WCC Best Practices

DRAFT
Student Services
Best Practices
For College Completion

B e s t P r a c t i c e s | 1
Contents
Foreword .......................................................................................................................................................................2
5 Steps to Your First Day................................................................................................................................................3
Access & Disability Services...........................................................................................................................................4
Advisor Competency Checklist ......................................................................................................................................5
Closing the Opportunity Gap.........................................................................................................................................7
Closing Events with Appreciations.................................................................................................................................9
Connecting with Adult Basic Education & English as a Second Language Classes.......................................................11
Emergency Scholarship Program.................................................................................................................................12
Financial Aid Academic Advisors & Program Completion Plans..................................................................................13
Indigenous Peoples’ Day..............................................................................................................................................14
Indigenous Peoples’ Day..............................................................................................................................................16
Job Fair Resume Contest .............................................................................................................................................19
Leadership Development: Culminating Portfolios.......................................................................................................20
Listening: Letting Each Student Know They Count ......................................................................................................23
Looking at Transcripts to Help Students......................................................................................................................24
Office Morale...............................................................................................................................................................25
Showing Whatcom’s Welcoming Face at a Distance...................................................................................................26
Supporting and Building Your Team............................................................................................................................27
The Quid Essentials of Student Success.......................................................................................................................28
Turban Awareness Day................................................................................................................................................30
Washington Application for State Financial Aid Training by Students ........................................................................32
Whatcom Community College Career and Academic Advising Blog ...........................................................................34
White Elephant Conversation......................................................................................................................................35
Why a Name Tag?........................................................................................................................................................36
Signature Page.............................................................................................................................................................37
Whatcom Community College District Board of Trustees...........................................................................................39
Edited by Zoelle Stefens, Whatcom Community College graduate

Foreword
For almost 45 years Whatcom Community College has provided education for thousands of residents in
and around its service area.
Through the past 45 years and up until today, students have entrusted their education to the Whatcom
Community College faculty, staff, student leaders, administration and board of trustees.
The quality of education at Whatcom Community College is a direct result of the professional staff that
identifies themselves first as learners. The ongoing commitment to provide students with the best
educational programs has been and continues to be the hallmark of Whatcom Community College. This
kind of foundation gives students a strong field upon which to launch themselves toward their goals and
dreams.
Student success is the focus at Whatcom Community college. With this backdrop, the writing project on
student best practices was initiated in fall 2014. Those sharing articles reflect a broad range of Whatcom
Community College professionals who, through their own energy and example, have created a climate in
which students can feel safe to learn. This environment has also fostered new practices as well as
continuing practices that are being explored and tested every quarter.
We thank those who have helped with this project – the storytellers, the idea givers, and those who
facilitated the project.
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,” wrote William Butler Yeats.
It can be said, “Whatcom Community College is Students.”
John Baker
June 2015

5 Steps to Your First Day
Author: Kelly Bashaw
Email: kbashaw@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Financial Aid, Opportunity Grant, College Bound Advisor
The Best Practice that I want to share is the handout that advisors give to students “5 Steps To
Your First Day.” This handout explains the most important steps that a student needs to know
to get started to become a Whatcom Community College student.
1. Application
2. English and Math Placement Testing
3. Advising and Registration
4. New Student Orientation
5. Tuition, Books & Student Identification Card

Access & Disability Services
Author: Kerri Holferty
Email: kholferty@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Associate Director for Access & Disability Services
My work with students is grounded in Neville Sanford’s theory of Challenge and Support. I have
found that students – regardless of abilities – can thrive when the challenges they face are
balanced with support. Life is messy, and our students are dealing with more than just college
course material. I try to provide students with a network of campus and off campus support
that can help them be successful. Another way I work with students is to guide them in learning
to be self-advocates. This is a skill that will take them through their college experience and into
the workforce.
I developed Student Learning Outcomes for the Access & Disability Services office to provide a
structure for assessing students’ development in these areas.
By the end of the second quarter with Access & Disability Services, students will be able to:
1. identify their specific disability(ies)
2. describe the educational challenges (functional limitations) they experience in academic
settings
3. renew their accommodations on a quarterly basis
4. utilize campus and community resources
Students have access to these outcomes when they first identify with my office, and when they
renew their quarterly accommodations using the Access & Disability Services Canvas Learning
Management System page. In order to renew, students must respond to a four question survey
that indicates their level of growth in these four areas.
This is one way I challenge and support students in their educational journey….it doesn’t hurt to
have a box of Kleenex and a bowl of chocolate handy either.

Advisor Competency Checklist
Author: Kathy Barnes
Email: kbarnes@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Director of Advising and Career Services
Whatcom Community College takes pride in training newly hired advisors how to work with
students from our diverse student population. It is so important that advisors have a good
working knowledge of policies, processes, and advising best practices so that students are
advised and referred to appropriate resources of staff on campus.
An advisor in many instances is a student’s first contact to get information. Not only is an
advisor a point of contact for scheduling classes and providing advising and career direction;
they are a person that students form relationships with and without realizing it advisors
become mentors to many students. The mentorship role develops because if an advisor is good
at their job and assisting students, students will keep coming back for ongoing help through
each quarter and in-between quarterly registration periods. This means that advisors need to
be well trained and know a lot of information. By offering advisors the best training available,
we ensure they have the knowledge they need to help students to the best of their ability.
Once hired, advisors at Whatcom participate in classroom/lecture training sessions, case study
advising situations, shadowing of advisors and staff, attendance at new student orientation as
well as many workshops, and about 60 hours of training provided by various staff, faculty, and
administrators. The rigorous training gives advisors the chance to meet others on campus face
to face and learn about the importance of a team approach in referring students to others.
Since advisors, the first point of contact for students, cannot be experts in everything that a
student needs to know, we encourage them to know who to refer students to.
Since advisor training is so important at Whatcom it is important that advisors always feel
comfortable asking questions. An open door policy for all staff to ask questions is the way to
welcome questions when there is so much for advisors to learn. What works so well at
Whatcom is our team of good advisors that new advisors get to meet and shadow. New
advisors learn so much from other colleagues. For example, they learn how everyone has their
own personality, style, and way to engage students in advising sessions while building trust that
frees advisors to be able to ask questions when in doubt. This is all a part of training new
advisors and forming positive working relationships.
Besides already mentioned advisor training and resources, advisors use the Whatcom
Community College Student Success Guidebook as a common reference for students in
explaining many processes that all involve referrals to best practices in helping students in their
educational and career planning advising session at Whatcom Community College. This book is
also used in the EDPL (Educational Planning) 100 class as a textbook as well. Much of what is in
this book is information shared by advisors that helps students succeed in school. While
students have competencies in what we think makes a student succeed, it is also equally
important that advisors have competencies to be a good advisor. This is why training is ongoing
when hiring new advisors at Whatcom and why advisors are not only trained but have to know

the information from trainings, which they demonstrate by passing an “Advisor Competency
Check List” so that, as a supervisor, I know that the training we provide to new advisors is
working to provide skillful, knowledgeable, and competent professional academic advisors. All
advisors have continued ongoing training to serve our students at Whatcom.
Many colleagues have requested this check list tool to use as a best practice at other colleges
too. New advisors find this competency check list a good way of providing them with a
reminder of everything it takes to be a good advisor, listener, and expert in what they need to
do and know on an ongoing basis. Advisors also know they can’t be the expert in everything
and that there is always a team of colleagues to refer students to for an answer, and when in
doubt one best practice overall is to know that one advisor does not know all the answers to all
of a student’s questions and it is okay to refer a student on. This is another important part of
training advisors and having a Competency Checklist as a reminder.

Closing the Opportunity Gap
Author: Amy Hammons
Email: ahammons@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Associate Director for Running Start
In Student Services we have profound impacts on students. We are gatekeepers. Whether it be
words of encouragement that build up students and help them succeed or the words that, we
may not realize, cut a student down. A student’s self-efficacy is greatly or gravely impacted by
the gatekeepers they encounter. As gatekeepers, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are
supporting the students through consistent and constant self-reflection. Here are a few simple,
but effective ways to be an effective gatekeeper.
Community colleges take pride in improving students’ access to higher education. Open access
institutions lay framework for educational equity to actually happen. In order to obtain true
equity in access, we must make ourselves linguistically accessible. There are two ways to do
this: through our terminology and the words we choose. Enrollment, registration, admission,
college level, developmental education, remediation, 100-level, major, major prep and so on
are all terms that are not intuitive to all students; particularly those that are underserved.
Taking the time and effort to define terminology is essential to ensure that students have the
understanding to be successful, particularly in Information Sessions and Orientations.
Neglecting to do so may result in student confusion, frustration or attrition. It is worth taking
the time to define the terminology, in a non-patronizing way, to help the students navigate
effectively in their new world.
The second way we become effective gatekeepers is to know which words to use. Latino,
Hispanic, students of color, Native American, First Nation, white, and Caucasian are all words
with strong meanings. We can do so much for our campus culture by becoming committed to
talking about race, class and privilege and making a strong commitment to using language that
promotes an inclusive, plural campus free of words that marginalize our faculty, staff, students
and visitors. Of course, you should always take the lead of a student but knowing with words
are appropriate is essential; if a student self-identifies with a term, roll with it.
Another area where we can bridge the opportunity gap is using communication campaigns to
involve the student’s educational advocate. Many gatekeepers neglect to bring the parent or
partner or advocate along the education journey. Cutting ties with these helicopters can make
our immediate job easier. Is it not our job to make the students’ job easier? Finding ways to
involve those educational advocates appropriately can make the difference in a student’s ability
to persist and tremendously increases their resiliency during adversity. I stress the word,
appropriately. Some helicopters hover too low. Training the helicopter pilot can be difficult and
we are taxed to do so but the outcomes for the students can be powerful. Challenge yourself
next time you have a helicopter to resist the knee-jerk reaction to site FERPA. Listen and spend
the time to guide the flight-plan towards to the student’s ability to succeed. Perhaps that

means scheduling a meeting with the student and pilot to establish a transition plan to help the
student first develop their co-pilot skills and eventually attempt a solo flight. Some students
need to learn how to become a better self-advocate…over time. An additional way to help
advocates can be through translation of key materials. Some of those most powerful
educational advocates may not speak English as their primary language. This is a simple,
inexpensive (both in time and effort) to engage an educational advocate.
Finally, closing the opportunity gap must involve gatekeepers understanding their power and
privilege; particularly if you are white. If you’re white, be white. Don’t be ashamed of it.
Instead, understand what it means to be white and the power and privilege you have because
of that and how you will be perceived by students who are not. You are a gatekeeper; by virtue
of reading this passage, you gate keep on some level with students. As a gatekeeper, you hold
power. The power to do good… the reciprocal is also true. If you understand your identity, you
will, as a result be a better student services professional. Recognizing your gatekeeper-ness is
essential.

Closing Events with Appreciations
Author: Betsy Hasegawa
Email: bhasegawa@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Director for Intercultural Affairs and Leadership
Every year, Whatcom Community College invites speakers (both internal and external) to
address issues that are important to students and to our larger community. In the process of
informally debriefing speakers following their presentations, I began to notice a pattern of
limited engagement between speakers and people in the audience after the presentations. I
also commonly heard statements or questions from speakers trying to assess if their
presentations had been useful (or not) to our students and campus community.
To address this, I have implemented a practice of asking for verbal feedback from the audience
at the end of each presentation. I ask for comments in response to a prompt such as, “What is
one thing that you learned from this presentation?” I preface this activity by noting that the
speaker has shared their knowledge and thinking with us, and that this is a way for us to honor
and give something back to the speaker. This value of honor and respect for elders (or those
who step into those roles, such as presenters) is something held in common among many
students who are connected to their ethnic or cultural heritages, including Native American /
American Indian / First Nations, African heritage, Latina/o, Pacific Islander, Asian, and other
cultures, and helps to create ownership of an event. Similarly, I like to open public events at
Whatcom Community College by acknowledging that we are on lands traditionally cared for by
local Native American / American Indian nations / peoples and that we honor them and their
historical relationship with the lands on which we currently stand. These statements set a tone
and signal a level of inclusiveness to students and community members who have been
traditionally marginalized by dominant cultural norms.
Even hearing three or four comments from members of the audience seems to make a
difference to the entire group. These comments give voice to some of the collective learning in
the room, and also provides audience members with an opportunity to think about what they
might say if they were to speak up publicly (even if they don’t), thereby reducing the notion of a
presentation as a passive experience. Participants also have an opportunity to engage with and
reflect upon their own learning, and as a result are more connected to the topic and how it
affects them. It also makes the process of public speaking seem less daunting or intimidating.
I have implemented this practice at a number of events sponsored or co-sponsored by the
Intercultural Center, including Black History Month, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and the
Community Forum on Immigration Reform. As a result this practice, increasing numbers of
students now know that they will have the opportunity to offer some of their learning back to
the speaker, and many have said that they listen differently during events co-sponsored by the
Intercultural Center. Speakers also really appreciate these comments. The immediate feedback
helps them to see how (or if) their work is taken in and understood by this audience, and it
provides the opportunity for another kind of engagement with students. Post-presentation
interactions with speakers have also been more extensive and complex. Ending a presentation
on a note of gratitude for what has been offered also makes a difference in the overall flow of

an event, and provides a positive model for our students about the role of presenters as co-
learners as well as providers of content knowledge. This may influence how students take up
their own roles when making presentations – both in classes and beyond their time at
Whatcom Community College.

Connecting with Adult Basic Education & English as a Second Language
Classes
Author: Yusuke Okazaki
Email: yokazaki@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Academic Advisor for Transitional Programs
I visit upper-level Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language classes each quarter
to connect with any students that may be interested in transitioning to college-level courses or
programs. I find this to be a best practice because Adult Basic Education and English as a
Second Language students are much more likely to walk over to the Entry & Advising Center in
Laidlaw from the Transitional Learning classes in Cascade if they know who to seek out for help,
and if they have been introduced to that person beforehand. I also think it is important to
inform students of all of their options and possibilities at Whatcom Community College. The
students may change their plans and decide to pursue further education if they hear about an
exciting option that they were not aware of before.
I begin with a brief presentation (15-20 minutes) introducing myself and my services, the
different educational and career pathways available at Whatcom Community College, and some
of their “next steps.” I feel that explaining the different pathways is especially important
because it provides some context for the classes they are taking. Students can have a better
understanding of why they are taking certain classes, and how the skills they are developing
connect with their long-term goals. After the presentation, I meet with interested students
individually to discuss their specific circumstances and interests. After answering their
questions and providing any other appropriate information, I recommend some “next steps” for
them to take, as well as a timeline for when each step should be completed. I encourage them
to follow-up with me if they need any help with the process of transitioning to college classes or
programs.

Emergency Scholarship Program
Author: David Klaffke and Barbara Leveque
Email: dklaffke@whatcom.ctc.edu and bleveque@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Director for Financial Aid and WorkFirst/Basic Food Employment & Training Director
Purpose of the Whatcom Community College Emergency Scholarships: provides students with a
resource to help alleviate or minimize an unforeseen situation that would cause students to not
complete their quarter successfully.
Requirements:
 Two lifetime awards (only one award for transportation)
 2.0 GPA or higher
 Clear statement of financial need
 Complete application with supporting documentation of expenses required
 Notification sent by email with amount awarded
 Disbursement of funds and notification through the Financial Aid Portal and Higher One
 Committee decision is final and non-appealable
The Emergency Scholarship applications are available for one week at the mid-point of each
quarter. The committee determines who is awarded based on need, thoroughness of
application, documentation and funds available. Funding is provided through several local grant
and scholarship sources.
Data for past three years:
Number of Student
Requests
Dollars Requested Dollars Awarded Students Awarded
680 $801,263 $312,576 419
These awards have made a significant impact on student’s lives. Allowing students to remain in
college, relieve stress, and focus on achieving their educational and career goals.

Financial Aid Academic Advisors & Program Completion Plans
Author: David Klaffke
Email: dklaffke@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Director for Financial Aid
Whatcom Community College has academic and financial aid advisors who have a solid
understanding of financial aid challenges and regulations. These advisors are able to support
the success of students receiving financial aid by helping them understand the requirements of
satisfactory academic progress and ensure they are enrolling in classes that apply toward their
intended degree. These advisors are familiar with other college and community resources that
can help students overcome barriers and empower them to achieve their academic and career
goals.
The financial aid office requires students to meet with these advisors and obtain an approved
program completion plan when it is apparent that intrusive advising is needed to help the
student be successful and stay in compliance with satisfactory academic progress policies and
procedures. Students who are placed on financial aid probation status are required to meet
with an advisor and submit an approved academic success plan. Students who are close to
reaching 100% of attempted credits in their program of study are required to meet with an
academic financial aid advisor and submit a program completion plan to the financial aid office.
This process has been very successful in helping students graduate in a timelier manner or
make program adjustments to better fit their career and educational goals. Students appreciate
having clear direction with a program completion plan.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Author: Lucas Nydam
Email: lnydam@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Admissions Outreach Recruiter
One of the most important tools in a leader’s arsenal is also one of the simplest. Additionally, it
is one of the most overlooked and most widely misunderstood. When a leader uses this tool
correctly, it motivates, inspires, bonds, and unifies a team. Yet I see leaders everyday who
misuse this vital tool. This tool is the compliment.
Have you ever received a compliment that left you feeling giddy inside? A compliment that
excited you so much that you had to tell someone about it? A compliment that left you feeling
acknowledged, understood, and valued? These compliments can be rare, but when they
happen, they can positively motivate you through your day, week, month, etc.
One compliment I’ve received that left me feeling like this was from a coworker who realized
that I sometimes struggle feeling heard in an environment where I am the youngest.
During a meeting and without provocation, the coworker told me “Lucas, you are very wise.
You are wise beyond your years.”
Having someone verbally and directly compliment me on something they recognized I struggled
with took me aback. I felt like they truly understood who I was and what I was trying to prove
to those around me. Even more, I started to feel like it was possible for me to be “wise” in an
environment that I sometimes felt like I couldn’t be.
Now think about a time someone told you “great job” or “good work.” Did it make you feel
giddy inside? Did it excite you so much that you wanted to tell everyone about it? More
importantly, did you always feel that they meant it? If you were to ask them in response, “what
was so great about it?” do you think they would be able to give a good answer?
Let’s admit it; we as humans are incredibly talented at knowing when people are just saying
things and when they really mean it. When someone gives you a compliment, you can almost
always immediately tell if they are saying it as a mannerism or habit. While it may be better to
give an empty compliment instead of no compliment at all, if all you ever receive is generic and
empty compliments, it can leave you feeling misunderstood, unimportant, and unheard.
What often feels better than being told “good job” is being shown that someone has truly
listened to you, knows what you are about, and what you strive for in the workplace. When
giving a compliment, always ask yourself how many other people could receive the compliment
and if it would remain contextual. In other words, is it a “cookie cutter” compliment?
If giving good compliments presents itself as a struggle to you, then perhaps it is an indicator
that you need to take greater interest in those around you and look into team building
opportunities. Being able to recognize what people want to hear is a skill gained through being

a good listener. I have found that often the best complimenters are also often the best
listeners, in a similar way that the best public speakers are often those who are most aware of
their audience.
People have unique skills, traits, and struggles that deserve unique recognition. Note something
specific about what the person did about it, why it impressed you, and how it reinforces the
positive characteristics of the person you are complimenting. An example: “I really appreciate
your approach with handling students. Your sense of humor nurtures a real personal
connection which is vital to retention. Your warm attitude reflects your dedication to student
success and inspires those around you.”
Notice how the compliment draws a connection between the personal traits of the person and
their workplace performance. It is super important not to focus too much on one or the other,
but maintain a balance. There is nothing better than feeling that not only are you allowed you
be yourself in the workplace, but that in doing so you positively contribute to the success of the
workplace as a whole.
With all this being said, I challenge you to take note of the compliments you give on a daily
basis. Are they unique? Are they cookie-cutter? Do you mean them? Do you give them enough?
Asking yourself these questions is vital to building team motivation and being a motivational
leader in the workplace. A leader who can give good compliments is a leader who can inspire a
team to do great things. And the best part is: compliments are free! They require nothing but
your ears, a few seconds, and a willingness to connect with those around you.
Thank you for reading.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day
In 2013, students in the Ethnic Student Association and students working in the Multicultural
Academic Support Center (MASC - now called the Intercultural Center) decided to hold an event
on the second Monday in October (the federally recognized date for Columbus Day) to
celebrate and honor the indigenous peoples who had lived (and continue to live) in what we
now call the Americas for millennia prior to the arrival of Columbus in 1492. We called it
Alternate Columbus Day, and created educational displays about several North, Central, and
South American civilizations and some of the notable arts, sciences, and technologies created
by these cultures. While we did not publicize this event widely, we did reach out to several local
schools and community organizations and had several groups of students come through.
Overall, the event, held in Syre 217, was fairly well attended.
One day, at a meeting of the Leadership Team of the Lummi Nation Peacemaking Circles, fellow
Leadership Team member and Northwest Indian College Student Activities and Leadership
Coordinator, Talia London and I were discussing what our two schools do on what has
traditionally been recognized as Columbus Day. She said that sometimes people wore black
armbands, but mostly they did not observe or react to anything related to Columbus Day. Given
the recent movement by cities (including Seattle) proclaiming the second Monday of October as
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Bellingham City Councilor Roxanne Murphy’s proposal to have
the City of Bellingham designate the second Monday in October as Coast Salish Day, we began
to explore what our two campuses might do together to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We
came up with a plan to develop a celebration that would span both campuses and draw in
people from both our communities.
We decided to start our event at Whatcom Community College, with a blessing by Lummi Elder
Ethel Hillaire Warbus, then a welcome by John Baker, our Interim VP for Student Services, and a
number of speakers (including Latino Leadership Club students who spoke of their own
indigenous heritages that have been overshadowed by their experience as Mexicans in the US)
from both students and the community, performances by indigenous students from both
schools (including the Rez Dogs, drummers from Northwest Indian College; Ameyaltonal Azteca
Danza, featuring Marco Morales, Whatcom Community College VP of the Student Executive
Board; and other traditional singers and poets. We had a turnout of about 200 people at
Whatcom Community College.
We then moved the celebration to Northwest Indian College, where there was a potluck lunch,
and opening statements and blessings by Lummi Elder Ethel Hillaire Warbus, Lummi Nation
Hereditary Chief Bill James, and Lummi Nation House of Tears carver Jewell James. There were
many more performances (including Rez Dogs, Northwest Indian College faculty and Filipino
storyteller Rebecca Saxton, Ameyaltonal Azteca Danza, and several other singers), and a
participatory round dance. We also had over 200 attendees at Northwest Indian College,

including several members of the WWU AS Executive Board, Whatcom Community College
students, and community members.
There have been several positive outcomes from this event, which we plan to continue as an
annual collaborative event between Northwest Indian College and Whatcom Community
College. For Whatcom Community College students, this event gave Latino Leadership Club
members an opportunity to talk to their families about their own indigenous heritages. Many of
these students did not know any details of their indigenous heritages until they talked with
their parents, and several were surprised to find how close they were generationally to their
indigenous roots. One student discovered that his parents still spoke their native indigenous
language, but only privately. Several students got to emcee and introduce speakers and
performers, boosting their self-confidence and pride during this event. We pulled this event
together in 11 days! Student organizers worked very hard to make this event go smoothly,
learning to navigate the Whatcom Community College events process and coordinating with
Northwest Indian College.
Many Lummi and Nooksack tribal members attended events at both schools, and for many
Northwest Indian College students, this was their first experience of the Whatcom Community
College campus community. The same was true for Whatcom Community College students who
attended events at Northwest Indian College. For both student communities, it was surprising
that many of them had grown up in Whatcom County but had never been to each other’s
campus, or (for Whatcom Community College students) to any Lummi Nation events or
buildings. While we did not plan activities that specifically focused on discussions or
conversations across campus groups, we are planning to include activities that will allow and
encourage relationship-building across campuses in next year’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day
celebration.
As a result of this initial collaboration between our two campuses, we have continued to look
for ways to collaborate and co-sponsor events and activities between Northwest Indian College
and Whatcom Community College. During this year, we have invited each other to events at our
schools: Northwest Indian College students and staff have attended events at Whatcom
Community College, and Whatcom Community College students have attended events at
Northwest Indian College. Northwest Indian College AS Executive Board President Jennifer
Cordova-James and Whatcom Community College AS VP Victoria Matey have been in touch
about our upcoming Students Leading Change Conference. Talia and I are actively looking for
other ways to provide more opportunities for engagement between our students during this
coming year.
The college is hopeful that by meeting with more Northwest Indian College students on their
campus, and inviting NWIC students to events on the Whatcom Community College campus,
any Northwest Indian College students who transfer or register for occasional classes at
Whatcom Community College will seek out the Intercultural Center or the Ethnic Student
Association as a resource and homebase at Whatcom Community College. I would eventually
like to start a group for the numerous Native American / American Indian / First Nations /
Alaska Native students on our campus who have not, as far as I know, found a way to come

together so far. I am going to reach out to these students to help organize our Indigenous
Peoples’ Day celebration for next year.
I am particularly pleased that the Elders from our two campuses (in this case, Ethel Hillaire
Warbus and John Baker) were able to meet and find common ground and mutual respect.

Job Fair Resume Contest
Author: Kathy Barnes
Email: kbarnes@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Director of Advising and Career Services
In planning an event on campus it is always great to create student involvement and
excitement! For example, what started as a quick brainstorming statement in a meeting from a
staff suggestion generated quick excitement from the overall staff at the meeting and turned
into action. The brainstorming statement quickly became a Whatcom Community College
resume student contest in conjunction with our All College Job Fair that was recently held on
April 23, 2015.
With minimal effort on staff time excitement was generated and a donor sponsored five $100
prizes to award to students for the top five resumes. Forty-nine resumes were submitted and
members from the Whatcom Community College Career & Transfer Center selected twenty
resumes to be forwarded on to two local employers for their input and review to select the final
five winners. The winners were notified of their winning accomplishments in their resume
writing and overall submission. The employers who helped review resumes were excited to be a
part of this fun trial run and have also offered to do this again. Enthusiasm was seen in
participating students, staff, and the employers with whom we partnered.
What was exciting was that this was the first time that the college had done this and students
were excited to participate and wanted feedback on their resumes. As a result of the resume
contest, students were even more prepared to meet with employers for student seasonal job
opportunities or career jobs at the Job Fair that was held on campus. Students also voiced an
interest in receiving feedback on their resumes after the contest winners were announced. As a
result of this positive event and contest we will be offering students a resume workshop in late
May. One on one appointments with any of our Career & Transfer Center staff members will be
offered to students as well as group workshop help.
We also learned that the on-campus, word of mouth promotion we used to promote the event
was very successful. Whether faculty members announced the event in class, advisors and staff
members shared information while walking around campus, or promotions from other campus
resources such as the Career & Transfer Center and the Writing Center that we partnered with
shared information with interested students, our strategy to reach students was successful. All
in all, the Job Fair is now an annual event and we have realized this Resume Contest is fun for
students and is a great way to generate interest in resume development. The connections with
the employers who want to be involved in reading and evaluating them was overwhelming too.
Overall, this was a fun event and a great opportunity for the part-time work study employee
who designed the flyer and collected the resumes under the direction and support of
managers. This was a learning experience for a new employee to learn about delegating a
project and the pieces of a project to different staff members and how it gets everyone
involved in some capacity.

Leadership Development: Culminating Portfolios
Author: Laura Singletary
Email: lsingletary@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Interim Director of Student Life
Leading in today’s world is more complex than ever. While the term leadership has not changed
over the years, what it means to be a good leader has evolved exponentially due to the
demands of the complex, global society in which we live. In the Office of Student Life at
Whatcom Community College, we are dedicated to expanding the full potential of students
through a comprehensive leadership development program. Students participating in our
program receive base-line leadership training that includes goal setting, team building, creating
vision and mission statements, conflict resolution, and time management. We also implement
deeper trainings and conversations covering identity development, building inclusive
communities, civic responsibility, power and privilege, social justice, equity, and pluralism.
Furthermore, our training includes attending local/regional conferences and readings from a
foundational text, Martin Luther King Jr. on Leadership. In addition to training, students have
the opportunity to test their skills in hands-on leadership experiences through their work with
Student Government, as Student Ambassadors, and with the Programming and Diversity Board.
Essentially they are learning leadership theory, while learning what it means to lead others
(Roberts). Students have passionately stated how much they loved their experience and that
they grew tremendously, however they were not able to articulate the specifics of their
experience/growth.
After a year of working so closely with our students, it was frustrating, as professionals, to
realize that we had let them down and that our program was not having the impact we knew
they needed to be strong leaders. Our goal was, and is, to help students become the best
possible version of themselves – to become the best leaders they are able to be. Unfortunately,
we were not meeting this goal. As a result, we identified the following problem: students were
leaving our program with little tangible evidence of their work, and were not developing the
skillset to build upon the knowledge they received. Not to mention, students would commonly
forget some of their greatest achievements. In order to address these issues, we conducted
research on college leadership programs across the nation. Through this research, we
developed what we believe to be a best practice in college leadership development programs –
a culminating portfolio that includes critical reflection.
For the past four years, we have fine-tuned the different sections of the culminating portfolio,
so that it encompasses the growth of student’s extra-curricular and academic experiences, as
well as other areas of their developmental growth. We ask students to actively work
throughout the year to build the sections of their portfolios, and we provide them with
reflection prompts to help flesh out learning outcomes for the many opportunities they

experience. The sections of the culminating portfolio, and a brief descriptions are outlined
below.
Personal Statements & Leadership Philosophy
Learning to lead is similar to learning to paint. We begin with teaching history and
theory, move to replicating other’s work, and then step out and create our own style.
During the year, students learn history and theory and then work to fine-tune their
individual leadership philosophy and articulate their personal vision and mission
statements.
Academics
This section of the portfolio provides evidence supporting students’ academic prowess
and achievements. Providing a place to showcase their coursework also creates
additional pride in their work, and helps to establish intrinsic motivators for academic
success. Possible items in this section may include: educational plan and goals,
transcripts, course descriptions & syllabi, and sample papers and tests.
Leadership Experience
The art of leadership transpires through many mediums, many times unknown to
students. Lessons on leadership are available in most situations we experience –
identifying an experience and reflecting on it connects the experience with learning and
growth. Possible items in this section of the portfolio may include: campus leadership
roles, club and organization involvement, team projects, conferences, workshops and
retreats, and committee work.
Social Justice, Equity, and Pluralism
Central to leadership is developing the capacity to work with a wide variety of people
and understand the strengths and challenges within society. Understanding one’s power
and privilege and using these to advocate for others is an essential trait of strong
leaders. Possible items in this section of the portfolio may include: a diversity statement,
conferences, workshops and retreats, committee work, specified trainings, club and
organizational involvement, workshop proposals and presentations.
Career Preparation
Growing a student’s career plan is essential for the transition from the college
experience into employment. Possible items in this section of the portfolio may include:
updated resume, sample cover letters, career workshops, computer skills and
certifications, mock interviews, internships, job descriptions, and performance
evaluations.
Civic and Social Responsibility
In Student Life, we are committed to cultivating social responsible citizens with the
belief that being engaged with one’s community is a basic requirement of being a
civically responsible adult. Possible items in this section may include: service-learning
projects, registering and voting in elections, volunteering on boards/commissions,
attending City/County meetings, social/campus activism programs.

Honors, Award, & Recommendations
During the year, we encourage students to collect letters of recommendation from
faculty and others with whom they build meaningful relationships. Possible items in this
section of the portfolio may include: award & nominations received, scholarships
received, newspaper or media coverage, and letters of recommendation (from faculty,
employers, advisors, & college staff).
Talents, Abilities, & Interests
Depending on the goals of each student’s portfolio, they may want to include artifacts
that communicate another side of their college experience and development. Possible
items in this section for the portfolio may include: fine and performing arts, athletics,
hobbies.
After fine-tuning the culminating portfolio project for the past four years, we recognized
additional unintended benefits. The culminating portfolio has had a strong impact on students,
as they are now able to articulate the specifics of their personal leadership development and
college experience in a way that includes supporting documentation. However, the following
three impacts were also realized.
1. Practical use: Students are able to use the contents of their portfolios to prepare college
entrance essays, internships applications, employment applications, to prepare for job
interviews, and to further reflect on their leadership developmental.
2. Critical reflection: Critical thinking has long been hailed as a core learning outcome for
college students, and critical reflection is a subset of this skill. Reflection is the process
of critically thinking about our behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and values (Roberts 2008).
and through critical reflections, our students became more engaged with their
education. In fact, they have become active learners, as opposed to passive learners.
Critical reflection supports the process of learning how to learn.
3. Assessment: According to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher
Education, student leadership programs must assess relevant and desirable student
learning and development outcomes and provide evidence of their impact on student
learning and development (Komives et al.). The culminating portfolio provides both
direct and indirect evidence of student development through reflection entries,
performance evaluations, and leadership assessments.
References:
Council for the Advancement of Standards. (2009). The Role of Student Leadership Programs.
http://www.shoreline.edu/sba-archive/doc/cas/roleofstudentleadership.pdfNational
Association of Campus Activities, Anne Arundel Community College (2008): The Student
Leadership Portfolio. www.naca.org.
Roberts, C. (2008). Developing Future Leaders: The Role of Reflection in the Classroom. Journal
of Leadership Education, 7(1), 116-130.

Listening: Letting Each Student Know They Count
Author: Julie Hagin
Email: jhagin@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Program Assistant Entry and Advising
My work is at the gateway of the bee hive (Entry/Advising)…..often the location students come
first to get started at Whatcom Community College.
Recognizing that it takes great courage for new students, first generation students, single
parents, and so on to come through the glass doors of this new world called college it is vital
that their initial contact be sticky with “care.”
Listening is an art that one must perfect to be successful in the business of higher education.
I work hard to hear what the student is saying so they know they count. By listening hard I can
better frame my response to their individual needs (each student has a special story). I make
sure to look people in the eyes so they know they are seen and heard. Listening is 90% of what I
do.
At the end of the conversation I always want to keep the gateway open so they know they are
most welcome to return for further assistance. Looking forward to seeing them again is always
the ending message.

Looking at Transcripts to Help Students
Author: Yusuke Okazaki
Email: yokazaki@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Academic Advisor for Transitional Programs
Transcripts tell us a lot about a student. They shed light on academic performance and grade
trends; the average number of credits a student takes per quarter and what should be
considered a manageable credit load; good or bad combination of subjects for a student; and
the student’s career and academic interests. Without asking a single question, we can detect all
of these important facets of a student by glancing over their transcripts. This is why when I
work with one of our current students in an advising session, I always begin by looking at their
transcript. With so many different advising tools and resources at our disposal, it is easy to
overlook the transcript and begin an advising session by using one of the other advising tools. It
is also easy to let the initial student question or inquiry guide which tool or resource to consult.
However, no matter what the situation, I think it is a best practice to always begin by looking at
a student’s transcript. Here is a common example. A student will come in to ask us the
question: “When can I graduate?” If that is the main inquiry, Degree Audit is the best tool to
use in order to answer that question. However, Degree Audit does not show completed courses
in a chronological order, which makes it difficult to detect grade trends. Perhaps the student is
on a downward grade trend, and they should be advised to take a lighter credit load and delay
graduation by a quarter. If we were to limit our own inquiry by addressing only the student’s
specific question, some important aspects of the “big picture” may get overlooked. Therefore,
even if the student is not asking me anything specifically related to their transcript, I will always
begin the conversation after assessing their transcript.

Office Morale
Author: David Klaffke
Email: dklaffke@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Director for Financial Aid
The Keys to Office Morale
1. The financial aid team is encouraged to bring baked goods in large quantities for staff to
sample.
2. If too busy to bake, store bought food is acceptable or scavenging from other offices is
encouraged.
3. This boosts morale but leads to the need for an afternoon nap which is also encouraged.
4. Most important of all it is essential for a sense of humor to be encouraged in the
financial aid office.

Showing Whatcom’s Welcoming Face at a Distance
Author: Leslie Clark
Email: lclark@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Online Academic Advisor
My job makes me the first Whatcom contact for many prospective students, especially students
who haven’t yet arrived on campus. Because of that, I try to make those contacts as welcoming
as possible. I don’t always succeed at actually feeling cheerful and upbeat, especially at the
busiest, most stressful times. So I use some simple practices that make it more likely I’ll sound
friendly even when I’m feeling harried.
When my phone rings, I take just a second to smile before answering. Smiling makes my voice
warmer. And, in fact, it usually makes me feel more positive even if it’s a manufactured smile.
As often as possible, I start my emails with a positive word like “thank you,” “welcome,” or
“yes.” I always end by inviting students to write again if they have more questions.
When people read email, they tend to perceive the tone as negative if it’s merely neutral. So I
try to write my messages so they sound a little extra friendly, a little extra helpful and a little
extra personal to compensate. I also make a point of telling people when they’re right and
recognizing their efforts to plan ahead or otherwise be accountable and self-directed.
I’ve included a photo of myself in my email signature, one that shows me with a wide smile.
When I’m fielding a question from someone demanding or rude, I write a draft reply but don’t
send it until I’ve had a chance to go back and take out anything defensive or hostile-sounding
that might have crept in.
Whatcom is well-known for being friendly and helpful, and these practices extend Whatcom’s
welcoming attitude to students at a distance.

Supporting and Building Your Team
Author: Michael Singletary
Email: msingletary@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Registrar, Admissions and Registration
We all know that supporting and building your team are rewarding and necessary tasks. We are
often asked to adopt change, take on more work, support new initiatives, stay positive, acquire
new skills, fix this, fix that, etc. So how do we support our team’s ability and replenish their joy
for what they do? Here are two strategies we use in Admissions & Registration:
1. Attend college events. Managers encourage participation in college sponsored events
and workshops, providing coverage of shifts during regular work hours. The goal is for
the employee to attend anything of interest and share information at our staff meeting.
a. Why you want to do it: Employees interact in positive ways with students, staff,
and instructors. Many of our formal meetings with students involve a degree of
negative interaction and it can be wearing. These informal gatherings of other
students and staff can also build relationships that sometimes develop into
cross-department efforts and generate new ideas or solutions to an issue.
b. Keys to implementation: 1) Set a maximum time of four hours per month. So far
we haven’t had anyone request more time. 2) Personally invite staff to events
and send reminders to increase participation. Personal invites should outline
relevancy for employees reluctant to use the time for a variety of reasons. 3)
Plan for popular events. Over the last four years, there were two events in which
most employees wanted to attend. We accommodated each request by planning
ahead to have part- time hourly and staff from another department cover. 4)
Consistently remind staff of this opportunity. Talk about events in the presence
of staff members to increase positive feelings about attendance.
2. Participate on a committee. We found that many of our staff did not attend meetings
outside of our office and only a few belonged to a college committee. We wanted
everyone to have that experience since so much of college governance happens by
committee. Without experience in this area, our employees were missing an
opportunity for professional development and we were missing an opportunity to share
expertise and build the employees ability.
a. Why you want to do it: Employees broaden their knowledge of college
operations; contribute to the solution; and, develop administrative skill set.
Keys to implementation: 1) Assess staff participation and interests. 2) Identify key committees
where your office input could be valuable but is missing. 3) Ask employees to report out at staff
meetings.

The Quid Essentials of Student Success
Author: John Baker
Email: jbaker3@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Interim Vice President for Student Services
For students to succeed college faculty, staff, administration, and Board must get it right.
1. Understand, value, and promote Student Learning Outcomes.
2. Understand, value, and promote program review.
3. Understand, value, and promote a strong philosophy of student development.
4. Understand, value, and promote across disciplines the conversations and engagements
that promote student success.
5. Understand, value, and promote discussions on pluralism, engaging professional
educators and students in issues (i.e. racism) of white privilege.
6. Understand, value, and promote the importance of adulthood in students, watching
closely that we address and discuss students as mature adults (no “KIDS” here).
7. Understand, value, and promote learning for ourselves and for students so we can
remain current and accurate in our own work.
8. Understand, value, and promote “succession development” within the professional
community that grows leadership for the college.
9. Understand, value, and promote a comprehensive college where all students know they
count.
10. Understand, value, and promote a college citadel where differences are respected,
highlighted, and studied.
11. Understand, value, and promote the idea that for professionals to remain at the top of
their game they, too, must embrace their own professional growth and development to
ensure student success.
12. Understand, value, and promote the belief that obsolescence has no shelf life in the
professional community.
13. Understand, value, and promote that good educational decisions must and will be based
on solid evidence in order to assure student success.
14. Understand, value, and promote that every professional person at the college has one
common task: Finding pleasure in learning.
15. Understand, value, and promote campus life that is free of violence and bigotry.
16. Understand, value, and promote policies, and procedures that are current and result in
the success of students.

17. Understand, value, and promote accreditation activities that will sustain the integrity of
the college and guarantee the quality of curriculum and services that result in student
success.
18. Understand, value, and promote a campus that has state of the art technical services
that result in student success.
19. Understand, value, and promote a campus that is safe with state of the art facilities
resulting in student success.

Turban Awareness Day
Author: Sukhdip Singh
Email: ssingh@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Student/Program Coordinator
“Be the Change you want to see in the world”—Mahatma Gandhi. This quote is very powerful.
We all talk about “changing” the world and doing something positive in this world. However,
many of us fail, myself included. Our desires to bring about change may be authentic and
genuine, but why is there still nothing happening? A common problem I have seen and try to
deal with is that I speak big words but do not take any action. I will run workshops and talk
about social justice issues, but again will not take any action. Why is this so? From my limited
knowledge and understanding, the reason is we wait for others to take the action. Sadly, we
many times fail to practice what we preach.
This quote is one of the major things that inspired me and built the passion in me to be a
positive force, to do something that is not popular but greatly needed. I have lived on more
than three continents. Living on these continents, I witnessed great misconception regarding
turbans, especially after 9/11. These experiences are the driving force of all that I have been
able to accomplish at Whatcom Community College. It became my dream to raise awareness on
the misconceptions that come with wearing a turban. I did not want any more students to go
through what I went through merely due to ignorance. For me, education is liberation and
ignorance is bondage. Therefore, at an educational institution, I dreamed of having an
educational event where I could educate students on turbans and their purposes and drive out
ignorance; I could raise a voice to stand for social justice. Therefore, my dream of organizing a
Turban Awareness Day at Whatcom Community College came true.
The first ever Turban Awareness Day in Whatcom County took place on the Whatcom
Community College campus on March 10, 2015. Turban Awareness Day was designed to
educate students on the common misconceptions and stereotypes that come with wearing a
turban. The event was designed to allow students to picture themselves in a turban, to
experience a culture, an identity. It was a “hands on” event that facilitated discussion and
dialogue. Instead of simply talking to students, we created an environment in which students
were comfortable talking to us so we could address the most common questions asked. Most
importantly, students were given the opportunity to experience turbans on their heads for the
first time! For once, turbaned individuals were not a minority at Whatcom Community College.
The event went as follows: Turban Awareness Day started with traditional music with some
turban tying. Then there was a presentation overviewing the different varieties of turbans,
giving emphasis to the background and significance of the Sikh turban since 99% of individuals
with turbans in the West are Sikhs. Followed by the presentation was a Questions and
Answers/discussion session where students and community members were given the
opportunity to ask specific questions to better learn, understand, and appreciate one another.
Then, turbans were tied on students and community members interested in picturing
themselves in one. Students were allowed to keep the turbans, enabling them to have
something to take away with them after the event.

The learning goals were the following:
Enhance cultural appreciation and diversity on campus.
Educate students on who Sikhs are, where they are from, and the significance of the turban.
Help facilitate understanding and difficult conversations/discussions on how to approach
turbaned individuals.
Being a member of the Programming and Diversity Board gave me a platform to enable me to
organize this very crucial event to occur on campus. A lot of hard work was put into this event.
It was a year-long process with planning and group effort, and thanks to Whatcom Community
College, it was able to come to pass.
The feedback received regarding this event has been incredible. Students, faculty, and staff
loved it! It was a fun way of engaging and learning about another culture. A very mistaken
identity now became just like any other identity. Students came to the realization that wearing
turbans is absolutely normal; they realized its purpose and embraced it. Upon hearing about
the coverage of this event in the Bellingham Herald, several other schools in Washington have
developed the desire to have similar events on their campuses. Diversity and love is spreading
and hopefully will continue to spread. In order to ensure that this spread of love and diversity
will continue, we must “be the change we want to see in the world.”
The event was successful not due to a single individual but through the support and work of
Whatcom Community College and the entire student body. Without the willingness to
understand and appreciate one another, such events cannot take place. Thank you Whatcom
Community College for setting an example to society on the effect students can have on a
community.

Washington Application for State Financial Aid Training by Students
As increasing numbers of children of immigrant workers are reaching their late teens and early
20’s, many are opting to attend college. The past few years have seen rapid changes in laws and
options for college students who happen to be undocumented, and Washington State is one of
the five states currently offering state-funded financial aid to undocumented college students.
Undocumented students are also eligible to pay in-state rather than out-of-state tuition under
Washington HB 1079. Even though they may have lived most of their lives in Whatcom County,
without the option of HB 1079, undocumented students would have to pay out-of-state tuition,
often delaying their entry to college in order to save enough for out-of-state tuition. In other
states, out-of-state tuition is often a substantial enough financial barrier that families opt out of
college altogether for their children. Students may also qualify for Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals another government program that provides eligible students with protection
from deportation. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals also allows students to have a
temporary work permit and temporary Social Security Number so that they can work and earn
wages.
While this package of protections makes it much less daunting to attend college, the entry
process can still be confusing. There are often unclear or English-only instructions, rapidly
changing rules and requirements for programs, and options that may conflict with other
opportunities or pre-existing programs. Whatcom Community College Latina/o Leadership Club
members (some of whom are themselves undocumented but with Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals, HB 1079, and Washington Application for State Financial Aid protections
and aid) have first-hand knowledge and understanding of many of the challenges and
uncertainties of the application and registration process. Therefore, when we were asked to
provide assistance to local high school students during the annual financial aid events in
January, Latina/o Leadership Club members jumped at the opportunity to help others.
At the beginning, we were fairly well prepared to assist families and students to complete and
submit their Washington Application for State Financial Aid applications, but we figured out
much more during the process of helping families. We did a few trainings for other Latina/o
Leadership Club students who wanted to help with Washington Application for State Financial
Aid applications, and we think that we ultimately helped over 20 students to apply for
Washington Application for State Financial Aid. We are one of the few community college
student groups to offer this service and local schools looked to us to provide both Washington
Application for State Financial Aid assistance and translation. As new programs became
available, we also told families about upcoming opportunities and programs, including the new
Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (or sometimes called Deferred Action for Parents of
Americans) program providing protection from deportation to eligible families of children born
in the United States.

As a result of assisting high school students with Washington Application for State Financial Aid
applications, our students have become more empowered to claim their knowledge and
experience, and they have found voice as a resource for others. Students who assisted at these
financial aid events also got to know Yusuke Okazaki, who works in Entry and Advising as an
Academic Advisor for Transitional Learning, better. Several of our students have offered
workshops to inform families about these options and provide assistance with filing
applications, and in the process have grown more confident in their abilities as public speakers.
Particularly for the Latina/o students, offering this kind of assistance allows them to give back
to the community in a meaningful way that is both consistent with their cultural values and
helps move people forward - adding value for generations to come. Our students see
themselves as leaders both at Whatcom Community College and within their communities, and
they can tell that they matter.
Through our assistance with Washington Application for State Financial Aid, student workshops,
our co-sponsorship of events of interest to the Latina/o community, and other forms of
outreach, Whatcom Community College is increasingly considered to be a college that is
friendly to the Latina/o community. We have a central location, free parking, and easy access
via bus lines, and events of interest to the Latina/o community held at Whatcom Community
College are well attended. During Latino Leadership Club-sponsored or co-sponsored events
such as the Mexican Consulate visit, Community Forum for Immigration Reform, Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals workshops, and our Celebracion del Dia de los Muertos, we
provided information, and sometimes translation or childcare to increase participation. During
the financial aid events, whenever Yusuke Okazaki helped students, he would also encourage
them to apply to Whatcom Community College, and was able to assist students with Whatcom
Community College applications as well as Washington Application for State Financial Aid
applications. In addition, I believe that the new Latina/o outreach position will help to
strengthen our relationship with the Latina/o community and continue to send a message that
we value and are working to adapt to becoming a more Latina/o friendly campus.

Whatcom Community College Career and Academic Advising Blog
Author: Brian J. Davidson, M.Ed.
Email: bdavidson@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Worker Retraining Coordinator & Passport to College Program Advisor
It is the 21st Century. We consume and act upon information delivered through technologies as
diverse as our student populations. Still, we rely solely on antiquated mono-technological
methods to deliver vital messaging to students. The letter is the communication patriarch and
email its close progeny. These dominant forms concentrate power and do little to acknowledge
a more modern flattened hierarchical information sharing culture. Information bottlenecking
results in uninformed, unprepared students. To address this problem, Whatcom Community
College Career & Transfer Center developed the WCC Career & Academic Advising Blog and a
connected Student Jobs Blog.
After first researching the communication needs of our student demographics, the Blog team
curated social media policies from education, business, and non-profits alike and aligned them
to WCC’s various communication policies. The team researched digital platforms and chose
WordPress which is free, and offers templates with accessible design. WordPress also offered
integration with Facebook and Twitter meaning that every post is automatically shared via
these platforms as well, or students may opt in to email subscriptions. All posts are sharable via
social media, email, and print formats by anyone thus harnessing social connections via myriad
digital means.
Today, the team curates content that supports the academic and career development of our
students and posts the information to the blog. Deadline information, scholarships, and
academic engagement opportunities make up the majority of the content. HTML brings added
value to the posts with the inclusion of images, video, and links to external sites, documents,
and policies and procedures. A related blog, seamless in appearance posts jobs submitted by
employers to the Career & Transfer Center. Many posts are repeated on a quarterly cycle and
for efficiency, they can be copied, altered slightly and reposted. Currently the majority of the
cyclical posts and all of the employment opportunities are completed by a Work Study students
while other Student Services Staff are free to develop and post independently on topics
relevant to the blog’s function.
The WCC Career and Academic Advising Blog can be found at:
https://wccadvising.wordpress.com/
You can follow our Whatcom Community College Advising Facebook Page: at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Whatcom-Community-College-Advising/351436444891807
And we tweet at @WCCAdvising

White Elephant Conversation
Author: Jason Babcock
Email: jbabcock@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Director Learning Resource Center/math instructor
At our college, many of the conversations about diversity and pluralism were taking place
among the students and staff who hold non-dominant social identities. This meant that
conversations about inclusion and social justice were taking place in diversity committees and
multicultural centers. After attending a diversity workshop, an affinity group of “middle-aged
white men” shared how infrequently they engaged in conversations about diversity or inclusion
on campus. As an outcome of this workshop, the affinity group agreed to meet again to talk
about diversity.
In subsequent meetings, it became apparent that the white men lacked opportunities to
engage in conversations about diversity. It was safer and easier to remain silent than it was to
enter into discourses that were unfamiliar. Group members recognized that many did not even
have adequate vocabularies for participation in conversations regarding diversity. Without
these opportunities or vocabularies diversity conversations were effectively an “elephant in the
room” for white men.
One of the members happened to have some experience in multicultural issues from graduate
coursework. This person agreed to share readings by Beverly Tatum, Edward Said, and Claude
Steele that introduced theoretical frameworks of identity, “otherness”, and stereotype threat.
The readings and vocabulary were appreciated by members of the affinity group and the idea
of presenting these concepts to the campus was developed.
A presentation was developed for the all-campus professional development day and over forty
faculty and staff attended. All attendees were asked to identify one individual in the
presentation they would sit down with in the following two weeks to practice using the
vocabulary surrounding identity. After two weeks, all attendees were emailed to see if they had
managed to sit down with a coworker to talk about diversity on campus. Many responded that
they had, and that the conversations were refreshing. Those that did not were offered coffee
and a conversation with the presenter. Five individuals accepted the offer and engaged in
explicit conversations about diversity with the presenter.
The workshop has established individuals on campus who are available to help navigate issues
of diversity, and the presenter has had faculty and staff ask about how to navigate sensitive
diversity issues in the workplace. The conversation has also worked to integrate those with
dominant social identities into conversations about how the campus can be a more inclusive
environment for all.

Why a Name Tag?
Author: John Baker
Email: jbaker3@whatcom.ctc.edu
Position: Interim Vice President for Student Services
Maybe, because we want people to know who we are?
Maybe, because we want a campus that is open and friendly?
Maybe, because we want to give students permission to know us?
Maybe, because we love the community in college?
Maybe, because we understand that 1/3 of students are first in their families to enter college?
Maybe, because we understand students are frightened when they first come onto campus?
Maybe, because we seek conversation with those we work and serve with?
Maybe, because we are learners?
Maybe, because we want a campus that is free of bigotry and violence?
Maybe, because we want students to know this is their college?
Maybe, because we know that one solid connection with a college employee improves a
student’s chance of success at college?
Maybe, because we respect and love ourselves and those we get to serve?
Just maybe?

Signature Pages
Kelly Bashaw Date
Kerri Holferty Date
Kathy Barnes Date
Amy Hammons Date
Betsy Hasegawa Date
Yusuke Okazaki Date
David Klaffke Date
Julie Hagin Date
Barbara Leveque Date

Lucas Nydam Date
Leslie Clark Date
Michael Singletary Date
John Baker Date
Sukhdip Singh Date
Brian Davidson Date
Jason Babcock Date

Whatcom Community College District Board of Trustees
Tim Douglas, Chair
Chuck Robinson, Vice Chair
Steve Adelstein
Sue Cole
Barbara Rofkar
Dr. Kathi Hiyane-Brown, President

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