STUDENTS VOICE CONCERNS AT TOWN HALL

On Monday, May 8, the MHCC District Board of Education and President Lisa Skari held a Town Hall session in the Student Union, which offered students a direct pipeline to voice their concerns about the college to the administrators in charge.

Issues raised by students who attended included the lack of food options on campus, the condition of facilities, and the instructor shortage in specific departments, especially the Computer Science and Head Start programs.

Several students were concerned with food options at MHCC. Ever since the COVID shutdown, options have been lacking on campus with the long pause of services at the Vista Dining Hall and the minimal hours the campus café is open for business.

Andrew Speer, District Board chair, noted that with increasing labor costs and the lack of vendors wanting to come on campus, opening and maintaining food options is a challenge that will require a further look.

Acknowledging the lack of dining services, one student mentioned that a planned community garden on the Mt. Hood campus would hopefully open by the end of 2023. The garden’s mission is to provide fresh food to Barney’s Pantry and increase the range of healthy food options on campus.

Another concern discussed was the need for more maintenance of campus bathrooms and other facilities. Students described the number of bathrooms with non-working stalls or sinks. Skari responded that the Mt. Hood Facilities Department is working on a master plan, which will take months to complete, but should help with improving maintenance and other facilities needs.

Staffing shortages have plagued many college departments, and students were especially concerned with the lack of instructors in certain programs.

Board members said that administrators have been aware of the staffing shortages and have been vigorously trying to fill vacant positions and increase the number of instructors in specific departments.

As for the Head Start program, members Annette Mattson and Diane Noriega noted that its federal funding leaves little room to increase compensation for teachers, leading to a lack of candidates for open positions. They said another contributing factor is the recently added Multnomah County program “Preschool for All,” which pays workers significantly more than Head Start.

Overall, to help resolve these problems, Skari and the Board members expressed the need for a new MHCC bond measure to be approved by county voters and for state legislators to help fund repairs at the aging college and help reduce staffing shortages. They said they will continue to focus on an ongoing bond campaign and work to lessen the debt the college is incurring.