BUDGET APPROVAL, AWARDS, UPDATES

On April 17, the MHCC District Board – acting as the college’s formal budget committee – approved the proposed operating 2019-20 budget for Mt. Hood.

In the following regular session, one board member received their associate’s degree; the MHCC Head Start program provided updates and training to the board; and board members gave updates on their recent work.

BUDGET COMMITTEE

Jim Zordich, budget committee chair, moved to adopt the MHCC operating budget, totaling $165.5 million, including the general fund budget in the amount of $77.9 million, and all other budgets in the amount of $87.6 million.

The motion was adopted with only brief discussion. Mt. Hood President Lisa Skari said there were no updates on state funding (which could affect the budget cycle), and budget director Jennifer DeMent said an administrative budget team is working to fill the college’s funding deficit. The board approved the budget unanimously.

The budget committee then approved the 2019-20 MHCC District property tax levy, which must go through an additional public hearing process over the next 60 days.

BOARD MEETING

John Hamblin, executive dean of student development, entered the board room carrying a cap and gown. He pretended to start prepping the board for commencement protocols in June, and had board member Annette Mattson model the cap and gown. But then, he began explaining the idea of reverse transfer for students.

The Reverse Transfer program allows students who have transferred to a four-year university, to apply for graduation to receive their associate’s degree once they’ve completed all required credits, even if those credits to fulfill the two-year degree requirement were finished at a university.

It turns out that Mattson, a former MHCC student, had applied for her degree through the reverse transfer program. And so she received her diploma at the meeting. Mattson said when she was a student, she was just focused on finishing her education, but in retrospect one of her biggest regrets was not formally graduating at MHCC.

Zordich got to do one of his favorite things: hand out an MHCC alumni pin, this time to Mattson (he can always be found with them in his shirt pocket to pass out). Mt. Hood’s mascot Barney arrived to celebrate the occasion and pose for photos with her.

(To learn more about the reverse transfer program, visit mhcc.edu/ReverseTransfer.)

Skari then recognized this year’s outstanding MHCC support staff award recipients.

Angelique Kauffman, career pathways career coach with WorkSource Portland Metro; Kelly Gernhart, administrative coordinator with the Performing Arts department; and Graham Phillips, adviser in the Academic Advising and Transfer Center, were each recognized and honored with a $500 stipend from the MHCC Foundation.

The board then received a briefing from Head Start representatives. They reviewed funding rules, how many families the campus branch serves, and explained the board’s oversight role. Minutes later, the board approved the ratified 2019-20 Head Start contract.

In closing reports, Mattson said she emailed the district’s legislative representatives in Salem to advocate for more community college funding. She also complimented the Foundation’s recent alumni fundraiser at the Mt. Hood Planetarium.

Zordich congratulated Heather White, library technical services coordinator for MHCC, being accepted to the Open Textbook Network’s inaugural cohort for formal certification in OER librarianship.

Bob Hansen, ASG president, highlighted upcoming events and announced that there’s going to be an end of the school year celebration on May 30 called Barney’s Bash. It is scheduled to be a daylong event, including a movie showing and a dance to end the night.

Kim Sharer, classified employee union head, said there will be a new online course catalog for the 2019-20 academic year by the end of April. It was presented as easy to use, always correct, and saving 150 hours of work per year on mass publication of a print version.

Skari shared her continued efforts to advocate for more community college funding from the state. She also said she attended the ASG presentations for the 2019-20 president and vice president positions, and was very impressed and proud.

 Near the close of the meeting, board member Tamie Arnold suggested the board look further at the potential of adopting OER resources at Mt. Hood, after seeing other colleges work towards becoming 100% OER schools. Skari said administrators can work to come up with a comprehensive discussion to address the proposal.

The board’s May work session is May 1 at 6 p.m. and its regular meeting is May 15 at 6:30 p.m., both set for the MHCC board room. District board elections for the upcoming 2019-23 terms are May 21. Zone 3, Zone 5, and both at-large positions in the district are to be voted on by the public.