Responding to a Time of Disruption and Opportunity
Message from Executive Director Ben Cannon
Congratulations to the thousands of inspiring graduates who completed their degrees and certificates this month, and thanks to all the educators, family, and friends who supported them in reaching this milestone.
This newsletter contains updates on several exciting recent developments at the HECC, including the development of our agency's 2023-25 budget recommendation, expansion of youth workforce programming, the approval of Oregon's first applied baccalaureate degrees at the community college level, and more. For my message this month, I draw your attention to some powerful words and presentations that have been shared with us lately.
I am honored to include in this newsletter the commencement address given by HECC Commission Chair Terry Cross at the Oregon Institute of Technology commencement on June 11, 2022. I recommend it not only to our graduates, but to our wider community as well. Chair Cross speaks to this remarkable and difficult moment in history to build a sense of shared experience, community, and commitment to positive change.
At its June meeting, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission was able to hear and discuss an important presentation on U.S. wealth disparities and student debt, presented by Dr. Louise Seamster. Dr. Seamster is an Assistant Professor in Sociology and Criminology and African American Studies at the University of Iowa (with a courtesy appointment in the College of Law), and a Nonresident Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. The presentation was originally made to the Joint Task Force On Student Success for Underrepresented Students in Higher Education during a recent hearing focused on affordability in Oregon. In her presentation, Dr. Seamster starkly illustrates the way the common narrative of the economic benefits of higher education masks severe inequalities in student debt burden for students of color. I encourage all our partners to view and consider this important research, which must inform our thinking about just, equitable strategies for financing of postsecondary education and supporting the promise of economic mobility that is not being fairly realized today.
Also at our June meeting, as part of our series of invited testimony from diverse community members on meeting the postsecondary education needs of Oregonians, I'd like to share the presentation of a truly remarkable student, Jasi Swick of Southern Oregon University. Thank you to Jasi for sharing her inspiring story and insights on success for indigenous students.
And thanks to all of you for your continued engagement.
Oregon Institute of Technology Commencement Address, June 11, 2022, by Terry L. Cross
You may also view a video of this commencement address, and the full commencement, here and below. Terry Cross is introduced at 35:15 and his remarks begin at 38:25.
"Good morning graduates, parents, loved ones, educators, staff, and other witnesses of this joyous event. Graduates, my words today are for you, and I hope you will take them with the sense of honor that I hope to convey. For truly I want to honor what you have accomplished by reaching this moment.
At some point in the recent past each of you decided to seek a college degree, to submit yourself to a process of self-discovery and intellectual development... (and probably considerable debt).
You chose Oregon Institute of Technology, a university that has been described to me as an oasis where students feel safe to explore, grow, and simply ‘be’ in a world in which discerning the truth and testing your identity can be daunting and for some even dangerous. OIT is a prestigious institution and the degree that you have earned is truly valued here in Oregon and elsewhere.
When you began your studies here, none of you could have predicted what would unfold in the world as you worked toward your degrees. The circumstances of 2020 ‘shattered’ all our expectations. As one student put it, the pandemic was ‘super unexpected.’ It would test everyone, and you, as students, would be tested in a myriad of ways. It is said that unanticipated hardships are the most difficult to manage. They are also the most likely to negatively impact morale. The Peace Corp used to have a tag line that went, ‘Join the Peace Corp, the toughest job you’ll ever love.’ They were trying to prepare people for the hardships in front of them. They knew that when people anticipate a challenge, they are better prepared for it. None of us had that advantage with this pandemic. It hit fast and it hit hard.
Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain. It is tension resulting from demanding circumstances or adversity. That’s college. Trauma is a deeply disturbing or distressing experience, an emotional shock, or a life-threatening experience. Stress can become traumatic when it is unmitigated or unmanaged, when it’s chronic, oppressive, or dehumanizing or when it is collective, as we have all experienced with COVID-19.
The pandemic has been a collective trauma. But it was not the only collective trauma we have faced recently… violence, racial injustice, insurrection, war, draught, wildfire, climate change, and economic uncertainty have all strained the seams of our social fabric and they threaten to dismember our social norms. Theda Newbreast of the Blackfeet Nation says that when collective trauma dismembers our world, as colonialism did to our Indigenous peoples, our job is ‘re-membering.’ The double meaning is intentional. We put ourselves back together by remembering who we truly are.
As you prepare to embark on the next phase of your journey you face an uncertain world… chaos, hostility, inflation, a volatile stock market, the threat of gun violence, and not knowing what the next COVID variant will bring. These circumstances are giving us emotional whiplash in ways that most of us have never experienced before.
Despite all of this, or perhaps because of it, you are the class of resilience. You are adaptive. You are dedicated. You are strong. We know this because you are here today. In the spring of 2020, you made the pivot to online learning, you shifted to evening classes, you multitasked, managing life, child rearing, internships, jobs, health, and self-care, all while in isolation. You faced uncertainty, not sure what would happen next. But most importantly, you learned from it. You learned new and important skills for a changed world. You gained strength. You earned a degree.
I am a grey hair. I speak to you today humbly as an elder in my Haudenosaunee culture and, some would say, in higher education. I want you to know that while your experiences have been unique, you are not the first to face turmoil and uncertainty. Life and change, and indeed our entire human experience occurs in patterns and cycles. This is one of the teachings of my culture. All concentrations of systemic power change with disruption like the earthquakes that occur with the shifting of tectonic plates. We are now in one of those times of disruption. How we handle it will determine our future.
In my youth we faced assassinations, racial injustices and riots, an unjust war, and more. In my parents’ generation it was the Depression, the Second World War, and the Holocaust. For my grandparents it was the Great War, the 1918 flu pandemic, and tuberculosis. And before that it was settler colonialism, killing 80 percent of our population and taking 99 percent of our land. I raise these past episodes not to diminish what you are experiencing now but to affirm that collective trauma does recur in cycles and patterns over time, and we get through it.
What will the future be like? ‘We won’t know until we get there’, said one of the OIT students I spoke with in preparation for this address. You are emerging into a grey zone between disruption and normalcy, but it will be a new normal which will never be quite like it was before the pandemic.
Finding a preferred future will depend on making decisions to act jointly… to seek balance between competing interests… to release the energy of tectonic shifts in manageable shocks.
Change is inevitable. You can count on it. And, you have a choice. You can act on it or simply let it act on you.
Will you choose to use your newly minted degree to contribute to the common good and to help create balanced sustainable changes, or will you watch others shape the path ahead for you? You see, we can manage this time of disruption poorly (as we are seeing evidence of today), or we can do better if we use our knowledge and skills working together to create a more harmonious and civil society. Borrowing from Leonard Cohen’s song Anthem,‘There is a crack in everything.’ But ‘It’s how the light gets in.’ You can be that light!
I urge you to choose the path of the ‘Good Mind,’ a Haudenosaunee concept that calls on us to use our discernment to sort truth from rhetoric and to assert our highest selves.
Lead with kindness, respect, restraint, and compassion.
Balance personal interests with the common good, in thought and deed.
Know that those who came before you, your family, your ancestors, all faced their own uncertainties and still made a place for you to become vital, whole, contributing beings.
Today you make this transition better prepared than when you got here, for whatever comes. Many people likely helped make that possible, but… you are the ones that persevered to make it here today. Congratulations!
I am honored to say in my language,‘Nya:weh Sge:no’, 'I give thanks to see that you are well.’ Now, in conclusion, I charge you with this, go forth and 'remember a better future’ for all of us."
Budget Development Process Advances for 2023-25, Thanks to Partner Input
The HECC continues to refine its potential budget recommendations for the 2023-2025 biennium for the higher education and workforce system. At its June public meetings, Deputy Director Ramona Rodamaker provided an update on the development of 25 proposals for new funding—known as policy option packages—introduced here, and detailed here. Some of the key proposals under development are related to:
- Oregon Tribal Student Grant: funding to secure ongoing funding for a program established in 2022 aimed to eliminate college affordability barriers and foster college success for students who are registered members of Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes.
- Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) and Oregon Promise: funding to expand and modify Oregon’s key financial aid programs, increasing OOG award amounts to cover more of the total costs of college costs using a tiered approach based on income, expanding OOG eligibility to support more students, and supporting students near completion. This package would also expand the Oregon Promise to university students, remove GPA requirements, and other refinements.
- Student Equity: New funding to carry out the pending recommendations of the Joint Legislative Task Force on Student Success for Underrepresented Students in Higher Education established by HB 2590 (2021), which is engaged in a historic statewide tour of public postsecondary institutions in Oregon hearing student and community input on the barriers faced by students of color and other underserved populations.
- Public University Support Fund and Community College Support Fund: funding for operational and educational expenses at 24 public institutions in Oregon to mitigate the need for tuition increases and support student success.
In August, the Commission will review and adopt the HECC’s Agency Request Budget, which will be subsequently advanced to the Governor for consideration. The HECC appreciates all partner and community input received so far, and will continue to seek input and refine the proposals prior to the August commission meeting.
Partners: Please Encourage Current and Prospective Students to Apply for Financial Aid for 2022-23. There is Still Time.
Encourage students to complete the FAFSA or ORSAA today
Oregon students are at risk of leaving money for college behind. To access many federal and state college funding programs, students must first submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or an Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA). As summer commences and many high school seniors cross the stage to receive their diploma, please encourage them to apply for aid if they have not already done so. It’s not too late! Adults and continuing students are also encouraged to apply. According to the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), Oregon’s High School Class of 2021 left over $33 million in Pell grant dollars on the table.
Completing the FAFSA or ORSAA is 100% FREE and help is available. Any Oregonian interested in postsecondary education or training, should apply to determine their financial aid eligibility. The 2022-23 FAFSA and ORSAA uses income information from 2020 and both applications are open. The 2023-24 FAFSA and ORSAA will open on October 1, 2022. To support students, start here.
The Federal Student Aid program has a great getting started page as well as a contact us page and OSAC has a contact us page, where you can submit an email based on the support needed or call for support at 1 (800) 452-8807. The Financial Aid Office at the college you are considering is a great starting place for questions and support as well. It’s not too late, but now is the time to take action.
Newly-launched Oregon Conservation Corps and Oregon Youth Employment Programs Have Awarded $14 million, Thanks to 2021 Legislative Investments
We are pleased to report that the HECC has awarded roughly $14 million in grant funding to support the implementation of two new youth workforce development programs, the Oregon Conservation Corps (OCC) and Oregon Youth Employment Program (OYEP), thanks to the Legislature's 2021 investments through HB 2092 and SB 762. These investments are expected to support more than 1,000 youth through June 30, 2023. Both programs focus on reaching youth from underserved and underrepresented populations, finding skill gaps, and increasing opportunities for career success through essential employability skills training.
Over $6 million has been awarded to Oregon’s nine (9) local workforce and development boards for the Oregon Youth Employment Program. Local Workforce Boards will use OYEP funds to offer meaningful paid work experiences to youth – such as internships, apprenticeships, summer jobs, etc. and workforce preparation to Oregonians across the state, ages 14-24. Oregon Conservation Corps program administrators have awarded almost $8 million to youth workforce service partners. Through collaboration with the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State Fire Marshall’s office and other community partners, prioritized service locations have been identified and OCC fuel reduction projects have already begun. The map below shows where stewardship and recovery efforts are taking place.
In addition to launching the OCC and OYEP programs, the Office of Workforce Investments (OWI) Oregon Youth Works’ streamlined efforts have doubled Oregon Youth Corps’ financial capacity to offer additional programming and brought the DHS-TANF Youth Employment and WIOA Youth programs under OWI’s Oregon Youth Works portfolio. In total, these achievements have increased OWI Oregon Youth Works grant fund opportunities by approximately $22 million.
Academic Program Approvals for June Include the First Applied Baccalaureate Programs to be Offered at Oregon Community Colleges
In 2019, Senate Bill 3 authorized "Applied Baccalaureate"(AB) programs to be offered at Oregon’s 17 Community Colleges. Applied Baccalaureates are workforce-oriented bachelor's degrees that prepare Oregonians for high-value careers with Oregon’s most active employers and industries. Both first-time students and returning learners now have another way to move up in the workforce by earning a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in an AB program at their local community college.
On June 9, 2022 the Commission approved the first two Bachelor of Applied Science Degrees to be offered at Oregon community colleges. Specifically, the Commission approved a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Applied Leadership and Management at Chemeketa Community College and a BAS degree in Cybersecurity at Mt. Hood Community College.
The HECC manages the process by which community colleges may pursue HECC‘s approval for applied baccalaureate programs. The Commission uses a multi-phased program approval process for these degrees to promote transparency, collaboration, and deliberation in the development. At the June meeting, it also approved Phase One of Lane Community College’s proposed new BAS degree in Business, as well as two public university degree programs noted below. Learn more about these programs in the June 9 meeting materials here.
Academic Program Approvals, June 2022
Community Colleges:
- Chemeketa Community College: Phase Three: Applied Leadership and Management BAS
- Lane Community College: Phase One: Business BAS
- Mt. Hood Community College: Phase Three: Cybersecurity BAS
Public Universities:
- Portland State University, P.M.S. in Applied Geoscience
- Southern Oregon University, B.A./B.S. in Music Industry & Production Studies
Introducing new HECC Commissioners Natalie Arnot, Fernando Rojas-Galván, and Emily Simnitt
Please join us in welcoming three new commissioners: Natalie Arnot, Fernando Rojas-Galván, and Emily Simnitt who were nominated by Governor Brown and confirmed by the Oregon Senate on June 1, 2022. Their service on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission will officially begin July 1, 2022.
Natalie Arnot (she/her) is a student at Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT), and she was appointed to a student position on the HECC. Natalie Arnot grew up in Beaverton, Oregon, and is now an incoming junior, double majoring in civil engineering and environmental sciences at Oregon Tech, Klamath Falls campus. Commissioner Arnot is going on her second year serving on the Associate Students of OIT (OIT student body government), where she will be serving as Academic Affairs Officer for 2022-23, and she has been involved in other campus wide committees. She is also involved in the Klamath Falls community through maintaining the local community arboretum. Since being diagnosed with a learning disability, Commissioner Arnot has been passionate about connecting with people and advocating for individuals’ uniqueness in the school setting.
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Fernando Rojas-Galván is an instructor of Spanish, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Developmental English at Clatsop Community College (CCC), and an educator for 24 years and counting. He is appointed to serve in the community college faculty position for the HECC. Commissioner Rojas-Galván was raised in Hood River and The Dalles, Oregon. He began college studies at Portland Community College, later earning BA degrees in Political Science (University of Portland), Secondary Education (College of Santa Fe), and an MA degree in Spanish/Border Studies (University of New Mexico). During the summer of 2021, he embarked on a 1400-mile bicycle ride through Oregon visiting 16 of the 17 community colleges as a fundraiser for the CCC Foundation to raise scholarship money to reduce the cost of textbooks. He spends his free time reading, running, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and biking the many roads and hills of Oregon.
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Emily Simnitt teaches courses in first year writing, scientific and technical writing, community literacy, and digital humanities and directs the Writing, Public Speaking, and Critical Reasoning (WSCR) program at the University of Oregon where she has worked since 2015. She was appointed to serve in the university faculty position for the Commission. Originally from Idaho, Commissioner Simnitt formerly worked as journalist and served as the public information officer for Idaho’s health and human service agency for more than a decade. During that time, she also taught writing at Boise State University and was part of a team who developed a statewide placement and support curriculum now used at all Idaho higher education public institutions to remove barriers to completing the college writing requirement, particularly for underserved students. Dr. Simnitt studies developing multilingual writers and works to create community partnerships to support student success. She lives in Eugene with her husband where she daily enjoys Oregon’s natural beauty – rain or shine.
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Commission Goulard and Commissioner Ayers-Preboski Commended for Their Long-time Service
At the June 9 public meeting, Lee Ayers-Preboski and Frank Goulard, who have served on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission since its formation in 2013 and whose service will conclude this month, were commended and thanked for their longtime service. Chair Cross, Executive Director Cannon, the Governor’s Senior Education Policy Advisor Lindsey Capps, fellow commissioners, and staff all expressed gratitude and praise for Commissioners Ayers-Preboski and Goulard. Ben Cannon cited their “remarkably generous spirit of public service” that reflected their campus experience of many years as faculty, and their critical roles on the HECC since its very formation. They were recognized for exemplary, thoughtful leadership representing the broad public and student interest, and for their many contributions to better serve students now and in the future. In addition to verbal remarks, they were presented with formal certificates of appreciation for their service.
Dedication and Celebration of HECC's New Location
Higher Education Coordinating Commission employees, commissioners, and invited guests gathered on May 31, 2022 for a dedication and celebration of the agency's new building in Salem, Oregon at 3225 25th Street SE. In May, 2022, HECC employees started fully utilizing the building and welcoming members of the public, after two years of primarily remote work during the pandemic.
At the May ceremony, Executive Director Cannon spoke to the exciting chapter in HECC history that this new building opens up, bringing all eight agency offices under one roof to advance our vision for expanding equitable education to Oregon learners. Angela Fasana, education department manager for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, focused our attention on Oregon's past, current and future indigenous people, sharing that her ancestors were the first students, teachers, and engineers of the land where the HECC is now located, and expressed appreciation for the state's consultation and partnership. Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron described some of the history of this particular building before the HECC occupied it, emphasizing it as a collaborative space that previously served the agricultural cooperative NORPAC. Sandy Rowe, vice chair of the HECC, expressed gratitude and commendations to HECC agency staff for the ongoing important work for Oregonians. We thank all participants for this meaningful event.
Erin Rau Hired as Deputy Director of OSAC
We are pleased to announce that Erin Rau has been hired as deputy director of the HECC Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC). In this position, she will work closely with OSAC Director Juan Báez-Arévalo to lead the HECC office responsible for administering a variety of state, federal and privately funded student financial aid programs for the benefit of Oregonians attending institutions of postsecondary education.
Erin joined OSAC as operations and policy analyst for the Oregon Opportunity Grant in 2021. Prior to joining OSAC, she worked in the Office of Admissions at Oregon State University on the application operations team. She has 15 years of higher education experience, and holds a Masters in Higher Education from Portland State University.
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OregonServes Selected for Pilot to Bring Affordable Housing Options to AmeriCorps Members
New Homesharing Resource Center matches AmeriCorps members with area hosts to provide access to more affordable housing options
OregonServes, the state service commission in Oregon, has joined two other states in a pilot project to promote a new homesharing resource center aimed to connect AmeriCorps members to affordable housing options. OregonServes, housed in the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, administers the state’s AmeriCorps program. America’s Service Commissions—the national association representing the nation’s 52 state service commissions such as OregonServes—is partnering with Silvernest, an online homesharing platform, to bring more affordable housing options to AmeriCorps members serving in Oregon.
Through Silvernest, AmeriCorps members serving in Oregon can match with hosts renting out space in their homes, often at a discounted rate. Interested AmeriCorps Members and hosts can sign up for the new service at: https://info.silvernest.com/americorps.
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