"You Can't Quit Now, Penni!"
Clark College faculty gives the right message to a nontraditional student.
A single mother working in a restaurant in her mid-40s, Penni Richards was determined to get a college degree. "I knew I wanted to do something more with my life." After receiving her associate degree from Clark College in 1986, she went on to earn a master's degree in social work from Eastern Washington University - graduating summa cum laude.
After witnessing the havoc that drugs and alcohol can cause, Richards knew she wanted to make a positive difference with these issues. Her dream was to work with children involved in substance abuse. "I thought if I could reach kids at a younger age, maybe I could prevent them from entering that self destructive path."
To realize her goal, Richards knew she would need to go to college. After carefully considering local educational options, she chose Clark College. "The instructors were top notch and very dedicated," she said.
She started at the bottom - "just like in first grade" - as she hadn't been in school since her teens. She particularly credits Professor Shirley Sackman for her success in college. "I needed to learn to write, and I heard she was tough and demanding. I wanted to learn from the best, so I signed up for her class. I got a D+ on my first paper!" laughs Penni. Years later, she set up a scholarship in Sackman's honor and asked her to set the selection criteria.
Richards has also established a charitable lead trust designating Clark College Foundation as the income recipient. The money goes toward scholarships. "I sincerely believe that education is one of the most important things a person can have in life. It keeps kids off the street or from being stuck in a low-paying job."
Financial aid, scholarships, and family kept her going. In addition to a very supportive stepfather, Richards credits Clark College faculty with providing the critical tipping point between giving up and succeeding. "I'll always remember that, during a rough spot, my communications professor exclaimed, 'You can't quit now, Penni!'" And, she didn't.
Learn more about planned gifts
Planned gifts can help with immediate and future scholarship needs. They allow promising students to sustain momentum and achieve their potential. Traditional high school graduates may not be able to count on family for financial support in the challenging economy. Others have lost their jobs and may have no income. These nontraditional students must return to school and seek new careers to provide for their families' futures. There are many ways to make a planned gift. If you would like to hear about some of the options available, please contact Daniel Lee, Clark College Foundation director of major and planned gifts, at 360-992-2542 or send e-mail to dlee@clark.edu.
The Evolution of "Chalk and Talk"
Wired up classrooms change the learning experience through the wide world of technology.
Since 2007, Clark College classrooms have been going "smart." They look much the same as they have for decades - functional and durable. However, in a smart classroom, the instructor's lectern hides a cache of computer and audiovisual equipment that makes the content come alive.
Technology-enhanced, student-centered classrooms ensure that information is presented in a variety of formats to actively engage students in the learning process. Classrooms become collaborative and flexible environments where professors mentor students to success. "Students are energized and excited," notes Gail Liberman, Clark College's faculty development coordinator through the teaching and learning center. "They retain more and learn at a deeper level."
Gone are the days when media technicians trundled carts of equipment across campus in all kinds of weather. Over 70 classrooms at Clark College contain a multimedia lecturn outfitted with a technology that includes a computer, DVD/VCR and audio/video components, wireless key board/mouse, document camera/projector, and stylus pen and software to annotate documents and Web pages. Additionally, nearly all campus public spaces, classrooms, offices, and meeting rooms have wireless transmission capabilities.
The equipment is standardized across campus. "Quick access to resources in the classroom is a significant advantage for teaching and learning," says Dr. Ray Korpi, dean of basic education, English, communications, and humanities. "During a recent American Literature class, I displayed a map from the Internet to show the location we were reading about. The students got a geography lesson along with a greater visual understanding of what the writer is discussing."
The multimedia lectern is essential for professors, and it also provides important tools for students. After their research is complete and analyzed, students can present it in a variety of ways, thus sharpening their reporting skills and multimedia knowledge. Technology in the classroom equips Clark College students for their next step with excellent knowledge, communication abilities, and job-ready skills.
On top of technology
Would you like to help Clark College students and faculty stay on the cutting edge with equipment and software? For some unique ideas, contact Ara Serjoie, Clark College Foundation vice president for development, at 360-992-2428 or send e-mail to aserjoie@clark.edu.
eLearning Curriculum to Provide a "Shot in the Arm"
Consolidated courses will transition seamlessly to healthcare career pathways.
An aging population, retirement of existing healthcare professionals, and a shortage of training opportunities for their replacements are top concerns for Southwest Washington. The need for healthcare providers is anticipated to grow statewide to 6,000 openings in the next ten years, according to the Healthcare Skills Panel of the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council. In Clark County, the issue is intensified by lack of a seamless pathway for students to pursue a career in healthcare.
At Clark College, plans are underway to provide more opportunities in healthcare education. Current classroom courses common to many health occupations are being rewritten for both classroom and online delivery into a collective schedule called the healthcare core curriculum.
The courses focus on subjects such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic health informatics, communication skills, and ethics/confidentiality training. "The healthcare core curriculum provides students with all the basic components they will need to pursue any of the allied health professions," says Blake Bowers, dean of health sciences at Clark College. "It gives them the maximum flexibility to pursue the pharmacy tech field instead of phlebotomy, for instance."
Creating an online healthcare curriculum means that an unemployed office worker living in Stevenson, Wash. can earn basic requirements for advancement into specific healthcare programs without leaving home. A home-bound individual with family obligations in Amboy, Wash. may only travel to campus for laboratory sessions. Employed workers can keep their job while taking The Next Step to a new career. Or, a motivated Tech Prep student at a high school can take classes and earn college credits ensuring a streamlined transition from high school to college.
A component of the online healthcare core curriculum will include a recertification course for pharmacy technicians in Washington and Oregon. It will be a convenient way for technicians to meet recent legislative licensing requirements. The pharmacy technician program is highly regarded by the healthcare industry. "We've had a long-standing relationship with the Clark College pharmacy technician training program because of the high caliber of students and the breadth of the education they receive," says Steve Logan, R.Ph., regional pharmacy operations director of the Kaiser Permanente Northwest region.
In the past three years, demand for eLearning at Clark College has turned the department into the fastest-growing model of online delivery of all community/technical colleges in Washington state. "Multimedia content that meets diverse learning styles may be more easily delivered in an online environment," says Ann Virtu Snyder, Clark College interim dean of eLearning. "It can be more interactive than a face-to-face lecture and students have the opportunity to network with more classmates."
There are significant financial requirements for launching the new healthcare core curriculum, which is scheduled for implementation by fall 2010. A grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust is helping to purchase the equipment and software. Columbia Credit Union will support the pharmacy technology programming component. Additional grants will address remaining aspects of the project.
"The shortage of healthcare professionals is imminent in Southwest Washington," says Robert K. Knight, Clark College president. "It sends a powerful message to the community when donors step up to support a critical project like this."
As always, the college and its foundation fundraising partner will work together to address regional needs with the addition of a remarkably flexible and accessible online healthcare core curriculum.
A boost for healthcare
Increasing the number of healthcare professionals serving our communities will require the expansion of programs, equipment acquisition, and additional faculty to teach students. The needs are critical. If you are interested in helping Clark College meet healthcare needs in Southwest Washington, contact Ara Serjoie, Clark College Foundation vice president for development at 360-992-2428 or send e-mail to aserjoie@clark.edu.
