their records at any time by following the

college’s established request policy. Students may also request access to their directory information by

following the college’s established procedures.

2.D.8 The institution provides an effective and accountable program of financial aid consistent with

its mission, student needs, and institutional resources. Information regarding the categories of

financial assistance (such as scholarships, grants, and loans) is published and made available to

prospective and enrolled students.

The Clark College Financial Aid Office

is instrumental in achieving the first objective of the

Economic Vitality core theme by providing opportunities that improve college affordability to students

who would not otherwise be able to afford the cost of higher education. Clark College adheres to a fair

and equitable packaging policy that is consistently applied when awarding federal, state, and institutional

financial aid. To further expand access, the department is highly automated, and students apply online and

submit required documents electronically. Students may also receive information via email and the

student portal.

Automated reports are used extensively to monitor student eligibility, track expenditures, perform

self-audits, and produce statistics. The Clark College Financial Aid and Business Services offices work

collaboratively to develop procedures and processes to ensure compliance with NWCCU standards, and

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annual audits have produced no findings. Specific financial aid program information is available to

prospective and current students online, as well as through presentations such as Financial Aid Night.

2.D.9 Students receiving financial assistance are informed of any repayment obligations. The

institution regularly monitors its student loan programs and the institution's loan default rate.

Student loan borrowers are required to complete

entrance counseling and sign a master promissory

note prior to loan certification. Clark College requires the student to submit an annual application that

specifies the period of the loan, type of loan, and amount the student wishes to borrow. Students must

apply for federal financial aid before a

private loan application will be considered for certification.

Clark College reviews continued financial aid eligibility at the end of each quarter. Students who are

suspended due to lack of satisfactory academic progress

must complete loan exit counseling. Students

who graduate or otherwise leave Clark College are emailed exit counseling information.

Clark College engaged American Student Assistance to provide education debt management services

to student borrowers. Ongoing outreach by Clark College provides current students and alumni with debt

management strategies to reduce loan delinquency and default. Clark College has also created a financial

wellness/literacy coach position to educate students about finance, borrowing, and managing their money.

Additionally, financial literacy education is embedded in the first-year experience course designed to

increase student success and retention. Clark College is researching other vendors to enhance Clark’s

financial literacy program and reduce loan delinquency and default.

2.D.10 The institution designs, maintains, and evaluates a systematic and effective program of

academic advisement to support student development and success. Personnel responsible for

advising students are knowledgeable of the curriculum, program requirements, and graduation

requirements and are adequately prepared to successfully fulfill their responsibilities. Advising

requirements and responsibilities are defined, published, and made available to students.

Clark College has developed and implemented an effective advising system

to enhance student

success as a specific focus of two college core themes, Academic Excellence and Economic Vitality. In

response to a recommendation from the

2008 NWCCU accreditation evaluator’s report, the following

improvements were made to the existing system:

• Advising department reorganized to ensure effective advising specialization and access;

• Online advising support through email redesigned to improve response time to within two to three

business days;

• Advising worksheets for all degrees and certificates created and available on the Advising

website for students, staff, and faculty;

• Advising website created or enhanced with the following features:

o Advising worksheets;

o An advising syllabus;

o Frequently Asked Questions regarding Advising and Student Services;

o Math and English course sequencing flow charts;

o A new student checklist;

o Links to related departments; and

o Advising contact information.

• Weekly department meetings implemented for ongoing professional development of advising

staff and communication on important advising information; and

• Advising tracking software utilized by professional and faculty advisors to ensure a seamless

advising experience as students work with advising staff.

Clark College’s Advising Services department has made significant improvements in line with the

strategic plan and in accordance with NWCCU recommendations. Continued improvements

are being

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made to adhere to the guided pathways essential practices as outlined by American Association of

Community Colleges, as directed by the Goal 1 of the academic plan.

2.D.11 Co-curricular activities are consistent with the institution's mission, core themes, programs,

and services and are governed appropriately.

All co-curricular and extracurricular activities relate to Clark College’s mission and core themes

providing opportunities for students to learn both in and outside the classroom as the college builds a

culture of connection to support the retention and progression of all students. Activities and programs

provided relate to the following core themes:

• Academic Excellence—Through Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC) co-curricular

programs, students are provided opportunities for practical application of the theory and skills

they learn inside the classroom.

• Social Equity—Co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities are designed to support the needs

of diverse populations and to offer various experiences and resources to students.

• Economic Vitality—Through the use of Service and Activities (S&A) fees, learning

opportunities beyond the classroom are made available to students to allow access where

affordability may be a barrier. Students who work in student government, on the activities

programming board, or in any of the work-study positions related to the Office of Student Life

gain valuable work experience with transferrable skills that could lead to gainful and meaningful

employment beyond college.

• Environmental Integrity—Involvement in student government and other student programs and

activities allows students a voice in the shared governance process. ASCC is dedicated to

institutionalizing sustainable practices.

These services are governed by the Clark College Office of Student Life and the Associated Students

of Clark College (ASCC) and through the officially recognized constitution, bylaws, financial code

, and

club handbook.

2.D.12 If the institution operates auxiliary services (such as student housing, food service, and

bookstore), they support the institution's mission, contribute to the intellectual climate of the

campus community, and enhance the quality of the learning environment. Students, faculty, staff,

and administrators have opportunities for input regarding these services.

Clark College offers two auxiliary services that enhance the quality of the educational environment

and support students to be effective learners: a college bookstore and a variety of food service options.

The Clark College Bookstore reports to the Vice President of Administrative Services

and is a

modern, well-run facility with a clear focus on serving students and the college community. The

bookstore effectively supports the core themes of Academic Excellence and Economic Vitality by

offering students affordable options for obtaining needed course materials, classroom supplies, computers

and software (through partnerships with Dell and journeyed.com), and technology accessories (e.g., jump

drives, earbuds, etc.). To sustain high levels of services and respond to changing customer needs, the

bookstore engages in continuous improvement and shared governance by actively soliciting input from

students, staff, and faculty regarding its services and resources. For example, in Fall 2016 and Spring

2017, the bookstore participated in the national

Student Watch course material survey. In addition, the

bookstore has a Survey Monkey tool on its public website to invite feedback from customers on an

ongoing basis. The bookstore manager routinely reviews survey results and takes action as appropriate.

One of the bookstore’s most popular services is its book rental program. Students save approximately

$400,000 annually over costs of purchasing by renting from among 300 titles. At a time when other

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schools are contracting out bookstore services, the college is pleased to continue to run its own operations

where, as the Clark College Bookstore’s website proudly proclaims, every dollar spent stays with the

college.

Primary food service at Clark College is provided through the Culinary Arts Institute program

, which

reports to the Dean of Workforce, Professional and Technical Education. After a five-year hiatus this

program was brought back in Fall 2017 with a revamped curriculum and a new, state-of-the-art culinary

facility. Students in the Culinary Arts program prepare a variety of breakfast, lunch, and grab-and-go

offerings in a cafeteria-style environment, as well as lunch offerings in a restaurant dining room

environment (to be opened in Fall 2018). When culinary students aren’t in class, food service is sustained

throughout the day by paid professional staff. In addition to cuisine, the college also offers a full-service

retail bakery counter, selling fresh baked items made by students in the program.

Additionally, Clark College has two coffee shops offering a variety of drinks and pastries and a café

that offers a wide range of sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, and pizza. These services are owned and

operated by outside vendors who contract with the college. Last year, in response to a growing concern

about food insecurity among our students, the college opened up the

Penguin Pantry, which provides

healthy grab-to-go snacks and grocery items to full and part-time students at no cost.

Currently, food service is available at Clark College’s two satellite facilities. Despite repeated efforts,

outside food vendors have not been successful at either the Clark Center the campus of

Washington State

University-Vancouver or the Columbia Tech Center in east Vancouver. However, WSU-V does have a

cafeteria on its campus available to Clark’s faculty, staff and students, and a number of retail food venues

are available within walking distance of the Clark Center.

2.D.13 Intercollegiate athletic and other co-curricular programs (if offered) and related financial

operations are consistent with the institution's mission and conducted with appropriate institutional

oversight. Admission requirements and procedures, academic standards, degree requirements, and

financial aid awards for students participating in co-curricular programs are consistent with those

for other students.

In line with Clark College’s mission and core themes, intercollegiate athletics and other

co-curricular

programs facilitate student learning and success, and guide individuals to achieve their educational,

personal, and professional goals. The financial operations of the Athletics department, as well as other co-

curricular programs, are maintained with appropriate institutional oversight through the director of

athletics and the Office of Student Life. As an ASCC (Associated Students of Clark College) funded

program, athletics is bound by the same scrutiny as other co-curricular programs in terms of financial

operations, academic requirements, academic standards, degree requirements, and financial-aid awards.

Title IX compliance is maintained, and the college has invested in consultation services and appropriate

follow-up actions to ensure full compliance.

Clark College’s Athletics department maintains a high level of student participation and demonstrates

its commitment to student academic performance by monitoring faculty-prepared progress reports

semimonthly. The department also requires that each student athlete spend a minimum of four (4) hours

per week in study hall

. Each quarter, staff review student academic records and verify eligibility. Each

athlete creates an educational plan at the start of his or her first year through the advising office. Student

athletes follow the same admission, degree, and financial aid requirements, as well as college policies and

procedures, as all other students. Academic standards for athletes meet the

Northwest Athletic Conference

(NWAC) requirements published in both the NWAC Code Book and the National Collegiate Athletic

Association (NCAA) Transfer Guide. Game schedules are published before the start of each season and

sports practices are scheduled to provide the least conflict with students’ academic schedules.

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2.D.14 The institution maintains an effective identity verification process for students enrolled in

distance education courses and programs to establish that the student enrolled in the distance

education course or program is the same person whose achievements are evaluated and

credentialed. The institution ensures the identity verification process for distance education

students protects student privacy and that students are informed, in writing at the time of

enrollment, of current and projected charges associated with the identity verification process.

Clark College maintains an effective student identification process for students enrolled in distance

learning (eLearning) courses. This process ensures student privacy and informs students about current and

projected charges as well as materials costs associated with this process.

All Clark College students are assigned a student identification number (SID). An initial password is

issued to the student; during the first login, the student is required to change the password. The SID and a

secure password are required for logging into the course management system or learning management

system (LMS), which supports Clark College’s online classes.

In addition to the above security and identity verification process, instructors of individual eLearning

courses use a variety of methods to verify student identity in the assessment process. Some Clark College

instructors require proctored high-stakes exams for online and hybrid courses.

Students can request a password reset link via the LMS in the event of a forgotten password. This link

is sent to the student email listed in the LMS for recovery. The student’s email is their Clark College

email account, but students can add an additional personal email account for further account recovery

options.

In order to access additional necessary online resources, such as library databases, all students have a

lab login account. The lab account, as well as the Clark College student email password, can be managed

through the student self-help portal, My Clark

. This web page provides Clark students with a convenient,

secure online location to determine their username, set-up their account, and access a variety of online

student services. Students receive a notification that logging in with another person’s credentials

constitutes improper use of the system and is a violation of state and federal privacy laws.

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Section F

Standard 2.E. Library and Information Resources

2.E.1 Consistent with its mission and core themes, the institution holds or provides access to library

and information resources with an appropriate level of currency, depth, and breadth to support the

institution's mission, core themes, programs, and services, wherever offered and however delivered.

Clark College Libraries

are an essential service offered to support mission fulfillment by playing a

crucial role in programs, services, and all four of the college’s core themes: Academic Excellence, Social

Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity. The entire college community uses the resources

provided by the library in some capacity. A central part of the library’s role is providing access to

information resources necessary to support students and faculty in the learning process.

Academic Excellence

Clark College Libraries provide current, relevant, and extensive library collections and information

resources to support the college’s programs and services. The collections

provide access to essential print

materials, licensed electronic resources, and computers and other equipment. Library personnel also offer

traditional, value-added library services and research assistance for students and faculty in creative new

ways.

Clark College is a member of the Orbis Cascade Alliance, a library consortium composed of public

and private colleges and universities in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. A key value of membership in

the Alliance is the shared collection (Summit) of books, periodicals, and other formats available to the

students and faculty of Clark College. The Orbis Cascade Alliance operates the Shared Integrated Library

System, which facilitates Summit borrowing. The Summit collection is composed of 22 million physical

items. Clark College students may borrow materials directly from this vast collection with an average

delivery time of five days. The Orbis Cascade Alliance agreements emphasize the responsibility of each

member institution to contribute to the robustness of the combined collection. Alliance membership

leverages the capacity of each individual partner, greatly enriching—but not substituting for—local

collections. Clark College Libraries retain full authority and control to select materials most needed to

support the college’s own academic programs.

Clark College’s librarians and library staff work with faculty to develop and maintain collections that

support the learning outcomes for the college’s courses and programs. The library’s

Collection

Development Policy states that the library endeavors:

• To provide organized collections of information resources in varied formats;

• To make information resources readily accessible by providing adequate staff and appropriate

facilities, furnishings, equipment, and supplies; and

• To facilitate learning and support literacy and community service by encouraging creative

instruction, independent study, and effective use of library resources by students, faculty, staff,

and the community.

Three recent examples of the partnership between library faculty and program faculty are illustrated

below:

• Since 2014, program faculty, librarians, library staff, eLearning staff, and Disabilities Support

Services (DSS) staff have collaborated to ensure that all new streaming videos added to the

library collection are closed-captioned prior to being available online to students.

• In 2016, librarians collaborated with faculty of Clark’s Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary

Institute to withdraw a significant number of outdated materials from the culinary book collection

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and rebuild the collection with new titles. The new collection emphasizes regional and culturally

representative cuisines to support Clark College’s Social Equity objectives.

• In 2016-2017, librarians finalized a five-year-cycle collection management plan in order to

maintain a relevant and useful print collection for Clark College students. The plan divides the

collection by subject, and each librarian is responsible for their liaison areas. Identifying discrete

areas of focus for individual librarians allows systematic review, deselection, and purchase of

new materials for each call-number range, in collaboration with subject faculty. As a result, each

area gets focused attention once every five years, in addition to ongoing collection development

work.

To ensure students have access to relevant, current, and accessible information, Clark College

librarians also regularly evaluate print and electronic periodical subscriptions and continue to migrate

resources from print to electronic formats whenever practical.

Social Equity

Clark College Libraries ensures that the entire college community has access to resources to facilitate

learning about issues related to power, privilege, and inequity. Because of the close organizational

connection among faculty development, employee development, and the library, the library has

collections to increase intercultural competency and explore the effects of power, privilege and inequity.

These collections include books, scholarly publications, and videos. The libraries also make quarter-long

loans of netbooks, calculators, and some course textbooks to support students who are not able to afford

them, and purchase equipment that allows people with visual impairment to access print materials. To

accommodate users of all heights, including those who need wheelchair access, the reference desk was

changed to an adjustable desk.

Economic Vitality

Faculty who work in career and technical education (CTE) programs have easy access to library and

information resources that support their fields and industries. Faculty librarians partner with CTE faculty

to improve learning, as demonstrated in the class guides

. In order to improve college affordability, the

library has a collection of course reserves textbooks, and librarians also work with faculty to support the

use of Open Education Resources (OER). In 2014 and 2015, the library secured two separate grants to

fund OER work at Clark College. Both grants came from Librarians as Open Education Leaders (LOEL),

a Washington State Library initiative. In April 2018, librarians facilitated a workshop about the feasibility

of an OER program at Clark.

Environmental Integrity

Consistent with the college’s core theme of Environmental Integrity, library and information

resources are available and accessible to students and employees in both physical and virtual spaces. Two

branches exist as physical locations: Cannell Library on the main campus and the Information Commons

at Columbia Tech Center (CTC). In response to student need, places for groups or individuals to study

have been reconfigured over the past few years. A third branch, the Clark College Libraries website,

provides anywhere, anytime access to library and information services.

Clark College’s students expect to complete coursework when it is convenient for them; as a result,

development of the collections increasingly focuses on electronic resources.

• The library licenses online research tools

, such as Academic Search Premier, ProQuest, Gale

Virtual Reference Library, CQ Researcher, IT Pro, and Access Science.

• Clark College Libraries currently provide students, faculty and staff with access to over 44,300

ebooks via local subscriptions and 219,500 e-books through the Orbis Cascade Alliance.

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• Users of Clark College Libraries catalog can also easily locate and use open access individual

ebooks from collections such as Open Textbook Library, Gutenberg Library, and HathiTrust.

• In 2014, Clark College Libraries implemented a new Shared Integrated Library system, Ex Libris

Alma/Primo, which includes a web-scale discovery option. Thanks to this functionality, with one

powerful search in the library catalog, users can search all physical library resources and the

majority of the online research materials available to them. The public search interface, Primo,

provides users with research tools, such as saving or emailing search results and receiving alerts

about new resources.

Migrating to make content available via the digital library requires shifts in both funding and staffing

to pay for and manage the growing collections of licensed electronic resources. To sustainably align

library funding with student needs, library staff conduct cost-benefit analyses, monitor usage, review

relevance and subscription cost, and implement cost-saving strategies, such as participation in licensing

and packages negotiated by a consortium. Additionally, print collection funds are diverted toward

ongoing online subscriptions, and endowment funds are used for purchasing print and other one-time cost

materials.

2.E.2 Planning for library and information resources is guided by data that include feedback from

affected users and appropriate library and information resources faculty, staff, and administrators.

Planning for the library and information resources is the purview of the Clark College Libraries and

Academic Success unit. Areas of focus include collections, services, learning spaces, instruction and

outcomes assessment, technology, and personnel. Planning initially begins with the ongoing

operational

plan, which is linked directly to the college’s core themes and objectives.

The operational plan is highly influenced by the connections that library staff and faculty make

throughout the college. Library staff and faculty participate in a variety of committees that establish

initiatives and specific strategies consistent with the college’s Strategic Plan. Their participation on these

committees allows them to anticipate what library and information resources are needed to support new

initiatives or revisions to the initiatives. These committees

include the Outcomes Assessment Committee,

Curriculum Committee, Information Technology Council, Student Technology Fee Committee, Teaching

and Learning Advisory Committee, and Instructional Council. The operational plan is flexible enough to

be revised throughout the year based on the feedback reported by library members who serve on these

committees.

The dean, librarians, and library staff also actively engage in regional consortia to ensure that

students, faculty, staff, and administrators have access to appropriate library and information resources.

Information gleaned from these consortia informs the development of the operational plan. These

consortia increase the library’s resources and capacity to carry out its operational plan. For example,

membership in the Orbis Cascade Alliance

gives the Clark College community access to resources from

39 college and university libraries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

The planning process is also informed by the use of data. The college-wide Clark College Student

Experiences Survey, administered by the Office of Planning and Effectiveness, provides feedback that

helps the library identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. In addition, the library

reports statistics to both the

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the

Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) on a regular schedule. These reports are used to

monitor progress and chart new directions. For example, when student feedback demonstrated the desire

for physical spaces that reflect students’ technology needs and learning preferences, spaces within

Cannell Library were redesigned using funding from the Student Technology Fee committee.

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The libraries’ departmental plan is consistently updated based on the aforementioned information and

on the shared insights gained from library and information resources employees who gather in various

meetings as listed below:

• Reference & Instruction, Access Services, and Technical Services each hold regular meetings as

individual departments

• Cross-departmental and work group meetings occur both formally and informally as needed;

• Library Leadership Team meets weekly to provide oversight and direction for procedures,

collections, and services;

• All library employees meet quarterly;

• The Dean of Clark Libraries and Academic Success Services meets regularly with the Access

Services manager and the librarians to maintain a direct line of communication regarding projects

in development and resources required;

• The Dean of Clark Libraries and Academic Success Services meets regularly with the Vice

President of Instruction to provide updates on the progress of the operational plan, long-term

vision, and financial resources needed to achieve the desired outcomes; and

• The Dean of Clark Libraries and Academic Success Services is a member of the Instructional

Council, which meets weekly.

The Dean of Clark Libraries and Academic Success Services conveys library budget needs to the

Instructional Council (IC) and the Vice President of Instruction for consideration. The library’s

recommendations to IC focus on the college's core themes. Successful completion of the goals in the

library’s operational plan is often dependent on funding. The library makes use of the following sources

of supplemental funds:

• To augment funding, the library seeks alternative funding opportunities from the Clark College

Foundation and other college entities.

• Each year, Clark College Libraries receives income from a library endowment managed by the

Clark College Foundation for library resources.

• The library has requested and received significant funding for one-time purchases through Clark

College Foundation Funds Allocation, and grants have been awarded through the Associated

Students of Clark College (ASCC) and the Student Technology Fee Committee.

• Library faculty also seek out college funds to enhance curriculum. For example, funding was

secured for the following initiatives:

o Guided Pathways

o BAS degree support

2.E.3 Consistent with its mission and core themes, the institution provides appropriate instruction

and support for students, faculty, staff, administrators, and others (as appropriate) to enhance their

efficiency and effectiveness in obtaining, evaluating, and using library and information resources

that support its programs and services, wherever offered and however delivered.

Clark College Libraries are teaching libraries that guide students by utilizing academically excellent

educational opportunities for diverse learners. Librarians and library staff influence student learning

through classroom instruction, reference services, the Clark College Libraries website, information

resources, and academic technologies. Students have expanded access to learning beyond the classroom

with each of these modes of instruction.

Classroom Instruction

Clark College Libraries operates an active and well-developed information literacy program

that is

firmly grounded in information literacy outcomes and staffed by a team of librarians with excellent

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teaching skills and a history of strong cooperation and collaboration with classroom faculty to develop

classes and tools to support student learning.

Recognizing the changing needs of learning environments, librarians have updated the Cannell

Library instruction lab:

• In 2015, an Associated Students of Clark College grant doubled the number of computers

available, from 14 to 28. This increase provides computer access for every student in the

classroom.

• In 2017, librarians collaborated with IT to redesign the library classroom. The new configuration

allows for a more versatile learning space for students that provides the following:

o two TV monitors;

o wall-to-wall whiteboards, including one installed at a height accessible to people using

wheelchairs; and

o face-to-face seating to encourage collaboration.

• In order to collect data on the impact of library instruction on student success, librarians have

collaborated with the Office of Planning and Effectiveness to create kiosks for recording which

students attend library sessions.

Librarians maintain a well-developed collection of Research Guides

on the library website to connect

students to learning resources beyond the library instruction session. During academic year 2016-2017,

282 guides were viewed 80,640 times.

Reference Services

Personnel at the library reference desk focus on teaching students to locate and recognize

authoritative information of all types, including content from subscription databases, free internet sites,

and traditional print tools. Reference service

is provided 61 hours per week at Cannell Library and 28

hours per week at the Information Commons at CTC. The access services specialist located at CTC is

trained to provide general reference assistance. A protocol is in place to refer more advanced research

questions to the reference and instruction librarian on duty, or to refer the student to phone, email, or chat

reference services when a librarian is unavailable. In addition,

Ask a Librarian is an online cooperative

reference service that provides Clark College students with access to research assistance 24 hours a day, 7

days a week.

Clark College Libraries Website

The library website is managed by the User Experience (UX) Committee, a cross-departmental team

with representation from all library areas. All library handouts, class guides, and other instructional

resources are available on the website.

In Spring 2016, librarians started using the LibGuides platform for instructional content and

resources. Librarians prepare class guides

for every library instruction session, as well as for online

classes and other classes that cannot meet physically in the library. Librarians have also created a number

tutorials, including six updated, interactive Information & Research Instruction Suite (IRIS) tutorials

created by two librarians during their sabbatical in Fall 2014. The IRIS “Avoiding Plagiarism” tutorial has

been added to Canvas Commons for adoption by other schools.

Librarians seek innovative approaches to extend information to students, faculty, and staff and to

adapt services to emerging technologies. Since 2002, the librarians and library staff have worked with

faculty members and students in CGT 105: User Experience Design

to perform usability testing on the

library website and related search tools. This highly successful and rewarding partnership has yielded

annual improvements to the library's website and web-based tutorials.

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Information Resources

Library staff provide access to resources and equipment needed by students, staff, faculty,

administrators, and community members. Library staff instruct students in searching for items in the

library catalog, finding materials on the shelves, and using library equipment. They also facilitate use of

the materials available through the Orbis Cascade Alliance by processing Summit and Interlibrary Loan

requests.

Technical Services staff and faculty maintain and provide support for print and digital collections.

Their support of physical and online resources enables efficient and effective access to library and

information resources.

Academic Technologies

With the growing use of digital technology in instruction, Academic Technologies staff provide

crucial technical support for students, staff, and faculty through the TechHub Student Help Desk

and

eLearning Technologies Center. Areas of instruction and support include Canvas LMS, computer labs,

campus wireless network, student e-mail, and Office 365.

2.E.4 The institution regularly and systematically evaluates the quality, adequacy, utilization, and

security of library and information resources and services, including those provided through

cooperative arrangements, wherever offered and however delivered.

The Clark College Libraries and Academic Success Services unit

regularly evaluates the quality,

adequacy, utilization, and security of library and information resources and services through multiple

quantitative and qualitative measures. This process is part of the ongoing operational planning process

described in 2.E.2.

The formal evaluation methods include surveys, outcomes assessment, website feedback, usability

testing, and data submitted to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and

Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). The library uses these assessments to add,

discontinue, revise, or enhance library and information resources and services.

• The following surveys have been used to evaluate our information resources and services:

o Employee climate survey

o The biennial Clark College Student Experiences Survey administered by the Office of

Planning and Effectiveness

• Data submitted to IPEDS and ACRL are used to monitor progress and chart new directions in

library instruction, reference, collections expenditures, and other areas. These data are compared

with other institutions to determine benchmarks and advocate for additional resources.

• Usage statistics compiled internally and via consortia reports are also used to inform decisions

about services and resources.

• Outcomes assessment results are used to evaluate and inform planning. For example, Clark

College librarians participate actively in annual, college-wide outcomes assessment work to

evaluate the information literacy outcome for the Associate of Arts transfer degree.

• Website feedback and usability data

are used to evaluate and inform planning:

o The Clark College Libraries User Experience Committee (UX) regularly reviews

feedback received through the

“website feedback” link on the Clark College Libraries

website to plan improvements and modifications to the library website. Suggestions often

result in larger projects that may become case studies for the college’s CGT 105 User

Experience Design course.

• Library staff and faculty, in collaboration with experts from Clark’s Disability Support Services,

Orbis Cascade Alliance, and Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges,

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evaluate accessibility of online library resources, and work with vendors to improve the

accessibility of their products.

• In collaboration with IT Services, the Technical Services team monitors the security of library

online platforms and updates as needed.

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Section G

Standard 2.F. Financial Resources

2.F.1 The institution demonstrates financial stability with sufficient cash flow and reserves to

support its programs and services. Financial planning reflects available funds, realistic

development of financial resources, and appropriate risk management to ensure short-term

solvency and anticipate long-term obligations, including payment of future liabilities.

The Washington State Legislature grants overall authority for financial management

of the

community and technical colleges to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).

In addition, other boards and state agencies exercise authority over specific financial management

requirements.

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges establishes policies and procedures for the

system regarding budget planning and submission, and financial management and reporting. These

policies and procedures, which establish the budget and accounting structure, comply with the basic

principles required by the governor’s administrative finance and budget office, the

Office of Financial

Management, as well as additional criteria developed by SBCTC to support management of the state’s

community and technical college system. The State Department of Enterprise Services also governs many

fiscal matters, such as purchasing and risk management. The Office of the Attorney General and the State

Auditor’s Office issue rulings, opinions, and procedures that apply to the fiscal operations of the college.

Locally, the Board of Trustees has the authority to adopt an annual budget to finance the operation of

the college. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the president the responsibility for preparing,

submitting to the board, and administering the annual budget. New directions, initiatives, and partnerships

developed by the college must comply with all requirements established by the legislature, the SBCTC,

and all other state agencies and boards with authority over colleges and state agencies. Compliance does

not erode the college’s ability to exercise significant initiative and creativity in the development of

programs and services to fulfill its mission.

The college works closely with the SBCTC and the legislature to anticipate fluctuations in state

appropriations, growth allocations, tuition rates, and expenditure levels. College staff monitor expenditure

levels and anticipated salary and benefit changes to identify trends that may impact the budget for

subsequent years. Strategies to cover unfunded mandated increases have been implemented. Operations

costs for new programs and facilities are identified and included in budget allocation processes well in

advance of implementation. The college monitors its fiscal health on a monthly basis by preparing and

reviewing a college-wide budget status report that compares actual revenue and expenditures to budget

figures. The college also maintains a reserve policy

that provides flexibility during times of decreased

state support and revenue.

The SBCTC allocates the legislative appropriation among 34 institutions according to formulae

related to items, such as base budget allocations and enrollment history. Once the college receives an

allocation

, the Executive Cabinet develops final recommendations to submit to the Board of Trustees for

approval. The college communicates the final budget to the college community and the necessary budget

entries are recorded in the Financial Management System (FMS).

Administrators may initiate changes to the currently allocated budget based on updated revenue

projections during the fiscal year. The changes are recorded in the Financial Management System and

reflected on monthly reports distributed to operating units along with revenue and expenditure detail.

Revenue and expenditures are monitored carefully during the year and adjusted as necessary to ensure

sound use of resources to support the college’s core themes.

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Clark College has established a reserves policy approved by the Board of Trustees, which requires a

reserve of between 5 and 10% of the operating budget to allow for fluctuations in revenue and/or

expenditure amounts in a given fiscal year. Since the policy was implemented, the college has maintained

reserves at the 10% level. Financial planning is based on the

estimated revenue and expenditure of all

state and local funds. The president’s Executive Cabinet reviews all planning and financial projection

materials before developing recommendations for board approval. Projections are updated mid-year so

that additional allocations can be approved or reductions implemented as needed.

2.F.2 Resource planning and development include realistic budgeting, enrollment management, and

responsible projections of grants, donations, and other non-tuition revenue sources.

Clark College works closely with the SBCTC

and the legislature to anticipate fluctuations in state

appropriations, tuition rates, and expenditure levels. The Office of Planning and Effectiveness projects

annual enrollment, which is used to forecast revenues and expenditures. A sub-group of Executive

Cabinet monitors enrollment, makes adjustments as necessary, and presents recommendations to the

president and his cabinet.

Revenue projections are based on enrollment projections, planned tuition

increases authorized by SBCTC, and analysis of prior year enrollment and expenditure patterns. All

funds, state and local, are included in budget planning and are the basis for the budget recommendations

to the board.

The Board of Trustees approves the final annual budget.

2.F.3 The institution clearly defines and follows its policies, guidelines, and processes for financial

planning and budget development that include appropriate opportunities for participation by its

constituencies.

In response to feedback from the 2017 climate survey in which employees indicated they did not feel

informed or engaged in the budget development process, the newly formed

Economic Vitality Council

spent spring and fall quarters of 2017 evaluating the current college budget process, researching best

practices in budget development, and examining how other schools, as well as state agencies, prepared

their budgets. Through this work, the Economic Vitality Council recommended a new budget process to

begin with preparation of the 2018-19 fiscal year budget to Executive Cabinet. This new process

emphasizes stronger shared governance and includes the following completed, ongoing, and proposed

steps:

• College-wide presentations on how the budget works, as well as the budget outlook for the new

fiscal year, were provided in January—March 2018.

• Following these presentations, the college community was invited to submit requests for budget

increases, decreases, and reallocations through a survey on the college intranet

• As of this writing, each Executive Cabinet member is engaging their teams to review requests

assigned to their areas and to identify departmental budget priorities.

• Executive Cabinet will meet in a retreat to review and discuss each department’s budget

priorities.

• Executive Cabinet members will present their departmental budgets to the college community at

an open forum. Additional feedback will be solicited at that time.

• After reviewing all college feedback, Executive Cabinet will prepare a balanced budget to present

to the Board of Trustees for approval in June.

• The college president will conclude the process by sending a college-wide email detailing all

budget requests submitted, including those not funded, with an explanation for the basis of the

decision to fund or not fund.

The Economic Vitality Council is continuing its evaluation of the college budget process and plans to

recommend further improvements to be implemented for the 2019-20 budget development cycle.

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2.F.4 The institution ensures timely and accurate financial information through its use of an

appropriate accounting system that follows generally accepted accounting principles and through

its reliance on an effective system of internal controls.

Clark College uses an accounting system developed and supported by the SBCTC

. The financial

information from all schools in the system is consolidated for transmittal to the state’s Office of Financial

Management. All financial information is processed in compliance with generally accepted accounting

principles as well as

accounting rules established by the Washington Office of Financial Management, the

SBCTC, and federal agencies. Financial information is available through automated reports, individually

prepared reports, and online access for up-to-date information.

Business Services staff members provide

training on using the financial system reports to individuals or groups. The college uses internal controls

as required. Business Services staff and the college

internal control officer monitor the processing of

financial activity and implement changes necessary to ensure effective internal controls. The Internal

Auditor

conducts risk and internal control evaluations to ensure compliance with established accounting

procedures, state statutes and regulations, and college policies and procedures.

Clark College has implemented a number of enhancements, listed below, that have increased the

transparency and accuracy of financial data and improved support of employees responsible for financial

management.

• Converted the asset inventory to a new, more detailed system that allows for tracking of

depreciation associated with each individual asset.

• Prepared annual financial statements

, audited by the Washington State Auditor’s Office for each

year beginning with Fiscal Year 2014.

• Determined that Business Services staff will attend training annually on new GASB

(Governmental Accounting Standards Board) standards.

2.F.5 Capital budgets reflect the institution's mission and core theme objectives and relate to its

plans for physical facilities and acquisition of equipment. Long-range capital plans support the

institution's mission and goals and reflect projections of the total cost of ownership, equipment,

furnishing, and operation of new or renovated facilities. Debt for capital outlay purposes is

periodically reviewed, carefully controlled, and justified, so as not to create an unreasonable drain

on resources available for educational purposes.

Capital budget requests are developed from Clark College’s strategic plan and the

facilities master

plan. Capital projects include remodeling, renovating, replacing, or building new facilities; undertaking

improvements for tenants; adding or updating signage; and repairing facilities, roofs, or sites (e.g.,

upgrade lighting). Clark College receives funding from the state to support the capital projects. The

state’s designated budgets to fund capital projects include the following: minor capital, repairs, repairs

and minor capital (i.e., RMI), and major capital. In addition to state funded budgets, the college also uses

the Clark College Foundation funds and local funds to support its capital needs.

Each biennium, the college identifies and prioritizes facility needs and requests for capital

construction for the ensuing six years. Each funding source targets a specific set of capital projects that

must be funded and completed within the biennium. Major capital needs are then submitted to the

SBCTC

; these needs are prioritized by condition of facility, if appropriate, and student demand. Requests

are justified by the Strategic Plan and the college’s Facilities Master Plan. The college periodically

reviews and updates the facilities master plan to reflect the latest data on population and educational

trends. The college currently has

debt related to two capital activities. The first debt was incurred to fund

an energy efficiency project, adding LED lighting in campus parking lots, low flow appliances to

restrooms, and HVAC system improvements. The second was to complete a major renovation of the

college’s culinary arts facility. The debt related to the energy efficiency project is serviced by savings

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achieved in utility costs. The debt related to the culinary arts facility is serviced by Clark College

Foundation donations as well as local funds from the college.

2.F.6 The institution defines the financial relationship between its general operations and its

auxiliary enterprises, including any use of general operations funds to support auxiliary enterprises

or the use of funds from auxiliary services to support general operations.

Clark College uses auxiliary enterprise units to provide necessary services to the college, e.g. the

bookstore, copy and printing services, events, and food and vending services

. The college does not use

enterprise income to make up deficits in the education and general operations, and it does not use

education and general revenue to subsidize enterprise funds. Inter-fund loans within the auxiliary

enterprise accounts cover negative cash balances, if necessary, at year end. In total, auxiliary enterprise

funds maintain a healthy fund balance.

2.F.7 For each year of operation, the institution undergoes an external financial audit, in a

reasonable timeframe, by professionally qualified personnel in accordance with generally accepted

auditing standards. Results from the audit, including findings and management letter

recommendations, are considered in a timely, appropriate, and comprehensive manner by the

administration and the governing board.

The State Auditor’s Office

(SAO) performs financial statement audits on an annual basis for the

college. The audit reports are included as part of the college’s annual financial statement report for each

fiscal year. In addition, the State Auditor’s Office performs accountability audits of the college on a four

year rotational basis. The last accountability audit was conducted for the period July 1, 2011, through

June 30, 2015. The college has also randomly been selected for various other audits, including a GASB

68 audit, part of the state

CAFR audit, and part of the statewide single audit. The Vice President of

Administrative Services receives updates as an audit progresses; the president receives notification of

final results from the State Auditor’s Office and notifies the Board of Trustees. The college received one

finding in its inaugural financial statement audit for fiscal year 2014. Problems with capital asset

recording were corrected as a result of that audit. All informal suggestions from the SAO are analyzed

and implemented where possible. In addition, the college conducts internal audits to provide support for

units that engage in financial activity, identified by the annual

internal audit plan.

2.F.8 All institutional fundraising activities are conducted in a professional and ethical manner and

comply with governmental requirements. If the institution has a relationship with a fundraising

organization that bears its name and whose major purpose is to raise funds to support its mission,

the institution has a written agreement that clearly defines its relationship with that organization.

Clark College has designated the Clark College Foundation

as a separate nonprofit corporation,

whose primary mission is to obtain financial and other direct support and benefit for the college. The

college and Foundation have an operating agreement that defines the relationship and governs their

working relationship. An

updated agreement is signed and dated December 28, 2009. The Foundation

subscribes to the Donor Bill of Rights and to the basic principles and recommendations of the Council for

Advancement and Support of Education regarding ethics and confidentiality in development research.

The

Foundation executive team holds the following professional designations and adheres to the

professional codes of ethics of the awarding organizations:

• Chief Executive Officer: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fund-raising Executive

(CFRE).

• Chief Advancement Officer.

• Chief Financial Officer: Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

• Vice President of Development: Juris Doctor (J.D.), Legal Masters in Taxation (LL.M.)

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Section H

Standard 2.G. Physical and Technological Infrastructure

2.G.1 Consistent with Clark College’s mission, core themes and characteristics, the college creates

and maintains physical facilities that are accessible, safe, secure, and sufficient in quantity and

quality to ensure healthful learning and working environments that support the college’s mission,

programs, and services.

Facilities Services, which reports to the Vice President of Administrative Services, is primarily

responsible for the planning and implementation of capital projects, preventative and ongoing

maintenance, building repairs and improvements, grounds maintenance, and custodial services. A

Facilities Master Planning and Space Allocation Committee (FMPC), made up of representatives from

every cabinet-level department, ensures all areas of the college participate in identifying and prioritizing

facility needs in alignment with the mission, core themes, and core theme objectives.

Goal 4 of the

Academic Plan also identifies criteria consistent with the core themes to improve physical and virtual

spaces as well as create new spaces.

The college uses five buckets of state capital funding to maintain a physical environment that is

accessible, safe, secure, and sufficient for supporting healthful learning and working environments.

1. Washington State’s Minimum Operating Allocation (MOA): MOA is given to each college in the

system. These dollars are used for preventative and ongoing facility maintenance and building

repairs. They provide the base funding that makes it possible for the college to hire professional

staff and purchase the supplies and equipment needed to sustain a reliable, responsive, and well

maintained physical environment.

2. Minor Works—Preservation: These dollars are intended to fund minor improvements and

emergencies to ensure buildings and infrastructure needs are addressed before they become acute.

Every biennium, the college invites faculty and staff to submit requests for preservation funding

in support of specific projects. Requests are then scored and prioritized by the FMPC and

presented to Executive Cabinet for approval. Special attention is given to accessibility, a

particularly important focus for Clark due to our proximity to the state schools for the deaf and

blind. In the current biennium, for example, the college has prioritized requests to add ADA

accessible doors at several locations and to upgrade exterior and interior lighting.

3. Minor Works—Program: Colleges have wide discretion in how to use these dollars, though

projects must cost less than $2 million. Projects are expected to address critical goals of the

institution and improve the overall educational environment. In the previous biennium, these

dollars were used to help finance the remodel of our culinary arts facility. In the current

biennium, funds will be used for minor works in support of Guided Pathways.

4. Minor Works—Repairs: These dollars are allocated by the state specifically to address

deficiencies identified in the biennial Facilities Condition Survey

. Projects include replacement

and upgrades of HVAC control systems, isolation valves, sidewalks, sewers lines, roofs, air

handlers, and switchgears. Due to our aggressive preventative maintenance and repair program,

few of Clark College’s facilities scored at the state’s high-severity deficiency level. Even though

the Clark College campus is one of the oldest in the state, it has experienced a relatively low level

of deferred maintenance and capital repairs needs due to the dedicated work of the Facilities

Services staff and the strategic use of minor capital funding.

5. Major capital projects. Funding in this category is allocated on a system-wide, competitive basis.

Some of Clark’s most recent projects funded with major capital dollars include the Columbia

Tech Center and the new STEM building. The college’s next major capital project is a 70,000

square foot building at our new North County location in Ridgefield. Funding has been awarded

in the current biennium for pre-design and design. Construction funding is expected in the 2019-

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21 biennium. The long-range master plan calls for constructing six buildings over a 50-year

period at the Ridgefield site on 70 acres purchased for the college by the Foundation.

Overarching all of our major and minor capital work is the college’s Facilities Master Plan.

For more

than 25 years, the Facilities Master Plan has guided the expansion, renovation, and improvement of the

college’s

physical environment. Last updated in 2014 and amended in 2016, the Facilities Master Plan

ensures that campus development is consistent with the college's mission, core themes, and core theme

objectives, reflects changing needs and emerging opportunities, and complies with other government

agency requirements, such as the City of Vancouver’s Central Park Plan. In the years since the last

accreditation report, the college has used the Facilities Master Plan to successfully compete for and

receive state capital funding and loans to construct a new women’s softball field, remodel our dental

hygiene clinic, build a new STEM facility, completely renovate the culinary arts facility, and make

improvements to a number of buildings. The table below identifies the college’s most recent capital

projects.

Capital Projects and Additional Space Since 2012

Facility

Date

Sq. Ft.

Investment

Women’s Softball Field

2013

47,878

$408,229

Dental Hygiene Clinic

2015

11,168

$2,874,869

Baird and Bauer Hall Roof Replacements

2015

34,781

$841,317

T-Building Roof Repair

2015

33,564

$357,156

T-Building HVAC Upgrade

2015

$432,946

Energy Efficiency (lighting, HVAC, plumbing)

2015

$761,255

Christensen Soccer Field Press Box

2015

384

$76,665

Cannell Library Remodel

2015

10,613

$442,732

STEM Building

2016

69,634

$40,747,110

Culinary Arts Institute

2017

18,315

$11,240,689

In addition, the college has leveraged the resources of the Clark College Foundation to secure land for

growth projects and to fill in the gap left behind by reductions in state capital dollars. For example, when

funding for our new STEM building was reduced by 13%, the Foundation raised more than $1.7 million

to acquire the highly specialized instructional equipment needed for this facility.

Through strategic use of both state and local resources, Clark College has consistently provided

adequate resources to maintain a high level of facilities maintenance, operation, and improvement. As a

result, the college is frequently recognized as one of the most attractive and well-maintained campuses in

the state.

2.G.2 The institution adopts, publishes, regularly reviews, and adheres to policies and procedures

regarding the safe use, storage, and disposal of hazardous or toxic materials.

Clark College has developed and implemented policies and procedures to regulate the purchase, use,

storage, and disposal of chemicals and products with the potential to create hazards. These policies and

procedures, which conform to state and federal regulations and best practices, can be found in the

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section of the Administrative Procedures Manual.

The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) program is part of the college’s Risk Management

office, which reports to the Vice President of Administrative Services, and has primary responsibility for

workplace safety. EHS staff provide information, consults, and assessments to ensure faculty, staff, and

students understand, and are able to implement, our policies and procedures on managing hazardous and

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toxic materials and products. Specific topics covered by EHS include: fall protection, respiratory

protection, chemical hygiene, confined spaces, lockout, drug-free workplace, blood-borne pathogens, and

hearing protection. Material Safety and Data Sheets (MSDS)

are conveniently available on ClarkNet in a

searchable format.

To support safety compliance, particularly for employees exposed to occupational hazards and/or

hazardous materials, EHS also provides a wide range of training opportunities, both in person and online

through Higher Ed Works. Training topics include asbestos, chemical safety, electrical safety,

environmental management, flammable liquid safety, hazardous waste management, lead based paint,

personal protective equipment, safe use of pesticides, and safe work practices in science labs.

2.G.3 The institution develops, implements, and regularly reviews a master plan for its physical

development that is consistent with its mission, core themes, and long-range educational and

financial plans.

Physical development at Clark College is guided by a Facilities Master Plan, last updated in 2014

and

amended in 2016. This plan ensures that additions and improvements to the college’s physical

infrastructure, including buildings, grounds, and utilities are in alignment with the institution’s mission

and core themes, its Academic Plan, and its financial resources.

Responsibility for overseeing the development, evaluation, and updating of the Facilities Master Plan

is assigned to the Facilities Planning and Space Allocation Committee

. Membership on the committee

includes representatives from each Executive Cabinet-level department, one member of the Board of

Trustees, and a student. The college contracts with an architectural consultant to provide the technical

expertise and support needed to complete a complex, long-range plan of this nature. The college

community is invited to provide input during the planning process through open forums and an online

survey tool. The next full-scale update of the Facilities Master Plan is expected to begin in 2019.

As has been the case in years past, the upcoming facilities master planning process will be organized

to achieve the following goals:

• To ensure that facilities support Clark College’s Strategic Plan;

• To create a shared vision within the institution;

• To create facilities that continue to meet the educational needs of Clark College’s service area;

• To efficiently use existing sites and facilities;

• To anticipate future site and facility needs;

• To avoid waste and disruption resulting from piecemeal projects;

• To establish a realistic schedule and capital budgeting plan;

• To preserve the aesthetic values of Clark College;

• To enhance the credibility of Clark College with the community, governing bodies, and the

legislature;

• To develop campus maps and building plans for facilities management; and

• To enhance fund-raising and development opportunities.

It is also expected that the next iteration of the Facilities Master Plan will include recommendations

for modifying the physical infrastructure to support implementation of the guided pathways framework.

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2.G.4 Equipment is sufficient in quantity and quality and managed appropriately to support

institutional functions and the fulfillment of Clark College’s mission in the accomplishment of its

programs and services.

Through the college’s standard budget development and allocation process, funding is identified for

every cabinet-level department to purchase furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Instruction, the largest

institutional department with the greatest functional needs, budgets approximately $559,000 per year in

permanent and other funding (such as course fees) to support the acquisition or replacement of equipment.

Until 2015, the Clark College Foundation allocated between $400,000 and $1.2 million a year,

depending on investment returns, to fund institutional equipment needed for classrooms, science

laboratories, and vocational programs. However, these dollars have been repurposed by the Foundation to

pay down the note for the purchase of 70 acres in Ridgefield, the site of the college’s next growth project.

In the meantime, the Foundation continues to raise funds to support specific capital improvements,

including $1.7 million for equipment to outfit the college’s new STEM building, which opened in Fall

2016. Foundation funding for ongoing equipment replacement is expected to return in 2022.

Clark College commits funding each year to support the computer replacement plan for instructional

programs and employees. The money goes to upgrade smart classroom equipment on an annual basis,

replace hardware in our computer labs, and modernize outdated infrastructure, such as WiFi capacity on

the main campus.

2.G.5 Consistent with its mission, core themes, and characteristics, the institution has appropriate

and adequate technology systems and infrastructure to support its management and operational

functions, academics programs, and support services, wherever offered and however delivered.

Clark College supports information technologies (IT) at the institution using a blended

organizational structure. The bulk of the IT support services is provided by the

IT Services (ITS)

Department: a 41 - employee centralized service organization supporting academic and administrative

computing at the college. ITS maintains the network infrastructure and provides desktop computer

support for employees and instructional labs throughout the institution. ITS maintains smart classroom

technologies and other media equipment. ITS also provides software development services for the

institution.

A number of other IT staff are employed by specific departments to support specialized IT needs.

These departments include the Clark College Libraries, eLearning, Financial Aid, and Communications

and Marketing.

Infrastructure: The network infrastructure consists of fiber-optic cabling, connecting buildings

throughout the college, and copper horizontal wiring to end user devices. Service to the institution’s

three

satellite facilities is provided by 50 Mbps metropolitan fiber-optic wide-area network circuits. A 1 Gbps

connection to the Washington State K-20 network provides connectivity to the internet. Campus inter-

building 10-Gig fiber was upgraded in 2015 to support additional bandwidth needs for the foreseeable

future.

Clark College uses managed Cisco network technologies for its core network switch, routers, and

edge switches. This equipment has been replaced, when needed, using local fund balances. In 2017, the

primary firewall was upgraded to Palo Alto to provide enhanced security visibility and remediation tools.

ITS maintains the server environment supporting email services; file, print, and video services;

enterprise database applications; reporting services; SharePoint sites; and webservers. ITS makes

extensive use of server virtualization in conjunction with storage area network technologies to increase

efficiency and resiliency of the server environment. The server environment is sufficient to meet the

college’s current needs with plenty of room for growth. The college has been moving certain services into

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cloud configurations like Office 365 for email and SharePoint, as well as to other vendors that are moving

this direction and that meet security requirements and standards.

Wireless Network Access: Clark College provides ubiquitous wireless technology throughout the college

in order to provide access to services from mobile devices utilizing a Ruckus enterprise controller system

with 150 access points. The College performed a major upgrade to the wireless infrastructure in 2015 to

provide better coverage and access to modern transmission protocols. The ITS group recently met with

our Wi-Fi consultants and engineers of the Ruckus Wi-Fi system for a deep engineering review of our

configuration and completed a wireless redesign in order to optimize the access points for Clark College’s

changing physical environment.

Telecommunications: Clark College provides telecommunications services using a Cisco Voice over

Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system. This system, installed in 2011 and upgraded in 2017, is

sufficient to meet the institution’s current needs. Its latest major upgrade virtualizes the Cisco VoIP

computing cluster to provide more flexibility and potential redundancy to the system. Because the college

installed telephones in most classrooms, offices, and meeting rooms, the Cisco VoIP system also serves

as the institution’s primary emergency notification system.

Student Computing: Clark College maintains 86 computer labs with approximately 1,500 computers

available for student use. The institution provides nine open access computer labs

with more than 300

computers on the main campus and at satellite facilities to support the general computing needs of

students. The remaining computers are in dedicated instruction labs, supporting specific instructional

programs. The equipment in instructional computer labs is replaced on a four-year interval. Despite the

growth in the use of mobile devices by students, the demand for computer labs remains high. Clark

College attempts to balance the demand for computing facilities with the constraints of shrinking budgets.

Clark College is pursuing lower cost alternatives to traditional computer labs, including virtual desktop

infrastructure (VDI) and improved mobile device access. Requests for new computer labs are reviewed

annually.

Classroom Technologies: Clark College has equipped 202 classrooms and meeting rooms with smart

technologies, including a projector and screen or flat panel, computer system with annotation software,

audio and video playback equipment, and a digital presenter. Sophisticated control systems and uniform

hardware make the systems easy to use for faculty, and facilitate more efficient preventative maintenance.

The college has a fully-funded replacement plan for this equipment.

eLearning: Clark College’s eLearning Department

is administered by the Dean of Library Services,

eLearning, Tutoring, and Faculty Development. Course shells for the institution’s cloud-based Learning

Management System (LMS) are generated for each class using an automated process, certifying whether

every Canvas shell is universally designed for student accessibility requirements, utilizing Ally. This

ensures Clark College is creating and advancing accessible, integrated, and technology-enriched learning

environments. In addition, by utilizing principles of universal design students can achieve equitable

outcomes. Faculty members are encouraged to use LMS Canvas once they have received the requisite

training. The eLearning staff provide training and troubleshooting for faculty on the LMS. The

department contracts with a third-party vendor to provide

Help Desk services to students on a fulltime

basis. eLearning also provides training and assistance with lecture capture tools and other instructional

video requirements.

Employee Computing: Employees are provided with computers that are replaced on a four-year rotation

according to the Employee Computer Replacement Plan

. Computers for part-time employees and adjunct

faculty are funded by the hiring department. In some cases, adjunct faculty members are supplied with

computers that are rotated out of permanent employee offices or computer labs. Providing sufficient

office space, technology equipment, and support is an ongoing challenge for the institution given its

heavy reliance on adjunct faculty. Alternatives such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) have been

implemented (300 seats) and are being investigated to improve access while keeping costs manageable.

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With the use of Microsoft SCCM, all of our employee desktops are centrally managed and the ITS group

is actively building centralized application deployment.

Administrative Computing Systems: The core administrative applications used by Clark College—

Student Management System, Financial Management System, Personnel/Payroll Management System,

and Financial Aid Management System—are developed and maintained by the

Washington State Board

for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). These applications are administered by the SBCTC on

behalf of all 34 community and technical colleges in Washington State. These aging legacy applications

lack the features and capabilities of modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. As a result,

many bolt-on or shadow systems have been implemented across the system to address functional gaps in

the legacy systems. The SBCTC is replacing these legacy systems with new ERP technology (Oracle

PeopleSoft) in a multi-year phased approach for all 34 Washington State community and technical

colleges. Clark College is scheduled to migrate to PeopleSoft in the second wave of implementations in

Fall 2019.

Application Development Services: ITS employs four application developers/database administrators to

develop specialized applications for Clark College. Often these applications provide functionality that is

not possible to achieve using the institution’s legacy administrative applications. Increasingly, the need

for accurate and reliable information to inform decision-making has compelled the college to create

specialized reports and web applications to collect and manage data. Custom programs are undertaken

when commercially available products either lack the required features and capabilities or are cost

prohibitive.

Web Services: ITS maintains the infrastructure components of Clark College’s website

as well as the

creation and management of content for the college’s public website and intranet. The public website is

currently undergoing a complete redesign to better meet the needs of the college, to better support mobile

devices, and to incorporate the essential practices of guided pathways. A content management system

(OU Campus) was implemented for the public website and the college intranet to allow content providers

to better manage the content on department webpages.

Capital Projects: Technology is a critical component of capital projects. Recently, the STEM building

was opened, and technology and infrastructure were major components of the project. Today the college

is preparing to build facilities in Ridgefield, WA, in response to the college’s 2007 Facilities Master Plan

where North County was identified as an area in need of access to educational services. The Washington

State Board of Community and Technical Colleges has prioritized building projects for the upcoming

biennium—where the north county site is on the prioritized list; construction

of the first building is

planned to occur in 2020.

Position of the CIO: In 2017 the Clark College Executive Cabinet recognized the need for a cabinet level

position for Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CIO was hired in January 2018; this hire enabled

stronger engagement with the key senior stakeholders at Clark College and elevated key IT decisions to

cabinet level discussions. An example of this has been the ability in 2018 for the CIO to have an ongoing

dialogue with both Executive Cabinet and Board of Trustees regarding information security awareness

and strategic needs IT of the college. In addition, the CIO attends meetings with deans of instruction and

other key stakeholders to discuss ongoing initiatives in support Clark College’s guided pathways

initiatives in a support role to assist in providing student facing software solutions.

2 G.6 The institution provides appropriate instruction and support for faculty, staff, students, and

administrators in the effective use of technology and technology systems related to its programs,

services, and institutional operations.

Training opportunities in various formats and subjects are provided to improve the technology

competencies of employees and students at the Clark College. Funds are budgeted at the institutional level

to pay for or supplement the cost of formal staff development activities

, e.g. fee-based online training,

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workshops, classes, and conferences. This approach is generally used by faculty teaching in technical

programs and by IT professionals to upgrade skillsets. Other training methods include the following:

• A number of short, one-to-two hour workshops offered throughout the year on specific

technology topics, such as computer basics and the use of software applications, e.g. Word, Excel,

and SharePoint. ITS also provides direct training on major new system releases, such as

Windows 10 and One Drive. These workshops are conducted as a cooperative effort between IT

Services, the Teaching and Learning Center, and Human Resources.

• Online training courses for Clark College-specific smart classroom technologies.

• Specific training for faculty on instructional technologies

, such as the Learning Management

System (LMS) and lecture capture systems provided by the eLearning department. eLearning also

offers 24x7

assistance to students using the LMS through a third party provider.

• A brief orientation to IT systems offered by ITS at the college during mandatory New Employee

Training.

• A Help Desk

operated by ITS to assist employees with computer hardware and software issues.

The Help Desk also offers on-the-spot assistance to employees with questions about common

software applications. ITS also maintains an online service center where employees can find

answers to frequently-asked questions. ITS also creates leaflets and marketing material that is

placed in the workrooms across campus with support information.

• Basic instruction for students in the use of computers and computer applications from lab

assistants who staff the open computer labs at the college. Lab assistants also help resolve

problems related to student email and problems connecting to the wireless network.

• The “TechHub” one-stop help desk located in the Cannell Library to assist students with a variety

of technology questions including access to online services, use of the learning management

system, student network and email accounts, and other technology topics.

• A student-run Help Desk

that can assist students with computer hardware issues. Students in the

Computer Technology (CTEC) instructional program staff the Help Desk.

• Regularly scheduled credit classes to help students acquire the technology skills they will need in

their classes.

2.G.7 Technological infrastructure planning provides opportunities for input from its technology

support staff and constituencies who rely on technology for institutional operations, programs, and

services.

Major technology investments at Clark College are driven by institutional need. Development and

planning are driven by the technology support staff and the constituencies of the college. With the

onboarding of a new CIO, developing and adopting a comprehensive information technology planning is

a priority. (The information technology plan has not been updated after the 2012 IT Plan.) The

forthcoming plan will use constituency feedback and participation, and culminate in the setting of broad

goals and associated outcome measures that tie into Clark College’s Strategic, Academic, and Social

Equity Plans. Additional planning input is provided by the Tech Fee Committee

with student

representatives. Clark College makes use of a college-wide representative sample of employees in order

to prioritize the college’s technology application solutions needs and participate in planning and

coordinating the development, implementation, and integration of technology application solutions within

the

Application Development Oversight and Planning Committee (ADOPC). ITS staff serve on this

committee to provide expertise and advice.

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2.G.8 The institution develops, implements, and reviews regularly a technology update and

replacement plan to ensure its technological infrastructure is adequate to support its operations,

programs, and services.

Clark College developed, implemented and funded the 2012 IT Plan. However, due to three

leadership transitions over the past four years, the college has not developed an updated IT plan that

ensures its technological infrastructure is adequate to support its operations, programs, and services. The

Chief Information Officer, hired in January 2018, immediately began and continues to conduct a

comprehensive needs assessment. The CIO will convene the Information Technology Committee in Fall

2018, to develop a comprehensive IT plan to address the best ways to support the college’s operations,

programs, and services. Moreover, the plan will anticipate the future technology needs as the college

transforms its programs and services into guided pathways.

Clark College has a computer replacement plan

for employee computers and instructional computers.

Computers are replaced on a five-year rotation; all computers are assessed annually and upgraded with

software and hardware updates and/or replaced entirely each year. Employee computers are standardized

in a way that lowers the costs of maintenance and provides maximum purchasing power to ensure costs

remain adequate to sustain the four- to five-year replacement cycle. Replacement intervals vary for smart

classroom technology depending on equipment type.

Replacement plans are reviewed each year by the Technology Fee Committee and the IT Council and

adjusted as needed to ensure that the institution maintains sufficient instructional technology to facilitate

student learning.

Standard 3A

Institutional Planning

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Standard 3A: Institutional Planning

The institution engages in ongoing, participatory planning that provides direction for the institution

and leads to the achievement of the intended outcomes of its programs and services,

accomplishment of its core themes, and fulfillment of its mission. The resulting plans reflect the

interdependent nature of the institution’s operations, functions, and resources. The institution

demonstrates that the plans are implemented and are evident in the relevant activities of its

programs and services, the adequacy of its resource allocation, and the effective application of

institutional capacity. In addition, the institution demonstrates that its planning and

implementation processes are sufficiently flexible so that the institution is able to address

unexpected circumstances that have the potential to impact the institution’s ability to accomplish its

core theme objectives and to fulfill its mission.

The continuous improvement process is deeply embedded into the cultural DNA of Clark College. A

direct outgrowth of this culture is the commitment to institutional planning and shared governance. This

commitment has been especially apparent through the development of the Strategic Plan and the

subsequent reorganization of the committee structure. Operational plans have also been developed and

implemented to achieve mission fulfillment. These operational plans have supported the college’s

philosophical shift from expecting the students to be college ready to expecting the college to be student

ready.

The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

is built around a college-wide consensus that Clark

College’s core mission is student learning and student success. The plan includes a vision that recognizes

and values its obligations to its students and the broader community: Clark College inspires learners to

excel, transforms lives, and strengthens our increasingly diverse community. Its mission statement

acknowledges the common focus of the college’s employees in supporting student learning and student

success: Clark College, in service to the community, guides individuals to achieve their educational and

professional goals.

The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan requires the college to holistically change culture and

context in how it serves its community and students. As the college’s primary focus shifted from access

(i.e., providing educational opportunities) to outcomes (i.e., producing student learning and success),

many changes were and continue to be necessary. The most immediate and paramount changes were

redesigning the committee structure and the development and implementation of the

Clark College 2016-

2021 Academic Plan, Clark College 2015-2020 Social Equity Plan, and Clark College Facilities Master

Plan.

The changes were organized around the college’s four core themes (i.e., Academic Excellence, Social

Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity) to drive achievement of mission fulfillment. One

of the most important changes was redesigning the committee structure. Four core theme councils – one

representing each core theme – replaced a number of committees at the college, including College

Council, Retention Committee, Strategic Enrollment Management Committee, Cultural Pluralism

Committee, Planning and Accreditation Committee, and more. The responsibilities of these former

committees were put into the context of the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan and assigned to a core theme

council. The purpose of these councils is to monitor progress toward mission fulfillment and to

recommend strategies to other departments and leadership groups that will improve Clark’s progress

toward mission fulfillment.

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The mission fulfillment outcomes are each aligned with one core theme council, as detailed in the

following table:

Mission Fulfillment Outcomes

Corresponding Core Theme Council

1. Increase student completion

Academic Excellence

2. Improve student learning

3. Eliminate systemic disparities in educational

outcomes

Social Equity

4. Enable students to attain employment and

transfer

Economic Vitality

5. Reduce student debt

6. Achieve enrollment targets

The council corresponding to the fourth core theme—environmental integrity—oversees the physical,

virtual, and social conditions under which the outcomes above will be met: that is to say, the systems,

infrastructure, and college climate will enable to the college to meet the mission fulfillment outcomes.

The primary operational plan of the Strategic Plan is the Academic Plan, with the first goal directing

the college to transform and redesign the structure of how Clark College offers teaching and learning.

Guided pathways, based on research from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) and

recommended strategies of the American Association of Community Colleges, result in achieving all six

of the college’s mission fulfillment outcomes. The reform required to implement the essential practices as

identified in the CCRC and Washington State Community and Technical Colleges Scale of Adoption

Assessment (SOAA) requires a cultural shift in all aspects of how the college offers its programs and

services. Therefore, it has required a significant amount of planning at the leadership level and within the

core theme councils, committees, programs, and services.

3.A.1 The institution engages in ongoing, purposeful, systematic, integrated, and comprehensive

planning that leads to fulfillment of its mission. Its plans are implemented and made available to

appropriate constituencies.

Strategic Plan

The best evidence for the ongoing and systematic quality of institutional planning is the genesis of

Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

. The development of the plan involved a two-year process of

self-study, of research into best practices, and of the active participation of hundreds of college

stakeholders in providing input and feedback. By the time the Strategic Plan was approved by

Clark’s

Board of Trustees in March 2015, the college community had composed new vision and mission

statements for Clark, identified four core themes with objectives for each, and articulated the set of

institutional values to which the college is committed. More importantly, the process modeled for the

college community how to use data on student learning and student success, completion, and college

climate to inform institutional planning. And, the result called for a transformation of how the college

offered teaching and learning to the community.

One of the first indicators of the comprehensiveness of the Strategic Plan has been its effect on the

structure of the college. In order to ensure that the college maintains its focus on the core themes and the

outcomes of mission fulfillment, it was necessary to scrutinize the ways committees, departments, and

workgroups align—or fail to align—with the outcomes of mission fulfillment. The result was a

reorganization of Clark’s entire committee structure, which included the retirement of several committees

whose work did not align with these outcomes, or whose work was duplicated by other committees. The

remaining committees fell into two categories: 1) committees that still exist to address one or more

objectives within the Strategic Plan that a council may not have the capacity to address, or 2) committees

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that still exist due to contractual or legal requirements. Committees that fell into these categories were

reorganized to be aligned with one of the four core theme councils

Within the shared governance framework, each core theme council is assigned to monitor progress

toward mission fulfillment for the objectives and measurements of success related to its core theme. Each

of these core theme councils has a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet

as a non-voting member.

Moreover, the chairs of the core theme councils attend one Executive Cabinet meeting per month to

discuss ongoing assessment findings and recommendations to improve progress toward achieving the

core themes’ objectives measurement of success and mission fulfillment outcomes. In addition, every

objective is assigned and led by one executive cabinet member who monitors and follows-up with

strategies related to the objectives.

To operationalize the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, the Academic Plan, Social Equity

Plan, and Facilities Master Plan were developed, which provide the specific practices and initiatives by

which the college will improve performance on those outcomes which measure the fulfillment of Clark’s

mission statement.

Before the Strategic Plan was officially adopted by the Clark College Board of Trustees, the

development of the Social Equity Plan

began. Then immediately following the adoption of the Strategic

Plan, in Spring 2015, planning for the Academic Plan began. Simultaneously, the alignment between the

Facilities Master Plan and new Strategic Plan was being assessed and affirmed. All of these planning

processes included cross-representation of the college.

After these three plans were in place and work had begun, the college developed a new continuous

improvement process that relied more on these college plans and initiatives and less on operational

planning within departments. The primary rationale for this change was the fact that operational plans,

initiatives, and departmental activities under the former strategic plan often occurred in a silo,

occasionally competed with other resources and priorities, and, a few times, conflicted with other

departmental goals and intended results. Therefore, departmental goals are aligned with the objectives of

the Strategic Plan and departmental activities are developed and reported out to the college community

within the context of the annual strategies related to each of the core theme objectives. The department

and college-wide progress on the strategies related to each core theme objective are reported to the

Clark

College Board of Trustees monthly.

Academic Plan

Because student learning is central to the college’s mission, the Academic Plan is Clark’s primary

operational plan. Under the auspices of strategic planning, the Academic Plan lays out a set of six goals

whose accomplishment will result in significant gains toward Clark’s mission fulfillment outcomes. Each

of these six goals is derived from research into best practices, both at Clark and at community colleges

nationwide. This plan is designed to focus the college’s efforts; it is an official recognition that, while

Clark College cannot be all things to all people, with coordinated and focused efforts, the college can

improve specific measures of student learning. The six goals with related core theme are listed in the table

below:

Academic Plan Goal

Core Theme

1. Establish well-defined pathways for all degree and certificate programs.

Academic Excellence

2. Align program offerings with regional workforce and community needs.

Economic Vitality

3. Improve student preparedness.

Academic Excellence

4. Develop physical and virtual spaces that engage and inspire all learners.

Environmental Integrity

5. Integrate active learning strategies.

Academic Excellence

6. Infuse the study of power, privilege, and inequity within the curriculum.

Social Equity

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Each of the goals in the Academic Plan is aligned with one or more outcomes of mission fulfillment.

Just as importantly, each of these goals is aligned with specific practices, which research suggests will

lead to achievement of the goal and, hence, to measurable gains on mission fulfillment outcomes.

This plan provides a common language around the priorities of the college, so that when a Clark

employee expresses confusion about guided pathways, the Academic Plan provides a specific definition

that the college community has already adopted. Moreover, each of the core theme councils uses the

Academic Plan and its intended results and strategies as a basis of measuring progress on strategies and

activities the college puts forth to achieve mission fulfilment.

Clark’s other operational plans all focus on specific aspects of college infrastructure, climate, or

culture that are conditions for accomplishment of the goals in the Academic Plan, or conditions that must

be in place for the accomplishment of Academic Plan goals to be sustainable.

Guided Pathways

The first goal of the Academic Plan is such a tremendous shift in how the college offers its programs

and services that it has required planning of its own. The college has attempted to use the CCRC’s

Implementing Guided Pathways: Tips and Tools

publication as the framework for the redesign of the

college’s teaching and learning programs and services. However, there were a few false starts. Due to the

significant change required, Clark’s executive leadership solicited volunteers to serve on a Guided

Pathways Steering Committee and did not deliberately link that work to the new core theme councils.

Within less than a year of the steering committee being in operation, it was disbanded because there was

no clear direction, no decision-making authority, and the membership did not comprehensively reflect the

scope of responsibility needed, such as the Director of Advising.

Right after Clark College hired two liaisons to work with faculty and staff throughout the college in

the guided pathways reform and convened the steering committee, the college was accepted to become a

member of the American Association of Community Colleges Guided Pathways 2.0 Project

. The

membership requires multiple teams, always led by the college president, to attend national workshops

and produce work plans based on the essential practices each workshop addresses. It very much became

the cliché: flying the plane as you are building it. By the end of the 2017-2018 academic year, the college

realized that it needed a comprehensive plan for each of the essential practices – even if it is iterative in

nature. The college needs to understand for each program and services the vision – or future state – for

how the college will offer its programs and services. The

first draft of the plan was completed in August

2018 and recognized as the first of many iterations as the college learns more from its membership in the

Pathways 2.0 Project and initial implementation of the essential practices of guided pathways.

Clark College is redesigning its teams that plan and improve the implementation of the essential

practices of guided pathways consistent with the principles of shared governance. The leadership team

will be facilitated by the special advisor to the president on guided pathways and have members from

instruction, student affairs, communication and marketing, economic and community development, and

planning and effectiveness. Four teams will be convened, organized around four of the five pillars

described in the American Association of Community College (AACC) Scale of Adoption Assessment

(SOAA):

• Pillar 1: Mapping Pathways to Student End Goals

• Pillar 2: Helping Students Choose and Enter a Pathway

• Pillar 3: Keeping Students on the Path

• Pillar 4: Ensuring Students are Learning

The fifth pillar: Essential Equity Practices will be deliberately woven in the work of the other four

pillar teams. Guided by the principles of shared governance, the pillar teams are comprised of members

whose work is directly impacted by the changes required for guided pathways. These pillar teams will use

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and improve the business plan for each essential practice to engage in planning and continuous

improvement throughout the implementation of guided pathways.

Social Equity Plan

The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan requires the college to provide the conditions that

improve educational outcomes and eliminate systemic disparities among all groups. The college’s

Strategic Plan establishes the ongoing expectation that all students are prepared for life and work in a

multicultural, diverse and international society and that they are exposed to a variety of beliefs, cultures,

and differences as a catalyst for intellectual growth while challenging the systems of power, privilege, and

inequity. This

Social Equity Plan guides the college in these efforts.

Student learning is the foundation of the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. Throughout the

development of the college’s Strategic Plan, social equity rose to the forefront. The college identified

social equity as a core theme that must permeate throughout every aspect of the college so that students –

all students – can effectively learn. In January 2015 and during the final stages of the Strategic Plan’s

development, the former Cultural Pluralism Committee (CPC) began to develop an operational plan that

outlined how to meet the college’s Strategic Plan objectives within the social equity core theme. The

operational plan became the Social Equity Plan.

The Cultural Pluralism Committee began by reviewing the Clark College 2009-2014 Diversity Plan,

under the former Clark College 2009-2014 Strategic Plan

. The committee affirmed that the college had

made gains in cultural competency, yet still had an arduous, but meaningful and important road ahead.

The committee identified goals that were not yet accomplished in the former diversity plan, analyzed

whether they were still relevant, and, if so, used these goals as the starting point for the development of

the new Social Equity Plan.

Consistent with the first diversity plan, CPC began the development process for the Social Equity

Plan within the context of respect, equity, and civility for the interaction among diverse constituents of the

college. Speech and actions which perpetuate minimization, hate, oppression, group supremacy, or

exclusion are not recognized as productive and constructive forms of diversity at Clark College. As a

result, rather than using the term “historically disadvantaged,” the CPC chose to use “systemically non-

dominant” terminology developed by a Clark College faculty member. (Jenkins, 2015)

The Social Equity Council uses the goals and strategies from the Social Equity Plan and Goal 6 of the

Academic Plan

to monitor progress toward eliminating systemic disparities in educational outcomes, as

well as the measurements of success for each of the objectives. The results of these assessments form

recommendations to the

Executive Cabinet on an ongoing basis (at least annually in the annual strategy

development to meet the objectives) to effectively eliminate the systemic disparities.

Facilities Master Plan

The Clark College Facilities Master Plan is a document that describes and illustrates a direction for

overall facility development based upon the issues that are currently evident and anticipated for the future.

The process to create the master plan included review of the Strategic Plan, academic programs,

population and enrollment trends, and the condition of existing facilities as a background for projecting

future needs. The process is traditionally reviewed and updated every 5 to 10 years as trends and

indicators change. The Facilities Master Plan was adopted in 2014 during the beginning phases of the

current Strategic Plan. When the Strategic Plan was adopted in March of 2015, it was assessed for

alignment with the current Strategic Plan by the Facilities Master Planning Committee and then

reaffirmed based on determined alignment.

The Facilities Master Plan is a valuable tool in creating a practical, strategic, and calculated facility

development plan over the next several years. The plan creates a vision of what could be, what should be

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considered, and what should be further developed in an implementation plan. The conceptual plan is an

overview that is subject to changes in funding, priorities, and needs of the college. The

Environmental

Integrity Council uses this document and Goal 4 of the Academic Plan to monitor progress toward

creating and sustaining physical, virtual, and social conditions that will lead the college to mission

fulfillment.

Budget Planning

In the recent years – due to declining enrollment and significantly increasing expenditures because of

annual additions of legislatively mandated regulations, the college has been focused on creating a

balanced budget just to continue essential services. Therefore, in Fall 2017, the Economic Vitality

Council proposed and the President’s Executive Cabinet agreed to, a new budget development process

alignment with the Strategic Plan. The budget planning process was developed in response to employee

feedback based on their perception that they were not actively involved in the budget planning process.

This new process ties budget requests specifically to annual strategies and mission fulfillment outcomes

while supporting the college’s value of shared governance.

Executive Cabinet (EC) members and core theme councils’ members begin identifying strategies they

believe the college needs to focus on in the next academic year based on their assessment of progress

toward mission fulfillment during fall quarter. EC takes that information and meets in a full-day retreat to

discuss the recommendations from the core theme councils, and consider other mission-fulfillment

strategies to guide budget development – in December and January. Once the strategies for each Strategic

Plan objective are finalized in February, the college holds open forums to provide the budget outlook for

next academic year, including revenue and expenditure projections and any deficits or surpluses

anticipated at that time. Then the college solicits feedback for funding requests, reallocations, and

reductions based on those strategies. EC uses this to develop the budget for the next academic year

(March – May).

Instructional Program Planning

Clark College plays a critical role in the community’s economic development by providing a variety

of educational opportunities to improve the community's workforce. Currently, Clark College offers about

120 degree and certificate programs. The effort is led by the Instructional Planning Team

(IPT) –

consisting of representation from each unit of Instruction and advisory members in Student Affairs and

institutional research – in IPT’s renewed capacities to establish curricular priorities based on the needs of

the regional workforce. This IPT process is based on 1) community and industry feedback, and 2) labor

market data and projections to anticipate and prioritize programs that may be needed.

As a recommending body to the Vice President of Instruction, IPT has a direct line of communication

to the college’s Executive Cabinet. A primary responsibility of IPT sets the instructional direction of the

college. The Instructional Planning Team provides program approval functionality in addition to engaging

in an instructional planning process. IPT annually evaluates regional labor-market needs coupled with

information from community partners, such as the

Columbia River Economic Development Council

(CREDC); the Workforce Southwest Washington; Greater Portland Inc.; educational partners along the

K-20 continuum; and members of the college community. Based on this evaluation, IPT develops a work

plan that prescribes the major programmatic changes that Instruction will enact. Thus, IPT provides

recommendations about programs to expand, new programs to develop, programs that should be closed,

and timelines for these changes.

IPT conducts an analysis of current programs annually during fall quarter, based on an annual

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)

report produced by the Office of Planning

and Effectiveness for the six county region: Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties in Washington and

Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties in Oregon. These SWOT reports include information

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from the labor-market gap analysis between community need and college service, a mapping of college

programs to community/industry sectors, and an overlay of program costs/revenues on this mapping. IPT

convenes subgroups with associated faculty to further assess themes that emerge from the SWOT

analysis. The subgroups will assess the viability of potential new programs, changes in the area

workforce, and information from other higher education institutions that might impact the college’s

current educational programs. The subgroups can then make recommendations to IPT; that committee can

then advise the Vice President of Instruction on the development of new—or the revision of existing—

instructional programs. All information and documentation used at each IPT meeting is sent to the college

community via email.

Overall

All college-wide plans are widely published and easy to access on the Clark College website as well

as the intranet. The content for each plan—strategic, academic, and social equity—is abbreviated and

formatted on a laminated pocket-sized card employees often keep with them or place on their desks.

These pocket-sized cards are also distributed to community partners regularly.

3.A.2 The institution’s comprehensive planning process is broad-based and offers opportunities

for input by appropriate constituencies.

Strategic Plan

A comprehensive approach to collecting and reporting stakeholder feedback was necessary to develop

the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

. The first step in the process began in February of 2013.

Under the theme of “Vision 2020,” the college community was asked to consider what Clark College

would look like in the year 2020: its role in the community, its values, its instructional programs, its

student services, and its budget priorities.

This feedback was collected by the Office of Planning and Effectiveness and relayed to the former

Planning and Accreditation Committee. In March of 2013, the members of that committee identified

commonalities in the collected responses. These themes would help structure future discussions and,

eventually, give more concrete shape to the many visions being shared.

From this exercise, in fact, one broad theme emerged, cutting across responses of all types: a focus on

student learning. It became clear that the work done by all the college’s employees was aimed – directly

or indirectly – toward the achievement of student learning. Similarly, members of the greater college

community – regardless of their particular industry’s priorities – shared an investment in that same

student learning.

With this in mind, the Strategic Plan was developed with student learning at the center of its future

discussions. This thematic focus was introduced at the Opening Day Activities in September 2013.

Student learning was formally defined as “the knowledge, skills, and connections gained at Clark

College.” Small, interdepartmental groups were convened and tasked with providing their input on four

key aspects of student learning: access, environment, engagement, and commitment.

Throughout Fall 2013 and into Winter 2014, approximately fifty groups with about ten members met

four times to discuss readings about each of the four key aspects of student learning. They were asked for

their feedback on how Clark College currently provides for each element of student learning, and how the

college might better do so in the future. These responses were recorded and – much like the Vision2020

exercise – this feedback was collected and themes were identified.

By February 2014, the feedback from these conversations had been collected, and the Strategic Plan

entered a more empirical phase of development. A dedicated group – Taskforce 1 - Communication – had

been appointed in July 2013 to provide continuous updates on the plan’s progress to the wider college

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community. Now, Taskforce 2 – Environmental Scanning joined the effort. An interdepartmental team of

more than 40 college representatives collectively considered the themes that had emerged from the

college-wide discussions on student learning and then researched related internal and external data.

Together with input from former College Council members, this research was organized within a

framework of sustainability. More specifically, Taskforce 2 conducted research in three broad areas of

sustainability: social equity, economic vitality, and environmental integrity. Research was conducted

pertaining to students as well as to local and national data, drawing on recognized best practices to

promote student learning and increase educational attainment. The results of this research were published

in the 115-page Clark College Environmental Scan

Upon the publication of the environmental scan’s findings, Taskforce 3 was convened over the

summer months of 2014. Taskforce 3’s job was to review the substantial information presented in the

environmental scan, and then draft the mission, vision, core themes, and values that would comprise the

Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan.

This undertaking was completed in time for the college’s Opening Day event in September 2014. At

this point, the draft of the plan was presented to the greater college community for review and comment.

Taskforce 3 collected and reviewed the college’s feedback and made changes to the vision, core themes,

and values based on the college’s response. The revised version circulated in October 2014 and shortly

thereafter, small teams were convened to draft objectives for each of the plan’s core themes, in order to

more specifically chart the college’s progress toward the goals expressed in the plan itself.

The plan is the culmination of a sustained, inclusive effort that featured hours of conversations and

months of research. As a whole, it determines how Clark College achieves its Vision 2020 – mission

fulfillment – honoring its commitment to the community and to the students it serves.

Academic Plan

Clark College officially began the development process during Fall 2014 by convening the Academic

Planning Team of 22 representatives throughout the college, led by the Associate Vice President of

Planning and Effectiveness. Academic Planning Team members gathered a tremendous amount of

research regarding national best practices in student learning and success, conducted an environmental

scan of the workforce and educational needs of the region, and collected information from the college

community in more than five forums. This work occurred from Fall 2014 through Winter 2015 and was

used to build the framework of the Academic Plan.

On Opening Day of 2015, the entire college community reviewed the goals and intended results of the

draft Academic Plan. The Academic Planning Team took the college feedback and convened small

groups of experts for each of the six goals to develop the processes to achieve the intended results. In

Winter 2016, the draft contents of the Academic Plan were once again reviewed by the college

community and, by that time, only small changes were made due to the fact that the development process

had been so inclusive. Overall, the Clark College 2016-2017 Academic Plan

, adopted in Spring 2016, and

is the culmination of extensive research on best practices in student learning and success, the educational

and workforce needs of the region, and college-wide feedback.

The core theme councils, as noted earlier, and the Instructional Council monitor the progress toward

achieving the intended results of the Academic Plan. The councils develop recommendations for

improvements and changes, if necessary, based on their assessment of progress. The Instructional Council

developed the timeline and regularly refines the action-steps to achieve the intended results for each of the

six goals. Moreover, Instructional Council will either work to reallocate existing resources within

Instruction to achieve the intended results or request additional funding during the budget process.

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Guided Pathways

With guided pathways serving as the primary framework for mission fulfillment, Clark College has

integrated this work into the discussion and decision-making throughout the college. Opportunities for

engagement, review and feedback have been integrated into the professional development days at the

college. During the faculty workday in January 2018, all employees were convened to attend a

presentation hosted by the President and a member of the Board of Trustees that had attended the AACC

Pathways 2.0 Project Institutes. This opening session laid the foundation for why the college is pursuing

guided pathways – to improve learning and increase the social mobility of students – with structured

activities held throughout the day to collect feedback on the first iteration of the transformed programs

and services. For example, this included review of the first iteration of program maps to evaluate how the

structured approach to offering programs at the college would impact student learning within a program

of study. Program faculty also had an opportunity to engage in cross-discipline conversations with faculty

teaching general education courses, with structured discussion on which general education courses best

prepare students to successfully transition to workforce – including opportunities to revise current course

content to contextualize learning within a program of study or develop new courses to meet an unmet

need. Feedback was collected from faculty and staff and used in the refinement of the second iteration of

program maps that were completed in Spring 2018.

Social Equity Plan

In December 2014 and January 2015, the former Cultural Pluralism Committee (CPC) knew that the

change in focus regarding diversity and equity in the new Strategic Plan would require a new

Social

Equity Plan. Therefore, CPC separated into three groups in January 2015 to develop goals and activities

for each of the three social equity objectives in the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan.

• Create and sustain an accessible and inclusive environment by utilizing principles of universal

design and social justice so that all students can achieve equitable outcomes.

• Demonstrate improved intercultural competency among employees and students through

comprehensive professional development and curricular transformation.

• Institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge systems of power, privilege, and

inequity.

The goals and strategies in the Social Equity Plan were developed relatively quickly because the plan

operationalizes the Social Equity core theme. The content was drafted by CPC during winter quarter

2015. And, in late winter and early spring quarter of 2015 a series of forums were held at the college

campuses to solicit feedback and build awareness. The Social Equity Plan is a product of all the research

and discussions about how to create and sustain Clark College as a socially equitable college for all

groups. The goals and strategies of the Social Equity Plan are intentionally broad and provide the

opportunity for individual units and departments to lead the implementation.

The Social Equity Council

, informed by the college community, is charged with regularly reviewing

progress toward eliminating systemic disparities in educational outcomes (social equity mission

fulfillment outcome). The council uses the goals and strategies as outlined in the Social Equity Plan to

recommend improvements to both departments and leadership teams throughout the college.

Facilities Master Plan

The Facilities Master Plan was developed by the Facilities Master Plan Committee. (The Space

Allocation Committee merged with the Facilities Master Plan Committee around this time.) The

committee has representation from each of the Executive Cabinet areas with the addition of a Board of

Trustee member and is coordinated by the Director of Facilities Services. The development of the plan

began with an environmental scan and opportunities for the college community to provide feedback.

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The college was committed to engaging as many individuals in the planning process as possible. This

effort began by soliciting feedback from almost 50 stakeholders at the college who represented the entire

college community – students, staff, faculty, and the members of the Clark College Foundation. These

individuals responded to an online survey that collected input on facility needs and trends. The results of

the survey were organized into themes. The themes were redistributed to the same group of participants

for them to prioritize. The initial invitation to provide input asked four open-ended questions: what are the

facility challenges; what are the key strengths; what are some creative ideas; and what other thoughts

should be considered. From this process, the committee got its first glimpse of the critical issues and

highest priorities.

Based on the environmental scan and college-wide feedback, the Facilities Master Plan Committee

drafted the Facilities Master Plan in 2014. The plan was presented to the college community in open

forums, to the City of Vancouver, and to the Clark College Foundation. The land use and development

requirements were reviewed with City of Vancouver planning staff to get their input on the codes and

standards that must be followed in the development of the campus. Four open forums were held at the

college to collect feedback on the framework. The Clark College Foundation attended a similar

presentation of the framework and offered its input. The Facilities Master Plan was finalized in 2014 and

serves as the basis for capital improvements and new capital projects. When the college has a chance to

make changes to the facilities, the programs and employees impacted are provided opportunities to inform

the decision-making process through their representation on the Facilities Master Plan Committee.

Budget Planning

The budget planning process involves all members of the college community. In the development of

the annual strategies toward mission fulfillment, leaders of the Executive Cabinet solicits feedback from

their respective areas of the college community. The college-representative members of the core theme

councils likewise solicits feedback from their constituencies and provides input to EC. Moreover, once

the strategies are developed, the college community is asked to identify budget needs to complete the

strategies that enable the college to make progress toward the mission fulfillment outcomes. EC uses this

information to draft the budget and presents the draft by EC area to the college community. The final

budget is developed based on the college feedback and final allocation from the legislature during May

and June.

Instructional Program Planning

Instructional program planning is a broad-based planning process that includes opportunities for input

by appropriate constituencies. Instructional Planning Team (IPT), a standing college committee, includes

tenured faculty members, instructional administrators, and representatives of departments throughout the

institution (e.g., financial aid, planning and effectiveness, and registration). Before every meeting, the

college community receives all of the materials presented at IPT. Members of the college community can

contact their representative to inform the conversation or discussion.

3.A.3 The institution’s comprehensive planning process is informed by the collection of

appropriately defined data that are analyzed and used to evaluate fulfillment of its mission.

Through Clark’s Office of Planning and Effectiveness, data collection and analysis both play critical

roles in Clark’s planning processes. In some ways, this focus on data is commonsensical: before

establishing indicators for the outcomes of mission fulfillment, the college must know how well those

outcomes are being met today. Much of the work that went into the Strategic Plan, therefore, involved

identifying accurate measures of several student success criteria: for instance, how well students were

meeting learning outcomes, at what rates they were graduating, and how much student debt they were

incurring. Some of these data are readily available through the normal course of the college’s record-

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keeping or from state and federal records. Other data, including some of the most important measures

(such as how well students are meeting learning outcomes), can prove remarkably intractable.

Clark College’s planning and continuous improvement processes are informed by the collection and

review of appropriately defined data. The data for all of the plans are robust, diverse, and comprehensive

but at the same time overlap. Clark intentionally uses standard sets of data to inform the development of

all plans to result in complementary plans and reduce the chance of conflicting plans. These data sets are

most often developed, analyzed, and shared out by the Office of Planning and Effectiveness. These

include the following:

• Environmental scans

as used to develop the strategic, academic, social equity, facilities master

plans;

• Labor market information as used in the Instructional Program Planning process, as well as

strategic, academic, and facilities master plans;

• Student success and achievement data;

• Student learning data;

• Employee Climate Survey

data;

• Student Experience Survey data;

• Transfer data from the National Student Clearinghouse;

• Institutional data related to entry, retention, completion, enrollment, financial aid, course success,

etc. and disaggregated to identify any disparities;

• Analysis of regional economic development organizations’ priorities;

• Focus groups and additional surveys pertaining to more specific topics; and

• Feedback from advisory committees and regional employers.

Where data are difficult to gather, the college is faced with the question of whether better data

gathering is practicable —in other words, whether the extra effort and cost needed to acquire more

reliable data is justified by the value of that data. In the case of student learning outcomes, it quickly

became obvious that for a college whose mission is student learning and success, having reliable data on

how well students are meeting learning outcomes is essential. To that end, the college embarked in 2011

on a massive project of outcomes assessment reform: faculty in each degree program group were asked to

map the required courses for their degrees to each degree outcome, to identify specifically how each

degree outcome would be assessed, and to focus assessment efforts on how well students were meeting

each degree-level outcome. Just as importantly, Clark’s regimen of program review—called the

Program

Improvement Process, or PIP—was retooled to require a far greater focus on students’ meeting of

program-level learning outcomes based on data.

Nowhere has this reform affected Clark’s planning more profoundly than in the AA-Direct Transfer

Agreement (DTA) degree. After some years of frustrated attempts to measure rates of student learning of

the AA-DTA outcomes, these outcomes were assessed systematically for the first time in 2014-2016

. The

results were instructive in two ways: first, for many outcomes, faculty had a remarkable amount of

difficulty agreeing whether any given student artifact met the outcome being assessed. And second, where

faculty did agree, students met degree outcomes at dishearteningly modest rates.

An honest appraisal of Clark students’ difficulties meeting student learning outcomes, and of

faculty’s difficulties measuring mastery of those outcomes, led many in the college community to

conclude that these troubles are a natural consequence of the structure of the AA-DTA degree. This

scrutiny of the organization of the AA-DTA dovetails with other lines of evidence—for example,

students’ perceptions of student services, such as advising and registration, as reported in Clark’s biannual

student experiences survey—which suggest guided pathways as a major structural reform of instruction

and student affairs. In other words, Clark’s adoption of guided pathways as the keystone of the Academic

Plan stems from an appraisal of Clark’s own student success data.

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Because the mission of Clark College centers on student learning and student success, the

effectiveness of any college plan may be measured by the degree to which it is informed by student

success measures, such as completion, retention, and course success. These measures are assessed on a

monthly basis for the Board of Trustees, who since 2016 have sought out and received regular updates of

those indicators, which are aligned with Clark’s core themes and its mission fulfillment outcomes. While

Clark’s Board of Trustees does not take a role over the day-to-day management of the college’s affairs,

they do signal, through their oversight of the president, what aspects of the Strategic Plan need to be

prioritized. Since 2016, the Board of Trustees has clarified to the college community that Clark’s primary

focus will be to improve student learning and student success as measured through rates at which students

enroll, meet learning outcomes, graduate, transfer, obtain employment, and leave Clark with a minimum

debt. Other measures for improvement are the college’s ability to meet social indicators.

3.A.4 The institution’s comprehensive plan articulates priorities and guides decisions on resource

allocation and application of institutional capacity.

The Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan guides decisions on resource allocation and application

of the institution’s capacity, including the Strategic Plan’s operational plans: Academic Plan, Social

Equity Plan, and Facilities Master Plan. The budget is developed annually and is predicated on the

development of strategies to make measureable progress toward the six mission fulfillment outcomes.

During the budget planning process, the college realized that a more comprehensive and defined plan that

included timelines, who is responsible, and budget information, was needed in order to redesign programs

and services within the guided pathways framework. The development of the annual strategies is based on

the evaluation and improvements recommended to achieve each of the Strategic Plan’s objectives as

measured by the corresponding indicators/measures of success that lead to achievement of the mission

fulfillment outcomes. These strategies are the basis of the budget development process. Moreover, these

strategies inform and, in some cases, are redundant to the Clark College Board of Trustees’ priorities

for

the year.

As stated in the response to 3.A.2, the college budget development process begins during fall quarter.

The core theme councils continue their review process of each of the core theme objectives as related to

the applicable mission fulfillment outcomes. By the end of January, the strategies are drafted, and during

the first part of February, the strategies are finalized based on the recommendations of councils,

Instructional Planning Team (IPT) instructional program planning recommendations, and executive

leadership analyses of gaps and progress in achieving the mission fulfillment outcomes. These strategies

serve as the foundation for decision-making for budget allocation to ensure the institution has capacity to

perform the strategies that lead toward achieving the six mission fulfillment outcomes.

All budget changes requested – whether it be during the formal process or throughout the year – are

required to articulate the connection to the strategies and achievement of the mission fulfillment

outcomes.

3.A.5 The institution’s planning includes emergency preparedness and contingency planning

continuity of operations should catastrophic events significantly interrupt normal institutional

operations.

Clark College’s Emergency Management Program

operates under the Director of Safety and Security.

A college-wide Emergency Management and Preparedness Committee (EMPC) provides advice on the

development of the College’s emergency response protocols, procedures, and training plan. With

foundational funding provided by an Emergency Management in Higher Education grant from the

Department of Education in 2010, Clark has been able to create and sustain a comprehensive emergency

preparedness program consisting of the following components:

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• An eight-minute training video

that covers essential response procedures, such as evacuation and

lockdown. This video has been used as a template by other colleges in the state system.

• On-line emergency response training required of all faculty and staff every two years.

• An emergency mass notification system that allows messages to be sent instantly and

simultaneously to every computer, phone, and loud speaker in the College, as well as to personal

devices.

• Easy-to-read emergency response posters

displayed in classrooms, offices, meeting spaces, and

gathering areas. This poster is provided in multiple languages.

• An Emergency Response Guide, available to faculty staff in electronic and paper formats, that

provides detailed information for responding to earthquakes, fires, severe weather, active

shooters, bomb threats, and other hazards.

• An all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

• A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). For obvious reasons, this plan is not posted on Clark’s

website. A copy can be made available upon request.

• Annual emergency response training that includes one earthquake drill, three lockdown drills

(one unannounced and one in the evening), and one fire/evacuation drill. Surveys are conducted

after each drill and results are reviewed by the EMPC.

• EMPC members and administrators trained in the National Incident Management System

(NIMS).

• Trailers containing emergency supplies (including food and water) and equipment to support

sheltering in place for 72 hours.

• Emergency Building Coordinators

(EBCs) trained to help execute emergency response protocols

in each building.

• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members trained to help others in emergencies

by executing critical rescue and life-sustaining actions in coordination with first responders.

• Campus signage that identifies assembly areas for evacuation: Main Campus; Columbia Tech

Center (CTC)

One enhancement made this year was to transition from an “opt-in” to an “opt-out” approach for

enrolling faculty, staff and students in RAVE Alert

, the college’s emergency notification text messaging

system. This move, executed in Winter Quarter 2018, increased the number of RAVE participants from

around 2,900 to over 14,000. As a result, Clark’s ability to reach the college community in the event of an

emergency has been greatly improved.

Standard 3B and

Standard Four

Core Theme Planning,

Assessment, and Improvement

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Standard 3B and Standard Four:

Core Theme Planning, Assessment, and Improvement

Section A – Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirement 22. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: The institution identifies and publishes

the expected learning outcomes for each of its degree and certificate programs. The institution

engages in regular and ongoing assessment to validate student achievement of these learning

outcomes.

Clark College identifies and publishes expected learning outcomes for all credit courses and degree

and certificate programs in the college catalog and on the college website (Standard 2.C.2). The college

assesses student achievement of program learning outcomes in a three-year Program Review (Program

Improvement Process) process as well as in continuous assessment of course-level outcomes (Standards

2.C.5, 4.A.2, and 4.A.3).

Eligibility Requirement 23. INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: The institution systematically

applies clearly defined evaluation and planning procedures, assesses the extent to which it achieves

its mission and core themes, uses the results of assessment to effect institutional improvement, and

periodically publishes the results to its constituencies. Through these processes, it regularly

monitors its internal and external environments to determine how and to what degree changing

circumstances may impact the institution and its ability to ensure its viability and sustainability.

Clark College applies clearly defined evaluation and planning procedures to programs and services as

well as at the institutional-level. The college assesses mission fulfillment by measuring the mission

fulfillment outcomes, measuring the indicators of achievement for each objective, and by using the results

of all assessments, regardless of organizational level and area, to make improvements. These results are

presented monthly to the Clark College Board of Trustees and made available through the Board reports,

on ClarkNet, and in Strategic Planning Online (SPOL).

Clark College conducts multiple evaluation and planning processes for core themes, core theme

objectives, and programs and services to ensure institutional effectiveness. These planning and

improvement processes for academics, facilities, social equity, annual budgets, annual mission fulfillment

strategies, guided pathways, and accreditation. Clark College generates and embeds data and information

into all of its processes with deliberate attention to accessibility and usability. These research and

reporting tools were created to support the college’s planning and improvement processes – establishing

evaluation systems that support multiple planning processes simultaneously. The use of clear evidence

allows the college to make strategic decisions that ensure Clark’s viability and sustainability.

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Section B

Core Theme Planning, Assessment, and Improvement

STANDARD 3.B – PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

The institution engages in ongoing, participatory planning that provides direction for the institution

and leads to the achievement of the intended outcomes of its programs and services, accomplishment of

its core themes, and fulfillment of its mission. The resulting plans reflect the interdependent nature of

the institution’s operations, functions, and resources. The institution demonstrates that the plans are

implemented and are evident in the relevant activities of its programs and services, the adequacy of its

resource allocation, and the effective application of institutional capacity. In addition, the institution

demonstrates that its planning and implementation processes are sufficiently flexible so that the

institution is able to address unexpected circumstances that have the potential to impact the

institution’s ability to accomplish its core theme objectives and to fulfill its mission.

STANDARD 4 – EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPROVEMENT

The institution regularly and systematically collects data related to clearly defined indicators of

achievement, analyzes those data, and formulates evidence-based evaluations of the achievement of

core theme objectives. It demonstrates clearly defined procedures for evaluating the integration and

significance of institutional planning, the allocation of resources, and the application of capacity in its

activities for achieving the intended outcomes of its programs and services and for achieving its core

theme objectives. The institution disseminates assessment results to its constituencies and uses those

results to effect improvement.

Clark College engages in continuous improvement at all levels of the organization: core theme, core

theme objectives, and programs and services. Specifically, planning, assessment, and improvement at

Clark College are based on 1) assessing student learning, student success, and the environment/conditions

of the internal and external community; 2) developing corresponding goals and objectives for the

opportunities uncovered in the scan; 3) implementing the corresponding programs, services, and

strategies; 4) assessing the effectiveness of programs, services, and strategies; and 5) improving the

programs, services, and strategies. The continuous improvement process at Clark College today emerged

from the development of the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. Based on the results of the

2014

Clark College Environmental Scan, the college identified the need to plan, assess, and improve

comprehensively in order to improve student success.

Prior to the current Strategic Plan, planning to improve services and programs to achieve mission

fulfillment occurred independently. Each Clark College department created its own operational plan to

develop individual program goals and intended outcomes. This “silo structure” led to the development of

conflicting and competing goals and services. Individual departments did not collaborate in planning and

assessment outside their areas to meet a common goal. In effect, the failure to work in sync defeated the

comprehensive planning process. Additionally, the college believed that changing or improving a few

discrete programs or services—such as adding first-year mentoring or eliminating courses that duplicated

curriculum in Adult Basic Education and precollege—would improve student success. This approach did

not yield progress toward achieving the mission fulfillment outcomes.

Ultimately, Clark College realized that increasing student success and effectively serving the

community requires a comprehensive approach to improving individual programs and services within the

context of one framework that captures the collective student experience: guided pathways. This critical

shift in perspective is manifested in the core themes and objectives as they guide all programs and

services with articulated context and indicators of achievement. Furthermore, the six mission fulfillment

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outcomes have the same expected outcomes as guided pathways, and the core theme objectives overlap

with the essential practices of guided pathways. Therefore, in addition to the core theme objectives,

planning for, assessing, and improving (i.e., continuous improvement) Clark’s programs and services

utilizes the Scale of Adoption Assessment

(SOAA) essential practices.

This chapter presents the processes and findings of continuous improvement (i.e., planning,

assessment, and improvement) at Clark College for core themes, core theme objectives, and programs and

services for each of the standards in 3.B and 4 in Section B. Section C has four parts, one for each core

theme, that describe continuous improvement for each core theme objective and corresponding programs

and services as related to standards 3.B and 4.

3.B.1. Planning for each core theme is consistent with the institution’s comprehensive plan and

guides the selection of programs and services to ensure they are aligned with and contribute to the

accomplishment of the core theme’s objectives.

Throughout the development of the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan

, the college began to

recognize that the institution needed to implement significant changes to the way it offers teaching and

learning for students to be successful. Specifically, the mission statement uses two deliberate words to

inform that change: “guide” and “individual.” Through the research and discovery process in the

development phases of the Strategic Plan, it became clear that the college could no longer just provide

educational opportunities to the community (the essence of the former strategic plan). The college must

guide people, based on their individual needs, through Clark’s academically excellent programs

(Academic Excellence) that are affordable (Economic Vitality), meet the needs of the community

(Economic Vitality), and improve social equity (Social Equity) with the necessary resources and

capacities (Environmental Integrity and Economic Vitality).

As described in standards 3.A, the primary operational plan for the Strategic Plan is the Academic

Plan. It addresses most, but not all, of the objectives of the Strategic Plan and provides direction for the

college’s programs and services. The fundamental framework for mission fulfillment is guided pathways

as articulated in the Academic Plan. Guided pathways, as the first goal of the Academic Plan, provides the

framework to implement all of the changes necessary to achieve mission fulfillment as listed within the

Academic Plan,

Social Equity Plan, and Facilities Master Plan. Moreover, when the college set out to

create a Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan due to declining enrollment, it realized the

extreme overlap between guided pathways and SEM. The college decided to wait until the guided

pathways business plan was fully developed to determine whether there were gaps that a SEM plan would

address.

In the Clark College Academic Plan, guided “pathways map out integrated sequences of courses and

support services, and are grounded in clear learning outcomes that are aligned with next steps in students’

education or career [goals].” The national guided pathways model

provides colleges a roadmap with

specific essential practices required for degree or certificate seeking students to be successful at

community colleges. The ultimate goal of guided pathways is to create the conditions for individual

students to be successful, specifically by increasing the completion rate and eliminating systemic

disparities in educational outcomes. Guided pathways directs the college to create pathways to students’

end goals; help students choose and enter a pathway; keep students on the pathway; ensure that students

are learning throughout the pathway; and increase equity. Each of the five pillars has specific essential

practices that structure the college’s transformation of its programs and services. Planning done to

increase completion rates largely influenced the development of the Academic Plan – which directs the

college to adopt guided pathways, prepare students for college-level work, improve teaching and learning

strategies and environments, and integrate the ability to analyze systems of power, privilege, and inequity

into the curriculum. All of the Academic Plan’s goals and intended results determine the strategies and

either complement or overlap with the essential practices of guided pathways.

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The Community College Research Center of Columbia University created the

Scale of Adoption

Assessment (SOAA). The SOAA tool provides the framework, with the essential practices, for colleges to

ensure they have—and can track their implementation of—appropriate programs and services. Within

Clark’s second planning year of guided pathways, faculty members created the first drafts of

curriculum

maps (referred to as program information sheets) that offer more coherent information to facilitate

program completion, advisors redesigned the advising process, and admissions restructured the entry

process. More specifically, the college realized that the programs and services that support student

success and learning needed to be structured and coherent but also flexible to meet individual students’

needs. The shift reorients the college from designing programs and services to get students college-ready

to designing programs and services to get the college student-ready.

As stated in the second goal of the Academic Plan, and as an essential practice in the SOAA,

instructional programs align with the workforce needs. Following the process outlined in the second goal

of the Academic Plan, the college has recently developed multiple programs that meet community needs:

A Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management and a

Bachelor of Applied Science in Human

Services are in place, and the college is currently in the development phases of a Bachelor of Applied

Science in Cybersecurity. In addition, the Associate of Arts-transfer concentration areas that respond to

workforce needs were selected for the areas of study within the guided pathways framework.

As conditions of approval, proposals to select new programs and services, as well as requests for

budgets for existing programs and services, must directly align with guided pathways and the Strategic

Plan’s core theme objectives and must result in progress towards the mission fulfillment outcomes.

3.B.2. Planning for core theme programs and services guides the selection of contributing

components of those programs and services to ensure they are aligned with and contribute to

achievement of the goals or intended outcomes of the respective programs and services.

As described in the introduction, the operational planning process evolved to be more holistic in the

approach to planning and improving programs and services. Immediately after the Strategic Plan was

adopted, the Social Equity Plan and Academic Plan

were developed and implemented. These two

operational plans – in addition to the Facilities Master Plan – provide direction for programs and services

throughout the college.

As stated in 3.A.1, the college began operational planning to select the components of programs and

services as they contribute to achievement of core theme objectives. These operational plans include the

Academic Plan, the Social Equity Plan, and Facilities Master Plan.

These plans operationalize the core

theme objectives and identify the programs, services, and components thereof. The Academic Plan is the

primary operational plan for the Strategic Plan. It is comprehensive, addressing almost every core theme

objective within the context of teaching and learning.

As guided pathways is the primary framework to achieve mission fulfillment, the college has begun

implementing changes to most programs and services to better align them with the five pillars and

essential practices that comprise the CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment (SOAA)

. Clark uses the

SOAA as developed by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) and revised by the Washington

State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to plan for the programs and services to ensure they

are aligned with and contribute to achieving each of the six mission fulfillment outcomes among

individual programs and services and the college as a whole. The SOAA tool provides the framework for

the college to plan, assess, and improve individual programs and services as a part of an interdependent

and complex system. The pillars and corresponding essential practices have informed the selection of the

programs’ and services’ components/characteristics, while ensuring that the programs and services overall

are

aligned with the core themes and contribute to achieving the mission fulfillment outcomes and core

theme objectives.

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3.B.3. Core theme planning is informed by the collection of appropriately defined data that are

analyzed and used to evaluate accomplishment of core theme objectives. Planning for programs

and services is informed by the collection of appropriately defined data that are used to evaluate

achievement of the goals and intended outcomes of those programs and services.

Clark College’s planning and continuous improvement processes are informed by regular and

systematic collection and analysis of appropriately defined data. Planning for programs and services

utilizes data to inform decision-making, including but not limited to, assessment of the alignment of

college programs and services to meet the core theme objectives, analyzing the college’s progress towards

the indicators of achievement for the core objectives, and developing annual strategies to improve

programs and services to achieve the core theme objectives. To ensure alignment of all programs and

services under the framework of guided pathways and in keeping with the appropriate core theme

objective, Clark College intentionally uses standard data sets to inform development and improvement of

all programs and services. Data is used throughout each step of the decision-making process, based on the

core theme objective with which that program or service is directly associated. Primarily developed,

analyzed, and shared out by the Office of Planning and Effectiveness, these sets of data provide the

college with comprehensive, consistent information to ensure complementary alignment of all programs

and services at the college.

Common sets of data include the following and can be found in the Data Navigator

• Environmental scans as used to develop the strategic, academic, social equity, facility master

plans;

• Labor market information as used in the Instructional Program Planning process, as well as in

strategic, academic, and facility master plans;

• Student learning outcomes assessment;

• Student success and achievement data;

• Student learning data;

• Employee Climate Survey data;

• Student Experiences Survey data;

• Transfer data from the National Student Clearinghouse;

• Student, graduate, and leaver employment data from the Washington State Employment Security

Department;

• Institutional data related to entry, retention, completion, enrollment, financial aid, course success,

etc. and disaggregated by student demographics or characteristics to identify any disparities;

• Analysis of regional economic development organizations’ priorities;

• Feedback from economic development organizations and employers; and

• Focus groups and additional surveys pertaining to more specific topics.

Additionally, as outlined in 3.B.2, Clark College utilizes the CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment to

measure the college’s progress towards implementing the 22 essential practices of guided pathways

. This

qualitative data provides the college with an assessment of progress towards the core theme objectives, as

well as development of an

action plan for transforming programs and services to improve student learning

and student success.

Analysis of the college’s progress towards the indicators of achievement for each core theme

objective, as well as development of annual strategies to improve programs and services, is conducted on

a monthly, quarterly, or annual schedule, based on the data availability. Monthly scorecards

, which

include up to three indicators of achievement relevant to each of the six mission fulfillment outcomes,

have been provided to the Board of Trustees since 2016. These six monthly scorecards provide the Board

of Trustees, the college community, and the public with an overview of the progress towards the

indicators of achievement and an overview of progress of the improvement strategies.

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Indicators of achievement for each core theme objective (as outlined in Standard 1.B) are assessed by

college leadership for current progress, trends, and disaggregation through an equity lens (as outlined in

Standard 4.1.A). Collectively, assessment of progress towards the indicators of achievement are used in

the development of annual strategies

to improve programs and services (as outlined in Standard 4.A.2).

Core theme councils review the indicators of achievement for their respective core theme, providing

recommendations to Executive Cabinet to develop annual strategies that improve programs and services

and thereby achieve the core theme objectives. Executive Cabinet examines the core theme objectives

collectively, developing annual strategies – that guide prioritization of planning, resources, capacity and

practices - to ensure responsible allocation of available resources for continuous improvement of

programs and services. This institutionalized continuous improvement process, which is integrated at the

institutional, core theme, and core theme objective level, enables the college to intentionally incorporate

appropriate data to inform planning, evaluation and improvement of programs and services to achieve

mission fulfillment.

4.A.1. The institution engages in ongoing systematic collection and analysis of meaningful,

assessable, and verifiable data, quantitative and/or qualitative, as appropriate to its indicators of

achievement, as the basis for evaluating the accomplishment of its core theme objectives.

--and—

4.A.4. The institution evaluates holistically the alignment, correlation, and integration of programs

and services with respect to accomplishment of core theme objectives.

Each core theme objective has an executive cabinet member assigned

to evaluate the progress for the

annual strategies identified for each core theme and the progression toward meeting the objectives’

indicators of success. The executive cabinet member serves as the executive sponsor to coordinate and

align programs and services relevant to the objectives and strategies and mission fulfillment outcomes

assigned for the appropriate core theme.

The president’s Executive Cabinet (EC) adopts annual mission fulfillment strategies based on

opportunities for improvements. The strategies originate from the evaluation of the contribution made

both individually and comprehensively by programs and services to meet the indicators of achievement of

the core theme objectives. This comprehensive evaluation ensures holistic alignment and integration of

programs and services – including the necessary programs and services that are organizationally outside

of scope of responsibility for the executive cabinet member/executive sponsor.

The core theme councils also regularly evaluate the alignment, effectiveness, and integration of

programs and services within the context of all core theme objectives. The councils use the objectives’

indicators of achievement as progress milestones toward achieving the mission fulfillment outcomes

assigned to their core theme; for example, academic excellence mission fulfillment outcomes are to

increase completion and improve student learning. The councils use the results of the biennial

student

experiences survey and they review the progress of programs and services in meeting the associated

operational plans as evidenced in the councils’ meeting minutes. Based on its evaluation and assessment

findings, each council develops strategies that strengthen programs and services that lead to mission

fulfillment, which are provided to the President’s Executive Cabinet (EC). These recommended strategies

are prioritized when EC finalizes the adoption of annual mission fulfillment strategies.

In addition to the executive sponsor and the core theme councils, evaluation of programs and services

is conducted by the organizational leader. For example, advising is an essential component of all of the

core themes as it impacts the ability to achieve all six of the mission fulfillment outcomes. Advising is

also a crucial service for guided pathways. While the Vice President of Instruction is the executive

sponsor of guided pathways, the Vice President of Student Affairs is organizationally responsible for an

advising system that meets the essential practices outlined in the

CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment

(SOAA), integrates within each of the educational programs, and is aligned with other programs and

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services to achieve many of the objectives’ indicators of achievement and six mission fulfillment

outcomes.

4.A.2. The institution engages in an effective system of evaluation of its programs and services,

wherever offered and however delivered, to evaluate achievement of clearly identified program

goals or intended outcomes. Faculty have a primary role in the evaluation of educational programs

and services.

Clark College engages in an effective systemic evaluation of its programs and services within the

context of the core theme objectives and the framework for mission fulfillment: guided pathways. All of

the college’s programs and services align with one or more of the core theme objectives and contribute to

attaining the indicators of achievement. Through monthly monitoring and annual evaluation of each core

theme objective, strategies for mission fulfillment

are developed to improve the college’s programs and

services.

As the college is transforming how it offers teaching and learning through guided pathways,

evaluation and improvement of its programs and services are planned and implemented based on the

SOAA essential practices. Using these essential practices, the college began to evaluate and improve its

programs and services in Spring 2017. To date, the most significant changes

have been a redesign of the

entry process; the creation of a mandatory, case-load model for advising; and an improvement in the

coherency of the educational programs by creating and posting program information sheets to inform

students about recommended courses and the careers opportunities toward which each program will lead.

4.A.3. The institution documents, through an effective, regular, and comprehensive system of

assessment of student achievement, that students who complete its educational courses, programs,

and degrees, wherever offered and however delivered, achieve identified course, program, and

degree learning outcomes. Faculty with teaching responsibilities are responsible for evaluating

student achievement of clearly identified learning outcomes.

All educational programs are comprehensively assessed every three years through the

program

improvement process that improves and enhances student learning through continuous improvement of

instructional programs. Program improvement ensures that Clark’s programs achieve the college’s vision

to inspire learners to excel, transform lives, and strengthen an increasingly diverse community. Further,

the program improvement process is the method by which Clark College practices academic excellence

by ensuring that each of its educational programs offers the conditions for student learning and

intellectual growth.

The members of Clark College's faculty bear the primary responsibility for reviewing existing

programs to ensure their effectiveness and responsiveness to community need. This duty is not only in

keeping with their discipline and curricular expertise, it also aligns with the college’s structure of shared

governance. Further, the Association of Higher Education (AHE) negotiated agreement

has identified in

the faculty job description that faculty ”participate in program improvement and outcomes assessment

activities that impact student success.” In keeping with these mandates, as well as with established best

practices, the college's program improvement process requires sustained faculty involvement. Together

with the contributions of appropriate college staff and administrators, program faculty assume principal

responsibility for the effectiveness of program improvement.

The program improvement process is the responsibility of the Instructional Planning Team (IPT), a

standing college committee. A faculty member chairs IPT, which also includes 10 tenured faculty

members who serve for a three-year rotating term. The specific logistics of program improvement are

coordinated by members of an IPT subcommittee, the Program Improvement Process (PIP) Committee.

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The program improvement process requires regular review of multiple aspects of enrollment,

teaching, learning, and alignment with regional need of each educational program. The following are the

purpose and required activities of PIP:

Purpose

• Establish a systematic, ongoing process of review and improvement for each for-credit program

group (credentials related by discipline); and

• Establish a clear communication process to IPT, program faculty, and other college stakeholders

to ensure the holistic health and vitality of a program group (i.e., degree(s) and certificate(s)

within one discipline).

Required Activities

• Evaluate and improve processes to result in compliance with accreditation standards.

• Establish a systematic, ongoing process of educational program review and improvement.

• Ensure that faculty members engage in all phases of the review process.

• Link vitality indicators, outcomes assessment, and best practices in teaching and learning.

• Assess the health, vitality, and student learning of/within the program group.

• Provide a process that will assist and support faculty who request a program improvement review.

• Establish clear communication processes to IPT, program faculty, and other college stakeholders

regarding the outcomes and program improvement results.

Faculty hold the primary responsibility for program review. The Instructional Planning Team

oversees program review through the work of its subcommittee, the Program Improvement Process (PIP)

Committee, ensuring faculty representation on the PIP Committee as well as in leading all program

review efforts. The program review process begins in the spring term of each academic year, when IPT

identifies the PIP Committee membership. Members of this committee serve for a two-year term and do

not have to be members of IPT.

Every spring quarter, an announcement is made at IPT regarding membership updates as well as a

reminder of the programs that will be reviewed beginning the upcoming fall term. Programs desiring a

program improvement review that are not on the current schedule, or that want to coordinate with third-

party accreditation cycles, can make the request directly to PIP.

In conducting program reviews

, the PIP Committee examines the following existing indicators of

program effectiveness:

• Enrollment

• Completion

• Student course success rate

• Retention

• Employment rate of leavers/completers

• Wages of former students (leavers/completers)

• Labor market outlook – based on confirmation of Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)

codes

o Projected positions

o Salary

• Identification of entry (including pre-college) paths (see Academic Plan

Goal 1)

• Organization of program curriculum within a guided pathway - CTE programs identify General

Education requirements in the pathway (see Academic Plan

Goal 1)

• Identified and implemented exit pathways to transfer and/or employment (per program, see

Academic Plan

Goal 1)

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• Mapping of courses and assignments to program outcomes

• Self-reported active learning strategies to support each program outcome and embedded global

perspective (see Academic Plan

Goal 5)

• Evidence that students have learned program and course outcomes

• Evidence of students' ability to analyze systems of power, privilege, and inequity (degree

programs only, see Academic Plan

Goal 6)

• Evidence that the appropriate advisory committee has reviewed the program improvement

process indicators

• Identification of program improvement strategies, especially since last review

• Affirm active partnerships of program faculty with actual businesses, educational institutions, and

others (see “Partnerships” sections for all Academic Plan

goals)

4.A.5. The institution evaluates holistically the alignment, correlation, and integration of planning,

resources, capacity, practices, and assessment with respect to achievement of the goals or intended

outcomes of its programs or services, wherever offered and however delivered.

As mentioned previously, the college uses its Strategic Plan, operational plans, and SOAA

as guiding

documents to holistically evaluate the alignment, correlation, and integration of planning, resources,

capacity, practices, and assessment to achieve the intended outcomes of its programs and services related

to each of the college’s four core themes. Each month, the college records and evaluates the progress

toward meeting the all seventeen of the core theme objectives. Specifically, the progress is recorded in

Strategic Planning Online (SPOL) and evaluated as it pertains to the annual strategies for mission

fulfillment; the progress is also

reported to the Clark College Board of Trustees.

Based on the evaluation, opportunities for improvements are discovered, integration of programs and

services are deepened, and the allocation of resources to improve programs and services are requested and

often obtained. If the capacity and practices required to improve the programs and services are too large

or too complex to immediately implement but are necessary to mission fulfillment, the program/service

organizational leader or the executive sponsor of the related core theme objective may recommend that as

an annual strategy for the following year. In addition, the core theme councils

also identify opportunities

for improvement based on the evaluation and then determine what additional resources and capacity are

necessary to improve the programs and services. Officially, the

core theme councils recommend these

strategies and priorities to the organizational leaders/managers and Executive Cabinet. The councils ask

Executive Cabinet to prioritize the resources and capacity necessary to operationalize the strategies.

The college-wide budget planning process requires that all budget requests are aligned with core

theme objectives and each objective’s strategies for mission fulfillment, ensuring alignment of all

resources and capacities of programs and services to achieve mission fulfillment. Ultimately, the

executive sponsor evaluates and prioritizes the budget requests for each strategy based on how well it

aligns with the indicators of achievement for each of the core theme objectives, while making sure the

resources and capacities are appropriate for the outcome expected.

4.A.6. The institution regularly reviews its assessment processes to ensure they appraise authentic

achievements and yield meaningful results that lead to improvement.

Clark College regularly reviews its assessment processes to ensure that they appraise authentic

achievements and lead to improvement through three systems: core theme councils, guided pathways

leadership team, and the program improvement process. The core theme councils’ purpose is to improve

college’s effectiveness and progress toward mission fulfillment. Embedded in this purpose is regular

review to make sure that the assessment processes and indicators of achievement align with the mission

fulfillment outcomes. The guided pathways leadership team – which is still evolving – reviews the

assessment processes and progress toward the SOAA essential practices to ensure the college is making

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measurable and authentic achievement in student outcomes. The program improvement process is a

systematic, ongoing process of review and improvement for each educational program group (e.g. related

credentials by discipline).

Core Theme Councils

The purpose of the core theme councils is to improve the college’s effectiveness and progress,

holistically, toward meeting the core theme objectives and related mission fulfillment outcomes. The

councils also make recommendations to the appropriate decision-making bodies regarding improvement

strategies within the context of the core theme objectives and guided pathways. By assessing and

identifying strategies to support conditions that continually enhance and modernize the college’s physical,

virtual, and social environment, the work of this committee results in improved student learning. Each

council makes recommendations to college leadership teams related to assessment processes, operational

processes, and improvement of programs and services as related to the indicators of achievement and

mission fulfillment outcomes.

The councils conduct this work in the following three ways:

1. Discuss improvement of student learning within the context of the core theme objectives and

indicators of achievement.

a. Academic Excellence Council’s

discussions aim to improve student learning and increase

retention, academic progress, and completion.

b. Social Equity Council’s discussions aim to eliminate systemic disparities in educational

outcomes and increase the intercultural competency of all college community members,

with particular focus on the recruitment and retention of both students and employees

from systemically non-dominant populations.

c. Economic Vitality Council’s discussions aim to improve the economic conditions of the

college, students, and regional workforce. The foci of the discussions are college

affordability, institutional budget planning and development, leveraging resources for

innovation, and institutionalizing external partnerships to ensure student success and

enhanced workforce development.

d. Environmental Integrity Council’s discussions aim to improve environmental

sustainability, facilities and technology infrastructure planning, and climate.

2. Continuously review and evaluate Clark College’s progress toward mission fulfillment,

specifically in regards to the core theme objectives. The method used to evaluate will be the

mission fulfillment outcomes for each core theme and indicators of achievement.

3. Develop and provide appropriate recommendations of strategies that improve programs and

services to the college’s leadership teams, especially the President’s Executive Cabinet.

When relevant, the council will also make recommendations of strategies to improve

economic vitality to college units/departments and other related committees.

Guided Pathways Leadership Team

The extensive transformation required for guided pathways initially resulted in many false starts to

the make-up of an effective leadership team to implement guided pathways. However, with the support of

Clark’s membership in the

American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Pathways Institute

2.0, the college is finalizing its leadership team. The core of the guided pathways leadership team has

been and will continue to be the Vice President of Instruction, as the executive sponsor; a faculty liaison;

Vice President of Student Affairs; Associate Vice President of Planning and Effectiveness; the Dean of

Student Enrollment and Completion, and—recently added—Special Advisor to the President on Guided

Pathways. The team regularly evaluates whether the college is assessing the appropriate indicators and the

authenticity of progress. For example, advising services has been actively trying to improve its service to

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the college for the past two years. While the redesign of advising services model in 2016-2017 did meet

some of the intended results, it did not yield meaningful results that improved the student experience.

Throughout the 2017-2018 academic year, the leadership team regularly reviewed the essential practices

and intended results as advising services was creating the new advising model.

Program Improvement Process (PIP)

All educational programs are assessed every three years through the program improvement process

The program improvement process at Clark College boosts student learning through continuous

improvement of instructional programs. Student learning and student success indicators are evaluated

independently and holistically by the Program Improvement Process (PIP) Committee. The team

evaluates whether the assessment processes used by each instructional program appraise authentic

achievement and yield meaningful results that lead to improvement. Based on their review and evaluation,

the team recommends improvements of assessment processes and actions that are intended to lead to

improvements in student learning and success.

After a few years of the PIP Committee’s recommendations for improvement to student learning

outcomes and to programs, the Outcomes Assessment Committee

added an important role to their scope

of work. Programs that the PIP Committee will review within the next two years will present their

outcomes assessment findings, as well as their suggested strategies for improving learning based on those

assessments to the Outcomes Assessment Committee for review. The Outcomes Assessment Committee

reviews each program’s assessment process and methodologies, their findings, and their improvement

strategies to ensure they are measuring authentic achievement and implementing improvement strategies

based on those findings.

4.B.1. Results of core theme assessments and results of assessment of programs and services are a)

based on meaningful institutionally identified indicators of achievement; b) used for improvement

by informing planning, decision making, and allocation of resources and capacity; and c) made

available to appropriate constituencies in a timely manner.

Results of the core theme assessment and results of the assessment are available on the Strategic

Planning Online (SPOL) website, which includes all 17 core theme objectives, intended core theme

objective intended results, annual strategies for mission fulfillment, and monthly updates on progress

made towards annual strategies for mission fulfillment. Having a place in which all of the college-wide

planning is located provides the college community with a transparent process, including assignment of

executive sponsors, annual strategies for mission fulfillment for each core theme, monthly progress

updates, and educational program improvements.

A) Institutionally Identified Indicators

Assessments of core theme objectives and related programs and services are recorded within the

SPOL framework, which includes the institutionally identified intended results for each core theme

objective. These intended results provide meaningful, quantitative or qualitative targets that provide

evidence of whether the college, including specific programs or services, is achieving its intended goals.

Please refer to Standard 4.A.1 for each individual core theme objective for the specific indicator(s) of

achievement, intended result, and baseline and current measures.

B) Used for Improvement

Improvement strategies that derive from the assessment of core theme objectives and assessment of

related programs and services are used in the development of annual mission fulfillment strategies

specific to the core theme objectives. The annual mission fulfillment strategies are then used in the

college-wide budget process to allocate resources and capacity to support collaborative development of

solutions to reach the intended results and core theme objectives.

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C) Made Available

Each month, the Board of Trustees receives a monthly scorecard report on each of the six mission

fulfillment outcomes. These mission fulfillment monthly scorecards provide a transparent progress report

and provide the timely information needed to analyze the college’s effort towards meeting each core

theme mission fulfillment outcome. Mission fulfillment

monthly scorecards are available to the public via

the Clark website, as well as through internal links on the core theme council communication tool.

Student Learning

Every three years, student achievement and student learning data are reviewed for each program as a

part of the program improvement process. For example, enrollment, student learning, and completion

(three mission fulfillment outcomes) in addition to many other indicators are assessed for each program.

The data are analyzed by PIP and program faculty members to identify and strategize how to acquire

resources and capacity that may be needed to improve. All results of the program improvement process

are presented to the Instructional Planning Team (IPT) and shared college-wide in the posting of minutes.

4.B.2. The institution uses the results of its assessment of student learning to inform academic and

learning support planning and practices that lead to enhancement of student learning

achievements. Results of student learning assessments are made available to appropriate

constituencies in a timely manner.

Since the 2008 comprehensive evaluation of compliance with NWCCU accreditation standards, Clark

College has made significant improvements to student learning outcomes assessment in response to the

out of compliance finding regarding program learning outcomes assessment. While the professional

technical education degrees and certificates were assessed at the program (i.e., degree and certificate)

level, the academic transfer programs’ student learning was only assessed at the discipline/department

level. In response to the out of compliance finding, the college urgently developed the

program learning

outcomes for the academic transfer degrees, including the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science-

Transfer degrees.

Teams of multi-disciplinary faculty members who taught courses that support the academic transfer

programs convened to develop assessment criteria for the program learning outcomes in 2009. The

framework developed by these teams was used to write a proposal for the college to receive a U.S.

Department of Education, Title III-A Strengthening Institutions grant. The grant was awarded in 2011 and

the college embarked on a massive project of outcomes assessment reform: Faculty in each degree

program group were asked to map the required courses for their degrees to each degree outcome, to

identify specifically how each degree outcome would be assessed, and to focus assessment efforts on how

well students were meeting each degree-level outcome. Just as importantly, Clark’s regime of program

review—called the Program Improvement Process, or PIP—was retooled to require a far greater focus on

students’ meeting of program-level learning outcomes.

The outcomes assessment reform began with training faculty members throughout the institution to

understand best practices in methodology and analysis of student learning outcomes assessment for

programs. (Faculty members had been and continue to be actively engaged in course level assessment that

leads to improvement of student learning.) The purpose of the training was to help faculty members,

especially academic transfer faculty members, see how their courses fit into program degrees and

certificates.

Over the duration of the Title III-A grant, the college established processes to ensure that students’

learning for all educational courses, programs, and degrees was assessed. Engagement in outcomes

assessment became an essential criteria for the health of the degrees and programs within the program

improvement process. The first faculty-workday in fall quarter, held in October, became the Learning and

Assessment Day. On this day, faculty systematically review and assess the learning outcomes for more

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than 1,000 artifacts of student learning. The report of their findings

outlines systematic changes needed to

improve students’ learning outcomes.

Nowhere has this reform affected Clark’s planning and practices more profoundly than in the AA-

Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) degree. After some years of trial and error, the AA outcomes were

assessed systematically for the first time in 2015 and 2016

. The results were instructive in two ways: first,

for many outcomes, faculty had significant difficulty agreeing whether any given student artifact met the

outcome being assessed. And second, where faculty did agree, students met degree outcomes at

dishearteningly modest rates.

An honest appraisal of Clark students’ challenges meeting student learning outcomes, and of the

faculty’s difficulties measuring mastery of those outcomes, led many in the college community to

conclude that these troubles are an inherent consequence of the structure of the college’s AA-DTA

degree. A lack of coordination among departments, coupled with inadequate advising, meant that students

moved through their respective programs without the benefit of a big-picture strategy for where, when,

and how each student would gain the skills and knowledge to meet each of the program-level learning

outcomes. One recommendation of the PIP Committee was to convene an AA advisory committee,

similar to the professional technical education advisory committees, to holistically examine and improve

the AA degree.

The information from the 2015, 2016, and 2017

learning outcomes assessments of the AA and the

work done by the AA Advisory Committee identified weaknesses inherent in the structural organization

of the AA-DTA. Moreover, the data that led to those conclusions dovetails with other lines of evidence

and their implications for change. For example, students’ perceptions of student services, such as advising

and registration—as reported in Clark’s biennial Student Experiences Survey – suggested a major

structural reform of instruction and student affairs was needed – leading to adoption of guided pathways.

In other words, Clark’s adoption of guided pathways as the centerpiece goal of the

Academic Plan stems

from the appraisal of Clark’s student success data more than it does from the evidence presented by

nationally renowned educational experts.

The improvements in learning have been documented in a variety of methods. Every program

annually records their assessments of learning for courses and programs (i.e., certificates and degrees) in

an outcomes assessment Canvas shell

to which all faculty members have access. In addition, the findings

and improvements of student learning are included in the program review as outlined in the program

improvement process. Moreover, faculty members who seek revision to curriculum are asked to provide

the rationale for the change. Requests for new programs must articulate their program learning outcomes

as well as the methodology to assess those outcomes.

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Section C

Core Themes, Objectives, and Programs and Services

Planning, Assessment, and Improvement

Academic Excellence

The objectives of the Academic Excellence (AE) core theme commit the college to facilitate student

learning by providing the conditions for intellectual growth through scholarship, discovery, application,

creativity, and critical thinking. Each of the objectives identifies the necessary components, appropriate

strategies, and resources to facilitate student learning. The first objective is the expectation that the

college will deliberately implement and institutionalize practices that increase academic performance,

retention, and completion (AE1). The remaining objectives within Academic Excellence operationalize

the conditions necessary to facilitate student learning with the following foci: inclusive and dynamic

curriculum (AE2); active learning strategies (AE3); accessible, integrated, and technology-enriched

learning environments (AE4); professional development (AE5); and outcomes assessment and

improvement of student learning (AE6). Collectively, these objectives are expected to result in increased

student completion and improved student learning, two of the college’s six mission fulfillment outcomes.

AE1. Implement and institutionalize practices that increase academic performance,

retention, and completion.

Clark College chose the first objective of the Strategic Plan to ensure decision making that concerns

any other objective must first consult the imperative to enhance—and never to compromise—student

achievement. This intentional planning catapulted the college toward the primary framework of guided

pathways to achieve mission fulfillment. Every program and student service at the college influences

academic performance, retention, and completion, both individually and collectively, and guided

pathways calls for a complete redesign of those individual programs and services; this redesign focuses

on the concept of guided as identified in the Clark College mission statement

Clark’s retention and completion rates among certificate- and degree-seeking students, similar to

community colleges nationally, are dismal and in need of improvement. This change is more important

now than in years past due to the increasing expectation that the workforce in all industries have post-

secondary credentials (American Association of Community Colleges, 2014 and Brunell, 2014). As a

consequence of systemic inequity, people of color are disproportionately represented in the lowest socio-

economic quintiles in Clark College’s service district. Clark College’s planning for programs and services

addresses that inequity as it seeks to improve conditions for all students. Over the past several years,

specific plans have been developed to improve first-to-second quarter retention as well as to decrease the

time it takes to achieve college-level credit in precollege math: essential practices of guided pathways.

As described in Clark’s response to Standard 1, the two indicators of achievement of the first

objective are 1) first-to-second quarter retention and 2) transfer students completing college math. These

indicators were selected because they are predictive of student academic performance, retention, and

completion. Overall, Clark College currently meets only the first indicator of achievement: first-to-second

quarter retention.

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AE1.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline

Current

(2017-2018)

Percent of degree-seeking students

who are retained from first to

second quarter

Clark’s % = 80%

Fall 2015 to Winter

2016: 82%

Fall 2016 to Winter

2017: 82%

Fall 2017 to Winter

2018: 82%

The college has consistently monitored first-to-second quarter retention quarterly for more than ten

years. During this time, significant changes have been made to various programs and services throughout

the college. A few of these changes include the new college introduction course, academic early warning,

and redesigns of placement and advising. As described in 3.B.2, these silo-ed approaches to improving

programs and services did not yield the hoped-for improvements in student outcomes. For this reason

(and other reasons identified throughout this chapter), Clark College adopted guided pathways as its

framework for mission fulfillment.

The college developed a College Essentials course (COLL 101)

, which includes curriculum on

college readiness, financial literacy, clarifying career goals, creating an educational plan, managing

college costs, and understanding the consequences of systems of power, privilege, and inequity. The first-

year experience course ensures that students have the preparation within a pathway to be successful at

Clark. The Associate of Arts degree now requires the COLL 101 course and has increased resources and

capacity to facilitate the mandatory requirement of the COLL 101 course.

An early alert warning system was adopted in 2009 in response to a lower course success rate and to

students’ dissatisfaction with timely warning of academic trouble. In 2010, the college implemented a

technology tool faculty members can use to identify the student and course, and to describe the issue(s)

(e.g., absence, not turning in homework, low test scores, etc.). The technology application provided the

information to professionals assigned to groups of students. These professionals connect with students

referred by the academic early warning system to advise them of and refer them to the support services

appropriate for the students. Many faculty members use the academic early warning system.

Students who place below college-level in reading, math, and/or writing are most at risk for drop-out.

The college has made significant changes in its placement procedures to improve the accuracy and

support students receive throughout the placement process. While the new improvements were necessary,

the college made these changes quickly because the COMPASS placement assessment was no longer

available. Today, the college uses multiple measures for placement. The Washington State Board for

Community and Technical Colleges and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction have an

articulation agreement that students who have earned a 3 or higher on the high school assessment are

placed at college-level in math, reading, and writing. If that information is old or never existed, the

ALEKS

assessment is used for math placement. It not only identifies the strengths and weaknesses of

each student in mathematical concepts, it provides modules for students to learn the concepts they need to

place at college level. The college developed its own reading and writing placement assessment that

assesses placement based on a writing sample.

Academic advising – including providing wrap-around services for supporting students to make

informed decisions that lead to successful progress, persistence, and completion – is a national best

practice and guided pathways essential practice for student success. The advising services offered at Clark

College have been in a constant state of improvement for more than fifteen years, similar to colleges

throughout the nation. Currently, the advising department is partnering with faculty to develop a system

of advising consistent with guided pathways to improve students’ onboarding, progression, and

attainment of educational goals.

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AE1.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline

Current

(2017-2018)

Percent of transfer students

completing college-level math

within first four quarters.

Clark’s % = 55%

Fall 2015

Cohort: 19%

Fall 2016

Cohort: 20%

In light of the adoption of guided pathways, the college recognized that it needed to change the

precollege math sequence to ensure student success and equity. The redesign of precollege math

involves categorizing math competencies into four math pathways: 1) Liberal Arts; 2) Social Science

and Education; 3) Business; and 4) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). These

precollege math competencies will be learned in the new two-quarter precollege sequence, rather than

in the four quarter sequence for those testing at the lowest non-adult basic education levels. Students

will more likely be retained over a two quarter precollege math sequence than a four quarter

sequence. The pathway-specific algebraic concepts necessary for math-intensive programs will be

offered within a co-requisite model in the entry college-level math course for Business and STEM.

The mathematics department has developed the curriculum and piloted the precollege courses.

Currently, improvements continue to be made to the curriculum and design before it is fully

implemented.

In order to monitor progress toward mission fulfillment, the college created the following annual

strategies. The strategies to improve programs and services are also informed by the SOAA

essential

practices.

AE1. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Fully develop at least half of the guided pathways

identified within the areas of study (curriculum maps,

entry process, wrap-around support services, and exit

pathways).

• Develop a comprehensive, pathways-focused advising

model inclusive of Advising Services, career clarity,

and faculty role that 1) guides students to make

informed choices, 2) clarifies transfer and career

opportunities at the end of each college path, 3)

confirms development of an educational plan with

predictable schedules, 4) regularly reviews student

progress, and 5) intervenes when students go off track.

• Develop options for distance advising and need to

address/clarify contractual language – defining role of

faculty in advising process. (Students will come

through this model in summer.)

• Evaluate student placement for writing and math,

including the process, and begin implementing changes

based on that evaluation.

• Reform Precollege math curriculum/courses that will

decrease the length of time to complete, align with

programs of study, and increase course success.

• Fully develop all degree and certificate

programs and offer at least half of the

degrees and certificates as guided

pathways (curriculum maps, entry

process, wrap-around support services,

and exit pathways).

• Redesign college-level writing and

math pathway, including the process to

eliminate the inequities in student

placement and college-level success,

that students will complete the first

college-level writing and math courses

within the first year of the student’s

enrollment.

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AE2. Create and sustain an inclusive and dynamic curriculum and environment

that reflects our diverse college community.

One important strategy that manifests Clark’s institutional commitment to social equity is the infusion

of the study of power, privilege, and inequity within college curriculum and programs. Learning the

dynamics of power, privilege, and inequity will prepare students in all of Clark’s degree programs to

constructively participate in an increasingly diverse society and to reduce the harmful impact of existing

systems of power, privilege, and inequity in the United States. The intent is that no student will earn a

degree credential without successfully completing at least one course that provides the learning necessary

to analyze systems of power, privilege, and inequity.

The college has taken the most action regarding student learning in the associate of arts degree. The

program learning outcome related to the ability to analyze systems of power, privilege, and inequity was

adopted in 2009-2010 academic year. However, the associate of arts degree does not have a distribution

area related to this learning outcome. The Associate of Arts Advisory Committee proposed to add a

distribution area requirement. To support this new distribution, the college has developed a rubric

evaluate student work and criteria by which a course would be designated as fulfilling the power,

privilege, and inequity distribution area. The

Curriculum Committee has identified that, at present, there

are eleven existing courses that fulfill this requirement. More courses will be evaluated over the coming

year. The

Instructional Planning Team plans to make the decision to require a course from the distribution

area when the college has capacity to serve the number of students in these courses. (At this time, the

college does not offer the necessary sections/classes to meet the need.)

This objective is measured by one indicator of achievement: 100% of the college’s degrees have a

learning outcome related to the ability to analyze systems of power, privilege, and inequity. However,

most of the college’s degrees and certificate programs have not integrated the study of power, privilege

and inequity into the curriculum.

AE2.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline

Current

(2017-2018)

Percent of college’s degrees

with a PPI learning outcome.

Clark’s % = 100%

26% (20/77)

The college did not meet the benchmark for the AE2 indicator of achievement but will plan an

implementation strategy for the 2019-2020 academic year. In addition, close alignment exists with the

first objective in the social equity core theme: Create and sustain an accessible and inclusive

environment by utilizing principles of universal design and social justice so that all students can

achieve equitable outcomes.

Clark College does not meet this objective (AE2) because only 26% of the degree programs have

a learning outcome that calls for students to be able to analyze patterns or dynamics of power,

privilege and inequity. Moreover, the Program Improvement Process Committee has consistently

recommended that this be accomplished (or improved) for every program that has been reviewed

since the adoption of the Academic Plan. In response, the Teaching and Learning Center

has

developed and offered many opportunities for faculty development related to teaching and learning

the study of power, privilege, and inequity. To further support this work, the college plans to put

resources into hiring a faculty expert to work with other faculty members to help make curriculum

more inclusive, dynamic, and reflective for our students during the 2019-2020 academic year, as

outlined in Goal 6 of the Academic Plan and recorded below in the 2018-2019 strategies for mission

fulfillment.

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AE2. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

[Strategies are cross-listed with AE4 and SE1]

• Implement Accessible Technology Policy – Deploy

Ally in all course shells.

• Identify structural and systematic barriers that continue

to prevent or limit opportunities for systemically non-

dominant current and future students.

*Develop a system to capture experiences reported to

the Office of Diversity and Equity that deter/discourage

systemically non-dominant students from persisting

and/or advancing toward completion. The record of

student experiences will be used to identify differences

by area of study or other commonalities that indicate

disparities between systemically non dominant students

and systemically dominant students and develop

corrective strategies, where appropriate.

• Prepare students to analyze systems of

power, privilege, and inequity within

all degree programs.

AE3. Integrate active learning strategies within and across courses, disciplines, and

programs with a global perspective.

Active learning instructional strategies result in a) a shift of emphasis from transmitting knowledge to

developing student skills; b) student engagement in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation - higher-order

thinking skills; and c) activity-based learning. This wide definition permits a variety of active learning

instructional strategies, which can be employed within or outside of the classroom, in individual or group

settings. However, in all implementations, the instructor provides opportunities for students to both

demonstrate what they have learned and receive feedback throughout the learning process. Clark

identifies five active learning strategies and measures utilization of active learning for each program when

they are reviewed in the program improvement process. These strategies consist of experiential learning,

collaborative learning, interdisciplinary approaches, project-based learning, and problem-based learning;

they are described in Goal 5 of the Academic Plan

The Program Improvement Process (PIP) Committee reviews faculty members’ self-report of active

learning strategies every three years. The information is collected through a survey. For the most part,

professional technical education courses use the five active learning strategies outlined in the Academic

Plan. The survey results for academic-transfer programs that have been reviewed indicate need for

improvement. Moreover, since the use of active learning strategies has been added to the program

improvement process, it has become clear that a better methodology is needed to effectively measure the

use of active learning strategies. Since the adoption of the Academic Plan, 73% of program learning

outcomes have been determined to use active learning strategies.

AE3.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline

Current

(2017-2018)

Percent of program

learning outcomes that

are supported by active

learning strategies

Clark’s % = 100%

2016-2017

78%

(21 of 27 program

learning outcomes

measured)

2017-2018

73%

(66 of 91 program

learning outcomes

measured)

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By the end of the 2017-2018 academic year, only 28 degrees and certificates have been reviewed

through the new program improvement process outlined in the Academic Plan, accounting for 91

learning outcomes. (The college’s other educational programs have not gone through the program

improvement process since the adoption of the Academic Plan.) While all programs reviewed under the

new program improvement process used at least some active learning strategies to support program

learning outcomes, all programs received a recommendation to improve the use of active learning

strategies. In response, the Teaching and Learning Center has offered faculty development learning

opportunities related to active learning strategies. The college has committed to incorporating the use of

active learning strategies into the faculty evaluation tool to further institutionalize these techniques.

AE3. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Integrate effective Active Learning strategies into the

faculty evaluation tool.

• Assess and improve program active learning strategies

through the Program Improvement Process.

• Integrate Active Learning strategies, as

defined in the Academic Plan, into the

faculty evaluation tool.

AE4. Create and advance accessible, integrated, and technology-enriched learning

environments.

Creating inviting learning spaces—in which students, faculty, and staff might interact with one

another–is a crucial strategy in promoting an inclusive and sustainable community of learners. Goal 4 of

the Academic Plan

was developed to achieve this objective by identifying the criteria to foster an

inclusive learning environment that supports active learning. Specifically, Clark’s physical spaces must

provide for mobile learning, connected learning (connecting students to resources and the broader

learning community), visual and interactive learning, and universally designed and supported learning to

achieve the

fourth objective of Academic Excellence as well as the first objective of Social Equity and the

second objective of Environmental Integrity.

Clark College measures the two indicators of achievement associated with this objective by

identifying whether the new or remodeled spaces adhere to the criteria as listed in Goal 4 of the Academic

Plan and whether the learning environment includes the appropriate technology to support student

learning. Overall, Clark meets these indicators of achievement.

AE4.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline

(2015-2017)

Current

(2017-2019)

Percent of new and remodeled

learning spaces that have

adhered to the criteria listed in

the Academic Plan, Goal 4.

Clark’s % = 100%

100%

N/A

(100% for

Academic Year

2017-2018)

The budget for the college’s new and remodeled learning spaces is allocated biennially, rather than

in one single year. During the 2015-2017 biennium, the college reserved most of the capital and

remodel budget for the Culinary Arts project

, leaving few resources for remodel and development of

other new spaces. All of the new and remodeled spaces during 2015-2016 (i.e., new STEM building,

gender neutral restrooms, lactation rooms, and Gaiser Hall remodel), met the criteria as listed in Goal 4

of the Academic Plan. During 2017-2018, the two major remodel projects, (i.e., the Culinary Arts space

and the math classroom) both met the Goal 4 criteria.

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The college plans to improve classroom space based on a pilot redesign of a math classroom.

Mathematics faculty members sought to make the classroom more inclusive for all people to learn.

Facilities redesigned a math classroom, based on faculty and student input, by painting an accent wall,

putting in carpet, replacing lighting to allow the lights to be dimmed in different parts of the room, and

improving the technology in the classroom. Based on the feedback of these changes, additional

classrooms will be redesigned and additionally will include artwork on the wall.

AE4.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline

Current

Percent of students who agree that learning

environment includes appropriate

technology to support student learning.

Clark’s % =

85%

Winter 2016:

79%

Winter 2018:

80%

During Winter 2018, 80% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the physical learning

environments, such as classrooms and gathering places, include appropriate technology to support student

learning - up from 79% in 2016. Systemically non-dominant (SND) students are less likely to agree that

the learning environment includes appropriate technology to support student learning than students not

from systemically non-dominant groups (not SND) in both years; however, systemically non-dominant

students were more likely to agree in 2018 (80%) than in 2016 (77%). Some of these differences may be

due to the implementation of stricter accessibility standards for teaching and learning that resulted in

improvements to the Learning Management System, Canvas, that include instructional design and Ally, a

Canvas add-on for accessibility. In addition, the college hired a dedicated person to ensure that all

curriculum was accessible to support the implementation of these stricter standards. (See Social Equity,

SE1.)

To improve the resources and capacity to achieve this objective, the college has committed to

improving and increasing classroom technology and faculty development to improve the virtual

environment to better facilitate learning.

AE4. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

[Strategies are cross-listed with AE2 and

SE1]

• Implement Accessible Technology

Policy – Deploy Ally in all course

shells.

• Identify structural and systematic

barriers that prevent or limit

opportunities for systemically non-

dominant current and future students.

• Increase the number of Smart-classrooms.

• Work toward implementing a training program to assist

faculty in utilizing online support tools to enhance

student learning environments.

• Expand Clark’s current digital wireless environment

with mobile device management to permit the use of

tools that enrich learning environments for students.

• Increase the number of course sections offered online

and hybrid without compromising course success.

• Increase the faculty utilization of Canvas for

coursework.

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AE5. Engage faculty, administrators, and staff in professional development

experiences that enhance student learning.

The fifth Academic Excellence objective directs the college to engage in professional development

experiences that enhance student learning. Throughout all the goals of the Academic Plan

, professional

development is identified as a key resource. Due to the significant changes needed to all programs and

services, the college recognizes that the most effective way to implement change is to engage all

employees in professional development. Therefore, the college has provided the resources and many

opportunities for employees to engage in professional development. For the past four years, the college

has closed to the public for

two days in August for employees to engage in a variety of professional

development opportunities. These opportunities relate to guided pathways, organizational change, active

learning strategies, equity, and other areas relevant to student learning. The

academic calendar was also

changed to transform faculty work days into faculty development days. Faculty members engage in

development activities related to the study of systems of power, privilege, and inequity; guided pathways;

active learning strategies; integrated learning; and other areas relevant to student learning.

While the college has successfully engaged its full-time employees in professional development

opportunities, it continues to grapple with how to include part-time employees, especially adjunct faculty

members. Since most of the college’s courses are taught by adjunct faculty members, they are a large

proportion of the employees. However, it requires resources to include adjunct faculty who must be paid

outside of contract hours to attend. The college has set aside funds for twenty adjunct faculty members to

attend the faculty development opportunities during faculty workdays that are usually awarded on a first-

come, first-serve basis.

AE5.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of faculty/staff (adjuncts included) who

participate in professional development activities

– beyond the required professional development

activities – related to universal design;

challenging systems of power, privilege, and

inequity; active learning strategies; and guided

pathways.

Clark’s % =

100%

2015-2016:

<20%

2017-2018:

41%

Due to the major reforms listed in the Academic Plan, Social Equity Plan, and essential practices

of guided pathways, professional development is more necessary and extensive than ever. Many of

the opportunities have been directly aligned with these reforms. These opportunities are offered

throughout the academic year, including

Teaching and Learning Days in August, Opening Day, Focus

on Learning Faculty Work Days, and others.

The college has added requirements for professional development to support student learning

both directly and indirectly. To improve equity in hiring practices so that employees reflect the

cultural backgrounds of students, any person serving on a hiring committee must complete the Equity

in Hiring Training. In addition, all supervisors must complete a supervisory training to make the

improvements to the working conditions of employees, which are necessary due to the significant

amount of change occurring at Clark College.

To further improve the professional development opportunities to achieve the fifth Academic

Excellence objective, the college has implemented the following strategies:

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AE5. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Engage faculty, staff, and administration in

professional development opportunities related to

active learning strategies, guided pathways, social

equity, and accessibility (Accessible Technology

Policy).

• Implement and evaluate the year 1

mandatory supervisory training.

• Implement and evaluate the year 1

mandatory professional development

related to social equity.

AE6. Align curriculum with learning outcomes and apply outcomes assessment

evidence to continually advance student learning.

Outcomes assessment produces reliable information that allows faculty members to have meaningful

conversations about how well students are meeting outcomes in their classes, and then make informed

decisions about how to better create such learning in the future. By analyzing student learning, outcomes

assessment projects also provide a picture of how that learning can be impacted by areas outside of

instruction: staffing, facilities, scheduling, advising, etc. In this way, administrators and staff are able to

see how their support of instruction impacts student learning and make similarly informed decisions about

how best to continue that support.

Goal 2 of the Academic Plan articulates the importance of outcomes assessment and outlines the

process the college uses to assess student learning outcomes. As a faculty led and designed process,

outcomes assessment improves both teaching and learning. Outcomes assessment is also the fourth pillar

of the Scale of Adoption Assessment

: Ensuring Students are Learning. The fourth pillar provides clear

essential practices consistent with the indicators of achievement for this objective. Therefore, outcomes

assessment activities will be more intentionally integrated into the Guided Pathways work beginning

2018-2019.

Clark College measures achievement of the sixth Academic Excellence objective by 1) instituting the

expectation that all program and course learning outcomes have established learning targets and 2)

making sure that programs have mapped their courses to the program learning outcomes. These indicators

of achievement were chosen because they are aligned with Pillar 4 of the guided pathways Scale of

Adoption Assessment for guided pathways. By defining these indicators of achievement, the educational

programs become more coherent both to students and the college. While Clark College has a solid

outcomes assessment program, the college has room for improvement in officially establishing learning

targets for every student learning outcome and mapping courses to those program learning outcomes.

AE6.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of program and course

learning outcomes that have

established learning targets.

Clark’s % = 100%

2016-2017:

40%

2017-2018:

40%

The college has not made progress on officially recording established learning targets for each

program and course learning outcome. However, all programs that go through the

program

improvement process present the outcomes assessment findings related to the learning targets and

identify strategies to improve learning. Therefore, the intent of this indicator is met through this

program review process. Moreover, the college is retooling its efforts in outcomes assessment within

the framework of guided pathways to make sure students are learning at the targeted rate for

programs and courses connected to programs.

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AE6.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of programs that have

mapped the courses to the program

learning outcomes.

Clark’s % = 100%

2016-2017:

57%

2017-2018:

91%

The college has made significant gains in aligning its courses to program learning outcomes. Much of

this work has resulted from the 2017-2018 activity of creating program information sheets

as one of the

major activities and accomplishments under the guided pathways redesign of teaching and learning. These

program information sheets suggest courses that best align with program learning outcomes to maximize

learning within a general sequence of the degree requirements outlined in the catalog. (Program

information sheets are the first iteration toward creating program maps.)

As stated previously, the college has realigned outcomes assessment within guided pathways as all

but one of Pillar 4’s essential practices are outcomes assessment. This realignment ensures that improving

student learning is at the heart of the entire college, not just faculty members. In addition, the college is

exploring reorganizing the outcomes assessment staffing plan to decentralize the work traditionally

performed by the outcomes assessment faculty liaison to the instructional deans and a faculty team so that

outcomes assessment work

becomes a core activity for instructional leadership and better defines faculty

members’ responsibility. The college adopted the following annual strategies to improve the college’s

ability to attain the indicators of achievement:

AE6. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Develop and revise program maps for all programs that

are informed by current outcomes assessment projects.

• Apply the results of learning outcomes assessments to

improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

(Guided Pathways Pillar 4.)

• Apply the results of learning outcomes

assessments to improve the

effectiveness of teaching and learning.

(Guided Pathways Pillar 4.)

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Social Equity

Clark College commits, under the core theme of Social Equity (SE), to “facilitate student learning by

providing the conditions that improve educational outcomes and eliminate systemic disparities among all

groups.” This statement is operationalized by three core theme objectives, focused on the following:

create an accessible and inclusive environment (SE1); improve intercultural competency among students

and employees (SE2); and institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge systems of power,

privilege and inequity (SE3). Collectively, these three core theme objectives aim to provide the conditions

to support the mission fulfillment outcome of eliminating systemic disparities in educational outcomes.

Selection and improvement of programs and services at the college for Social Equity is aligned with the

core theme objectives.

SE1. Create and sustain an accessible and inclusive environment by utilizing

principles of universal design and social justice so that all students can achieve

equitable outcomes.

SE1 focuses on creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive environment. In keeping with that

focus, the college utilizes a data-informed approach to determine what programs and services are needed

to increase accessibility of the college, and to align the integrated operational goals of each program or

service with the college planning process. This data includes the

CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment

(SOAA), environmental scans, student surveys, and analysis of student outcomes (e.g. rates of

completion, retention, course success).

The two primary outcomes associated with effectively implementing guided pathways are increasing

student completion and eliminating systemic disparities in educational outcomes. These outcomes direct

the college to ensure all improvements made to programs and services produce equity. The work

necessary to achieve these outcomes is articulated in the Social Equity Plan

and the SOAA essential

practices.

The biennial Student Experiences Survey measures how students experience the college. The college

– including the Social Equity Council and the Office of Diversity and Equity – uses these survey results

to identify the disparities in student experiences at the college. The survey results help Clark leadership

and departments prioritize strategies, programs, and services that will eliminate systemic disparities in

educational outcomes within the framework of guided pathways. In other words, the college identifies

patterns and disparities in student experiences at the college – and develops strategies (through programs

and services) to address those disparities using the SOAA essential practices; data regarding student

completion, retention, course success, and student learning outcomes by student groups; and the student

survey.

Two indicators measure progress towards objective SE1: 1) Completion rate among systemically non-

dominant students is 40% and/or equal to systemically dominant students – whichever is higher and 2)

85% of students agree that course materials are accessible for all students. These measures provide a

comprehensive analysis of college accessibility, by providing quantitative measures of locally established

criteria.

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SE1. Accessible and Inclusive Environment: Create and sustain an accessible and inclusive

environment by utilizing principles of universal design and social justice so that all students can

achieve equitable outcomes.

SE1.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of degree-seeking

systemically non-dominant

students complete a degree

or certificate within 150% of

expected time.

Clark’s % =

Whichever is higher:

≥ 40% or equal to or

higher than

systemically

dominant students.

Fall 2012 Cohort

Systemically Non-

Dominant (SND):

21%

Not Systemically

Non-Dominant

(Not SND): 31%

No Running Start

SND: 18%

Not SND: 23%

Fall 2014 Cohort

Systemically Non-

Dominant (SND):

31%

Not Systemically

Non-Dominant (Not

SND): 39%

No Running Start

SND: 21%

Not SND: 24%

This quantitative measure shows that the college has seen an increase in completion rates for

systemically non-dominant (SND) students from 21% (Fall 2012) to 31% (Fall 2014). When excluding

Running Start students, these rates drop to 18% (Fall 2012) and 21% (Fall 2014). Overall, this indicator

provides evidence that some redesign efforts outlined in the Social Equity Plan

– to provide the

conditions for students from systemically non-dominant groups to achieve their goals equitably – are

leading to an increase in student completion. However, external factors that may be influencing this rate

include a) increase in students who place into college-level math and English; b) change in demographics

with the economic recovery, leading to fewer students eligible for Pell grants; and c) increase in Running

Start students who have a higher success rate. Even with this systematic, verifiable indicator, additional

analysis of internal and external factors influencing student progression and completion provides the

college with insights on the rates of improvement of core theme objective’s strategies, programs, and

services.

SE1.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of students who agree

that course materials are

accessible for all students.

Clark’s % = 85%

Winter 2016:

76%

Winter 2018: 77%

SND: 74%

Not SND: 79%

Biennial analysis of student perceptions of accessibility of course materials provides a reliable data

source regarding the outcomes of the core theme objectives strategies, programs, and services. Assessed

every other year, student level of agreement on the Student Experiences Survey

provides an outcome

measure of the college’s efforts to improve universal design of course materials to provide the conditions

for all students to be successful. Overall, this quantitative measure indicated that there has been slight

improvement in student perceptions of course material accessibility (76% to 77%) over the past 2 years.

After further inquiry through an equity lens, the college saw that students from systemically non-

dominant (SND) groups are less likely to agree or strongly agree that course materials were accessible

(74%), compared to students not from systemically non-dominant groups (79%). And comparing Winter

2016 and Winter 2018 administrations, there was no improvement in perceptions of course material

accessibility for students from systemically non-dominant groups (74%). Therefore, additional strategies

and interventions are needed to improve the student experience with accessibility of course materials,

especially the perception from those that are victimized by oppression. Even with this systematic,

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verifiable indicator, additional analysis through an equity lens provides the college with additional

insights on the efficacy and efficiency of core theme objective’s strategies, programs, and services.

In Academic Year 2017-2018, there was a college-wide strategy to “Implement Accessible

Technology Policy.” Instructional units, in cooperation with Disability Support Services, were asked to

examine auxiliary course technology to ensure adherence to accessibility requirements. The

Teaching and

Learning Center (TLC) provided an instructional accessibility technician to help faculty universally

design online learning environments via Canvas shells. While each program identified program-relevant

strategies, the collaborative approach ensures that the college is working towards a common strategy and

outcome. Evaluating effectiveness of programs and services is done within the context of the strategies

and indicators of core theme objective achievement.

Disability Support Services and the Teaching and

Learning Center evaluate their contribution to the strategy (e.g. implement Accessible Technology Policy)

and to the indicator to increase accessibility and inclusivity of learning environment and course materials.

The integrated planning and evaluation approach is a culture shift, focusing on the needs of students and

the infrastructure to support student learning, rather than silo-ed department-level planning.

SE1. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Implement Accessible Technology Policy.

*Deploy Ally in all course shells.

• Identify structural and systematic barriers that

continue to prevent or limit opportunities for

systemically non-dominant current and future

students. *Develop a system of capturing

experiences reported to the Office of Diversity

and Equity that deter/discourage systemically

non-dominant students from persisting and/or

advancing toward completion, including review

of student data to identify differences by area

of study or other commonalities that indicate

disparities between systemically non dominant

students and systemically dominant students,

and develop corrective strategies, where

appropriate.

• Support accessibility resources for faculty to

make course content accessible through staff

support (as recommended by the Social

Equity Council).

• Document services provided by the Office of

Diversity and Equity to better serve students.

SE2. Demonstrate improved intercultural competency among employees and

students through comprehensive professional development and curricular

transformation.

SE2 focuses the college to improve intercultural competency among employees and students. The

college utilizes a data-informed approach to determine what programs and services are needed to increase

intercultural competence at the college. A data-informed approach is also used to align the integrated

operational goals of each program or service with the college planning process.

In order to provide meaningful guidance to students, Clark works to fully appreciate who they are,

what they value, and what challenges they face. These considerations are vital in sustaining the role that

any open-enrollment institution plays in its community. At Clark specifically, the majority of entering

students identify with at least one demographic that is less privileged than a typical Clark County

resident. Approximately 65% of students are low income. In addition, the majority are more diverse than

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either their communities or college employees. The life experiences of our students require Clark to be

deliberate and holistic about increasing the cultural competency of the whole college community.

Understanding and emphasizing intercultural competency has been proven to enhance learning

outcomes for all students (Robinson-Armstrong, 2010). Findings have demonstrated that when diversity

recognition; intercultural competency; and analysis of systems of power, privilege, and inequity are

integrated into teaching and learning and support services—students make meaningful connections

between their classes and life experiences. By infusing the study of power, privilege, and inequity (PPI)

within the curriculum, the college will prepare students for life and work in a multicultural, diverse, and

international society.

Intercultural competency is necessary to challenge systems of power, privilege, and inequity as well

as create and sustain the conditions that produce equitable outcomes. In order to create these conditions,

employees from all levels need to be able to evaluate the cultural relevancy of the environment, policies,

and practices for students from all backgrounds. As stated previously, this work requires regular

professional development for all employees.

Three indicators measure progress towards SE2: Create and sustain an accessible and inclusive

environment by utilizing principles of universal design and social justice so that all students can achieve

equitable outcomes: 1) Percent of employees engage in professional development to understand and

challenge systems power, privilege, and inequity; 2) Percent of students agree with the metric based on

the following two items: I can identify with my instructors and I can identify with college employees; and

3) Percent of college’s degrees with a PPI learning outcome. These measures provide a comprehensive

analysis of college intercultural competency, by providing quantitative measures of locally established

criteria.

SE2. Intercultural Competency: Demonstrate improved intercultural competency among

employees and students through comprehensive professional development and curricular

transformation.

SE2.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of employees engage in professional

development to understand and challenge

systems power, privilege, and inequity.

Clark’s % = 100%

2016-2017:

23%

2017-2018:

29%

Clark conducts annual analysis and monthly monitoring of employee participation in professional

development opportunities to understand and challenge systems of PPI. This work provides a systematic,

verifiable data source regarding the outcomes of the core theme objectives’ strategies, programs and

services for increasing intercultural competence. This quantitative measure indicated that there has not

been significant change in employee participation in professional development opportunities in the past 2

years. With about one-in-four employees engaging in these professional development opportunities, new

strategies, programs, and services are needed to promote employee understanding and challenging of

systems of PPI. Recognizing that the college is not making progress towards the intended result, the

college developed a 2018-2019 annual strategy for mission fulfillment to “offer professional development

to improve competencies among employees in equity, inclusion, and diversity.”

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SE2.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of students agree they know how to

evaluate the influence of power, privilege,

and inequity within the context of their

educational program.

Clark’s % = 85%

Winter 2016:

56%

Winter 2018:

62%

Biennial analysis of student perceptions of expected learning outcomes related to analyzing the

influence of power, privilege, and inequity provides a systematic data source regarding the outcomes of

the core theme objective’s strategies, programs, and services. This quantitative measure indicates that

there has been an increase in student perceptions in the past two years, from 56% (Winter 2016) to 62%

(Winter 2018). Furthermore, students who had enrolled in College 101 were more likely to agree that

their educational program taught them how to evaluate the influence of power, privilege and inequity

(70%), compared to students who had not enrolled in College 101 (57%). These indicators, taken

together, provide evidence that some redesign efforts of curriculum, including College 101 incorporation

of curriculum on the influence of PPI, are leading to the increase in student awareness of the expected

learning outcome.

SE2.3 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of college’s degrees with a PPI

learning outcome.

Clark’s % = 100% 26% (20/77) 26% (20/77)

The college did not meet the benchmark for the AE2 indicator of achievement but will begin to

plan in 2018-2019 and implement the plan during the 2019-2020 academic year. In addition, close

alignment exists between AE2 and the first objective in the social equity core theme: Create and

sustain an accessible and inclusive environment by utilizing principles of universal design and social

justice so that all students can achieve equitable outcomes.

Clark College does not meet this objective because only 26% of the degree programs have a

learning outcome that expects students to be able to analyze patterns or dynamics of power, privilege,

and inequity. The Program Improvement Process Committee has consistently recommended that this

be accomplished (or improved) for every program that has been reviewed since the adoption of the

Academic Plan. In response, the Teaching and Learning Center

has developed and offered many

opportunities for faculty development related to teaching and learning the study of power, privilege,

and inequity. To further support this work, the college plans to put resources into reassigning a

faculty expert to work with other faculty members to help make curriculum more inclusive, dynamic,

and reflective for students during the 2019-2020 academic year, as outlined in Goal 6 of the

Academic Plan and recorded below in the 2018-2019 strategies for mission fulfillment.

Programs and services use these annual strategies to develop operational plans that provide the

information, resources, and support to students to collectively support the college-wide strategy for

mission fulfillment. The college has had turnover in the Diversity and Equity executive cabinet position.

Therefore, the college is in the process of hiring an executive cabinet member to collaborate with the

programs and services throughout the college to identify systems that unintentionally perpetuate existing

systems of power, privilege, and inequity.

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SE2. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Develop Power, Privilege, and Inequity (PPI)

training for employees with outcomes focusing

on the social construction of race and other

identities, institutional imposition of inequity

based on those identities, the impact of identity

on social outcomes, tools for overcoming

institutional biases, and implicit bias training.

The training will be assessed based on learning

outcomes of PPI training.

• Use learning outcome assessment results

related to students’ ability to analyze patterns

of power, privilege, and inequity to identify

and – if appropriate – implement changes to the

transfer degrees.

• Review the college’s four core multicultural

events to ensure that the offerings are inclusive

and sufficiently broad to support the college’s

Social Equity Plan.

• Offer professional development to improve

competencies among employees in equity,

inclusion, and diversity.

• Prepare students in all degree programs to

analyze systems of power, privilege, and

inequity.

• Assess the college’s four core multicultural

events to ensure that the offerings are

inclusive and sufficiently broad to support

the college’s Social Equity Plan.

SE3. Institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge systems of power,

privilege, and inequity.

SE3 directs the college to institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge systems of

power, privilege, and inequity. The intent of this objective is to make sure that Clark College students

who identify as a person from systemically non-dominant race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability status,

and/or sexual orientation find people like them so they can connect, be supported, and be understood

within their specific culture and experiences. Accomplishing this objective will strengthen the college’s

ability to provide the conditions that are relevant and relatable to students within their cultural context.

In order to effectively implement strategies to serve the community and students, the college’s

workforce must be representative of the community and students that the college serves. Therefore,

institutionalizing hiring and retention practices that mitigate systems of power, privilege, and inequity

(SE3) is required to support implementation of social equity practices and the college’s transformation to

guided pathways.

The college has developed and adopted the diversity recruiting and hiring plan

which operationalizes

the Social Equity Plan, Goal 1. The plan outlines intentional efforts to increase recruitment of diverse

applicant pools and train hiring committees to recognize and avoid bias in the hiring process.

Three indicators measure progress towards SE3: Institutionalize hiring and retention practices that

challenge systems of power, privilege, and inequity. These indicators provide a comprehensive analysis of

college intercultural competency, by providing quantitative measures of locally established criteria.

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SE3. Retention and Hiring: Institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge systems of

power, privilege, and inequity.

SE3.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of full-time employees from

systemically non-dominant groups is

equal to or higher than the student

population.

Clark’s

Employee % ≥

Clark’s

Student %

April 2015

Employees:

15.1%

People of Color

(PoC): 13%

Disability: 2%

Students: 35%

PoC: 32%

Disability: 6%

April 2018

Employees:

18.9%

People of Color

(PoC): 17%

Disability: 2%

Students: 36%

PoC: 34%

Disability: 6%

Monitored each month, employee diversity rates provide the college with an outcome measure of the

efforts to increase recruitment and retention of systemically non-dominant employees to match student

demographics. This quantitative measure indicated that there was success in increasing diversity of

employees at the college over the past 3 years. Overall, this indicator provides evidence that some

redesign efforts are leading to an increase in the diversity of employees at the college but not at the same

rate of students of color.

SE3.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of students agree with the metric

comprised of the following two items: 1) I

can identify with my instructors and 2) I

can identify with college employees.

Clark’s % =

85%

Winter 2016:

53%

SND: 51%

Not SND: 54%

Winter 2018:

57%

SND: 53%

Not SND: 59%

Assessed every other year, student level of agreement on the Student Experiences Survey provides an

indirect assessment measure of the college’s efforts to institutionalize hiring and retention practices to

provide the conditions for all students to be successful. Overall, this quantitative measure indicates that

there has been slight increase in student identification and connection with instructors and employees

(53% to 57%) over the past 2 years. Inquiry through an equity lens found that students from systemically

non-dominant (SND) groups are less likely to agree or strongly agree that they identify with instructors

and employees (53%), compared to students not from systemically non-dominant groups (59%).

SE3.3 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Fall-to-fall retention of

degree or certificate-

seeking systemically non-

dominant degree-seeking

students.

Clark’s % = 60% and/or

equal or greater than

systemically dominant

degree-seeking students

Fall 2014 Cohort

SND: 58%

Not SND: 62%

Fall 2014 Cohort,

Excluding

Running Start

SND: 50%

Not SND: 50%

Fall 2016 Cohort

SND: 62%

Not SND: 65%

Fall 2016 Cohort,

Excluding

Running Start

SND: 51%

Not SND: 52%

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Assessed each year, fall-to-fall student retention rates for systemically non-dominant, degree-seeking

students provides an outcome measure of the college’s efforts. This quantitative measure indicates that

there was success in increasing student retention in the past 3 years (Fall 2014: 58%; Fall 2016: 62%);

however, the Fall 2016 rate is still lower for systemically non-dominant (SND) groups than for students

not from systemically non-dominant groups (65%). When excluding Running Start students, this rate

drops to 50% (Fall 2014 cohort) and 51% (Fall 2016 cohort), which is lower than the 60% target. Overall,

this indicator suggests that some redesign efforts are leading to increased student retention; however,

most of this improvement is based on the increased enrollment of Running Start students who have higher

fall-to-fall retention rates. Even with systematic, verifiable indicators and additional analysis of potential

impact of changing student populations led to the need for additional strategies, programs, and services to

provide the conditions to support systemically non-dominant student retention.

The assessment of these three indicators of achievement has led the college to two strategies in 2018-

2019 as listed in the table below:

SE3. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Perform a gap analysis to locate barriers to

hiring and retention and develop strategies to

remove those barriers.

• Develop accountability structures for required

trainings of those serving on search

committees. Trainings will include implicit

bias training focusing on the hiring process

from first review, to hire, to onboarding, to

retirement.

• Support the development of Employee

Resource Groups and engage those groups and

employees of color in breakfasts with President

Knight to gain an understanding of the

disparities in employee satisfaction.

• Implement strategies to remove barriers to

hiring and retention.

• Engage Employee Resources Groups to

better understand disparities in employee

satisfaction.

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Economic Vitality

The objectives of the Economic Vitality (EV) core theme commit the college to facilitate student

learning by providing programs, services, and conditions that improve the economic well-being of the

students, college, and community. This theme is operationalized by five core theme objectives, focused

on the following: college affordability (EV1); alignment of program offerings with regional workforce

needs (EV2); partnerships with regional industry leaders (EV3); maximization of the college’s return on

investment (EV4); and leverage of resources for innovation (EV5). Collectively, these five core theme

objectives aim to address three of the six mission fulfillment outcomes: Achieve Enrollment Targets,

Reduce Student Debt, and Enable Students to Attain Employment and Transfer. Selection of programs

and services at the college for Economic Vitality is aligned with the core theme objectives, as well as with

the comprehensive planning framework of the mission fulfillment outcomes.

EV1. Improve college affordability for students by expanding access to and

information about financial resources, clarifying career and educational goals,

providing pathways to success, improving college readiness, increasing financial

literacy, and managing costs.

For effective planning of EV1 focusing on college affordability, the college utilizes a data-informed

approach to 1) determine what programs and services are needed to reduce student debt and 2) identify

the integrated operational goals of each program or service to align with the college planning process.

This data is derived from the CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment (SOAA), environmental scans

student and employee surveys, and analysis of student outcomes (e.g. course success, sequence

progression, retention, and completion). All analyses are evaluated for disparities in outcomes for

systemically non-dominant groups (i.e. people of color, people living with a disability, people identifying

with a systemically non-dominant sexual orientation or gender identity), as well as students who may be

disadvantaged by other factors such as income status, age, sex, veteran status, and other demographics.

With the college-wide commitment to guided pathways, comprehensive planning for programs and

services begins with the CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment (SOAA)

. This data-informed tool analyzes

the college’s progress towards redesigning its programs and services to serve all students. The SOAA

essential practice 2A: Every new student is helped to explore career/college options, choose a program of

study, and develop a full-program plan as soon as possible is aligned with the EV1. The college rated our

current practices regarding this essential practice as “Not Systematic,” thus signaling the need to redesign

the student onboarding process at the college. Within the guided pathways framework, Clark College is

strategically coordinating the planning of all programs and services to focus on college affordability and

cost-effectiveness – including increasing access to financial resources, clarifying career and educational

goals, providing pathways to success, improving college readiness, increasing financial literacy, and

managing costs.

There are three indicators of achievement identified to measure progress towards EV1: 1) Amount of

average loans taken out annually; 2) Percent of students who receive opportunities to reduce cost of

education; and 3) Percent of students who agree that the college has created an educational experience

that is affordable. Combined, these three measures provide a comprehensive analysis of college

affordability, by providing quantitative measures of student debt, the college’s efforts to manage student

costs, and student perception of affordability of Clark College.

The college has met two of the three indicators of achievement for the first Economic Vitality

objective. Clark College’s Financial Aid Department and Career Services Department implemented a

financial literacy/wellness

program. The Financial Aid component educates loan borrowers about

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securing student loans. Since the program has been implemented, the amount of loans awarded has

declined. As the Great Recession ended, Clark’s student population has changed. Clark serves fewer low-

income students than previously; therefore the proportion of students receiving the opportunities to reduce

the cost of education has declined slightly. Finally, the students increasingly agree that the college has

created an educational experience that is affordable; however, the college still does not meet the indicator

of achievement at 80%.

EV1.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Amount of average loans

taken out annually

Clark’s average

annual loan

amount < $2,500

Academic Year

2015-2016: $2,255

Academic Year

2016-2017: $1,934

Academic Year 2017-2018: $1,714

• Low income: $1,635

• Not low income: $2,092

This quantitative measure indicated that there was success in reducing student loan debt in the past 3

years. Possible causes of a reduction in student loans include decrease in credits accumulated by students

who graduate (reduction in unnecessary credits and length of time at Clark College); decrease in students

who place into pre-college math and English coursework; and change in student demographics with the

regional economic recovery. Overall, this indicator provides evidence that some redesign efforts are

leading to the reduction in student loan-taking behavior.

The college found that students who are low-income took out smaller student loans ($1,635),

compared to students not from low-income households ($2,092). This is partially attributable to low-

income student eligibility for Pell grants and other state need grants. Additionally, the proportion of Pell-

Eligible students receiving loans was also significantly reduced (36% in Fall 2014 to 20% Fall 2017)

during this same timeframe.

EV1.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of students receiving

opportunities to reduce cost of

education (i.e., scholarships, financial

aid grants, waivers, and special

programs that reduce the cost of

education)

Students receiving

opportunities to

reduce cost of

education >50 %

Academic Year

2015-2016: 48%

Academic Year

2016-2017: 47%

Academic Year

2017-2018: 44%

• Low income:

60.1%

• Not low income:

13.0%

Assessed each quarter, this indicator provides a quantitative measure as the direct indicator of the

college’s efforts to decrease cost of attendance for students, and it indirectly measures whether students

are receiving the information and financial resources to reduce the cost of college. The indicator shows

that the percent of all students receiving opportunities to reduce cost of education has steadily decreased

over the past three academic years. With further inquiry through an equity lens, the college found that

low-income students were accessing resources to decrease cost of education at a higher rate (60% vs

13%); however, low-income students also saw a decrease in reducing cost of attendance since 2015-2016

academic year (62%). This decrease presents an additional opportunity to expand programs and services

to attract low-income students from the community and provide them with opportunities to reduce cost of

attendance.

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EV1.3 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of students agree that the

college has created an educational

experience that is affordable.

80% Winter 2016: 69% Winter 2018: 72%

Biennial analysis, from the Clark College Student Experiences Survey, of student agreement with

college affordability provides an indirect measure of college affordability. It is a systematic, random

sample data source regarding the outcomes of the core theme objectives strategies, programs, and

services. Data that measures students’ perceptions of having the information, resources, and support to

make college affordable is a key performance indicator within guided pathways. Without the knowledge

about degree length, sequenced course selection, financial resources, and financial literacy training,

students are less likely to have access to opportunities to reduce the cost of education, and thus may take

on more loans. Overall, there was an increase in the percent of students who reported having the

information, resources, and support to make college affordable (72%, compared to baseline of 69%). This

difference was statistically significant. With further inquiry through an equity lens, the college found that

there were no disparities in student perceptions of college affordability, which provides evidence that the

services are designed to serve all students, providing an educational experience that is affordable.

Using the SOAA essential practices, Clark College created a clear, linear entry process for students to

get started at Clark. This process includes mandatory, intrusive advising for new students to identify

career goals and develop an educational plan. Students are also given integrated referrals to help them

navigate paying for college; find affordable child care; access public benefits; and obtain technology

support. The student entry process was informed by best practices from other colleges, analysis of student

behavior through the entry process (e.g. student completion of orientation, financial aid, academic

advising, and career clarity), student surveys regarding clarity of the process, and evaluation of the

process through an equity lens. Evaluation of the process through an equity lens illuminated the

institutional and systemic barriers that the college unintentionally imposes or fails to address for

underrepresented students. Institutionally imposed impediments include assumptions that students have a)

technology access and literacy; b) traditional family design for FAFSA completion; and c) clarity of both

career goals and the educational program(s) needed to achieve those career goals. In addition to undoing

these false assumptions, the college needs to offer unbiased placement tests and use language and

communication that is welcoming.

The college determined that the onboarding process should help students develop not only a career

plan and educational plan but also a financial plan to ensure that students have the information and

resources to meet their educational and professional goals. The development of financial literacy

education and its integration into the student onboarding process was a critical component to address

college affordability.

The financial literacy program was placed under Career Services to increase the connection between

students’ intended career goal, program of study, and the financial resources to allow them to achieve

their educational and professional goals. The financial literacy resources are intentionally located within

Career Services to facilitate integrated conversations about a student’s intended career goal, occupational

outlook, and expected regional wages. This comprehensive view enables students to develop an

individualized plan for to graduate with the least amount of student debt. Additionally, this program was

integrated into the first-year experience course (College 101: College Essentials), to provide all incoming

students with financial literacy curriculum.

In Academic Year 2017-2018, there was a college-wide strategy to “[e]valuate student housing and

food insecurity needs.” The Office of Planning & Effectiveness (P&E) identified the need to redesign the

Clark College Student Experiences Survey to include homelessness, housing insecurity, and food

insecurity questions. Workforce Education Services (WES)

identified the need to analyze the results of

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the survey to determine student needs and identify both resources currently available at the college and

additional opportunities that can to address student needs. While each program identified program-

relevant strategies, the collaborative approach ensures that the college is working towards a common

strategy and outcome. Evaluating effectiveness of programs and services is done within the context of the

strategies and indicators of core theme objective achievement. P&E and WES evaluate their contributions

to both the strategy (e.g. evaluate student needs) and to the indicator to reduce student loan accrual (e.g.

increasing access to public benefits to supplement financial aid).

EV1. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Expand access to scholarships (Completion, access,

equity).

• Destigmatize and expand awareness of public benefits.

• Expand Open Educational Resources (OER).

• Streamline the entry and onboarding process for

students (inquiry, matriculation, second quarter

persistence).

• Evaluate student housing and food insecurity needs.

• Establish and implement new Direct Digital Access

pilot program in Winter Quarter 2018.

• Expand Open Educational Resources

(OER).

• Implement new Direct Digital Access

program.

EV2. Align program offerings with regional workforce needs to include technical

and work-readiness skills.

For effective planning of EV2 focusing on alignment of program offerings with regional workforce

needs, the college utilizes a data-informed approach to create and maintain a viable mix of programs that

the college should offer to meet regional demand. The process by which the college aligns program

offerings with workforce needs is identified in Goal 2 of the Academic Plan

and in the first pillar of the

guided pathway essential practice of the Scale of Adoption Assessment: 1A. Every program is well

designed to guide and prepare students to enter employment and further education in fields of importance

to the college’s service area.

Two indicators of achievement measure progress towards EV2: 1) Percent of discrepancies in

alignment between educational programs and regional labor market are addressed in feasibility subgroups

with recommendations to Vice President of Instruction; and 2) Percent of programs that are identified as

preparing graduates for high-demand occupations. Combined, these two quantitative measures enable a

comprehensive analysis of aligning programs with workforce needs. The data also facilitate follow-up

feasibility studies to 1) address gaps identified in Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

analysis of Clark’s educational programs as listed in Goal 2 of the Academic Plan, and 2) to develop and

implement programs supporting high-demand occupations.

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EV2. Aligning Programs and Need: Align program offerings with regional workforce needs to

include technical and work-readiness skills.

EV2.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of discrepancies in alignment

between educational programs and

regional labor market are addressed in

feasibility subgroups with

recommendations to VPI

Clark’s % = 100%

Academic Year

2016-2017: 100%

Academic Year

2017-2018: 100%

Annually, the Instructional Planning Team (IPT) reviews the IPT SWOT report prepared by P&E

regarding regional workforce needs (as outlined in Goal 2 of the 2016-2021 Clark College Academic

Plan), analyzes the information provided, and convenes subgroups to evaluate the feasibility of identified

opportunities. During Academic Year 2016-2017, five subgroups were convened to evaluate the

feasibility of offering the following: Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Human Services; BAS in

Cybersecurity; BAS in Nursing; BAS in Gerontology Health & Wellness; and BAS in Elementary

Education. Recommendations from the feasibility subgroups to the IPT were 1) to pursue the BAS in

Human Services, which has begun enrolling students for Fall 2018; 2) to pursue the BAS in

Infant/Toddler Education, which is currently being reviewed within the statewide process; 3) to pursue

the BAS in Cybersecurity, which has started the statewide process for feasibility analysis; 4) to continue

local feasibility subgroup to evaluate the BAS in Health & Wellness; and 5) to continue local feasibility

subgroup to evaluate the BAS in Nursing.

During Academic Year 2017-2018, IPT determined that it would continue the ongoing feasibility

subgroups from Academic Year 2016-2017, including the BAS in Health & Wellness and BAS in

Nursing, as well as additional subgroups for BAS in Infant/Toddler Education; Digital Arts / Creative

Media; Agronomy / Conservation Science; and Advanced Manufacturing. Recommendations from the

subgroups to the Vice President of Instruction were to 1) request funding to pursue BAS in Infant/Toddler

Education; 2) continue local feasibility group for Digital Arts / Creative Media; 3) continue local

feasibility group for Agronomy / Conservation Science; and 4) continue vision and design of

Clark

College at Boschma Farms campus to support Advanced Manufacturing.

Overall, this indicator provides evidence that IPT is utilizing feasibility subgroups for opportunities

identified in the SWOT analysis; however, Academic Year 2018-2019 will have an intentional focus on

addressing weaknesses and threats that were also identified within the analysis. Through an equity lens,

recognizing weaknesses and threats to current and emerging programs is important, particularly with the

impact on projected student employment and wages after completion. It’s important to determine whether

students from systemically non-dominant groups are over-represented within programs identified as

“weaknesses.” If analysis reveals that problem, the college must develop and implement remedies to

ensure that the college is producing graduates who are competitive in regional workforce needs.

EV2.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of programs that are identified

as preparing graduates for high-

demand occupations

Clark’s % >= 80%

Academic Year

2016-2017: 69%

Academic Year

2017-2018: 69%

Annually, the Office of Planning & Effectiveness, as outlined in Goal 2 of the 2016-2021 Clark

College Academic Plan, compiles the SWOT report for educational programs. The SWOT report utilizes

Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) data, as well as identification of priority areas from

internal and external stakeholders to evaluate whether current Clark College programs prepare students

for high-demand occupations. High-demand indicator is operationalized as 1) the number of jobs

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expected in next ten years > 250; 2) the % change > current growth rate (13%); 3) current wages >

$27,000/year; and/or 4) location quotient is expected to grow by 20% over the next ten years.

Annual analysis of this data provides a systematic, verifiable data source regarding the outcomes of

the core theme objectives strategies, programs, and services. Assessed each year, this indicator provides a

quantitative measure, as the direct indicator of the college’s efforts to align educational programs with

regional workforce needs. During Academic Year 2017-2018, 69% of current Clark College programs

were identified as preparing students for high-demand occupations. This number is lower than the target

goal of 80%, which is partially attributable to national typical entry-level education (high school

diploma); however, some programs (e.g. Welding, Machining) require skills that are learned at the

college, even if a degree or certificate is not required for entry-level employment. In order to identify

programs that are considered “weaknesses,” the college must determine whether local industries require

skills or education above the national typical entry-level standard.

The analysis of the indicators of achievement for Economic Vitality’s second objective has led to

multiple improvement activities. The instructional programs are improving each

program information

sheet to better align with workforce needs. Programs are evaluated and improved based on the program

improvement process and the annual SWOT analysis of program alignment with workforce needs.

Finally, the annual mission fulfillment strategies are developed based on the results of these indicators for

achievement. For example, the

Columbia Tech Center, Clark’s satellite campus, has decreasing

enrollment; therefore, the college is assessing the immediate community’s need to make sure the

appropriate programs are offered at the satellite campus. While these are not the only strategies the

college is actively engaged in, these are the college-wide approaches to ensure the college’s programs

meet workforce need.

Given the need for alignment with the college’s overall planning process, this work was determined

to align with the development of the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan. This undertaking

included a strategy from the Office of Planning & Effectiveness to

evaluate student enrollment patterns

and regional industry priorities and to include that work in the college-wide SEM plan. Additionally, the

Office of Instruction identified the need to convene a team to increase enrollment and utilization of the

Columbia Tech Center (CTC) campus that would assess current programs and services offered, vision for

future utilization of the space, and discuss the development of an identity to align with community needs.

While each area (Office of Instruction and Office of Planning & Effectiveness) identified discrete

program-relevant strategies, the collaborative approach ensures that the college is working towards a

common strategy and outcome. As contrasted with earlier silo-ed department-level planning, this

integrated planning and evaluation approach is a culture shift that focuses on the needs of students and the

infrastructure to support student learning.

EV2. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Create and maintain a viable mix of programs based on

the analysis of the SWOT report that cuts costs to incur

emerging program costs.

• Develop a CTC plan that will improve service and

performance, create accountability for continuous

improvement, [and] make an impact on the economic

and social prosperity of our service region. This work

will include developing an identity for CTC.

• Develop an identity for Columbia

Tech Center.

• Develop the advanced manufacturing

programming at Boschma Farms,

including business plan and

partnerships with the community.

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EV3. Align, expand, and enrich the relationships with regional industry leaders to

increase internships, advisory committee participation, financial support for

students’ education and programs, hiring pipelines, grant partnerships,

mentorships, and apprenticeships.

For effective planning of EV3 which calls for development of partnerships with regional industry

leaders, the 2016-2021 Clark College Academic Plan

incorporates this expectation into each goal and

intended result. Using the Academic Plan, environmental scans, evaluation of current and potential

partnerships (both internal and external), and the

CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment provides an

assessment of how Clark College is—and should be—partnering with regional industry leaders.

Planning for this core theme objective started with assessment of the regional economy and

projections for what the college needs to do to serve the community. This assessment included a finding

that the nature of the workforce is changing. In fact, by 2020, 65% of the jobs in the workforce nationally

will require some type of post-secondary higher education (American Association of Community

Colleges, 2014 and Brunell, 2014). Preparing students for this changing reality requires the college to

continuously evaluate regional workforce needs with clear and consistent criteria. The projection that

two-thirds of jobs in the workforce will require postsecondary education is in sharp contrast to the fact

that only 36% of residents age 25 or older in our service district have earned an associate’s degree or

higher. Given that our area’s level of education is lower than the Washington State average, Clark College

recognizes its role in preparing the community to meet regional workforce demand.

The role Clark must play is consistent with the CCRC Scale of Adoption, which compels 1A: Every

program is well designed to guide and prepare students to enter employment and further education in

fields of importance to the college’s service area. The college self-study ranked this as “Not Systematic,”

indicating a need for intentional focus on partnership development and utilization of existing relationships

not only to align program offerings with workforce needs (EV2), but to ensure that students who

complete a program of study are adequately prepared to meet industry standards, with collaborative

support from those who will hire Clark College graduates (EV3).

Clark College planned a comprehensive approach in Goal 2 of the Academic Plan to address student

transition after completion at Clark College, including the Intended Result: All degrees and certificates

have identified pathway destinations upon successful completion of the program, such as employment and

articulation agreements with transfer institutions. Goal 2 also compels all programs to identify pathway

destinations for graduates, whether those pathway destinations are internal, external, transfer, or

employment. Pathway destinations must coordinate the student learning each program provides with the

regional workforce demands to meet community needs.

The college utilizes partnerships to capitalize on quantitative and qualitative data to develop specific

strategies to align, expand, and enrich the relationships with regional industry leaders as identified in each

section of the Academic Plan. Partnerships, internal and external, are essential to tackle the projected need

for two-thirds of jobs in the workforce requiring postsecondary education by 2020. These partnerships are

reviewed in the program improvement process.

There are three indicators identified to measure progress towards EV3: 1) Percent educational

programs with reported partnerships; 2) Percent of workforce-development focused grant applications

submitted that require regional partnerships; and 3) Percent of degree and certificate program advisory

committees that have executive-level industry leader members. These three indicators provide

quantitative measures of existing and developing partnerships to support the transformation of all

educational programs and services into the framework of guided pathways. Combined, these three

measures provide a comprehensive analysis of Clark College partnerships with regional industry leaders.

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EV3.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of educational programs

have reported partnerships

100%

Academic Year

2015-2016: 100%

Academic Year

2017-2018: 100%

In order to achieve this intended result, the college develops partnerships with business and industry

to match its education and training with jobs for graduates, including intentional partnerships with

industry and business groups, advisory committees, government agencies, community organizations,

labor unions, school districts, and transfer institutions

Advisory Committees: Advisory committees, especially for professional and technical programs,

provide expertise and resources to programs in developing or revising pathway destinations. This

development includes review of program-level learning outcomes to ensure alignment with industry

standards, grant partnerships to strengthen relationships between educational and industry leaders, and

intentional design of programs to integrate local businesses through internships, mentorship, and

apprenticeships. This qualitative data on current industry demands shapes the review of program learning

outcomes, as evidenced with the

Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management program, which is

continuously reviewed by the Business Administration Advisory Committee. This degree has included

provision of internships to current students and development of curriculum to meet emerging occupations

and industry demand.

Government Agencies: The U.S. Census, Washington State Employment Security Department, and

Bureau of Labor Statistics provide vital data on the demographic and employment trends and forecasts for

Clark’s regional population and workforce. These quantitative data inform programs as they develop or

revise pathway destinations.

Community Organizations: Community organizations provide insights into wraparound support

services and workplace relations and employment, which inform programs in developing or revising

pathways. Community-identified housing insecurity, combined with results from the

2018 Clark College

Student Experiences Survey identifying that 26% of students experienced housing insecurity in the past

12 months, provides quantitative data on the extensive need for financial support for education, programs,

and wraparound support services to ensure student success. Clark College has partnered with

Council for

the Homeless to provide students with resources to address housing insecurity. Establishing partnerships

with community organizations allows Clark College to provide direct support to students to lower cost of

attendance at the college and impact intergenerational poverty through increased educational attainment

in the community.

Educational Institutions: Clark College deliberately partners with school districts and other

institutions of higher education to improve the transfer-in experience as well as transfer-to experience.

These partnerships are included as guided pathways essential practices of the SOAA

. While the college

has a long history of close partnerships with the educational institutions throughout the region, the guided

pathways framework deepens the breadth of these partnerships. Faculty members and administrators will

be partnering more with these institutions as the program maps are improved.

EV3.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of workforce-development

focused grant applications submitted

that require regional partnerships

>= 50%

Academic Year

2015-2016: 100%

Academic Year

2017-2018: 100%

The college undertakes an annual analysis of the percent of workforce-development focused grant

applications submitted that require regional partnerships. This analysis provides a systematic, verifiable

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data source regarding the outcomes of the core theme objectives strategies, programs, and services.

Assessed each year, this indicator provides a quantitative measure of the college’s efforts to respond to

workforce needs by building partnerships with regional industry leaders to support review of program

alignment with workforce needs, hiring pipelines, grant partnerships, and student success programs. Many

of these partnerships require funding beyond Clark’s current resources. Many other grant opportunities

exist that support the college’s Strategic Plan; therefore the selected benchmark of 50% of the grant

applications submitted require industry partnerships exemplifies the college’s commitment to respond to

workforce needs.

EV3.3 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of degree and certificate

program advisory committees have

executive-level industry leader

members

100%

Academic Year

2015-2016: 50%

Academic Year

2017-2018: 100%

Assessed each year, this indicator provides a quantitative measure of the college’s efforts to build

partnerships with regional industry leaders to support student success. The indicator shows that the

college does have executive-level industry leaders on each of the advisory committees, though recruiting

members has been a significant struggle, in part, because of competing demands for industry leaders.

However, because these advisory committees serve a critical role in the review of program alignment with

industry standards, a lack of executive-level industry leader members obstructs the potential of the

advisory committees. Without members who are in charge of their organization’s strategic planning and

hiring, the committees’ ability to inform hiring pipelines and grant partnerships is limited.

In Academic Year 2017-2018, there was a college-wide strategy to “[c]reate a system to better

develop and manage our relationships with employers with a holistic approach.” Communications and

Marketing identified a departmental strategy to utilize the Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

system at the college to its fullest capacity, which entails additional training for staff across the college,

efficient reporting methods, and effective tracking of relationships with external constituents.

Additionally, Entry Services (within Student Affairs) identified a departmental strategy to configure the

CRM system at the college to support the student entry process, specifically with the admissions process.

EV3. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Create a system to better develop and manage

our relationships with employers with a holistic

approach.

• Implement the system to better develop and

manage our relationships with employers with

a holistic approach.

EV4. Maximize the college’s return on investment by responsibly allocating

available resources.

Within the framework of guided pathways, AACC provides a Planning, Implementation, and

Evaluation guide that emphasizes the need to acknowledge where the college currently is, effectively plan

for change, and build awareness by developing an implementation plan with roles and responsibilities.

This guide is consistent with the college’s planning and commitment of EV4: responsibly allocate

available resources by maximizing the college’s return on investment.

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Recognizing the lack of consistency in comprehensive assessment of a program’s or service’s return

on investment, planning for this core theme objective started with assessment of current strategic and

operational plans for funding allocation. This assessment determined that many funding priorities did not

have clear goals, intended results, or a timeline for implementation, which led to inefficiency. In order to

emphasize a commitment to responsibly allocate available resources, the college determined that business

plans were essential to providing the conditions to support the transformation of the college’s programs

and services through the guided pathways model. In order to implement significant transformation, the

college determined that business plans, including timeline, processes, and expected outcomes, were

required to intentionally plan allocation of all resources.

This intention is exemplified in the development of the 2016-2021 Clark College Academic Plan

that

includes six specific goals with 13 intended results, which are all measurable and actionable, and a clear

timeline for implementation. Development of this business plan included a comprehensive environmental

scan with quantitative and qualitative indicators of college-specific and regional educational attainment,

which identified the ideal state (goals and intended results) that the college would like to achieve. The

plan also included alignment of the college’s transformation within guided pathways to the

CCRC Scale

of Adoption, which identifies the essential practices of programs and services that the college should

strive to provide to students at-scale. Moving backwards from this ideal state, the Academic Planning

team analyzed Clark College programs and services to determine the current state (using Scale of

Adoption), and identified the necessary processes, resources, and partnerships required to achieve the

ideal state. Incorporating all components of a comprehensive business plan, the 2016-2021 Clark College

Academic Plan serves as an exemplary business plan for college-wide planning.

Planning for the development or revision of programs and services at the college is supposed to be

rooted in the development of a business plan. As a stated precursor to funding, business plans require

thoughtful development of a) goals that are connected to at least one core theme objective; b) intended

results that are measurable and achievable; c) timeline for implementation with clear progress measures;

and d) assessment of financial projections of initiation and ongoing costs, as well as potential revenue

generation, if applicable. By creating comprehensive business plans that align with core theme objectives

and provide realistic, achievable goals for a program or service, the college can confidently support

responsible allocation of available resources.

One indicator measures progress towards EV4: Percent of funded initiatives have a measureable

business plan with timelines, processes, and expected outcomes. This measure allows the college to

analyze the effectiveness of funded initiative or changes to programs and services by tracking progress

toward outcomes, thus allowing the college to determine the return-on-investment of resources allocated.

This quantitative measure allows the college to track progress towards implementation of all components

of guided pathways at the college in an effective and efficient manner.

EV4. Return on Investment: Maximize the college’s return on investment by responsibly allocating

available resources.

EV4.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of funded initiatives have

a measureable business plan

100%

2015-2016: 67%

(6 out of 9 Initiatives)

2016-2017: 75%

(6 out of 8 Initiatives)

2017-2018: 63%

(5 out of 8 Initiatives)

While the college has stated that a business plan is a precursor to funding, not all funded initiatives or

projects have created a business plan. In addition to the 2016-2021 Clark College Academic Plan, the

college has demonstrated success with the ctcLink Implementation Plan, capital development projects

(e.g.

STEM building), and development of new BAS programs. Each of these examples provided a

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comprehensive business plan with goals, intended results, connection to core theme objectives, timeline,

and assessment of financial implications. However, due to emerging demands, the college did not create

business plans for all funded programs and services. While the requirement was included in the

2015-

2020 Clark College Strategic Plan, the college has undergone a significant change at a rapid pace with

the transformation into the guided pathways framework. In the midst of “building the plane while flying

it,” the college had not developed consistent expectations regarding the development of measureable

business plans. After taking a step back to re-evaluate all policies, practices, and procedures, college

leadership identified the lack of comprehensive business plans for programs and services as a barrier to

effective planning, coordination and alignment of services, and responsible resource allocation.

Therefore, the college is committed to deliberately moving forward with a common vision and

expectations for how business plans will be developed, monitored, and evaluated with specific emphasis

on alignment of programs and services with core theme objectives.

In Academic Year 2017-2018, there was a college-wide strategy to “[d]evelop a new budgeting

process that includes return on investment as a key decision factor.” Economic Vitality Council identified

a council priority to develop a new budgeting process to be used for the

2018-2019 college budget

development process. Additionally, Business Services identified a priority to develop open forums to

share budget information, including an overview of the college funding and expenditures, projected

budget outlook, and development of a mechanism for college-wide feedback. The collaborative approach

ensures that the college is working towards a common strategy and outcome to develop a new budgeting

process.

EV4. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Develop a new budgeting process that includes

return on investment as a key decision factor.

• Create and implement a strategic enrollment

management plan that outlines services and

processes to achieve Clark’s optimal

enrollment. (AACRAO recommendation 29)

• Pilot the Enterprise Risk Management

framework.

• Implement the new budgeting process that

includes return on investment as a key decision

factor.

• Implement a communication calendar to

students – including intent, content, and

timeline – for the life cycle of students

(prospective, incoming, and continuing

students). (AACRAO, recommendations 9-13)

EV5. Leverage resources to create and sustain future innovations.

Effective planning of EV5 calls the college to leverage resources to create and sustain future

innovations. To support the transformation of the college into the framework of guided pathways, the

college needs to leverage resources by reallocating existing resources, as well as identifying of new

funding opportunities to invest in infrastructure, essential conditions, and transformation of programs and

services to effectively serve students.

Planning for this core theme objective started with identification of the priorities of the college for

transformation. Priorities for external funding opportunities are developed in collaboration between

Clark

College Executive Cabinet and the Clark College Foundation. The selection of the priorities is informed

by assessment of programs and services that provide the greatest potential benefit to students, specifically

with regard to the six mission fulfillment outcomes (i.e., student completion, student learning, social

equity, student employment/transfer, meeting enrollment targets, and student debt) and core theme

objectives. Alignment between 1) funding-raising priorities and 2) the core theme objectives and annual

mission fulfillment strategies is critical to ensuring that all

priorities are aligned to best support innovation

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and transformation of the college as whole, rather than focusing on disparate initiatives without

comprehensive vision.

Planning of priorities also requires systematic evaluation of all proposals to include a business plan

(EV4), alignment with core theme objectives, and likelihood for competitive proposal. Given the fact that

grant development and fundraising require an investment of resources, the college must responsibly

allocate resources to most efficiently and effectively obtain external funding opportunities. This endeavor

capitalizes on the use of a business plan to outline the entire program or service that the college is seeking

funding for, including ways in which the program becomes self-sustainable or institutionalized to

leverage resources to transform the college.

Federal grant opportunities are coordinated through the Office of Planning & Effectiveness – Grant

Development, with the Clark College Foundation coordinating all fundraising for the college. All external

funding opportunities are aligned with college priorities for student success and program excellence, with

a value on innovation to support new ideas, entrepreneurship, and continuous improvement to transform

lives and strengthen the community. This division of responsibility allows for a leveraging and intentional

use of resources to efficiently secure funding to transform programs and services to achieve mission

fulfillment.

All grant opportunities – federal, state, local, and private funding – require a data-informed needs

assessment for program development, clear objectives, and an evaluation of the program objectives and

impact on students. Data analysis, for the purpose of grant development and management, is used to

inform evaluate continuous improvement of current programs and services.

One indicator is used to measure progress towards EV5: Total grants and contracts funds expended

and Clark College Foundation’s philanthropic contributions received in a biennium. This quantitative

measure provides an analysis of the funding that the college receives to fund the transformation of college

programs and services into the guided pathways framework, by providing a quantitative measure of the

grants, contracts, and philanthropic contributions to create and sustain innovations. The college only

accounts for the amount of grant and contract funding expended because in most cases if the total grant or

contract award is not spent, the college most likely must return the funding to the grantor or contractor.

EV5. Leverage Resources: Leverage resources to create and sustain future innovations.

EV5.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Total grants and contract funds expended and

Clark College Foundation’s philanthropic

contributions received in a biennium is higher

than in the previous biennium

Total grants and contract

funds expended for

Current biennium >

Previous biennium

2013-2015:

$14,109,890

2015-2017:

$13,538,996

Assessed each year, this indicator provides a quantitative measure of the college’s efforts to obtain

grants, contracts, and Clark College Foundation’s philanthropic contributions to leverage resources for

innovation. This indicator shows that the amount of grant and contracts funds expended for the current

biennium is lower than for previous biennium.

While intentional planning of priorities and division of responsibility provide efficient use of

resources, there have been significant barriers to federal grant development for the college. In the past

five years, federal requirements for new funding opportunities have increased demand for utilizing best

practices for remediation and advising support services; these areas did not have a comprehensive plan for

change until the past year. At the same time, significant turnover in the Director of Grant Development

position and the concomitant decline in consistency and institutional knowledge has limited the college’s

ability to secure federal funding. And finally, the availability of federal grant funding was significantly

decreased in 2016, increasing competition for available funds. Identifying these barriers and developing

solutions (e.g. change in job description, competitive proposal development) are critical to leveraging

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resources to create and sustain future innovations for student learning and success. This systematic,

verifiable indicator provides the college with the ability to evaluate the accomplishment of core theme

objective’s strategies, programs, and services.

In Academic Year 2017-2018, there was a college-wide strategy to “[l]aunch [a] campaign that

integrates the new brand framework in order to expand our reputation and reach, and drive enrollment to

the college.” Communications & Marketing identified a departmental priority to develop a new brand

framework for billboards, television, radio, and social media advertising. Additionally, Entry Services

identified a priority to redesign the “Get Started

” web page to effectively capture student inquiries so that

the college can measure the effectiveness of the campaign and communicate more effectively with

prospective students. While each area (Communications & Marketing and Entry Services) identified

program-relevant strategies, the college is working towards a common strategy and outcome to develop a

new brand framework.

EV5. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Launch campaign that integrates the new brand

framework in order to expand our reputation

and reach, and drive enrollment to the college.

• Implement strategies to increase grant awards

and private philanthropy.

• Implement strategies to increase grant awards.

• Support private philanthropy through the

Promising Pathways campaign.

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Environmental Integrity

Clark College commits, under the core theme of Environmental Integrity (EI), to “facilitate student

learning by providing the conditions that continually improve the college’s physical, virtual, and social

environment.” This is operationalized by three core theme objectives, focused on the following:

incorporate environmental sustainability (EI1); improve physical and virtual environments (EI2); and

integrate principles of mutual respect, collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity in all

interactions (EI3). Collectively, these three core theme objectives aim to provide the conditions to support

all six mission fulfillment outcomes: increase student completion; improve student learning; eliminate

systemic disparities in educational outcomes; enable students to attain employment and transfer; reduce

student debt; and achieve enrollment targets. Clark’s selection of programs and services for

Environmental Integrity is aligned with the core theme objectives, and provides the process and

infrastructure to achieve the mission fulfillment outcomes.

EI1. Incorporate environmental sustainability priorities into all college systems.

For effective planning of EI1 focusing on incorporating environmental sustainability priorities into all

college systems, the college utilizes a data-informed approach to determine both the programs and

services needed to decrease the college’s environmental impact, as well as the integrated operational

goals of each program or service needed to align with the college planning process. These data come from

environmental scans, student surveys, employee surveys

, and evaluation of college’s environmental

impact.

By adopting environmental sustainability in programs and services, and by reducing energy and water

costs, the college provides conditions that support long-term sustainability for resource allocation. Cost

savings allows the college to invest in innovation and resources to better support student learning and

success. Each year, the college conducts the Sustainability of Facilities self-assessment, based on the

Clark County Green Survey. This self-assessment is completed by companies and organizations

throughout the county to assess energy usage, storm-water, waste and recycling, water and wastewater,

messaging to the organization, and toxics. For each area there is at least one clear standard to which the

college is asked to rate its adherence. These discrete standards and their criteria provide a comprehensive

measure of the effectiveness of the college’s environmental sustainability practices. The college is thereby

able to monitor progress towards the core theme objective and develop strategies to inform program

planning.

Additionally, Clark College has recently joined the

Association of the Advancement of Sustainability

in Higher Education (AASHE), which includes the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System

(STARS) to measure environmental sustainability of the college. This tool includes assessment of

Academics, Engagement, Operations, Planning & Administration, and Innovation & Leadership, each of

which contains self-reporting metrics on the college’s environmental sustainability efforts, with

benchmarking performance against institutions across the nation. Utilizing this data-informed tool, the

college receives an overall rating for environmental sustainability, as well as individualized scores for

each of the components – providing actionable data to inform planning for programs and services.

Assessment of the employee and student surveys provide stakeholder perspective on the college’s

environmental sustainability efforts and integration of the programs and services at the college-wide level.

While initiatives can provide economic benefit to the college, the integration and adherence to

sustainability programs requires investment from students, faculty and staff to increase impact (e.g.

recycling, composting, and energy efficiency practices).

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There is one indicator identified to measure progress towards EI1: Improve the Sustainability of

Facilities based on a metric provided by completion of the Clark County Green Survey. This measure

provides a comprehensive analysis of college environmental sustainability, by providing quantitative

measures of locally established sustainability criteria.

EI1 – Environmental Sustainability: Incorporate environmental sustainability priorities into all

college systems.

EI1.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Improve the Sustainability of Facilities

based on a metric provided by completion

of the Clark County Green Survey.

Continue to increase

score (average score

in 2016 is 2.1)

2016: 2.1 2018: 2.4

Using this standardized measure of environmental sustainability, the Sustainability of Facilities rating

provides a data source regarding the outcomes of the core theme objectives strategies, programs, and

services. Assessed each year, this metric evaluates the college’s progress regarding energy usage, storm-

water, waste and recycling, water and wastewater, messaging to the organization, and toxics. With an

overall rating, the college sets a target to increase its effectiveness. The overall rating has increased from

2.1 in 2016 to 2.4 in 2018.

Additionally, scores for individual components guide development of intervention strategies to

inform programs and services for this core theme objective. Analyzing individual components identified a

need to concentrate on smart lighting controls and high efficiency lighting (LED) to improve the college’s

sustainability rating. This awareness led to the implementation of an efficient lighting program, and the

impact can be seen through the increase in the rating for the individual item raising from 2 to 3.

Programs, services, and departments across the college were asked to examine regular printing

behavior and explore opportunities to decrease reliance on printing. Business Services identified the need

to monitor printing costs for the college overall, as well as within each program, service, and department,

to determine where there may be significant opportunities to implement a print strategy to decrease costs.

The Office of Human Resources (HR) identified the opportunity to eliminate printing of employee

onboarding materials and employee professional development materials through integration with online

platforms.

EI1. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Pilot a managed print strategy to the college that

provides high levels of service but also

decreases the amount of printing and cuts costs

and material usage.

• Explore institutionalizing environmental

integrity including the following: *Infusing

environmental concepts into the curriculum and

*General college practices.

• Determine a managed print strategy that

provides high levels of service but also

decreases the amount of printing, and cuts costs

and material usage. (Also consistent with

Economic Vitality)

• Assess travel policies and practices within the

context of supporting eco-friendly travel,

especially carpooling.

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EI2. Improve the college’s physical and virtual environment to maximize access and

appropriate use of space and technology.

The college utilizes a data-informed approach to determine what programs and services are needed to

improve access and student learning within our physical and virtual environment. Data sources include

the CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment, environmental scans, student surveys

, student enrollment

behavior, and analysis of student outcomes (e.g. course success, course and program-level learning

outcomes assessment).

The 2014 Facilities Master Plan included an environmental scan of population and enrollment

projections, review of existing facilities, and review of qualitative feedback from students, staff, faculty,

the Clark College Foundation, and community stakeholders. This information was used in the

development of a capital development plan for the next 15 years. The Facilities Master Plan sets forth the

criteria that must be followed for all college plans, new building designs, renovations, departmental

reconfigurations, and space allocation. Based on clear criteria, the Facilities Master Plan provides a

framework to quantitatively evaluate and prioritize the programs and services needed to achieve the core

theme objective and intended results. The role of the plan is shown in the most recent development of the

STEM Building on Clark College’ Central Park Campus, upcoming development of the new Clark

College at Boschma Farms Campus and in the proposal for a new Foster/Hanna/Hawkins Building

development.

The 2014 Facilities Master Plan showed that the quality of student learning is influenced by the

environment – physical, virtual, and social learning spaces. Learning spaces include the tangible built

environment (e.g. brick-and-mortar buildings) and virtual learning environments. Analysis of student

surveys identified the need for universally designed spaces to accommodate all students, including

students living with disabilities. In order to foster an inclusive learning environment that supports active

learning, Clark's physical spaces must provide for mobile learning, connected learning (connecting

students to resources and the broader learning community), visual and interactive learning, and supported

learning (through adherence to principles of universal design) (Jisc, 2006). The Facilities Master Plan

process identified 13 critical issues, including but not limited to Instruction & learning, broad

accessibility to teaching and learning, alternative learning spaces for students, easily accessible and

safety.

Over the past 5 years, Clark College students have indicated that they want more options for courses

offered in eLearning modalities. The Clark College Student Experiences Survey responses indicate

preferences for enrolling in eLearning courses and concerns about the fact that online and hybrid classes

fill faster, on average, than face-to-face classes. To meet this need, the college identified the need to

increase course offering in online and hybrid modalities to meet the needs of the students. Worthy to note,

the college increases its eLearning class offerings each year and has for more than a decade.

The CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment

4F. The college assesses effectiveness of educational

practice (e.g. using CCSSE or SENSE, etc.) and uses the results to create targeted professional

development. In February 2018, the college rated this as “Planning to scale.” Analysis of the results of the

Winter 2018 Student Experiences Survey identified opportunities for improvement and is informing

content of professional development to meet student needs. The analysis calls for robust professional

development to provide training resources in universal design, accessibility, and instructional design best

practices. The college has dedicated experienced instructional designers to mentor faculty in the creation

and delivery of engaging and inclusive virtual courses. These designers will provide a variety of resources

to support faculty’s online instruction, ranging from practical workshops to course reviews to discipline-

specific, ready-made course shells that faculty can customize according to their needs.

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Two indicators measure progress towards EI2: 1) Percent of students agree that the college has

physical and virtual environments supportive of learning and 2) Percent of classes offered through

eLearning modalities. These measures enable a comprehensive analysis of college environmental

sustainability, by providing quantitative measures of student perceptions and current class offerings.

EI2. Physical and Virtual Environment: Improve the college’s physical and virtual environment to

maximize access and appropriate use of space and technology.

EI2.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of students agree that the college

has physical and virtual environments

supportive of learning

80%

Winter 2016:

55%

Winter 2018:

60%

This quantitative measure indicates that there has been an increase in student satisfaction with

physical and virtual environments in the past two years based on agreement with all three survey

questions: 1) My online learning environment (e.g. library website, program websites, Canvas, and

publisher sites – such as myMath Lab) is well-organized and easy to navigate; 2) The physical learning

environments I have been in at Clark, such as classrooms and gathering places: Are designed to support

my learning; and 3) The physical learning environments I have been in at Clark, such as classrooms and

gathering places: Include appropriate technology to support student learning. However, further analysis

into the three components of this measure shows that the largest gains were seen for online learning

environments (70% to 75%); this analysis results in the development of strategies to improve the student

experience. Additionally, through an equity lens, there are disparities in perceptions by student

systemically non-dominant status. During Winter 2018, students from systemically non-dominant groups

were less likely to agree with this quantitative measure (55%) than students not from systemically non-

dominant groups (61%). This disparity also exists for the online learning environments (71% vs 76%).

EI2.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of classes offered

through eLearning

modalities

Current Year % >

Previous Year %

Academic Year

2015-2016: 19%

Academic Year

2016-2017: 24%

Academic Year

2017-2018: 26%

This quantitative measure indicates that there has been an increase in classes offered through

eLearning modalities in the past three years. However, when analyzing eLearning offerings by

instructional unit, this proportion ranges from 17% - 32% for Academic Year 2017-2018. The lowest rate

is for Workforce, Professional, and Technical Education (WPTE) Unit, which is expected given the need

for face-to-face training in advanced manufacturing fields (e.g. mechatronics, welding). However, even

among the other categories, STEM courses have a lower rate of eLearning class offerings (23%),

restricting the ability for students to complete their natural sciences distribution requirement in an

eLearning modality. Even with this systematic, verifiable indicator, additional analysis of the distribution

of eLearning classes provides the college with additional insights on the efficacy and efficiency of core

theme objective’s strategies, programs, and services.

In Academic Year 2017-2018, there was a college-wide strategy to “[c]reate new learning

environment models that promote more effective use of space and enhance the student experience.” The

Office of Instruction identified the need to incorporate best practices in built learning environments to

support student learning, including using instructor and student feedback. Facilities identified the need to

prioritize renovation of pilot classrooms to incorporate the changes to classrooms (e.g. flooring,

classroom technology, flexible seating). Evaluating effectiveness of programs and services is done within

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the context of the strategies and indicators of core theme objective achievement. Instruction and Facilities

evaluate their contribution to both the strategy (e.g. create new learning environment models) and to the

indicator to improve physical learning environments (e.g. student perceptions of pilot learning

environments, course success rates). The integrated planning and evaluation approach is a culture shift,

focusing on the needs of students and the infrastructure to support student learning, rather than on silo-ed

department-level planning.

EI2. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Upgrade college Information Technology

infrastructure to prepare the college for

programs of the future.

• Position the college for successful

implementation of ctcLink PeopleSoft.

• Implement a Data Governance system that

combines data management, data quality, and

data policies.

• Establish priorities and timeline for

implementing phase one of the safety and

security improvement plan by installing new

exterior lighting and cameras on the main

campus.

• Expand awareness of the Ergonomic program

to the College by offering various resources

(including training and support) to proactively

identify and mitigate ergonomic issues before

they result in injury and time loss.

• Create new learning environment models that

promote more effective use of space and

enhance the student experience.

• Assess college Information Technology

infrastructure to prepare the college for

community needs of the future. This work

includes increasing broadband access,

moving more applications to the cloud, and

focusing on security.

• Implement ctcLink PeopleSoft.

• Implement phase two of the safety and

security improvement plan by installing

cameras on the main campus.

• Complete the design process of the first

building at Boschma Farms.

EI3. Integrate principles of mutual respect, collaboration, clear communication,

and inclusivity in all interactions.

For effective planning of EI3 focusing on creating the environment conducive to shared governance,

transparency, and inclusion, the college utilizes a data-informed approach to determine what processes

and services are needed to improve college climate, as well as what integrated operational goals of each

program or service are needed to align with the college planning process. This data is derived from the

CCRC Scale of Adoption Assessment, student surveys, employee surveys, and continuous evaluation of

programs, services, and intervention strategies.

Results from the Student Experiences Survey were also used in the development of

Focus on Learning

Days, which are professional development opportunities for faculty to receive leadership development,

equity training, and universal course design training. The Winter 2018 Student Experiences Survey

provided insight into the impact of the revised student onboarding process – which is currently being

improved to reflect student experiences and to integrate guided pathways essential practices. Additionally,

the Winter 2018 survey includes detailed questions to evaluate the baseline experience of students on core

guided pathways principles (e.g. exploring career goals, integrated course sequences, wraparound support

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services) to allow thorough analysis of the impact of transformational change from the student

perspective.

Analysis of the Winter 2013 and Winter 2015 Employee Climate Survey

identified opportunities to

improve the college environment, especially in the area of shared governance. Based on the results from

the employee survey, analysis of employee time spent in committees and councils, and executive

leadership focus on transparency and shared governance, the college decided to revamp the college

committee structure to better include the views of faculty, staff, administrators, and students within the

college’s decision-making structures and processes. This restructure included development of the

four

core theme councils (Academic Excellence Council, Social Equity Council, Economic Vitality Council,

and Environmental Integrity Council). The purpose of the core theme councils is to work within the

college's governance structure (e.g., executive cabinet, leadership teams, departments, and other

committees) to recommend improvement strategies related to the scope, objectives, and outcomes of the

appropriate core theme.

The councils improve the college's effectiveness and progress toward meeting the Strategic Plan

objectives and mission fulfillment outcomes. By continuously reviewing and evaluating Clark College's

progress toward mission fulfillment, specifically in regards to the core theme objectives, this cross-

functional, representative group of faculty, staff, administrators, and students provides recommendations

and strategies to Executive Cabinet, college units/departments and other related committees. This model

of shared governance is an integrated approach to decision-making, which is intended to increase

employee satisfaction with clear communication, respect, collaboration, and inclusion throughout the

college. The Winter 2019 Employee Climate Survey will provide the first examination of shared

governance since implementation of the new structure.

Two indicators measure progress towards EI2: 1) Percent of students agree that the college has an

environment of mutual respect, collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity and 2) Percent of

employees agree that the college has an environment of mutual respect, collaboration, clear

communication, and inclusivity. These measures provide a comprehensive analysis of the college social

environment by providing quantitative measures of student and employee perceptions of mutual respect,

collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity in all interactions.

EI3. Social Environment: Integrate principles of mutual respect, collaboration, clear

communication, and inclusivity in all interactions.

EI3.1 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of students agree that the

college has an environment of mutual

respect, collaboration, clear

communication, and inclusivity

Average score of

4.0 or higher

Winter 2016:

4.02

Winter 2018:

4.07

The Student Experiences Survey is an internally developed and administered survey that allows the

college to measure students’ experiences directly related to the college’s expectations. This result is

dependent on students’ perceptions of mutual respect, collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity

with are defined and operationalized by Clark College. Overall, the college was meeting the indicator of

achievement with slight improvement between Winter 2016 (4.02) and Winter 2018 (4.07). However,

individual item analysis found that there were two items that did not meet the 4.0 score threshold,

including 1) How much has Clark College contributed to your knowledge, skills and personal growth in

each of the following areas: Working effectively with others and 2) During my first quarter at Clark, I

received the information and services I needed to be a successful student. Through an equity lens, the

college found that there were no differences in student perceptions of the college climate between

students from systemically non-dominant groups and students not from systemically non-dominant

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groups. These assessment findings provide the college with information to develop strategies that

strengthen the social environment and thus improve the student experience.

EI3.2 Indicator

Indicator of

Achievement

Baseline Current

Percent of employees agree that

the college has an environment

of mutual respect, collaboration,

clear communication, and

inclusivity

Average score of

5.0 or higher

Winter 2017:

5.01

Winter 2017: 5.01

Winter 2019 – next

iteration of the

Employee Climate

Survey with revised

items.

Two items were newly included in the Employee Climate Survey to measure employee perceptions of

college climate, making Winter 2017 the baseline year for analysis. Overall, the college was meeting the

indicator of achievement for Winter 2017 (5.01). Individual analysis of items identified three items that

did not meet the 5.0 score threshold: 1) Areas and departments throughout the college work

cooperatively; 2) Criteria by which decisions are made are clearly communicated; and 3) When other

areas and departments across the college make decisions that impact my work, I am able to offer input

before the decision is made. These provide the college with specific areas to develop strategies to improve

the employee experience with the college climate.

Through an equity lens, the college found that there were four items with statistically significant

differences in employee responses between systemically non-dominant employees and non-systemically

non-dominant employees: 1) Employees are expected to treat each other with respect; 2) I am well

informed about what is happening at Clark College; 3) I feel accepted and included as a member of the

college community; and 4) My work area provides an environment that is welcoming for employees from

systemically non-dominant groups. Due to disparities in employee perceptions, this indicator highlights

opportunities for continuous improvement in strategies, programs, and services to improve employee

perceptions of climate for all employees.

In Academic Year 2017-2018, there was a college-wide strategy to “[f]ully implement the core theme

council structure, including [using a] college-wide communication tool, aligning councils with existing

committees and leadership teams, and providing opportunities for feedback about the council structure.”

The Office of Planning & Effectiveness (P&E) identified the need to create a reliable technological tool

for the core theme councils

to communicate, gather feedback, and engage in discussions with all of the

college community. In cooperation with the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS), the

technological tool was universally designed to be accessible for all employees. Additionally, the Office of

Instruction identified the opportunity to integrate the guided pathways resources with the council

communication tool, including co-hosting modules on the same technology platform to increase cross-

traffic and promote enhanced discussion and communication.

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EI3. Strategies for Mission Fulfillment (Academic Years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

Academic Year 2017-2018

Academic Year 2018-2019

• Develop a leadership program for Clark employees to

develop both leadership and critical interpersonal skills.

• Improved shared governance through the following

strategies:

o Economic Vitality Council: Create a more inclusive

and transparent process for budget development.

o Refer to how the input informed the decision when

communicating a decision.

o Assess the feasibility of taking minutes of President’s

Open Forums and post them in an easy-to-find place.

o Redevelop "Clark Today" – the previous campus-wide

newsletter that helped keep employees informed.

o Implement a reliable technological tool for the Core

Theme Councils to communicate, gather feedback,

and engage in discussions with all of the college

community.

o Work to develop better accessibility through ClarkNet

to information regarding decision-making and

discussions.

• Fully implement the core theme council structure,

including college-wide communication tool, aligning

councils with existing committees and leaderships teams,

and providing opportunities for feedback about the

council structure.

• Improved shared governance

through the following strategies

o Economic Vitality Council:

Implement a more inclusive and

transparent process for budget

development.

o Complete communication loop

on all decisions made –

identifying how the input

informed the decision.

o Evaluate the core theme council

structure, including college-

wide communication tool,

aligning councils with existing

committees and leaderships

teams, the workload of

committees, and providing

opportunities for feedback

about the council structure

Standard Five

Mission Fulfillment,

Adaptation, Sustainability

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Standard Five:

Mission Fulfillment, Adaption, and Sustainability

Based on its definition of mission fulfillment and informed by the results of its analysis of

accomplishment of its core theme objectives, the institution develops and publishes evidence-based

evaluations regarding the extent to which it is fulfilling its mission. The institution regularly

monitors its internal and external environments to determine how and to what degree changing

circumstances may impact its mission and its ability to fulfill that mission. It demonstrates that it is

capable of adapting, when necessary, its mission, core themes, programs, and services to

accommodate changing and emerging needs, trends, and influences to ensure enduring institutional

relevancy, productivity, viability, and sustainability.

Section A—Eligibility Requirement

Eligibility Requirement 24. SCALE AND SUSTAINABILITY: The institution demonstrates that

its operational scale (e.g., enrollment, human and financial resources, and institutional

infrastructure) is sufficient to fulfill its mission and achieve its core themes in the present and will

be sufficient to do so in the foreseeable future.

Clark College has served its community and continuously improved student learning and success

since it opened its doors in 1933. Focused on the student and providing the conditions for them to achieve

their educational and professional goals, Clark College has continuously and successfully managed

changes in its resources. Although state funding has declined and tuition costs have increased, the college,

in partnership with the Clark College Foundation, has identified needs through continuous improvement

efforts and obtained alternative funding sources (e.g., grants and contracts) to strive to achieve its mission

fulfillment outcomes. The needs of Clark students and of the community depends on dedicated

employees at Clark College. While enrollment continues to decline, the college is working hard to

transform its educational offerings to satisfy the significant changing demographics of its students as well

as the changing needs of the workforce.

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Section B

Standard 5A: Mission Fulfillment

5.A.1 The institution engages in regular, systematic, participatory, self-reflective, and evidence-

based assessment of its accomplishments.

--and--

5.A.2 Based on its definition of mission fulfillment, the institution uses assessment results to make

determinations of quality, effectiveness, and mission fulfillment, and communicates its conclusions

to appropriate constituencies and the public.

Clark College engages in regular, systematic, participatory, self-reflective, and evidence-based

assessment of its accomplishments towards mission fulfillment. Throughout the development of the

Clark

College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, the college realized that it needed to change its framework of teaching

and learning to become student-ready, rather than focusing on preparing students to be college-ready. The

college deliberately chose the four core themes (

Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Economic Vitality,

and Environmental Integrity) and six mission fulfillment outcomes in partnership with the Clark College

Board of Trustees to embody student learning and student achievement. These six mission fulfillment

outcomes informed the adoption of guided pathways as the framework for mission fulfillment. As

national research shows, the six mission fulfillment outcomes are also the expected outcomes for

successful implementation for guided pathways.

Annually, the college community reviews the results of the mission fulfillment outcomes and the

indicators of achievement for the core theme objectives to identify strategies or priority initiatives that

will propel the college toward mission fulfillment within the guided pathways framework. Executive

cabinet members—in their roles both as executive leaders and as executive sponsors of the objectives—

work with their respective areas and committees to identify potential strategies for the next academic year

to strengthen progress toward mission fulfillment. In addition, the core theme councils

also assess

progress toward mission fulfillment on a regular basis and make recommendations. Executive Cabinet

uses these recommendations to inform the selection and adoption of the strategies for the next academic

year.

These strategies are posted on the Clark College intranet.

Clark College is a member of the American Association for Community College Pathways Institute

2.0 cohort. The membership provides the college with professional development, coaching, and other

resources throughout the guided pathways transformation. The annual strategies adopted by Executive

Cabinet incorporate the essential practices to be implemented for the academic year, as outlined on the

Scale of Adoption Assessment (SOAA).

The membership and work requires participation from all college

employees to support the transformation, and therefore is communicated through college meetings (e.g.,

Opening Day and college forums),

guided pathways Canvas shell, and monthly updates to the Board of

Trustees within the scorecards and President’s report.

As instructed by the Clark College Board of Trustees, the college provides the Board with monthly

updates in the form of scorecards

for each of the six mission fulfillment outcomes. The scorecards present

the mission fulfillment outcome, which is measured on an annual basis with more timely (monthly or

quarterly) updates on indicators of achievement as well as on monthly progress made on implementing

the annual strategies adopted to bring the college closer to mission fulfillment. The Board of Trustees is

also updated monthly on the progress made toward implementing guided pathways within their work

session and/or at the

monthly Board meeting.

As described in Standard 1, each core theme has one or more mission fulfillment outcomes assigned

to it, with the exception of the Environmental Integrity core theme. The Environmental Integrity core

theme objectives are related to the infrastructure required to achieve the six mission fulfillment outcomes.

Ultimately, the college expects to achieve mission fulfillment when guided pathways are implemented at

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full scale. The college recognizes this will be an iterative process based on the cycle of continuous

improvement: plan, implement, assess, and improve. Moreover, the college does not expect that it will

achieve each of the mission fulfillment outcomes overnight.

Academic Excellence

Increasing Completion. One of Clark College’s mission fulfillment outcomes is to increase the rate

at which degree-seeking students complete their degrees and/or certificates. The 25% completion rate

among Clark’s degree- or certificate-seeking students has been fairly consistent over the past ten years.

Clark’s low completion rate is not unlike other community colleges; yet, it is not the rate to which Clark

College aspires. Upon further analysis of Clark’s completion rate, students who test below college-level

in math and/or writing; students of color (excluding Asian students); part-time students; and

nontraditional students have significantly lower completion rates within 150% time to degree or

certificate completion. Moreover, of the students who left Clark College before completing, most did not

transfer within five to ten years, and they were also disproportionately students with the characteristics

listed above. These analyses led Clark to realize that not all students have the conditions to achieve their

educational and professional goals, which was the primary factor in choosing the four core themes, with

special emphasis on Academic Excellence and its objectives. The overlap between the mission fulfillment

outcomes and national research on guided pathways helped Clark College choose guided pathways as its

primary framework for mission fulfillment.

The national guided pathways model provides colleges with a roadmap of essential practices and

conditions required for degree- or certificate-seeking students to be successful at community colleges.

The ultimate goal of guided pathways is to increase completion rates and eliminate systemic disparities in

educational outcomes by creating those conditions for students to be successful. The goal to increase

completion rates has largely influenced the development of the Academic Plan

that directs the college to

adopt guided pathways; align programs to workforce needs; be student-ready; improve teaching and

learning environments and strategies; and infuse the study of the impacts of power, privilege, and inequity

into the curriculum. All of the Academic Plan’s goals and intended results serve as strategies and either

complement or overlap with the essential practices of guided pathways.

Degree or Certificate-Seeking Full-Time Student Completion Rate Within 3 Years

Improving Student Learning. The foundation of Clark College’s Strategic Plan

is student learning.

A credential is just a piece of paper if it does not represent earning. Improving student learning, therefore,

became one of Clark’s six

mission fulfillment outcomes. The college knows that improving student

learning requires the use of dynamic and curriculum-specific (Objective AE2) active learning strategies

(Objective AE3), accessible and integrated environments (Objective AE4), professional development

(Objective AE5), and outcomes assessment (Objective AE6).

After Clark received an out-of-compliance finding from the 2008 ten-year comprehensive visit, the

college moved swiftly to develop, approve, and measure student learning outcomes for each of its degrees

and certificates. To aid in this significant change, Clark College received a U.S. Department of Education

Title III, Strengthening Institutions grant to increase completion through improving student learning,

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increasing first-quarter retention, and improving advising. The grant enabled the college to institutionalize

learning improvement based on systemic outcomes assessment throughout all programs, curriculum

improvement processes, and program planning. While all programs have actively engaged in outcomes

assessment over the past five to seven years, using the assessment results to improve learning among the

majority of programs has been systemic only in the past couple of years.

The fourth pillar of CCRC SOAA

provides the essential practices that ensure students are learning.

Of all the guided pathways SOAA essential practices, only one is rated at-scale and that is within Pillar 4:

Results of learning outcomes assessments are used to improve teaching and learning through program

review, professional development, and other intentional campus efforts. This review is done primarily

through the

program improvement process. However, five other essential practices related to student

learning are not at scale at Clark College, and Clark is making changes to implement those essential

practices at scale.

100% of programs have made improvements based on assessment of program learning outcomes

Social Equity

Eliminating Systemic Disparities in Educational Outcomes. Eliminating systemic disparities in

completion rates requires the college to create and sustain an accessible and inclusive environment

(Objective SE1), demonstrate improved intercultural competency among employees and students

(Objective SE2); and institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge systems of power,

privilege, and inequity (Objective SE3). Utilizing the IPEDS cohort

, Clark College’s three-year

completion rate was 25% for the Fall 2012 cohort. However, the disparity in completion rates between

students who are systemically non-dominant and students who are not systemically non-dominant was 10

percentage points. This disparity in educational outcomes demonstrated the need for a comprehensive

plan to provide the conditions that improve educational outcomes and eliminate systemic disparities

among all groups. The college’s

Strategic Plan established the expectations that all students are prepared

for life and work in a multicultural, diverse, and international society, and that they are exposed to a

variety of beliefs, cultures, and differences as a catalyst for intellectual growth while challenging the

systems of power, privilege, and inequity. The college developed an operational plan that outlined how

the college would meet the Strategic Plan objectives within the Social Equity core theme, which was

formally adopted as the

2015-2020 Clark College Social Equity Plan. This plan outlines goals and

strategies to operationalize the core theme objectives on a broad level, providing the structure for

individual units and departments to lead the implementation.

While undertaking the institutional transformation to guided pathways, Clark College utilizes the

CCRC Scale of Adoption Self-Assessment (SOAA), which articulates three essential equity practices that

the college can use to assess its progress toward addressing equity gaps in postsecondary student

outcomes. These practices includes adopting a common language around equity (5A), establishing equity

goals (5B), and establishing measures of assessment for equity goals (5C). By integrating equity practices

into the institutional transformation to guided pathways, the college planning of the Social Equity core

theme is integrated into its comprehensive planning process.

Although the Social Equity core theme is directly connected to only one mission fulfillment outcome,

assessing equity throughout each mission fulfillment outcome—and core theme indicator—is a central

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component of the Strategic Plan. In order to evaluate the achievement of equitable student outcomes,

equity is measured for each of the mission fulfillment outcomes. Rather than viewing social equity as a

separate entity, it is integral to the work that is done throughout the college, ensuring that social equity is

institutionalized and at the forefront of all planning at the college.

First-Term, Certificate or Degree-Seeking, Full-Time Student Three-Year Completion Rate:

Difference Between Systemically Non-Dominant and Systemically Dominant Groups

Economic Vitality

Reducing Student Debt. One of Clark College’s mission fulfillment outcomes

is to decrease student

debt. From 2012 to 2015, Clark College’s three-year student loan default rate rose from 16.3% to 20.3%,

presenting an urgent need to redesign programs and services to address college affordability. Moreover,

student debt is compounded by the effects of low completion rates and other systemic disparities in

educational outcomes—two other mission fulfillment outcomes. Students who do not earn a degree or

certificate are more likely to enter the workforce without the needed credential / higher wages to pay off

the debt. Objective EV1 directly addresses college affordability—aligning structured planning for

wraparound support services within the guided pathways framework to focus on guiding students to

successfully complete an in-demand credential in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of

debt.

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) defines guided pathways as

“intentionally designed, clear, coherent and structured educational experiences, informed by available

evidence, that guide each student effectively and efficiently from her/his point of entry through to

attainment of high-quality postsecondary credentials and careers with value in the labor market” (

What Is

the ‘Pathways Model?’). Improving college affordability requires Clark to create the conditions that allow

all students to clearly identify their educational and professional goals, enter a program of study that is

aligned with workforce needs, and receive wraparound student support services that increase student

success. Deliberate planning has led to comprehensive development of a student onboarding process, an

intrusive advising model, programs aligned with workforce demand, and financial resources to manage

costs. This intentional planning to align programs and services to increase student completion, while

managing costs, increases college affordability and reduces student debt.

Student Three Year Loan Default Rate

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Student Employment / Transfer. The mission statement of the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic

Plan reads, “Clark College, in service to the community, guides individuals to achieve their educational

and professional goals.” The emphasis on "service to the community" can be found throughout the plan's

themes, values, and objectives. It recognizes that the college is more than a local resource; it is a vital part

of the economic engine that sustains its community.

To ensure the college’s meaningful role in the lives of community members, Objective EV2 directs

the college to “align program offerings with regional workforce needs to include technical and work-

readiness skills." This objective charges the college to be deliberate in aligning programs—degrees and

certificates, both transfer and career and technical—with the economic needs of individuals and groups

that comprise the regional workforce. In order to truly align these program offerings, the college will need

to assess and monitor community needs. This objective is further operationalized within the

2016-2021

Clark College Academic Plan, Goal 2: Align Program Offerings with Regional Workforce and

Community Needs.

Recognizing the importance of partnerships in ensuring student success and learning, Objective EV3

calls for Clark College to align, expand, and enrich the relationships with regional industry leaders.

Partnerships with regional industry leaders provide students with enhanced opportunities for internships,

financial support, hiring pipelines, mentorships, and apprenticeships. Additionally, these partnerships are

critical to development of robust grant partnerships and advisory committee participation—which ensures

that the curriculum in programs prepares students for the workforce. Within guided pathways,

advisory

committees will provide expertise and resources to programs that are developing or revising pathway

destinations; provide qualitative trends on emerging regional workforce demands; and evaluate the

relevance and effectiveness of the program's curricular designs to satisfy workforce demand. In addition,

guided pathways calls for strong partnerships to facilitate the seamless transition from high school as well

as seamless transition to employment or transfer to another college or university. Throughout the 2016-

2021 Clark College Academic Plan, partnerships are identified to assist in the attainment of each intended

result.

Percent of Graduates by Year Who Transfer and/or are Employed within 1 Year of Graduation

Achieving Enrollment Targets. Student enrollment is a natural consequence of effective

implementation of guided pathways because guided pathways will increase pipelines of students from K-

12 and current industry. Clark College expects that, once the college transforms its educational

opportunities into guided pathways, enrollment will rise due to the significant increases in retention and

learning anticipated. At the same time, to effectively implement guided pathways, the college must have

the resources available to support students, as acknowledged in Objective EV4: Maximizing the college’s

return on investment by responsibly allocating available resources. To ensure return on investment, the

college identified the need to develop a business plan for any newly funded initiative/project—ensuring

that there is adequate vision and planning, integration with existing programs and services, and alignment

with the college’s comprehensive planning efforts.

Additionally, the college partners with the Clark College Foundation

for grant development and

philanthropy. With a shared focus on student success and program excellence, Clark College’s Grant

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Development office and the Clark College Foundation provide financial support for Objective EV5:

Leverage resources to create and sustain future innovations. With a shared framework for prioritizing the

college’s mission, Grant Development and the Clark College Foundation focus on supporting new ideas

and continuous improvement by leveraging resources for innovation to support student success and

student learning.

Percent of FTES Generated Based on State Allocation and College Budget

Environmental Integrity

Student Completion. To meet the mission fulfillment outcome of at least a 40% student completion

rate within three years, guided pathways is the framework used to redesign programs and services to

provide the conditions to support student learning. Implementing this framework will require significant

change in leadership strategies; focus on urgency to identify and change current programs, policies, and

processes that are barriers for student completion; and develop innovative solutions for students. Barriers

to student completion include the college environment. Core theme objectives

direct the college find

potential solutions in order to improve the physical and virtual environments (Objective EI2) and social

environments (Objective EI3). The environment in which students learn impacts their sense of belonging,

their concentration on program content and mastery of learning outcomes, and their understanding of how

programs will prepare them for their future career. Therefore, environmental changes that positively

impact students will increase student retention, completion, and successful transition to a four-year

institution or workforce.

Student Learning. Improving student learning requires the college to acknowledge that student

learning is influenced to a large extent by the environments in which that learning takes place, as directed

by Objective EI2. The college recognizes that high quality learning is impeded by substandard learning

spaces. In one sense, the term “learning space” refers to the conditions and tangible built environment

where learning occurs that encompasses both brick-and-mortar buildings and available technology.

Physical comfort, climate setting, classroom arrangements, and equipment are all critical elements in

creating a physical environment conducive to students’ meeting course and program learning outcomes

(Hiemstra & Sisco, 1990).

More specifically, flexible learning environments that support the full range of active learning

strategies and foster communities of all types of learners (students, faculty, staff, etc.) are prerequisites for

student success. The 2016-2021 Clark College Academic Plan

, Goal 4 directs the college to develop

physical and virtual spaces that engage and inspire all learners and to operationalize the criteria that the

college will use to ensure that all spaces that “can motivate learning and promote learning as an activity,

support collaborative as well as formal practice, . . . provide a personalized and inclusive environment,

and be flexible in the face of changing needs.”

Eliminating Systemic Disparities in Educational Outcomes. Eliminating systemic disparities in

completion rates requires the college to address the physical and virtual environments (Objective EI2) and

social environments (Objective EI3) that influence the student experience at the college. The built

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environment influences both the cognitive and social dynamics that contribute to learning. Objective EI2

compels the college to consider the physical settings in which we situate learning, emphasizing

accessibility and adaptability in order to foster inclusiveness. Bolted-down desks and non-compliant

technologies might do more than just inhibit students’ interactions with course material; they might lead

to undue hardships for, or outright exclusion of, groups of students. At the same time, we must recognize

the importance of incidental learning when considering our physical surroundings. Creating inviting

gathering spaces, both physical and virtual– in which students, faculty, and staff might interact with one

another—is a crucial strategy in promoting an inclusive and sustainable community of learners.

Moreover, like the physical and virtual environment, the social environment is critical to student access.

The social environment (as outlined in Objective EI3) focuses on principles of mutual respect,

collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity in all interactions. The health of the social

environment provides the conditions for students and employees to do their best work. Comprehensively

assessing the college’s physical, virtual, and social environment allows for a holistic understanding of the

student experience—which impacts student success, learning, and completion. Clark College also

emphasizes environmental integrity as a core theme in its own right because the college recognizes that

mission fulfillment—i.e. all success in core themes and constituent objectives—becomes possible only

when all systems function together seamlessly to carry out their respective tasks.

Student Employment / Transfer. Supporting student employment and/or transfer after graduating

from Clark College is important to guiding students to achieve their educational and professional goals.

By providing the physical and virtual environments (Objective EI2) and social environments (Objective

EI3) to support student learning, Clark College prepares students to be successful in transferring to a four-

year institution to complete a baccalaureate degree or obtain employment in their field of study. Both of

these successful transitions (referred to as “exit pathways,” Academic Plan, Goal 1) require that students

master the program learning outcomes at Clark College, as well as receive support from the physical,

virtual, and social environments to be successful after leaving the college.

Reducing Student Debt and Default Rates. Guiding individuals to achieve their educational and

professional goals (including completion, student learning, and successful employment and/or transfer to

a four-year institution) leads to a decrease in student default rates by increasing students’ ability to repay

student loans. By providing the conditions that support student learning, including physical and virtual

environment (Objective EV2) and social environment (Objective EV3), the college is ensuring that

students learn in an environment that is conducive to mastery of program learning outcomes that provide

a foundation for successful transition after completion.

Meeting Enrollment and Budget Targets. Funding to support college systems is both a requirement

for and a result of achieving enrollment and budget targets. Without adequate funding, the college could

not invest in infrastructure to support college programs and services; conversely, without adequate college

programs and services, the college could not recruit, retain, and successfully complete students. The

conditions and tangible built environment where learning occurs encompass both brick-and-mortar

buildings and available technology. Objective EI1 specifically aims to embed environmental

sustainability into all of the college’s practices. Sustainable practices can enhance the college systems, by

saving money, slowing depreciation of college facilities, and reducing the carbon footprint of Clark

College operations.

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Section C

Standard 5.B: Adaptation and Sustainability

5.B.1 Within the context of its mission and characteristics, the institution evaluates regularly the

adequacy of its resources, capacity, and effectiveness of operations to document its ongoing

potential to fulfill its mission, accomplish its core theme objectives, and achieve the goals or

intended outcomes of its programs and services, wherever offered and however delivered.

Clark College regularly evaluates the adequacy of its resources, capacity, and effectiveness of

operations in relation to the mission, core theme objectives, and programs and services. The college

evaluates its potential to fulfill its mission, accomplish its core themes objectives, and achieve the

intended results of the programs and services through continuous monitoring of the annual mission

fulfillment strategies, the development of the next year’s strategies, and the iterative process of

implementing guided pathways. The evaluation occurs, especially within the context of guided pathways,

at four levels: Clark College Board of Trustees, President’s Executive Cabinet, leaders of programs and

services, and core theme councils.

The Board of Trustees monitors the budget and receives a monthly update

of progress and activities

toward mission fulfillment. The board approves the budget annually. In addition, it sets the topics of the

work sessions throughout the year based a topic’s potential to strengthen or improve ways of

accomplishing the core theme objectives and achieve the goals and intended results of the college’s

programs and services within the context of guided pathways.

The President’s Executive Cabinet (EC) meets weekly to evaluate and improve its resources,

capacity, and effectiveness. Agenda items for each EC meeting are proposed within the context of the

core theme objectives and mission fulfillment outcomes. Most EC agenda items are related to

strengthening resources—whether it be financial, human, or other—to better support the necessary

programs and services that are crucial to mission fulfillment. As the college transforms its teaching,

learning, programs, and services into guided pathways, all of the college’s operations and decisions take

into account the mission fulfillment outcomes, which are the same expected outcomes of guided

pathways.

Leaders of programs and services are engaged in the conversations related to improving their areas.

Educational program changes are brought before the Instructional Programming Team,

Curriculum

Committee, and Outcomes Assessment Committee to better support student learning and achievement, in

alignment with the core themes of Academic Excellence, Economic Vitality, and Social Equity. Leaders

of services engage with their departments and leadership teams to evaluate and implement improvement

strategies to accomplish the core theme objectives and/or meet one or more of the six mission fulfillment

outcomes. Departments across the college are also involved with redesigning the college’s educational

offerings and services into guided pathways.

The core theme councils’ purpose is to evaluate the progress toward mission fulfillment and

recommend improvement strategies to the appropriate body (e.g., EC, area leadership teams, departments,

or other committees). The council chairs

meet with EC every month to provide updates of discussions,

evaluations, and recommendations for improvement. Generally, these meetings are dedicated to

discussions about how the college can improve its capacity and potential to achieve the mission

fulfillment outcomes within the context of the core theme objectives, indicators of achievement, and

guided pathways.

Clark College has undergone significant changes over the past ten years since its last comprehensive

accreditation report in 2008. The state legislature cut state funding significantly, and tuition costs have

risen in its place. (Tuition at Washington State’s publically funded community and technical colleges is

set by the legislature.) The economic recession resulted in a significant increase in full-time equivalent

students. At the height of the enrollment boom, the college served 33% more Full-Time Equivalent

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Students (FTES) than were funded. During that time, the demographics of the students changed: they

were more likely to be students with significant risk factors; for example, higher proportions of students

placed in precollege coursework, were first generation, and/or had lower incomes. As the economy

recovered and offered many opportunities for work, the college experienced a steep decline in enrollment.

The college is working to implement wrap-around support services as coherent pathways, as defined in

the guided pathways essential practices, to ensure the appropriate resources and capacity to effectively

serve individual students and potential students.

Enrollment is interconnected to the college’s adequacy of resources and capacity to fulfill its mission

for two reasons. First, a higher proportion of the college’s revenue comes from tuition rather than from

state funding than prior to the Great Recession. Second, the Washington State Board for Community and

Technical Colleges changed its resource allocation model for the thirty community and technical college

districts to allocate primarily based on a rolling three-year average of state-support enrollment served.

During the Great Recession, the state’s community and technical colleges served more students than the

legislature funded, and Clark served about 20% of the state’s unfunded FTES. In the

2017-2018 academic

year, the state’s community and technical colleges served fewer students than the legislature funded due

to the inverse correlation of employment and enrollment: As enrollment declines, so does funding—both

state and tuition revenue. That drop erodes the college’s resources and capacity to serve students. The

state’s new resource allocation model is likely to cut state funding further at Clark College.

The college implemented its first iteration of changes in the budget development process based on the

results of the 2017 Employee Climate Survey where one of the lowest-rated items was the transparency of

the budget development process. Prior to 2017-2018, the college balanced the budget by Executive

Cabinet departments due to the budget deficits or budget neutral environments (depending on the year).

Since the 2011-2012 academic year, if the budget for the next year was neutral, each area was, for the

most part, allocated the budget amount of the prior year. If there was a budget cut, the college——for the

most part—took a pro-rata cut. Beginning in

2017-2018, the college community was provided an

opportunity to identify budget cuts, requests, and changes within the context of the Strategic Plan. To

develop the budget for the 2019-2020 academic year, the Economic Vitality Council is preparing a

timeline for budget development. The budget development process will be overseen by a newly convened

budget committee to improve transparency and develop a comprehensive budget to adequately fund

mission fulfillment strategies.

Throughout the development of the new budget process, Clark has reaffirmed its commitment to

creating and managing projects based on a business or project plan (Objective EV4

). These plans should

help with some very important areas in need of improvement by providing a platform to communicate

progress, manage the projects, and manage/lead change. There are two departments where project

management is used consistently:

Information Technology Services (ITS) and ctcLink (i.e., conversion of

current management information systems to PeopleSoft). Other areas have used project management

systems, but only in an inconsistent manner. The college learned from its participation with the AACC

Pathways 2.0 cohort, the initial missteps in the guided pathways reform that some of its missteps with the

initial work of guided pathways as described in Standard 3A come from the lack of a comprehensive

business plan that all members of the college community could reference. The college is finalizing the

first draft of the guided pathway business plan. The college will use this plan to request one-time funding

from the Board of Trustees’ reserves as seed money for the transformational redesign. (The Board of

Trustees’ reserves are always held at 10% of operational budget.) This business plan is expected to keep

the college community apprised of the planned changes to improve strategies just-in-time, eliminate

potential redundancies, and maximize limited resources.

The college is proud of the resources and capacity offered by the Clark College Foundation. The

Foundation is one of five top national public community college foundations based on its endowment

market shares and has over $100 million in managed assets. The college identifies the top priorities for

resource needs and the Foundation uses these priorities for fund-raising. Currently,

these priorities include

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guided pathways (all core themes, especially Objectives AE1, SE1, and EV2), advanced manufacturing

(Academic Excellence and Economic Vitality core themes, especially Objectives EV2 and EI2), and

student scholarships (Objective EV1).

To address the college’s resource and capacity concerns, the college will continue to refine its

budgeting and resource allocation processes, implement guided pathways—with the objective of

increasing enrollment—and create business plans for funded strategies of mission fulfillment to use

campus resources more strategically and sustainably.

5.B.2 The institution documents and evaluates regularly its cycle of planning, practices, resource

allocation, application of institutional capacity, and assessment of results to ensure their adequacy,

alignment, and effectiveness. It uses the results of its evaluation to make changes, as necessary, for

improvement.

The college documents and regularly evaluates its cycle of planning, practices, resource allocation,

and institutional capacity through the monthly review of the mission fulfillment scorecards

. As described

throughout this document, the mission fulfillment outcomes and related indicators of achievement as

published on the scorecards are updated and reviewed monthly. The

mission fulfillment strategies are

developed based on the evaluation of progress toward accomplishing the mission fulfillment outcomes as

represented by the indicators of achievement for each objective and are aligned with the objectives as

documented in Strategic Planning Online (SPOL). The budget development process prioritizes funding

the strategies that require additional resources or that call for a realignment of capacity to accomplish the

annual mission fulfillment strategies.

The transformation of teaching, learning, programs, and services into guided pathways occurred as a

result of the evaluation of the college’s practices, resource allocation, capacity, and assessment results. In

order to effectively serve the changing population of the college’s service area that can benefit from the

college’s educational opportunities, the college recognized that guidance is necessary. And, as stated

previously, the redesign of the programs and services within the guided pathways framework aligns

perfectly with the mission fulfillment outcomes. Listed below are a few college-wide examples of

strategies adopted from results of monitoring progress toward mission fulfillment:

• The college is currently redesigning pre-college math and the placement procedures to increase

the number and proportion of students who earn college-level math credit within their first year

(Completion Scorecard

). The college allocated one-time funding to cover the start-up costs of

changing the placement procedures. The college received a College Spark Washington grant to

fund the redesign of precollege math. These efforts are consistent with the guided pathways

essential practices as listed on the American Association of Community Colleges,

Scale of

Adoption Assessment (SOAA), Pillar 2, essential practices: b) “Special supports are provided to

help academically unprepared students to succeed in the “gateway” courses for the college’s

major program areas—not just in college-level math and English; and c) Required math courses

are appropriately aligned with the student’s field of study.”

• The college is aligning, at least for the 2018-2019 academic year, student learning outcomes

assessment resources within the organizational structure of guided pathways. This reorganization

is based on the AACC, SOAA Pillar 4 as it pertains to ensuring students are learning (

Student

Learning Scorecard).

• The college has invested in the recruitment of diverse employees to improve the student retention

rate. The college is also adding a distribution requirement related to the study of power, privilege,

and inequity for Clark’s associate of arts degree. These changes are consistent with Pillar 5 of the

https://www.aacc.nche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/AACCPathways_Institute-

1_PathwaysPracticeScaleofAdoptionAssessment.pdf

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SOAA. (Pillar 5 was added by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical

Colleges.) (Social Equity Scorecard

)

• A priority area of the college is to provide scholarships to students as documented in the Clark

College Foundation areas of need. The college has also invested in a financial literacy/wellness

program aligned with both Career Services and Financial Aid; that program is embedded in the

College 101 course. In addition, the college completed the first iteration of the program maps or

information sheets as outlined in Pillar 1 of the SOAA. These

program information sheets

identify the optimal courses for each degree and certificate to prevent students from enrolling in

additional credits not aligned with their program, thereby reducing tuition, opportunity costs, and

other out-of-pocket educational expenses. (Student Debt Scorecard

)

• The college is strengthening its relationships with employers and transfer colleges to maintain

and continue to improve its employment and transfer rate among students who leave the college.

This undertaking is highlighted in the Automotive Technology programs,

advanced

manufacturing programs, engineering programs, and other articulation agreements. Moreover, the

second iteration of program information sheets will be based on the following essential practice in

Pillar 4: Program learning outcomes are aligned with the requirements for success in the further

education and employment outcomes targeted by each program. (

Employment/Transfer

Scorecard)

• Due to the strong economy and increased competition--as there are many more accessible

educational offerings due to eLearning--enrollment continues to decline. The college has chosen

guided pathways to increase retention and successful matriculation of new students as outlined in

the SOAA essential practices in Pillars 1, 2, and 3 and

Clark’s guided pathways iterative business

plan. The college feels the urgency related to increasing enrollment and, therefore, often spreads

itself too thin in changing the programs and services to meet student needs. Therefore, the college

decided to focus on creating the guided pathways business plan prior to creating a strategic

enrollment plan. (

Enrollment Scorecard)

5.B.3 The institution monitors its internal and external environments to identify current and

emerging patterns, trends, and expectations. Through its governance system, it uses those findings

to assess its strategic position, define its future direction, and review and revise, as necessary, its

mission, core themes, core theme objectives, goals or intended outcomes of its programs and

services, and indicators of achievement.

The college consistently scans the internal and external environments to identify current and

emerging patterns, trends, and expectations through a variety of mechanisms. The college monitors the

external workforce needs by completing an annual report of the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities

of the college’s instructional programs, as well as threats to it. The Instructional Planning Team (IPT)

, a

team of representative faculty members, deans, and other college representatives, analyzes the report

findings annually to make improvements to existing programs and identify emerging workforce needs.

The core theme councils, consisting of representatives throughout the college, critically analyze the

internal and external environments related to the core theme and core theme objectives regularly. The

core theme councils have an evidence lead position for each council. The evidence lead works with

Planning and Effectiveness to know where to find both internal and external information. For existing

data, the core theme councils, in addition to the college community, use

Data Navigator, an application

the college developed to find data related to student success, college-wide surveys, and external data.

Moreover, the Office of Planning and Effectiveness serves on the guided pathways leadership teams and

executive cabinet, and it supports the committees and councils throughout the college. Worthy of noting,

the Economic Vitality Council requested that a strategic enrollment management plan be created based on

environmental scan. This scan has informed much of the work related to guided pathways during

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2017-2018 in redesigning the entry process and the initial phases of strengthening the Columbia Tech

Center campus.

Every Executive Cabinet (EC) meeting begins by analyzing the enrollment for the current and

upcoming quarter. The weekly analysis spurs discussions of internal environment, community needs, and

the categories of students who may enrolling at different rates. This weekly review has resulted in

revisions to programs and services within the context of the Strategic Plan and guided pathways essential

practices. The content of the monthly meetings among EC, council chairs, and the guided pathways

liaison always includes the findings of the various internal and external scans to inform their discussions,

especially regarding enrollment.

Overall, the college uses its system of shared governance to assess the college’s strategic position and

define its future direction. These discussions take place at executive cabinet, within the core theme

councils, college committees, and quarterly President’s Dialogues—to which all college community

members are invited and where they can discuss the college’s current and future priorities with the

College President. With student learning and student success at its heart, Clark College is dedicated to

Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Economic Vitality, and Environmental Integrity. The college uses

internal and external data and environmental scans as well as its governance system to make the necessary

improvements to adapt to the changes in students and workforce needs that lead to mission fulfillment.

Conclusion

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Conclusion

Clark College’s mission statement concisely articulates its complex purpose: Clark College, in

service to the community, guides individuals to achieve their educational and professional goals. The

core thematic areas, used by the college as a road map to mission fulfillment, direct the college to provide

excellent, relevant, and rigorous learning opportunities (Academic Excellence); eliminate disparities

caused by inequity (Social Equity); improve the economic strength of the region (Economic Vitality); and

sustain an environment conducive to learning (Environmental Integrity). The college’s four core themes

are the components within the mission that strategically focus and unite the college’s activities toward a

common purpose. Each core theme is further articulated by a set of objectives. Each of the 17 objectives

is measured by one or more indicator(s) of achievement. Clark College measures mission fulfillment by

meeting all of the six mission fulfillment outcomes. When the college effectively accomplishes all of the

core theme objectives as measured by the indicators of achievement, the six mission fulfillment outcomes

will be achieved.

The college has developed, articulated, and implemented the mission, core themes, and expectations

through a deliberative process of engaging all constituents of the college community. College-wide task

forces developed the vision, mission, core themes, indicators of achievement, and mission fulfillment

outcomes over a two-year span (January 2013 through February 2015). The work began by asking both

external and internal constituencies to identify and reaffirm the role of the college, identify the strengths

and areas in need of improvement/focus, and determine the goals the college should work toward over the

period of the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. These findings, supplemented with other sources of information,

were used to develop the Strategic Plan and college-wide continuous improvement process. Because the

principles of shared governance have been respected at every step in developing the vision, mission, core

themes, objectives, and evaluative methods that comprise the Strategic Plan, the entire college community

has a stake in its successful implementation. The college built the Strategic Plan, and, now, the plan

effectively shapes the work of the college.

Similar to community colleges throughout the nation, Clark College is undergoing transformational

change to improve student learning, increase student success, and better serve its community. The college

uses the mission fulfillment outcomes, core theme objectives, and the related indicators of achievement

for this change. The national guided pathways framework provides the essential practices and conditions

for programs and services that yields the same outcomes as Clark’s six mission fulfillment outcomes.

Therefore, Clark adopted the national framework of guided pathways as the primary blueprint for mission

fulfillment; with the mission as the foundation, guided pathways becomes the scaffold for planning,

assessing, and improving programs and services. While the college has completed only the first two years

of the five-to-six year plan, it has made some progress and taken some important first steps in this journey

of iterative and continuous improvement.

In conclusion, the college has—and will continue to—become more effective by aligning all college

functions and activities to the mission, core themes, objectives, and adopting one framework for mission

fulfillment: guided pathways. The benefits are considerable:

Common purpose: The work across all departments and functions supports, both indirectly and

directly, implementation of the core theme objectives within the guided pathways framework to produce

student learning and success. This common purpose and related measureable indicators of achievement

explicitly tie all of the work done at the college to the Strategic Plan. Additionally, all departments and

functions report their accomplishments to the Board of Trustees each month

, related to the mission

fulfillment annual strategies, objectives, and core themes.

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Common definition and measurement of effectiveness: At the college level, the core theme

objectives are measured annually by common indicators of achievement and mission fulfillment

outcomes. The evaluation of progress toward fulfilling the mission and accomplishing core theme

objectives occurs in the core theme councils with opportunities for all college constituencies to provide

feedback. Using the common measurements, the core theme councils and Executive Cabinet determine

the college strategies for the next year, with an emphasis on implementing the essential practices of

guided pathways at scale and improving those outcomes that did not meet the benchmark. Clark allocates

resources of every type— institutional, intellectual, creative, financial, technological, and others—to

ensure the annual mission fulfillment strategies have the necessary fuel to be successful.

Continuous Improvement within the Guided Pathways Framework: Clark College sought and

was accepted into the AACC Pathways 2.0 Project, a cohort of colleges that will transform the way in

which they serve students and their communities, by taking a more active role in supporting student

learning and success. At the centerpiece of this transformation project is the determination to change the

role of community colleges from institutions that merely provide educational opportunities to institutions

that guide individuals to achieve their educational goals. Utilizing the CCRC Scale of Adoption

Assessment, Clark has critically assessed its adoption of the 22 essential practices of guided pathways.

From these 22 practices, the business plan was built. Through the development of the guided pathways

business plan, Clark effectively integrated the mission, core theme objectives, Scale of Adoption

Assessment essential practices, and three college-wide operational plans into a coherent framework for

mission fulfillment. This guided pathways business plan

includes a clear vision for the future of how

Clark will offer programs and services, with measurable outcomes for progress towards the future-state.

Embedded within this framework is continuous improvement of the college’s programs and services.

Clark College will achieve its six mission fulfillment outcomes when the college’s programs and services

implement the core theme objectives and guided pathways essential practices at-scale, with intentional

continuous improvement.

Commitment to serve students: Clark College is, and always will be, dedicated to student learning

and student success. The components of the Strategic Plan and continuous improvement process all align

to engage the college in pursuits specific to the enhancement of the learner-centered experiences and

outcomes within the framework of guided pathways.

Clark College proudly submits the 2018 Year Seven Self-Evaluation Report. The report demonstrates

the college’s progress toward mission fulfillment, alignment of resources and capacity with the Strategic

Plan, and overall institutional effectiveness. By engaging in the continuous improvement processes

throughout all levels of the institution, Clark College has positioned itself to make the improvements

necessary to fulfill the mission and maintain full compliance with all accreditation standards.

225

Works Cited

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castañeda, C., Hackman, H.W., Peters, M. P., Zúñiga, X. (2013).

Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

American Association of Community Colleges. (2014). Empowering Community Colleges To Build the

Nation’s Future: An Implementation Guide. Washington, D.C.: American Association of

Community Colleges.

Brunell, D. (2014, April 1). Washington View: As Grads Seek Work, Trade Jobs Go Unfilled. The

Columbian.

Hiemstra, R. &. Sisco, B. (1990). Individualizing Instruction: Making Learning Personal, Empowering,

and Successful. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Jenkins, D. R. (2015). Women of Color Experiences and Intercultural Developmental Strategies

Constructing Community College Leadership: A Case Study. Dissertation in progress. Phoenix,

AZ: University of Phoenix.

Jisc. (2006). Designing Spaces for Effective Learning: A Guide to 21

Century Learning Space Design.

Bristol: Higher Education Funding Council for England.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140703004833/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/docume

nts/publications/learningspaces.pdf.

Robinson-Armstrong, A. (2010). Benefits of a Diverse Faculty: A Review of the Literature. In N. C.

Schools. A Collection of Papers on Self-Study and Institutional Improvement (26 ed., Vol. 3).

“What Is the ‘Pathways Model?” AACC Pathways Project, American Associate of Community Colleges,

www.aacc.nche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/12PathwaysModelDescriptionFinal1616.pdf

227

Acronyms

Acronym Full Name

AA Associate in Arts

AACC American Association of Community Colleges

AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

AA-DTA Associate of Arts-Direct Transfer Agreement

AAS Associate in Applied Science

AASHE Association of the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

AAS-T Associate in Applied Science-Transfer

AAT Associate in Applied Technology

AAUP American Association of University Professors

ACRL Association of College and Research Libraries

ADOPC Application Development Oversight and Planning Committee

AE Core Theme: Academic Excellence

AE1

Academic Excellence Objective 1: Implement and institutionalize practices that increase

academic performance, retention, and completion.

AE2

Academic Excellence Objective 2: Create and sustain an inclusive and dynamic

curriculum and environment that reflect our diverse college community.

AE3

Academic Excellence Objective 3: Integrate active learning strategies within and across

courses, disciplines, and programs with a global perspective.

AE4

Academic Excellence Objective 4: Create and advance accessible, integrated, and

technology-enriched learning environments.

AE5

Academic Excellence Objective 5: Engage faculty, administrators, and staff in professional

development experiences that enhance student learning.

AE6

Academic Excellence Objective 6: Align curriculum with learning outcomes and apply

outcomes assessment evidence to continually advance student learning.

AEW Academic Early Warning system

AFA Associate in Fine Arts

ALEKS Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces assessment and learning system

AP Advanced Placement

APA American Psychological Association

ASCC Associated Students of Clark College

AST-1 Associate of Science Transfer-1

228

Acronym Full Name

AST-2 Associate of Science Transfer-2

ATC Articulation and Transfer Council

BAC Business Affairs Commission

BAS Bachelor of Applied Science

BASAM Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management

BASDH Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene

BITA Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment

C&M Communications & Marketing

CAFR Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

CAP Career and Academic Preparation

CAR Course Action Request form

CASAS Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems

CBA Collective Bargaining Agreement

CBE Competency-Based Education

CCAHE Clark College Association of Higher Education

CCRC Community College Research Center

CCW Clark College at WSU Vancouver

CERT Community Emergency Response Team

CEU Continuing Education Units

CFRE Certified Fund-raising Executive

CIO Chief Information Officer

CIP Classification of Instruction Programs

CODA American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation

CPA Certified Public Accountant

CPC Cultural Pluralism Committee

CPL Credit for Prior Learning

229

Acronym Full Name

CREDC Columbia River Economic Development Council

CRM Customer Relationship Management system

CCSSE Community College Survey of Student Engagement

CTC Clark College at Columbia Tech Center (satellite campus)

CTCLDA Community and Technical Colleges Leadership Development Association

CTE Career and Technical Education

CTEC Computer Technology

DSS Disability Support Services

DTA Direct Transfer Agreement

EAP Employee Assistance Program

EBC Emergency Building Coordinator

EC Executive Cabinet

ECD Clark College Economic & Community Development

EHS Environmental Health and Safety

EI Core Theme: Environmental Integrity

EI1

Environmental Integrity Objective 1: Incorporate environmental sustainability priorities

into all college systems.

EI2

Environmental Integrity Objective 2: Improve the college’s physical and virtual

environment to maximize access and appropriate use of space and technology.

EI3

Environmental Integrity Objective 3: Integrate principles of mutual respect,

collaboration, clear communication, and inclusivity in all interactions.

EMPC Emergency Management and Preparedness Committee

EMSI Economic Modeling Specialists International

EOP Emergency Operations Plan

ERP Enterprise Resource Planning

ESL English as a Second Language

EV Core Theme: Economic Vitality

EV1

Economic Vitality Objective 1: Improve college affordability for students by expanding

access to and information about financial resources, clarifying career and educational

goals, providing pathways to success, improving college readiness, increasing financial

literacy, and managing costs.

230

Acronym Full Name

EV2

Economic Vitality Objective 2: Align program offerings with regional workforce needs to

include technical and work-readiness skills.

EV3

Economic Vitality Objective 3: Align, expand, and enrich the relationships with regional

industry leaders to increase internships, advisory committee participation, financial

support for students’ education and programs, hiring pipelines, grant partnerships,

mentorships, and apprenticeships.

EV4

Economic Vitality Objective 4: Maximize the college’s return on investment by

responsibly allocating available resources.

EV5

Economic Vitality Objective 5: Leverage resources to create and sustain future

innovations.

EWU Eastern Washington University

FERPA

Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act

FLSA Fair Labor Standards Act

FMPC Facilities Master Planning and Space Allocation Committee

FMS Financial Management System

FTES Full-Time Equivalent Students

GASB Governmental Accounting Standards Board

GED General Educational Development

GPA Grade Point Average

GPI Greater Portland Inc.

HR Human Resources

HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

IB International Baccalaureate

I-BEST Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training

IC Instructional Council

ICRC Intercollege Relations Commission

IELTS International English Language Testing System

IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

IPT Instructional Planning Team

IRIS Information & Research Instruction Suite

231

Acronym Full Name

ITS Information Technology Services department

LED Light Emitting Diode lighting

LMS Learning Management System

LOEL Librarians as Open Education Leaders

MDF Major Declaration Form

MLA Modern Language Association

MOA Minimum Operating Allocation

MSDS Material Safety and Data Sheets

NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association

NEA National Education Association

NEST New Employee Success Training

NIMS National Incident Management System

Not SND Not Systemically Non-Dominant

NWAC Northwest Athletic Conference

NWCCU Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

OAC Outcomes Assessment Committee

OER Open Educational Resources

OFM Office of Financial Management

OOI Office of Instruction

OSPI Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

P&E Planning & Effectiveness

PAR Program Approval Request

PASS Penguin Alert for Student Success

PIP Program Improvement Process

PoC People of Color

PPI Power, Privilege and Inequity

232

Acronym Full Name

RCW Revised Code of Washington

RMI Repairs and Minor Improvements

ROTC Reserve Officer Training Corps

S&A Services and Activities fees

SAO State Auditor’s Office

SBCTC Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

SE Core Theme: Social Equity

SE1

Social Equity Objective 1: Create and sustain an accessible and inclusive environment by

utilizing principles of universal design and social justice so that all students can achieve

equitable outcomes.

SE2

Social Equity Objective 2: Demonstrate improved intercultural competency among

employees and students through comprehensive professional development and curricular

transformation.

SE3

Social Equity Objective 3: Institutionalize hiring and retention practices that challenge

systems of power, privilege, and inequity.

SEM Strategic Enrollment Management

SENSE Survey of Entering Student Engagement

SID Student Identification Number

SMS Student Management System

SND Systemically Non-Dominant

SOAA Scale of Adoption Assessment

SOC Standard Occupational Classification

SPOL Strategic Planning Online

STARS Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

STEP-

Eiken

Test in Practical English Proficiency

SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats report

TLC Teaching and Learning Center

UA Unusual Action code

UX User Experience committee

233

Acronym Full Name

VDI Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol

WAC Washington Administrative Code

WEA Washington Education Association

WELA Washington Executive Leadership Academy

WES Workforce Education Services

WPEA Washington Public Employees Association

WPTE Workforce, Professional, and Technical Education Unit

WREB Western Regional Examining Board

WSUV Washington State University Vancouver

APPENDIX A

BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE (BAS)

Dental Hygiene—AD HOC REPORT

Applied Management—AD HOC REPORT

Prepared for the

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

August 22, 2018

Clark College

1933 Fort Vancouver Way

Vancouver, WA 98663

www.clark.edu

Table of Contents

Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... iii

Dental Hygiene ............................................................................................................................................. iii

Curriculum Development ............................................................................................................................ iii

Facilities and Community Partnerships ....................................................................................................... iv

Accreditation ................................................................................................................................................ vi

Progress and Achievements ......................................................................................................................... vi

Challenges .................................................................................................................................................... vi

Assessment .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Applied Management ................................................................................................................................. viii

Curriculum Development .......................................................................................................................... viii

Progress and Challenges ............................................................................................................................ viii

Assessment .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................... ix

iii

Overview

As instructed by NWCCU, this Ad Hoc Report addresses the progress and implementation of the Bachelor

of Applied Science (BAS) degree programs in Dental Hygiene and Applied Management.

In February 2014, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) approved the BAS in

Dental Hygiene. In Fall 2014, senior dental hygiene students had the option of completing their AAS in

Dental Hygiene or taking additional general education courses and completing their BAS in Dental Hygiene

(BASDH). Twenty-three out of twenty-five students completed their BASDH while two students elected to

complete their AAS degrees. Since that initial year, the program has been offered only at the baccalaureate

level. To date, 73 of 75 students have earned their BASDH. The BASDH is a cohort-based program with

highly committed faculty; the success of the program is evident in the high retention rate of dental hygiene

students.

In May 2016, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) approved the BAS in

Applied Management (BASAM) degree. The first cohort started in Winter 2017 with fifteen students. This

first cohort will complete this degree in Fall 2018. The second cohort started in Fall 2017 with 31 students.

The third cohort will begin in Fall 2018 with approximately 35 students.

This document presents the progress report for Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene, followed by

the progress report for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management,

after approval from

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Dental Hygiene (BASDH)

Curriculum Development

Curricula for the dental hygiene program continues to be developed and modified to add hybrid and online

options for students. Technical advisory committee members have been recruited from the healthcare

industry, from business, and from among student graduates; these members provide input for the

development of the program and curricula.

A minimum of 181 credits and a grade point average of 2.0 are required to complete the Dental Hygiene

program. Students typically take 2-3 years to complete preliminary coursework and 2 years to complete

major program requirements, once admitted to the dental hygiene program. The entire program (preliminary

and major program requirements) would take 4-5 years to complete taking 10-15 credits per term.

The BASDH program learning outcomes include the general education outcomes due to the fact that the

BASDH does not require a two-year degree prior to entry into the program. The outcomes for the BASDH

are as follows:

• Demonstrate and clearly explain an effective strategy to solve a quantitative problem.

• Articulate well-considered ideas and written claims to an academic audience, using effective

rhetorical techniques, properly credited evidence, and a command of Standard English.

• Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors.

• Interpret the human experience, within appropriate global and historical contexts, through

evaluation, analysis, creation, or performance.

• Evaluate, analyze, and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and methods

in the Social Sciences.

• Apply a method of scientific inquiry, valid to the natural sciences, to evaluate claims about the

natural world.

• Obtain, evaluate, and ethically use information.

• Analyze and interpret quantitative information presented verbally, graphically, numerically, and/or

symbolically.

• Analyze patterns of power, privilege, and inequity in the United States.

• Integrate the roles of clinician, educator, advocate, manager, and researcher to prevent oral

diseases and promote health.

• Communicate effectively and professionally, using verbal, non-verbal, and written language with

patients, colleagues, the public, diverse populations, and other healthcare providers.

• Analyze professional behaviors and make appropriate decisions guided by ADHA ethical

principles and core values.

• Assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate the provision of optimal, evidence-based, and

patient-centered dental hygiene care.

• Successfully complete all licensing exams.

• Demonstrate the skills necessary to stay current in the profession with a rigorous and robust

emphasis on the study of current research.

• Apply communication theory to demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

The BASDH program has an excellent process for assessment and revision of courses. The course list,

including prerequisites are outlined in the college’s request for substantive change dated April 28, 2014.

This process follows the college’s process as outlined in the college’s response to standards 4.A.3 and 4.B.2.

The results are documented in the Canvas shell as well as the 2017 report

outlining compliance with the

American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards.

The Dental Hygiene track was approved in 2014 by the CODA. Upon graduation, students will qualify to

take all national and regional examinations required to be licensed as Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH)

in Washington State. Graduates are eligible to take the Dental Hygiene National Board and all Western

Regional Examining Board (WREB) components, and to apply for a license as registered dental hygienists.

In addition to treating patients directly, dental hygienists may also work as educators, researchers, or

administrators. Clinical dental hygienists may work in a variety of healthcare settings, such as private dental

offices, schools, public health clinics, hospitals, managed care organizations, correctional institutions, and

nursing homes, or corporate enterprises. In addition to the clinical role, dental hygienists may also work in

an administrative capacity in any of the above locations or in related businesses. As the healthcare system

grows to serve the needs of the population, skilled dental hygienists will be needed in these diverse

employment settings. The Clark College Dental Hygiene BAS program offers the education and training for

these skills to be attained.

Accreditation

The Clark College Dental Hygiene Program (CCDHP) is evaluated every 7 years by CODA. CODA, the

external accreditation body for the CCDHP, is a part of the American Dental Association (ADA). The

CCDHP was established in 1968 and has remained an accredited dental hygiene program since its inception.

The last two accreditation visits took place in 2010 and 2017. Clark College has responded to all

suggestions made by the commission, including the institution of a state-of-the art simulation lab.

Furthermore, CODA has approved the proposed change to a BAS program following approval of a remodel

that included more than three million dollars in donations from the community and investment by the

college.

After the CODA site visit in Summer 2017, the Dental Hygiene program received full accreditation for the

bachelor’s degree program. The college responded to one recommendation by changing the total number of

patient contact hours in a student’s junior year for winter, spring, and summer quarters. The program

increased two of the clinical courses by one credit hour and eliminated a credit hour from the senior year to

balance out the total number of credits in the program and reduce the financial impact on dental hygiene

students. The other recommendation was to revise the rubric for the quality assurance patient care plan to

assess the student’s ability to make use of the program’s new electronic health records system. At its

February 1, 2018 meeting, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) granted the Clark College

Dental Hygiene program the accreditation status of “approval without further reporting requirements

.”

Facilities

During the time of the development and approval of the BASDH program, the dental hygiene facilities were

remodeled -- made possible by generous donations and college funds. The Dental Hygiene program faculty

members worked closely with the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to ensure compliance with

accreditation standards with facilities, equipment, and curricula. The partnership provided the framework

for academic excellence and led to CODA approving all changes with no further reporting requirements.

Substantial donations through the Clark College Foundation and college one-time funds provided the

necessary resources for the remodel, providing over three million dollars to add a state-of-the-art simulation

lab, radiology lab, and dental hygiene clinic. The simulation lab consists of 15 fully functioning simulation

units that faculty and students use for instrumentation and restorative labs and practice times. The upgrade

to the radiology lab included new tube-heads that can be used for film or digital-based technology and a

digital panoramic machine. The upgrade also included new chairs, digital sensors, and computers for each

operatory. The remodel of the dental hygiene clinic allowed Clark to double the square footage, increase the

operatory chairs from 24 to 30, and install casework and privacy walls between each treatment area. Each

operatory station includes a new patient dental chair, ergonomic operator stools, upgraded handpieces,

suction, nitrous oxide unit, and computer technology to operate a paperless management system. The

paperless management system, called axiUm, allows the program to manage all aspects of clinical, financial,

and student operations. Additionally, axiUm is able to track assessments of all natures needed for student

learning. The axiUm assessment tools also enable the program to track and report data required by the

CODA.

Community Partnerships

The Clark College Dental Hygiene program has established strong community partnerships with the dental

society and other community members in order to provide the best services to the surrounding counties. A

recent generous donation allowed the program to integrate the state-of-the-art dental technology that

students must master to achieve the BASDH program learning outcomes. Baccalaureate degree dental

hygienists from Clark College are able to reach out to underserved populations in nearby counties whose

needs for dental hygiene care are largely unmet. Community partners enhance the learning of our students

and provide our students with many deep-learning opportunities that enable them to meet the dental hygiene

program outcomes.

The Dental Hygiene program benefits from partnerships with the following organizations:

Lifeline Connections is a mental health and substance use treatment facility. Students offer education

on oral health for those undergoing alcohol and drug treatment in the Dental Public Health course in

their second year in the Dental Hygiene program. Students develop and implement a project that is

geared toward the children, which is then assessed as evidence of the student’s overall understanding of

the information being provided.

Veteran’s Resource Center (VRC) is located on Clark’s campus and serves as a resource for veterans

who are attending Clark College. Treatment in the Clark College Dental Hygiene Clinic is offered at no

cost to Clark veterans who request it through the VRC. Students perform all treatment and are overseen

by the dental hygiene faculty and a supervising dentist.

Head Start of Vancouver, WA provides full-day and part-day preschool education and family support

for children and families who are income-eligible. Students offer education to children and families in

the program to assist in improving oral health. Students develop and implement a project that is geared

toward the children and the project is then assessed for overall understanding of the information being

provided.

Vancouver School District: Hudson’s Bay High School Teen Parent Program is a program offered

by the Vancouver School District that helps teen parents succeed and complete high school. The dental

hygiene students plan and implement a project geared toward the teen parents to assist in overall oral

health of the teen and their child(ren).

Early Childhood Education is an educational program on Clark’s campus that offers students the

opportunity to work with young children and their caregivers. The dental hygiene students plan and

implement a project geared toward assisting young children improve their overall oral health.

Compassion Connect is an organization that provides healthcare services at no cost. These clinics are

provided a couple of times a year; the dental hygiene students participate one time a year in the summer

on a voluntary basis. Students provide dental hygiene services during this clinic under the supervision of

dental hygiene faculty and a supervising dentist.

Longview Community Partners is a non-profit organization that provides dental treatment at no cost

to residents in Cowlitz County. The dental hygiene students participate twice a year in providing dental

hygiene services to the residents in Cowlitz County who have previously participated in the dental clinic

provided by the University of Washington dental students. All services are provided under the guidance

of dental hygiene faculty and a supervising dentist.

Progress and Achievements

Clark College is in the third year of hosting the Western Regional Dental Hygiene Exams. The Western

Regional Examining Board (WREB) rents the Dental Hygiene Clinic and classrooms to administer three

exams per school year. The exams administered by WREB are three of the six exams students must pass to

obtain their hygiene license. Hosting the exams allows our students to take their exams in a familiar area,

which reduces students’ stress. WREB coordinators and testers continually praise Clark’s space and express

their pleasure in working with Clark College.

Clark College has been able to work with a-Dec, the dental furniture manufacturer the college has

contracted with, to test new equipment and give them feedback on how it integrates into the process of

dental care. The Clark College Dental Hygiene program has hosted many visitors from other schools

looking to remodel. Clark’s proximity to a-Dec allows their customers to see the clinic design in use at our

site.

At present, the program has a retention rate of 100%. (The program’s administrator had to dismiss one

student in Spring 2014 who would have been in the graduating class of 2015.) Clark’s successful retention

and graduation rate can be attributed in part to the highly committed faculty.

Faculty and staff are involved in recruitment efforts at high schools as well as middle and elementary

schools. Through Healthcare Delivery and Exploration and other courses, students interested in healthcare

are able to explore their interests and are provided with a tour of all of the healthcare programs. When in the

dental hygiene program, students also participate in community outreach to promote oral health as well as

the profession itself.

Challenges

Dental Hygiene faculty and advisors are engaged in continuing education to enhance the overall intercultural

communication among program faculty and staff, the students, and our community. In part, better

understanding led to the realization that more work was needed to do more to make the program application

process equitable and accessible for all students. Program advisors have found over the years that many

applicants, when earning points based on their cumulative GPA, have improved their courses after maturing,

learning English, and/or recovering from a debilitating life situation. As a consequence, some changes have

been made to the point system used to select students.

The cumulative GPA takes into consideration the entire college experience of students, which has had a

detrimental effect on some of our ESL and nontraditional students. To remedy this situation, the dental

hygiene program began to look only at the GPA calculations derived from the prerequisite courses to get

vii

into the program, and not every course a student has ever taken. The new way of tallying point evaluates a

student’s qualifications only after the individual has undertaken the most relevant coursework and begun to

prepare in earnest for the dental hygiene program. They have a greater chance at being selected into the

Clark College BAS in Dental Hygiene program. In addition to changes in the application process, faculty,

students, and other representatives of dental hygienists from the community are continuing to increase

community outreach regarding the dental hygiene career option.

Additionally, the director is working with the advisors, the advisory committee, middle schools, and high

schools to serve a more diverse population of students. As part of the application process, students will be

asked to answer the following essay questions: What is your knowledge and experience with serving a

diverse community? What does serving a diverse community mean to you? Points in the application

process will be calculated based on a rubric score for content.

viii

Applied Management (BASAM)

Curriculum Development

Curricula for Applied Management continue to be developed and modified to add hybrid and online options

for students. Technical advisory committee members include business-related professionals as well as

students in order to provide input for the development of both programs and curricula.

There are 18 Applied Management courses for this degree that encompass eight BAS in Applied

Management Program Outcomes. The college undertakes primary and secondary research with profit and

non-profit organizations, makes use of pedagogical resources to guide the program construction process. As

a result of that work, courses were developed to provide the theory and practical applications deemed

necessary for a rigorous and quality program and professional job placements.

Curricula has been developed and is continuously improved based on the program learning outcomes:

• Describe the complexities that affect successful trading in domestic and global markets, utilizing

information, data, and technologies to support effective decision making.

• Recognize and apply effective communication strategies, appropriate to organizational settings.

• Analyze and apply managerial functions, roles, styles, and effective strategies for stability and

change, to be used in various managerial and leadership situations.

• Analyze legal issues for risk management and responsible oversight.

• Interpret financial models for business decision-making to support organizational goals.

• Evaluate and develop organizational structures and operating procedures to foster continuous

improvement, innovation, and quality results.

• Balance theoretical and practical strategies and policies for a productive, quality, and motivated

workforce, including managing diversity, ethics, and social responsibility.

• Develop and apply a marketing strategy, based on an integrated marketing plan, to produce and

distribute products at optimum operational levels.

The program has an excellent process for assessment and revision of courses. The course list, including

prerequisites, is outlined in the college’s request for substantive change dated May 9, 2016

. This process

follows the college’s process as outlined in the college’s response to standards 4.A.3 and 4.B.2. The results

are documented in the

Canvas shell. Since the program has yet to have a graduating class, program faculty

will have to wait until the first cohort completes the program to have summative assessment of program

outcomes data.

Progress and Challenges

Currently, there are two cohorts enrolled in the BASAM program. The first cohort is expected to graduate at

the end of Fall 2018. The second cohort began in Fall 2017 and the third cohort will begin in Fall 2018.

Based on student feedback, the program reorganized its course offerings. Students continue to enroll in 15

credits each quarter; however, one five-credit course is offered online; one five-credit course is offered

hybrid, meeting face-to-face one night per week for the first five weeks; and the final five-credit course is

offered hybrid, meeting face-to-face one night per week for the last five weeks of the quarter. Furthermore,

faculty collaborate around deadlines and workload in order to provide students more consistency in the

pathway to completion. The original plan for course offerings was for students to attend four nights per

week and take all 15 credits at the same time, as outlined in the proposal for substantive change to NWCCU

for the BASAM.

The program is experiencing challenges in students’ readiness to take some of the 300- and 400-level

courses among students who completed an Associate of Applied Science and the Associate of Applied

Technology. Currently, students are required to have 60 general education credits to complete the bachelor's

degree. Students are required to have 30 credits prior to starting in the program; they complete 25 upper-

division credits while in program and 5 additional credits before, during, or after the program. The program

had difficulty filling the cohort, and students were having difficulty receiving financial aid for prerequisites,

so the program made exceptions and allowed students to start in the program so long as they were within 10

credits of completing the published admission criteria. Students need to complete those 10 credits before,

during, or after the program.

To improve the student experience, BASAM program faculty leads will be taking a proposal in Fall 2018 to

the Instructional Planning Team (IPT) to seek approval for changes to the program that address the

challenge of students’ preparation/readiness for the BASAM 300- and 400-level courses, particularly for

those students who enter the BASAM program with an AAS or an AAT. The program is proposing to

require 15 credits prior to starting in the program, 25 upper-division credits to be completed while in

program, and the remaining 20 general education credits to be done before, during, or after the program.

BASAM does not run during the summer time, so summer quarter provides students with the flexibility to

take prerequisites and other general education courses required.

Despite the fact that one of the most significant unmet workforce need in the region is managers, the

BASAM program encountered some significant enrollment issues:

• Many interested potential applicants do not meet the prerequisites for some of the BASAM courses

when they apply, which delays matriculation and compromises the ability to have a continuous

pipeline of students.

• The timelines for applying and receiving financial aid did not align with the program’s admission

and registration processes. Students need to know whether they are eligible for financial aid as they

are registering for the program.

• Although the college has actively promoted the programs using a variety of means, it is difficult to

know for sure which methods are most cost effective at bringing in students. The college is working

to address these issues.

Conclusion

The last four years have been a work-intensive and exciting period as the BAS programs strive to develop

and improve the BAS curricula and meet students’ needs in preparation to respond to workforce demand.

The BASDH program has benefitted from renovated dental hygiene facilities that allow students to treat

patients using the latest technology available to private practice and has complied with the specialized

CODA accreditation requirements. Strong administrative and foundation support and the commitment from

both the college leadership have contributed much to the progress and achievements of the new BAS

programs. Enrollment in the BASAM degree is anticipated to grow significantly as the challenges are

addressed. The college is committed to offering and continuously improving these academically excellent

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank 2018 Year Seven Self Evaluation Report (Clark College) Form

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Fillable 2018 Year Seven Self Evaluation Report (Clark College)

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank 2018 Year Seven Self Evaluation Report (Clark College) Form

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