During his State of the College address, Clark College President Robert Knight spent a lot of time looking north.
When opening his speech Friday in a packed Gaiser Student Center, Knight discussed a book, “True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership,” by Bill George, in which George refers to “True North” as “the noble purpose of the organization.”
“As someone who served in the military, I know the value of good directions,” said Knight, who retired as a lieutenant colonel after 21 years in the Army.
“A key to giving and getting good directions is establishing where you are, and where you are going. To do that, you have to establish your ‘True North.’ ”
Presidential Coins
At the end of his State of the College address, Clark College President Robert Knight gave out four presidential coins, including two to community members who are big supporters of the school. Knight said he typically gives medals to overlooked college staffers but decided to open it up to community members this year. The honorees were:
• Stacy Watne, custodian at Clark.
• Irene Cheny, program support supervisor in Disability Support Services.
• George Welsh, a 1967 Clark College graduate and president of the Alumni Association board.
• Larry Easter, a professor at the college for 40-plus years who is now retired.
Knight said the community college’s “True North” is to serve the community and guide students to help achieve their goals.
The bulk of Knight’s speech — titled “Following True North” — was spent focusing on a more literal north: the upcoming Clark College at Boschma Farms campus in Ridgefield, which will serve the northern parts of the county, Knight said. He pleaded with the audience to help the college build the new campus.
“Currently, the governor’s budget does not include Clark College’s project on the capital list,” he said. “We need the governor and Legislature to dig a little deeper and fund the entire State Board of Community College capital request list so that we can get the design money we need.”
If design starts during the upcoming biennium, Knight said, his team can break ground in summer 2019 and possibly open the facility in 2021. If the project isn’t funded in this year’s state budget, it would push things back. Knight said supporters have until the budget is finalized to try to get funding. The state’s regular legislative session is scheduled to end on or by April 23 but is widely expected to go longer.
“The first building on this site will help us meet immediate needs in the community, provide space for advanced manufacturing, which is sorely needed, and leverage $8.3 million of investments made by the Clark College Foundation,” Knight said. “The moment we break ground, we have partners ready to announce new ventures in the area, some of those in partnership with the college.”
Knight also updated the audience about a few recent additions to the college. The new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Building opened this school year, and so far he has watched students build robotic penguins (Clark’s mascot) and use high-tech equipment to measure chemical reactions.
At the start of the term two weeks ago, the first group of students started taking classes in the college’s new degree program: Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management. It’s the second bachelor’s degree program offered at Clark. The first Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degrees were awarded in 2016.
“This program is going to particularly help our professional technical students move into management positions with area businesses or create new businesses that will thrive in our community,” Knight said.
He also looked ahead a bit, noting that next door to Gaiser, construction is underway on the McClaskey Culinary Institute, which he said will be the only publicly funded culinary arts facility within a 150-mile radius. The program is expected to open in the fall.
Knight said he was told not to get into politics or the inauguration on Friday, but he closed his address with another note looking forward.
“Whatever goes on nationally won’t affect what happens at Clark College,” Knight said. “Clark College will remain an open, safe, inclusive environment.”
