By Celeste McLaughlin
A 17-year veteran of Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC), Bonnie Clark, Ed.D., M.S., has been named vice president of distance education/provost, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.
The campus, located adjacent to Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) on Mansfield Blvd., opened just two years ago and is experiencing rapid growth.
Before replacing the Porter Campus’ original Provost, Dr. Stanley Giannet, Ph.D. last month, Dr. Clark was VP of Instruction and Provost of PHSC’s West campus, located in New Port Richey. Her many years at the school have included roles in both the student services side of PHSC’s operations (such as registration, advising and financial aid), as well as the academic side.
Dr. Clark earned her Doctor of Education degree in College Leadership in 2013 from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology, which she received in 1992 from Gannon University in Erie, PA, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Mercyhurst College, also in Erie, which she earned in 1984.
She says she enjoyed her undergraduate experience so much that she wanted to work for Mercyhurst College after she graduated.
“I love this atmosphere,” she recalls thinking, as she began her lifelong career in higher education.
“Every job I’ve done has prepared me for the next one, and I’ve loved all my jobs,” Dr. Clark says. “But, my favorite role was opening the Spring Hill campus of PHSC. Like Dr. Giannet did here at the Porter campus, I got the phenomenal opportunity to hire staff and really create a culture. Because the entire staff was starting something new, we really had the feeling of being tight-knit and ‘all in this together,’” she recalls.
Clark says because the Porter Campus is so new, she senses a similar culture here.
“I’ve only been here a week,” she said at our press time, “but everyone has been so welcoming, and the people I’m meeting with seem very dedicated, and I’m pleased with their work.”
As far as working at the Porter campus is concerned, she says, “It’s larger than the one I came from, and we’re growing by leaps and bounds. So, the challenges here are things like being sure we have enough classroom space and enough courses for our students.”
She adds, “The student has to be the most important person here at PHSC,” explaining that without the students, there’s no need for the school to exist. After the students, the faculty members are the ones who see the students every day and need to be supported, so Dr. Clark must be sure that all faculty members have what they need to do their jobs.
Clark says PHSC has a high percentage of 18-20 year olds, with many students coming from Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’Lakes, and North Tampa (including New Tampa). She says because the campus is so easy to get to from I-75 and S.R. 54, it may draw students away from other campuses that aren’t as accessible.
She notes that about half the students at the campus are working toward an Associate of Arts degree, while others are working toward certificate programs such as nursing. PHSC’s Porter Campus offers both Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) programs.
The campus also currently offers two bachelors degrees, a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BAS) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing. PHSC meets the high demand for skilled nurses in the community by offering a fully online program where RNs can complete their BS degree.
Dr. Clark says it was through meeting with community leaders that the school realized an online-only program would best suit the needs of the community.
“I’m looking forward to meeting more people in the community,” she says, “and getting involved with the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and making connections.”
She says that even though PHSC went from being a “community college” to a “state college” at about the time the Porter Campus opened, the school’s leadership has been careful to make sure that serving the local community remains a primary focus of activities at the Porter Campus.
“Community is in our mission, even though it’s no longer in our name,” Dr. Clark says.
The Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch of PHSC is located at 2727 Mansfield Blvd. For more information about all of the degree programs at the school, visit PHSC.edu.
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