A $1.68 million grant will allow Clark College to take “The Next Step” to support student success.

The Title III grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education under its “Strengthening Institutions” initiative. The grant will be administered over five years.

The funding will be used to support three distinct areas. First, it will fund improvements in program assessment, which is the process colleges and universities use to make sure that students have truly learned what they were supposed to learn to earn their degree or certificate. Second, it will fund improvements in advising.  The money will also be used to explore new and innovative teaching strategies.

Established in 1933, Clark College serves Clark County, Skamania County, and the western section of Klickitat County. Clark College is one of 34 community and technical colleges in a system under the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. In 2010-2011, the college served more than 22,000 students, accounting for nearly 11,000 credit full-time equivalent students. Currently, 15,526 students are enrolled at Clark College for fall 2011. That includes 10,237 full-time equivalent students, a two percent increase from fall 2010.