Presidents honored despite open campus

Despite the fact that Monday is a federal holiday, MHCC will be open for a regular instructional day due to historical reasons, according to Cassie McVeety, vice president of college advancement.

Officially named Washington’s Birthday, referring to George Washington whose birthday is Feb. 22, Presidents Day was established by Congress in 1971 mandating every third Monday in February as a holiday.

Although George Washington was the first American to be honored, the purpose of the holiday is not to celebrate a particular president, but the office of the presidency.

Although Presidents Day is a federal holiday, some businesses stay open. This may result in other community colleges being closed depending on their academic calendar, said McVeety.

Portland, Clackamas and Chemeketa community colleges are open. Clark Community College will be closed.

McVeety added, “According to long-time employees, the college has historically been open for Presidents Day.”

Cathy Nichols, president of the Classified Employees Association, said “In our recollection, we have only have had it off when we have had a furlough day, which is a college mandated closure.”

The MHCC District Board is responsible for this decision on Presidents Day. The process begins with MHCC’s President’s Cabinet recommending an academic calendar, this is reviewed by the Board, which then gives final approval to the calendar, according to McVeety.

Another factor that affects this federal holiday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. MHCC is either closed on MLK day or Presidents Day.

“Historically,” McVeety said, “the academic calendar each year has been set with input from each of the employee associations.” This also includes many other factors to be in consideration with “the number of Monday holidays that would impact Monday and Wednesday classes,” McVeety continued.

MHCC students and staff should acknowledge President’s Day as an instructional day based on the historic pattern and the fact that the academic and annual calendar has already been established and “published with MLK Day as the holiday,” McVeety said.