CPTC to Host Emergency Exercise May 17

In an effort to strengthen emergency planning and response, Clover Park Technical College will be hosting a full-scale emergency exercise on May 17 in conjunction with the Lakewood Police Department, West Pierce Fire & Rescue, and City of Lakewood.

The Lakewood Campus of CPTC will be closed to external visitors for the day to ensure the safety of all staff, volunteers, and first responders involved. Community members are asked to postpone visits to the campus, if possible. No student services will be available and the Learning Resource Center will be closed.

During the exercise Lakewood police officers and fire personnel will be actively responding to exercise scenarios to provide realistic training and coordination.

“This exercise will allow us to practice a series of scenarios with our Lakewood counterparts that will better prepare us in the event of an emergency,” said Dr. John Walstrum, CPTC president. “The safety and security of our students remains a top priority for this campus, and we are very appreciative of our community counterparts for participating in this significant drill.”

Extra precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of all participants in the exercise, while ensuring the training is realistic.

“We always want to be prepared for anything and this type of training ensures that we can respond quickly and efficiently to this type of scenario.  We appreciate the opportunity to work with the staff at CPTC, our City partners and the fire service.” said Lakewood PD.

The day will feature a series of scenarios requiring varying levels of actions from first responders in Lakewood. The results of this event will include increased coordination throughout Lakewood’s emergency management system, future training materials to share, and promising practices for real-world response.

“Last year the Pierce County Fire Chiefs implemented an Active Shooter Protocol, so fire and police could work in a coordinated effort to remove patients quickly from the environment and get them the medical attention they need quickly. This is our chance to practice that coordinated effort,” said EMS Battalion Chief Bill Barber of West Pierce Fire & Rescue.

For questions regarding activities scheduled at Clover Park Technical College on May 17, please call 253-589-5819.

Reminder: RSVP's Are Due Soon for the Deaf Awareness Dinner

Please join the Campus Activities Board for a dinner event featuring Dr. Jaime Wilson. The event will focus on awareness of the Deaf culture.

RSVP's are being collected in Bldg. 23, Room 108 on the Lakewood Campus. South Hill students should email asg.sap3@asg.edu.

CPTC Career Fair, Open House Demonstrates Careers, Futures

"I'm pretty good at this. I should be a pharmaceutical technician," said Tessa Childers.

More than 2,500 high school students and community members gathered to learn more about the many career training programs at Clover Park Technical College’s Open House and Career Conference May 9.

“Having this annual event provides an opportunity to open up to the community at large,” said Mabel Edmonds, CPTC dean of workforce development. “It’s all about telling our story.”

Staff and faculty members, in conjunction with industry professionals gave demonstrations and provided students with information about their industry. Other colleges such as the University of Washington Tacoma also participated in the career fair to reach out to students in a transfer fair.

Pamely Nunez, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School, said she was happy to be at CPTC’s career fair even though she was a freshman.

“I thought if I start now I could get good ideas of what I want to be in three years,” Nunez said.

Nunez also said she enjoyed the atmosphere of CPTC’s career fair. “It’s really loud, but it’s friendly,” she said.

Darionte Harrison, a student at Career Academy at Truman High School, said he was most excited to learn about aviation.

“They’ve got a lot of career options,” Harrison said.

“You do have the chance to see the array-or variety- of what we offer,” Edmonds said.

A co-mingled recycled table set up by Ric Thompson, community outreach manager at LeMay Pierce County Refuse, showed students the importance of attention to detail when working in a Waste Connections Company.

Meeting new people and having the opportunity to explain the industry motivated Thompson to participate in the fair.

“I’m excited about the recycling portion of it,” Thompson said about his industry.

Tracey Turcotte, program director at Washington Business Week, focused on showing students the benefits of summer business programs like earning college credit and other recognition.

“This program looks really good on scholarship applications,” Turcotte said. “Students can stand out for the right reasons.”

The McGavick Center served as the main hub of the fair, however, various activities and events took place all across campus.

The pharmacy technician program helped students learn how to make toothpaste.

A CPTC student stood outside the building where the histology program is housed and promoted the importance of histology and its significance in the medical care industry.

Governor Inslee spoke at the opening of CPTC’s Zero Energy House and acknowledged the three years of work CPTC students dedicated to building the structure.

The car show sponsored by the automotive programs also attracted many students and community members.

“We’ve brought in many of our cars for repairs and maintenance at CPTC,” said Mike Fowler, a volunteer at the LeMay Family Collection Foundation.

“I think everybody was really pleased,” said Edmonds about the day’s events.

Campus Activities Board Invites You To Attend A Deaf Awareness Dinner

Please join the Campus Activities Board for a dinner event discussing the Deaf culture and awareness. RSVP's are being collected in the McGavick Center, Room 108 and are due by May 17.

For more information contact Nathaniel Ballinger at asg.sap3@asg.edu.

Scholarship Opportunity to Study Abroad in Japan

The Japanese Government is offering scholarships for U.S. citizens to study in Japan for three years, including one year of intensive Japanese language training. 

The scholarship covers a three-year period of vocational studies in the following areas:

• Technology
• Personal Care and Nutrition
• Education and Welfare
• Business
• Fashion and Home Economics
• Culture and General Education

The deadline for application is June 3, 2013 and the term of scholarship is April 2014–March 2017. For more details and to apply, please visit http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Emergency Food Pantry Open for Students

Clover Park Technical College's Emergency Food Pantry is now open for students who are in immediate need of food. The Food Pantry is in Building 10, Room 100, and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays 2-4 p.m.

Students can access the Emergency Food Pantry one time per month. They will also be able to sign up for food stamps during their visit and be provided with local food-bank resources.

If a student has an emergency need and cannot wait until the pantry is open, please contact Kathy Hathaway at kathleen.hathaway@cptc.edu. 

If you would like to make a donation please contact kathleen.hathaway@cptc.edu, who can arrange for a volunteer to pick up items.

Please share this service learning opportunity with students who are interested in volunteering! Contact our AmeriCorps Service Learning Specialists, Lucy Pick at lucy.pick@cptc.edu or Kay Porter at kay.porter@cptc.edu.

Please Join Us for the Final Presentation of CPTC's 2013-2018 Strategic Plan

Campus Community,
Please join us to provide input, hear the presentation, and the final result of our four month Strategic Planning effort,Wednesday May 8, at the South Hill Campus Board of Trustee meeting. Also to be presented by Dr. Joyce Loveday will be recommended changes to the accreditation core themes to more closely align them with the new strategic goals. Below are the vision, mission, values, goals and objectives recommended by the committee. The Goals and Objectives were revised after community feedback.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this process.
Debbie and Claire 

2013-2018 CPTC STRATEGIC PLAN 

VISION
Transforming lives, enriching communities and enhancing futures by creating an environment of innovation, equity, and excellence through education.

MISSION
We are a values-driven institution that delivers quality education, training and support focused on student success in an evolving economy.

VALUES
Equity
Respect
Diversity
Innovation
Excellence
Student Success
Lifelong Learning
Social Responsibility

Values Definitions
Equity:
We recognize that the unique needs, goals and circumstances of the individual have a direct impact on a person’s ability to access and benefit from college activities and opportunities.

Excellence:
We seek opportunities to consistently exceed our best individual and institutional performance.

Respect:
We consider respect to be the inherent dignity we give all people.

Diversity:
We celebrate the many individuals that make up our community and embrace the opportunity to learn from both their differences and similarities.

Innovation:
We pursue the development and application of new ideas that lead to creative solutions.

Student Success:
We support our students to reach or exceed their personal goals or other desirable outcomes.

Lifelong Learning:
We promote ongoing pursuit of knowledge for both personal and professional reasons.

Social Responsibility:
We commit to decisions and actions that are socially aware and make us a strong community partner.

Strategic Goals and Objectives

Promote student success
i. Provide an environment that supports student retention, persistence and completion
ii. Invest in personal and professional growth for all employees
iii. Celebrate staff and student achievement, success and creativity

Champion equity
i. Create an understanding of equitable principles
ii. Identify and implement opportunities for increasing equity
iii. Identify and address achievement gaps

Build an educated community
i. Ensure student learning outcomes are aligned with current professional standards
ii. Respond to labor market needs and close workforce gaps
iii. Expand lifelong learning and professional credentialing opportunities
iv. Strengthen educational transitions between K-12 and higher education

Enhance institutional capacity
i. Create and improve systems to support a culture of inquiry and evidence-based decision making
ii. Review and revise systems and processes for effectiveness
iii. Judiciously manage the acquisition, use and maintenance of goods and materials
iv. Integrate technology across the college

Promote innovation
i. Upgrade the college’s innovation support structures
ii. Create a culture where all ideas can be shared and validated
iii. Develop entrepreneurial attitudes, behaviors and skills that can be applied across the college
iv. Develop collaborative and innovative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

Create and maintain a sustainable college community
i. Cultivate relationships and explore options to find and utilize alternative funding sources
ii. Maintain and update existing infrastructure
iii. Implement sustainable practices
iv. Document our institutional knowledge

Foster community engagement and social responsibility
i. Build and maintain community partnerships
ii. Promote and strengthen internship and service opportunities
iii. Identify and develop opportunities for community education and outreach
iv. Promote a welcoming and safe environment