New VP at Mt. Hood encourages development

Straight out of college and his early twenties, Waldon Hagan moved 830 miles from Louisiana to a small town in Canaveral, Florida, to begin his new life as a high school teacher.

His most recent career move last year brought him even farther: Nearly 3,000 miles from Virginia to Gresham, where he now serves as MHCC vice president of student development and success.

Hagan has a lot of experience, at more than one level, helping students to achieve and advance – his main job at Mt. Hood.

“My primary responsibility here is to look at what the student experience is, and try to make it the very best student experience we can produce here at the institution,” he said.

He said he is passionate about making sure that all students on campus are treated fairly, not only by their instructors, but by everyone on the faculty and staff at MHCC.

Hagan noted that the Associated Student Government is one of the most formal structures at Mt. Hood that introduces students to the concept of leadership and developing groups that are motivating students towards action, goals and reaching it.

Student activities and various clubs and organizations on campus also give student the opportunity to practice leadership and teamwork, and on how to set a goal as well as reach it.

“We have lots of opportunities and experiences here for students to engage that will give them some very good skills, and that will prepare them for almost anything they want to do,” he said.

He said he strongly believes that students should take advantage of the various campus groups. “One of my first leadership opportunities was probably being president of my fraternity,” he said.

Hagan graduated from the University of Memphis with his master’s degree in counseling and a doctorate in educational psychology and research.

He put his training to use when he was given an administrative role in the college of education at Memphis. He won a faculty appointment there and began to teach students pursuing their own master’s and doctorates, for eight years.

Later he served at an institution in Virginia, before moving to Oregon.

At MHCC, Hagan plans to start a curriculum for student life and activities in order to structure them on campus. He wishes to better assess and measure how big of a role faculty members play in helping students to develop things such as the ability to control their own emotions.

“That’s an important trait to have. Not only in the context of higher education, but especially when you get into the line of work,” he explained.

Hagan said he believes students should develop a sense of identity, integrity and value while at MHCC. “I think the curriculum will allow us to touch some of the developmental issues I think we should be touching in college,” he said.

Along with MHCC’s president, Debbie Derr, Hagan said he hopes a successful general obligation bond measure this May is going to address the college’s critical issues in many ways, particularly the building of a new workforce training center and expanding the Maywood Park campus in Northeast Portland.

His interest in the bond is to better the life of students’ experience at MHCC.

He tries to help that cause in person, whenever he can.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have time to walk around all the time, but when I do walk around, I do get to say ‘Hi’ to students and just say, ‘Glad you’re here,’ or ‘Welcome,’” said Hagan.

Advocate Staff