VP of student learning hired, ‘impressed with’ MHCC

By NIKOLINA HATTON

Paul Hill, interim president for PCC’s Sylvania campus, was hired, Tuesday as MHCC’s new vice president of student learning.

The hire comes after several years of administrative cutbacks.

MHCC President Robert Silverman said there were four vice presidents when he came, and now the hiring of Hill brings the count to two.

“We’ve been cutting back administration; you can only do that so long before things start to break down, so before we break down, before we have a problem, we want to get ahead of the ball game,” Silverman said.

Gary Murph, the college’s chief operating officer who is at the vice president level, said the executive dean of instruction and the executive dean of student services will report to the new position.

Murph said they’ve been reporting to Silverman, and this will free up the president to do more external relations with the community.

Asked why he was interested in the position, Hill said, “I’ve been very impressed with Mt. Hood Community College and the quality of its faculty and staff and its commitment to student learning.”

He said he was “absolutely delighted” when he received word that he had been hired.

“I want to build on the fine tradition that Mt. Hood has and work with the faculty and staff to do more of the great work they’ve already done,” Hill said.

Silverman said they chose Hill because he was the “best qualified.” He said he would bring a lot of experience to the college.

As interim president for the PCC Sylvania campus, Hill oversees all instructional and student development functions and a $31.8 million budget.

He has also served as dean of instruction for two years at the Sylvania campus, according to an MHCC released bio. Hill has also worked at Delta College in Michigan in several capacities. He completed his doctorate at the University of Nebraska, and has a master’s in music from the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Asked what his philosophy would be coming to MHCC, Hill said, “That it’s important for us to focus on what students need and what our community needs.”

He said that will be accomplished through a lot of hard work and by involving as many people as possible.

David Goldberg, director of institutional advancement at PCC, said Hill was wonderful to work with, helpful, supportive, student oriented, and that he “cares about what community colleges are about.” He said he was a good listener who brought a perspective that adds value to a conversation.

About Hill’s interim presidency, he said, “I think he’s done a great job. I think he was committed to not being a place holder,” that he worked with people to get things done, “and I think he’s done that effectively.”

“Paul is a talented administrator and I think he relates well to people,” Goldberg said. He said he thought Hill would “quickly connect.”

Silverman said the new position will hopefully take pressure off those working extra hard to make up for the administration cuts.

“Everybody’s done a great job around here. We have less classified people, we have less administrators, we even have less faculty, so to make up the difference, we’ve all had to work harder,” he said.

But, he said, the impact would be less obvious to students, “It will be more on the administration, more at the very top levels. I don’t see that it will have a great impact on the students.”

But asked about public relations, and if this would free him up for more of that, he said that they had thought about the fact that the college needed more visibility in the community.

Murph said the college was not as well known in the community as they had thought.

Silverman said that with Hill here, “I will be able to spend more time in the community and that will be positive for all of us. If we have a bond, or just generally speaking, if we can get into the community more, it will be better.”