Clackamas Community College

Who We Are

Purpose

Creating lifetime opportunities for success through responsive education.

Mission

To serve the people of the college district with high quality education and training opportunities that are accessible to all students, adaptable to changing needs, and accountable to the community we serve.

The college’s mission is implemented with a commitment to being accessible, adaptable, and accountable.

The college endeavors to be accessible by:

  • Maintaining an open-door admissions policy
  • Keeping tuition and fees as low as possible and maintaining financial aid programs
  • Informing our public about available programs and services
  • Encouraging student success through appropriate course placement, effective instructional strategies, recognition of diversity of learning styles and commitment to student support
  • Surmounting the geographical, physical, educational, psychological and financial barriers that exist for district citizens
  • Encouraging free and open exchange of thoughts and ideas
  • Welcoming students and staff of diverse backgrounds and cultures.

CCC is:

  • Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  • A publicly supported, community- based organization, governed by a locally elected Board of education
  • Operating within available resources from student tuition and fees, local property taxes, state funds, and additional resource development activities (i.e., state and federal grants, individual and corporate gifts, etc.)

The college endeavors to be adaptable by:

  • Asking district citizens, businesses and other community groups what programs and services are needed
  • Maintaining flexibility in planning, budgeting, programming and staffing practices so resources can be shifted as needs change
  • Cooperating with other organizations to respond to common challenges
  • Maintaining instructional and student support programs which recognize the diversity of learning and cultural styles
  • Building productive partnerships with business and industry

The college endeavors to be accountable by:

  • Maintaining appropriate standards of performance for all programs, courses and services
  • Involving citizens in the budget process, the planning process and in program development and review
  • Conducting regular performance reviews for all college staff members
  • Continuing efforts to make the most effective use of college resources
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs and services by measuring student outcomes

Ethics

Clackamas Community College is dedicated to personal growth and academic excellence. Each member of the college community—students and staff alike—shall strive to:

  • Recognize the inherent goodness of all people and honor the humanity that joins us
  • Practice personal and academic integrity, respecting the dignity, rights and property of all persons
  • Encourage diversity, striving to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions
  • Demonstrate concern for others, their feelings and their needs, and treat them as we wish to be treated ourselves

Goals

The college has established the following goals to guide our planning:

Breadth of service
By responding effectively to the needs of our varied constituencies

Quality of education
By striving to achieve the highest quality of teaching, learning and student success

Commitment to values
By aligning our organizational systems to the achievement of our Institutional Values

A healthy organization
By promoting a strong sense of community with a commitment to communication, continuous learning and improvement

Resources to succeed
By securing and sustaining human and financial resources and facilities to fulfill our mission

Values

In order to ensure quality service to our community and students and a fulfilling work environment for our staff,
we subscribe to the following institutional values:

Community

The college staff holds the institution in trust for the citizens of the district. We believe that:

  • Our service and instruction shall always strive to meet the highest standards
  • The college exists in a dynamic environment that encourages innovation, self-evaluation and continuous improvement
  • The preservation of the college in the pursuit of its mission must take priority over individual concerns while safeguarding the rights and dignity of staff or students
  • Academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas are essential elements of the college

Students

The college exists to enable students to earn a college education, to prepare for the world of work and to learn how to learn. We believe that:

  • Students can grow toward full potential as they experience the joys of discovery and participate in the rigors of study
  • All students possess inner resources which can be developed and refined
  • Students have the right to enroll in classes appropriate to their ability levels
  • Students must take an active role in their own learning to make their educational experiences meaningful
  • Students should respect the diversity and dignity of all persons

Staff

All college personnel must contribute to and support the educational mission of the college. We believe that:

  • Every staff member is a problem solver, with the right and the responsibility to identify and resolve issues they encounter on the job
  • Staff members must develop and maintain a strong interest in the growth of students and the community we serve
  • Effective communication and cooperation among staff members is necessary to fulfill the college mission
  • Staff members are responsible for seeking opportunities for continued professional growth
  • The college is responsible for providing professional development opportunities for staff
  • Each staff member is entitled to fair and honest treatment by the college

Diversity

The college is committed to building awareness of cultural diversity on our campus and in our community. We believe in:

  • Respecting the inherent right of all persons to live with dignity and freedom
  • Respecting individual rights of expression
  • Setting a standard for the larger community by promoting tolerance, communication and understanding among people with differing beliefs, color, gender, cultures and backgrounds
  • Encouraging affirmative action for students and staff
  • Providing opportunities (curriculum development, art exhibits, theatrical presentations, special events) for increasing our awareness of cultural differences and personal lifestyle preferences within our college and the community

Environment

The college accepts responsibility as a steward of the environment. In all areas of the college’s operations, we will be proactive in protecting the environment. Our educational role is not only to teach environmental principles but also to model appropriate environmental behaviors. To implement our role, we will:

  • Encourage students and staff to practice behaviors consistent with the preservation of a clean and safe environment
  • Minimize the creation of waste and repair, reuse, and recycle materials whenever possible
  • Provide facilities that are safe and free from environmental hazards
  • Use the most energy efficient systems available in the physical operation of the college and make energy conservation a priority when planning new facilities and retrofitting existing facilities
  • Purchase earth-friendly products whenever feasible and consider environmental effects when we plan investments in buildings, equipment, maintenance and repairs
  • Maintain a landscape that provides opportunities for environmental awareness, learning and enjoyment by using the most environmentally compatible methods available for upkeep
  • Evaluate our own performance through formal audits and by listening carefully to the observations of employees and others on ways we can improve

Decision Making

The college maintains an open and inclusive organizational structure that enables all members of staff to participate in the decision-making process. We believe that:

  • Institutional direction is driven by information received from the staff, the students and the community
  • All employees should have a clear understanding of how they are connected to the decision-making process
  • We achieve a balance of decentralized and centralized decision making
  • We maintain a dynamic and continuous organizational audit with the goal of continuous improvement
  • We are flexible and able to develop contingency plans to adjust to a changing environment
  • We are constantly in the process of defining and dispelling ambiguity but are able to accept a certain amount of uncertainty
  • We are constantly seeking direction from the community in policy and curriculum development