LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: ASG ELECTIONS IN DOUBT

WHERE’S THE VOTE MHCC? FORMER ASG PRESIDENT & OCCSA STATE CHAIR CONCERNED

Hello Mt. Hood Community College!

Congratulations graduating class of 2020!

May your futures shine brighter than you can imagine!

Today I write this letter to The Advocate after hearing the most recent news about the hiring process for ASG Leadership not being run as an election process, but an application for the student position as President and Vice president of ASG for 2020-2021.

As a former student government president seeing the application process for the current student government process is disconcerting.
This isn’t the first time that I have seen the administration tamper with student government processes at Mt. Hood Community College in the past two decades.

The student fee budget is too important to risk losing control of as a Student Union.

This is already a significant concern after the reduction of college offerings and the Budget meeting when ASG was advised to act against their bylaws and remove Co-Curricular funding, but keep Athletics 50% of allocated student fees, unaffected.

My concern with the decisions to push the Student Government in the direction of the current rendition of the nation’s Federal administrative example is excruciatingly glastnost.

The concern with an inability to provide a platform for emergency elections needs to ride on a few factors that need to remain clearly student involved.

At the least, Student Organizations Council needs to remain intact and remain involved with the process, as the clubs who will be the most affected are those who already have an investment in their year of graduation.

This is where that ‘Slippery Slope’ comes in as we need to have a discussion of a reduction in student fees or an addition of equal services provided with the funds from the Student Fee.

Your Co-Curricular and Athletics programs are paid for through Student Funds, and the ASG being hired through the college hiring process brings up a few significant concerns. ASG will need to be paid a fair hourly wage and need to be considered in a potential union support package, since the college will be digesting them.

Reducing Student Fees to reflect the percentage of time administered to any student run groups would be the most fair use since the budget was passed but we are still talking hundreds of thousands of dollars just drying up and going somewhere the board allocates with no input from the students paying for the fee initiated only for Student Life.

But mothballing ASG also has repercussions felt on campus and in your government on a state and federal level as well. One of the proudest moments of my service to MHCC was lobbying for more student dollars and you see the work we did during 2002 in the creation of the Hope Scholarship as Mt. Hood joined the voices of College students around the nation.

And programs that would work toward the future plans of the college’s success and support, like clubs based on Forensics and communications, should be reconsidered a resource for programs like the new Sociology department, not an obstacle.

Thank you for the opportunity.
Nikki Jauron
ASG President & OCCSA State Chair 2001-2002

PAST ASG PRESIDENT ‘DISAPPOINTED’

To Whom It May Concern,

I was recently made aware of a decision that would turn the Associated Student Government (ASG) positions of President and Vice President from student-elected positions into appointed ones.

The positions are supposed to be held by students who focus on making all students’ voices heard in the administration, at the District Board of Education, and down in Salem. By making them appointed positions, they become figureheads and basically mouthpieces for the administration.

This would be a great tragedy for the voice of the students of MHCC.

I acknowledge the current situation with COVID-19 is complicating the process of the election, but it doesn’t mean we don’t try. Community college is supposed to be a time to learn and practice, in a real-world setting, skills that will be used in the future. We don’t just throw away practices backed by the ASMHCC Constitution and Bylaws, because the situation is hard. Would we want that same situation to happen at a local, state, or federal scale? I hope I am wrong, but it seems there is a plan to use a bad situation to limit the students’ voices at MHCC.

I am disappointed in the administration and the ASG for allowing this to happen. As a representative of the students, I am surprised the ASG president is so quiet on this. The duty of the president’s position is to stand up for the students to make sure their voices are heard. I wonder how many students know this is happening. I wonder if anyone has taken the time to explain to the students what it means for a change like this. If anything, has anyone explained who’s on the selection committee and how transparent the selection process is?

I applaud the Advocate for being the student voice as others go silent. I hope enough light can be shone on this situation so the decision can be reversed.

Sincerely,

Stephen Emery
MHCC ASG president 2005-2006
MHCC ASG vice president 2004-2005

A MESSAGE FROM STUDENT LIFE

The Associated Student Government (ASG) has been working to best support students and finding ways to adapt during these unprecedented times. Due to COVID-19, ASG has determined that the best way to move forward with the selection of the 2020-2021 ASG members is through an interview process. A selection committee will be formed of current ASG members, Student Life staff, and MHCC students at large. Our hope is that this group will be able to bring a wide variety of experience and perspective to the selection of the 2020-2021 President and Vice President. If you are interested in serving on the selection committee please contact Rozina Lethe, the Student Leadership & Engagement Coordinator, at [email protected] for more information

We are still accepting applications for all positions on the the 2020-2021 team. If you are interested in this opportunity please visit www.mhcc.edu/ASG/ to learn more or contact Rozina Lethe, the Student Leadership & Engagement Coordinator, at [email protected] for more information.

We hope you are all doing well, and staying safe. Thank you!