Board of Education tackles transit changes

Mt. Hood Community College’s board of directors met Sept. 14 to discuss new reports on the school’s performance and adopt new policies on its own procedures.

Business Intelligence Manager Sergey Shepelov and Accreditation Director Sheri Mosher presented a Key Performance Indicator report, during which Shepelov shared dashboard information accessible to MHCC board members, faculty and staff.

The dashboard is a tool that measures the college’s success in carrying out its strategic plan, and generates reports on how Mt. Hood in relation to its enrollment and educational goals.

Shepelov explained that there are two types of Key Performance Indicators. “Mission KPIs confirm that we’ve achieved the purpose of why we exist,” he said. They measure student success and the quality of education.

Operation KPIs “are to insure that we have adequate resources to achieve our mission,” said Shepelov. He used financial sustainability as an example: It’s important for the college to be financially sustainable, but that’s not the reason for the college’s existence.

A large chunk of the meeting was spent exploring the dashboard. Board members asked questions on how to use it and what types of data could be accessed.

The board then approved a new Head Start policy on gender parity. The program, sited at MHCC, will identify children by the gender they, and their parents wish. Head Start will “use the pronoun of the person’s choice and offer services that acknowledge the person’s needs and expectations” under the new policy, as stated in the board packet.

The change did not spark any debate and was passed within two minutes of being announced.

The board agreed to set aside other proposed policies for more review, including rules on taking college equipment off campus and allowing vaping in designated smoking areas.

“Be sure to read them,” said Susie Jones, the board chair. “If we would have blindly approved those policies, that would have created all sorts of problems on this campus.”

The board did approve two new subcommittees, to take on serious issues before they then report to the full board. One was established to consider another general obligation bond measure, and another to explore the Carver model that would make more use of such subcommittees to address policy changes.

Meantime, board member Sonny Yellott – censured by his colleagues in July over some inflammatory remarks – mentioned his concern over “hostile gangbangers” twice during the meeting.

Michael Calcagno discussed talking about TriMet’s plan for a bus rapid transit route, and latest changes for the line to end at the Gresham Transit Center, rather than at MHCC as previously proposed. Board members agreed to send a letter to TriMet to express their disappointment with the plan to exclude Mt. Hood.

The next scheduled board meeting is Oct. 12.