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Editorial
Despite crisis, focus on the positive
While the country struggles for air and MHCC continues to lose its life-blood with each passing budget revision, we as a college and a country must remember to remain positive, and know that this financial “crisis” is not the end of mankind as we know it. So, while this may be a dark time for the United States and MHCC, let’s take the time to look at some of the positives
• So far, there has been no real discussion of a tuition increase by the college.
Financial problems and money borrowed at levels of epic proportions affect everyone from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to students of all ages. And while the economy slowly continues to falter and crumble at the foundation, the state of Oregon, particularly Oregon’s education, have taken huge monetary hits. Sen. Ron Wyden expressed his displeasure at the revised U.S. stimulus package that was passed last week, particularly because of the cuts to Oregon’s education system. The package was revised with billions in reductions so that Senate Republicans would vote for it at the last minute — but at what cost? Thanks in large part to State Sen. Rod Monroe’s work during legislative meetings, there were no additional cuts for the current year beyond the $600,000 removed from MHCC’s budget in January.
• So far, there has been no real discussion regarding cutting programs.
Since most community colleges carry specialized programs in their curriculum, and these programs aren’t cheap, there are a relatively small number of students using up a relatively large amount of classroom funding. Dental hygiene, Chrysler CAP, and cosmetology are only a few of the programs with a small number of students whose cost is greater than average classes such as, for instance, English.
Granted, some of the programs find ways to get their own funding (Chrysler CAP picked up $6,000 in grant money earlier this school year) but the cost still looms. However, no administrators or faculty members have discussed reducing funding or laying off instructors in any programs, and logically, the expensive programs would be some of the first targets on the fund-cutting block. But due to the amount of care shown by faculty and administrators in keeping students the number one priority, these programs may not end up seeing much of a loss, which is great news considering MHCC’s current budget climate.
• Community colleges may end up seeing as high as double-digit enrollment growth in the next two years.
While a reduction in state support of as much as $4 million per year is anticipated in this fiscal biennium, community colleges are looking at having large increases in enrollment due mostly to a large shortfall in financial aid, and the cheaper overall cost for pursuit of a degree as opposed to attending a four-year university. Couple this with the fact that set tuition increases that have already been agreed upon in previous years are rather manageable, and the possibility of MHCC digging itself out of its budget problems are increased. Of course, more faculty will probably need to be hired, but overall an increase in student population can only help the college raise itself to a higher stratosphere of excellence, rather than struggle against the possibility of becoming increasingly more mediocre.