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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2024)
October 23, 2024 INSIDE L ocaL N ews s ports c Lassified /B ids page 5-6 pages 10 Page 3 Clark College Reports Enrollment Increase Established 1970 USPS 959 680 1727 NE 13th Ave. Suite 201 Portland, OR 97212 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association Publisher: Mark Washington, Sr. Editor: Shawntell Washington Office Mngr/Clasfds : Lucinda Baldwin Admin Coord : Quayuana Washington Creative Director: Kenya Anderson CALL 503-288-0033 • FAX 503-288-0015• news@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.com• subscription@portlandobserver.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 Zoo Readies Treats for Howloween Fall 2024 - Students on Campus Red panda Moshu investigates a jack-o’-lantern full of treats at the Oregon Zoo. The zoo’s Howloween celebration takes place Oct. 19¬–20 and 26–27. Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo. Kids can show off their cos- tumes, fill their treat bags and learn about wildlife in a fun and safe setting over two weekends, during the Oregon Zoo’s annual Howloween celebration, Oct. 19¬–20 and 26–27. Live entertainment will be taking place both weekends. Visitors can also enter a cos- tume contest, pose with spooky animal X-ray photo ops, and try to guess the weight of an ex- tra-large pumpkin. Activities are free with zoo admission, and all candy is made by companies that have commit- ted to using deforestation-free palm oil. As part of Metro, the Oregon Zoo helps make greater Portland a great place to call home. Committed to conservation, the zoo acts globally on behalf of species from pikas to polar bears. Over the past 30 years, it has prevented extinctions, expanded populations, ad- vanced conservation science and formed powerful com- munities to protect wildlife in the Northwest and around the world. Support from the Oregon Zoo Foundation enhances and expands the zoo’s efforts in conservation, education and animal welfare. Members, do- nors and corporate and foun- dation partners help the zoo make a difference across the region and around the world. Almost 6% increase in students compared to fall 2023 Clark College continues to see an increase in enrollment across all categories. At its Oct. 16 board of trustees work session, the col- lege announced a 5.8% increase in total unduplicated headcount com- pared to fall 2023, and a 16.8% increase between fall 2022 and fall 2024. The college released its official enrollment numbers at the end of the 10th day of class of the fall term on Oct. 4. Clark College enrolled a to- tal of 8,651 students during fall 2024 term. This translated to the full time equivalent (FTE) enrollment numbers at 6,164. Additionally, 879 students are enrolled in community and con- tinuing education classes. In fall 2020, early in the pan- demic, enrollment at community colleges nationwide—including Clark—dropped sharply. Since then, enrollment at Clark and other community colleges has experienced an uptick. Clark’s enrollment increased by more than 10% in fall 2023. Enrollment numbers are pro- vided by the Washington State Board for Community and Tech- nical Colleges (SBCTC), which tracks enrollment data for the 34 public colleges in its system. Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards said, “I am so pleased to see our enrollment numbers continue to climb. Our numbers are up in every category: students planning to transfer to a four-year institution, Running Start, international, and those pursuing a bachelor’s degree on our campus. It’s good news all around for Clark College.” She added, “A notable 47.1% of our students are in the first generation of their family to at- tend college and 39.1% of our students are 25 or older. Clark is a great place for people to em- bark on a new career pathway, get a fresh start, and find help along their educational journey.” Despite challenges of rolling out the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the federal level, Clark’s fi- nancial aid office has verified and processed more than $7.32 million in financial aid grants and loans to our students fall term. This does not include $2.4 million from other sources for scholarships, veterans, and workforce education. Dr. William “Terry” Brown, Clark’s Vice President of In- struction, attributes the col- lege’s continued growth tra- jectory to its dedicated faculty and staff who provide students with a high-quality educational experience and who listen and respond to what the communi- ty wants and needs. “When our community asked for a bache- lor’s program to train teachers, we delivered — and our first co- hort graduated in June. Then our community asked for a two-year program to train surgical tech- nicians, and we are developing that program now. We are com- mitted to training tomorrow’s workforce in Clark County for in-demand, living-wage jobs.” Clark College offers more than 100 degree and certificate pro- grams, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplo- mas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and con- tinuing education.
