www.clarkwatch.com

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Here is the post emailed to me from our friend Anonymous.

I started a new semester this week at Clark College in Vancouver WA. I work full time, go to school, and still somehow manage to have a life. I like school, I really do or else I wouldn’t be doing it, but I really dislike Clark.
I’ve been to several schools now, and I think I’mstarting to understand what makes one school bad, and another good.
Here’s what I’ve found at Clark: The teachers are better than those at Portland CC. Sometimes I think I’ve learned more from one class at Clark than a full semester at PCC.
The campus is nice. It’s large enough to have all the things you need in a college, good labs, student center where you can get a latte etc. but not so large that you can’t get around. And hey, free parking!
The problem with Clark is with its administration. The bureaucracy alone is bad enough to make a government worker cringe. I could bore you for hours with tales of getting the run-around, insane paper work, and illogical, inflexible rules.
One example: last year school was canceled the first week due to snow. Because I needed the instructor to add me to the class, I turned in the normal “late registration” form with my instructor’s signature.
However, my paperwork was submitted two weeks past the first day of classes. I also had to fill out a form with a statement as to why I was registering two weeks late (“because you guys canceled the first week of classes!”).
These forms all had to be submitted to the Dean, along with a form for him to sign. Later, the forms then had to be picked up from the Dean’s office and re-submitted to the registration office. The lady that got the paperwork called and told me “You submitted it the wrong office, it’s supposed to go to “X” office.” So, I went back, picked up the paper work, took it to another counter, where the EXACT SAME LADY received the forms. The look in her eyes dared me to protest.
I finally received confirmation of enrollment the day before my final!
Believe me when I say I have never had a semester without some sort of bureaucratic problem.
At first I thought I was really unlucky. Or maybe I was just incompetent, always trying to do the wrong thing at the wrong time.
However, as I started to connect with other students I found that the majority of people I talked to secretly felt the same way I did. Even the instructors sometimes mention what a hard time they have navigating the myriad of rules and regulations that is Clark College.
Why does this matter to me? Sure it’s frustrating dealing with stuff like this, but it’s a part of life right? Of course. However, my point is that Clark’s administrative office, in effect, actively discourages people from pursuing a higher education. Rather than being a source of encouragement and going out of their way to help you achieve your goals and become a better person, the stringent rules and silly legalistic edicts make it harder to get through school. In fact, had I spent my Freshman year there, I think I would have been too discouraged to continue on with my education.

And for those that want to bash me about speaking out: you may say “you’re giving the school a bad name” or “you need to take these issues up with the administrators”. The fact is, the current administration either doesn’t

A) think that there is anything wrong with their policies or
B) have any motivation to change.

I could stand at a counter and rail on the administrator, or beg and plead for a 15 minute meeting with the Dean, but we all know how far that would get me.
Rather, change has to come from outside pressure, and how will that happen without our speaking out?
I challenge you to find a place in history where sitting back and accepting the status quo affected a positive change.
Thank God for the ability to have open Frank discussions. Without it we’d probably still be in the crusades.
Finally, perhaps the biggest question is this: Why is it OK to talk about a school like this, but never a church? If you were to read this again and substitute CBC every time I wrote Clark, would you accuse me of being bitter, or bringing shame to God? Do you believe me if I say I like the individuals at school, but not the system they work under? Is it not the same if I say the same about CBC, or am I again bitter? Personally, I find this separation illogical and the advocates of this position either naive, or promoting a hidden agenda. Anyway, that’s my two cents. I guess now I’ll sit back and wait for someone to accuse me of heresy for comparing the “house of God” to a secular college.

36 thoughts on “www.clarkwatch.com”

  5. The reason you can talk about a school that way and not CBC is that CBC is church. CBC claims to carry God’s annointing and thus God’s authority. So to say anything negative about the church or it’s leadership is to say it about God. Or at least about God’s choice in who he chooses to put in
    leadership.

    Reply ↓

  6. So, that would make the church infallible right?

    Does anyone really think that the church is perfect? Because thats what they would have you believe, but I don’t think that’s Biblical.

    Reply ↓

  7. Wow. There’s God… and then there’s church. Please don’t confuse the two.

    I saw some poor soul on TV saying that now that the Pope is dead, she doesn’t know where to look to hear the voice of God. Well, how about listen to God?

    Church is only supposed to point us to God, not be a substitute for Christ. C’mon people, don’t get the two mixed up.

    Reply ↓

  8. As a PCC Student, I’ve got to represent…

    While I can’t contradict you on any general PCC experience I’ve got to say that, as a student in Graphic Design my experience has been nothing but great.

    My advisor an the whole GD department has bent over backwards when I needed help, the instructors are all top notch, and I’ve gotten great value for my money.

    Even the PCC administration has been good to me, except for just one bump in that road…but my advisor advocated for me and got that obstacle out of the way.

    For what it’s worth, good luck in your own experience.

    Reply ↓

  9. Thanks Samuel. The only classes I took there were general ed classes, and mostly at the 82nd ave and Killingsworth campuses. Enough said about that. The administration, however, was always VERY helpful to me . I would almost rather go back and deal with some of those “gheto” teachers and a helpful school, rather than stay at Clark and keep getting screwed.

    Reply ↓

  10. So to say anything negative about the church or it’s leadership is to say it about God. Or at least about God’s choice in who he chooses to put in leadership.

    Huh. Then I guess God screwed up.

    Sirius-ly though. I’ve been to many churches. Some where the pastor and staff were humble people and an issue of infallibility would be laughed at. “We all sin, that is our nature.”
    Then there are the churches that have so much pride that infallibility is almost a mantra. My opinion is that those churches tend to be the most fouled(sic) of all.
    So when did CBC become Catholic?

    Reply ↓

  11. “CBC claims to carry God’s annointing and thus God’s authority” – Anonymous

    Not that I really have to break down this poor guy/girl’s comment, but please, I can’t believe anyone is buying this stuff. CBC can claim it is a member of the Godhead, hell, it can claim to be the second coming of Christ, but it doesn’t make it at all true. When CBC sells it’s congregation a fund raising program based on a promise to reduce the deficit and then fails to follow through with it, it deserves to be criticized. When they scrap the Word of God for a handful of PF’s “good” ideas, it deserves to be criticized. When right wing, political morality takes the place of the gospel and the message of Christ, it deserves to be criticized. I have to believe that if the Apostle Paul were alive today, he would be forced to write CBC one of his letters.

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  12. By the way, God didn’t choose CBC leadership. The leaders at CBC are there because of their willingness to kiss butt and climb the socio-religious ladder that leads to the foot of Damazio’s mahogony desk. It doesn’t hurt that the recent additions to the eldership all happen to be wealthy business owners, hmmmmmmm…coincidence? As a voting member of CBC I can tell you that an alarming number of people did not vote for Tim Nashiff to be set in as an elder at CBC, yet somehow PF, in an effort to not lose a valuable booster, greased the wheels of democracy and welcomed him into the Strategic Leadership Fold, despite the wishes of the people. Is that messed up, or what?!

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  13. The thing is I know some people who tried to change the results of the vote, because of a personal vendetta. Is this a good reason to vote or not vote for leadership?

    Reply ↓

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