Students deserve answers on the new budget proposals

The Advocate editorial staff has attempted to elicit answers from MHCC District board members and President Debbie Derr regarding several proposed changes to the school’s operating budget for 2015-16. The final review and approval process will launch in no time; the board of directors – acting as the school’s budget committee – is scheduled to hold an initial public hearing on the budget plan this Tuesday, May 6.

Without clear answers, we feel a decision will be agreed upon before we even have the chance to speak. It should be a given that students are aware of what changes are being made, and most importantly, why.

Indeed, we are the ones most affected by the budget modifications, no matter how minuscule those changes are.

From what we know, there is a proposed $3.50 per-credit hour tuition increase, an $85,000 decrease in the student tuition waiver program, and significant compensation increases for top Mt. Hood managers and administrators and the human resources department.

Many of our questions generated by the proposed budget continue to beg answers.

If student enrollment is declining already, is increasing the financial burden on current and future students really the best way of solving that issue? What about those who don’t qualify for federal student aid because their parents make “too much” money? Should we really decrease the amount of tuition waivers available to offset those increases, rather than better publicizing and utilizing that money? What are those students going to have available to them?

Are we going to further punish students who already have limitations and requirements posed on them by FAFSA and other Financial Aid organizations? It’s not like students can change the fact they must double their credit-hour load, attend summer classes and do what they need to graduate in a ‘timely’ manner. We know this is out of the college’s control, but shouldn’t administrators bring this plight into consideration?

Why do the administrators and managers and HR need the pay increase? Is there so much dissatisfaction with the conditions at MHCC that turnover is a problem? There seems to be little concrete evidence of a huge turnover rate, at least any information shared publicly.

The Aquatic Center has been given its own account. That is supposed to help the facility become more profitable by allowing more freedom to generate revenue.

So, is there a reason we are trying to pinch pockets of students rather than trying to generate money from other sources? Are there legitimate reasons why this idea of “shared sacrifice” is being stressed into all aspects of finances regarding the college? Though there are many staff, board and service members, etc., taking a blow, the appointed lamb to slaughter in this case is the student body.

Of course this premise is harsh, and possibly unfounded in evidence. However, these speculations cannot be proven wrong unless the direct reasons behind tough decisions are communicated to us.

If it’s a simple answer, such as generic inflation of the dollar – which naturally pushes up tuition – why can’t that be communicated?

Need we remind everyone what the third letter stands for in the acronym, MHCC? For the record, we are not Stanford. We are not Princeton. A vital component to what makes a COMMUNITY college unique is the fact that there is substantial communication – a fundamental aspect of a community in general.

In our case of trying to reach out to board officials, we sensed a somewhat strategic avoidance on their part. If communication, especially when not instigated by those who are in command, is severed or downplayed, then expect a retaliation of posed questions.

Now, we would like to make it clear: The Advocate has noticed how increasingly open the administration under Derr has become. Communication has noticeably improved from years past, which makes this situation all the more eerie and all the more confusing. We hope that Mt. Hood administrators will reach out to us and explain. If there is no need for an explanation and we’ve naively blown this out of proportion, we’d like to know!