Message from Executive Director Ben Cannon
I hope you are enjoying the flurry of activity and momentum of the start of the academic year. We are happy to share updates about our recent work to broaden services and connect partners to better support equitable opportunity for Oregonians.
HECC commissioners, staff, and partners have had many discussions about the development of a new strategic plan, and we look forward to sharing a refined version for the Commission to consider for approval this fall. As the plan takes shape, one of the principal emerging themes is the enduring value of postsecondary education as a catalyst for a promising future for individuals, for our communities, and for our economy. While we refine this visioning document, including the goals and strategies that will drive our action, we are continuing to work to give all Oregonians the chance to benefit from the forward-moving potential of postsecondary education.
In this issue of Collaborations, you can learn about how some innovative initiatives and programs are making a difference. The state's investment in benefit navigators at community colleges and public universities served more than 15,000 students in 2023-24, equipping students to access numerous basic needs and wrap-around services such as food and housing support. Our ASPIRE program is helping schools and communities tailor their college and career mentoring program services to help students find their trajectory after high school. While there is much work to do with our education partners, Oregon's newly released Educator Equity report shows improvement in the proportion of early career diverse educators in our K-12 schools. And finally, we are pleased to share an update on a major improvement effort here at the HECC agency—we are making headway on an information technology modernization project that will help Oregonians to better access some of our key services.
Another important role we play is in convening partners to share successful strategies so that we can work together to expand them. I hope many of you will consider registering this fall for two flagship professional development opportunities that we organize: the October ASPIRE conference and the November Adult Basic Skills conference. Our agency staff members and boards are also getting out into communities to listen and share.
Finally, I want to thank the esteemed Oregon visual artist Betty LaDuke, who recently donated several pieces of her vibrant community-focused art now displayed in the HECC office building. We hope visitors to our office take the time to see them. We appreciate our partners and thank you as always for your continued engagement and commitment to Oregonians.
Oregon Makes Strides in Diversifying Educator Workforce
In a recent press release by the Educator Advancement Council (EAC), partner agencies including the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), and the HECC jointly released the 2024 Educator Equity Report. The report is released every two years and highlights key findings on efforts to achieve a more diverse educator workforce in Oregon.
Among other findings, the report says Oregon is making strides in the diversity of early career educators. Over the past decade, Oregon has doubled the proportion of first-year teachers identifying as people of color, reaching 20.6 percent in 2023. However, the report cites challenges, because new teachers, Special Education teachers, and teachers of color still have high turnover rates.
Racially and ethnically diverse educators continue to be underrepresented in Oregon’s educator workforce as compared to the K-12 student population, as is the case in past years and in other states. Hispanic/Latino educators are notably underrepresented.
In higher education educator preparation programs, the number of racially and ethnically diverse students in community college education pathway programs remains small but is growing. The number of diverse students completing university programs continued to decline slightly. There was an increase in the number of preliminary licenses granted, which suggests that many diverse graduates have been prepared outside of Oregon.
The report offers comprehensive recommendations across four priority areas to advance progress: affordability; early career support; development and career advancement; and state data systems. Read the full report at the link below.
Benefit Navigators Serve More Than 15,000 Students in 2023-24
Initially launched by 2021 legislation, the State of Oregon helps fund Benefit Navigators: employees at Oregon colleges and universities who help students apply for federal, state and local benefits programs that can support their progress in college. These resources are critical in addressing students’ basic needs, including food and housing insecurity, and help close equity gaps for students. The HECC distributes funds to the 17 community colleges and seven public universities for this purpose and supports partnership and policy development.
We are pleased to report that during the 2023-24 academic year, state-funded benefits navigators served more than 15,000 students and made over 21,000 referrals to state, federal, and local resources. Food insecurity was the highest need, followed by housing and transportation. Examples of the types of “benefits” and resources include:
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Public benefits for healthcare, childcare, and basic needs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Oregon Health Plan, Employment Related Day Care, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
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Emergency vouchers for housing, rent, utilities, transportation through community-based organizations and other organizations
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College resources such as scholarship and financial aid, food pantries, and student housing
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Culturally-specific resources through referrals to workforce and community partners
Oregon’s benefits navigator work is closely aligned with the SNAP Training and Employment Program and Community College Career Pathways programs, which focus on short-term education attainment. This work also supports Oregon’s Adult Attainment Goal by providing holistic student supports and removing barriers for learners to access basic needs.
Industry Consortia Convene Across Oregon This Fall
Future Ready Oregon Industry Consortia to Hear about Regional Partnerships and Sector-Specific Workforce and Talent Development Needs
This fall, in an effort to broaden our community engagement, the Future Ready Oregon Industry Consortia will convene their fourth quarter public meetings at locations across the state. The Healthcare Consortium convened in White City in Southern Oregon on September 24, the Manufacturing Consortium will convene in Redmond in Central Oregon on October 1, and the Technology Consortium will meet on October 30 in a region still to be determined.
Consortia members and attendees will have opportunities to learn about regional partnerships. Each meeting will also feature a presentation on the workforce development needs for each industry, including desired skills and credentials, employee recruitment and retention strategies, as well as career and advancement pathways that are equitable and supportive of a diverse workforce. These presentations will be given by Jensen Strategies, the consulting group that conducted focus groups with employers across the state this summer to better understand their needs.
Industry Consortia quarterly meetings are open to the public, and meeting agendas, locations, and times will be posted to the Industry Consortia web page here. Subscribe to Industry Consortia public meeting notices here.
ASPIRE Moves to Three Program Models to Help Participating Schools and Sites
ASPIRE, administered by the HECC Office of Student Access and Completion, is Oregon’s statewide career and college readiness program that offers education, resources, and mentoring for students. Recently, ASPIRE has implemented programmatic changes that allow for a more flexible and personalized program for Oregon high schools, middle schools, and community-based organizations. ASPIRE now offers three program models that allow sites to select the support they need to build their career and college readiness program.
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Mentor Program Model: Supports student success with staff, community mentors or near peer mentors. Mentors meet with students 1:1 or in small groups.
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Career and College Readiness (CCR) Program Model: Offers education, resources, and assistance completing career and college preparatory activities.
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Hybrid Program Model: Combines a Mentor Program and a CCR Program.
The response to these changes have been positive. Since 2021, ASPIRE has added 50 new sites to our program, including 37 sites in rural or frontier communities, with more sites submitting applications each week. As schools and organizations are continually asked to provide resources and support to students, ASPIRE helps by providing additional training, materials, programming resources (including FAFSA/ORSAA, scholarship, and family/caregiver night support), and more. Interested in joining ASPIRE? Visit the link below.
HECC Modernization Project: Improving Our Information Network with LEARN
As part of HECC’s work administering numerous higher education and workforce programs to serve Oregonians, our agency needs to reliably collect and manage information from many partners—from large institutions to small career schools to families. Thanks to state investment, we are making progress on upgrading several core information systems that are critical to our work in helping Oregonians access key programs and services.
With the HECC Modernization Project, we are working to create a new integrated IT solution called LEARN—Lifelong Educational Advancement Resource Network. Educational institutions, workforce partners, students and individuals will benefit from a modernized, efficient, and accessible platform to work with us. We expect that LEARN will include:
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Improved processes in our work with private institutions including licensing and regulation of private career schools, degree authorization, and request processes. These upgrades will make processes smoother, more visible and efficient, and they will help ensure educational standards are met statewide.
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Improvements to the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) which helps connect Oregonians with career and workforce training opportunities for which they are eligible. LEARN will make it easier to access and navigate the ETPL to support better career decisions for individuals seeking training across Oregon.
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Improvements to the financial aid process, including a new application portal that will help students apply for state-administered grants and scholarships, as well as an efficient system for institutions to access and provide information for financial aid management. These enhancements will simplify the financial aid process, making it easier for students and schools.
HECC teams are working with a vendor to develop the LEARN system, and we expect to begin rolling it out to the first set of users in early 2025.
Congratulations to New and Reappointed HECC Commissioners
Note: this article was corrected on October 22, 2024.
Please join us in welcoming Mary Middleton, who has been appointed to the community college faculty member position on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Her service on the Commission will begin on October 1, 2024. Commissioner Middleton was nominated by Governor Kotek in August and confirmed by the Oregon Senate in September.
Mary Middleton is a full-time mathematics faculty member and coordinator of the Mathematics Department at Rogue Community College. Mary has been teaching for more than twenty years, primarily focused on mathematics in a community college setting. Her experience includes full-time teaching assignments in Oregon and Colorado, South Korea, and England, and she has worked with students from kindergarten age to adults and life-long learners. She serves as a board member on the Southern Oregon Education Service District and a volunteer for Oregonians for Safe Farms and Families among other active roles in her community.
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We would also like to congratulate Commissioners Natalie Arnot and Emily Simnitt on their reappointments to the Commission for their second terms. Natalie Arnot holds the university student member position and her second term is effective July 1st, 2024, to June 30, 2026. Emily Simnitt holds the university faculty member position and her second term is effective July 1st, 2024, to June 30, 2026.
The HECC would like to thank Commissioner Rojas-Galván, who previously held the community college faculty position, for his dedicated service as his term draws to a close.
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Stipends Available: Instructors Who Teach Preservice Teachers Can Redesign Their Courses Using Open Educational Resources with an Equity Lens
More educators are making use of Open Educational Resources (OER), openly licensed teaching, learning, and research resources such as textbooks, videos, and images that the public has the legal permissions to use, share, and build upon. OER are available for free online or in print at a low cost. The HECC manages grant funds that support OER development statewide across Oregon colleges and universities, and these activities are led through Open Oregon Educational Resources.
Thanks to a grant that Open Oregon Educational Resources recently received from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Oregon community college and university instructors who teach courses for preservice teachers can receive a $750 stipend to redesign their courses over the coming academic year, using open educational resources (OER) with an equity lens. Faculty can register by October 18 to join a community of practice focused on preparing preservice K-12 teachers to be equity-minded open educators when they enter the classroom. The goal of the course redesign is to prepare future K12 teachers to be open educators who can leverage open practices to customize their curriculum and better represent and support the students in the classroom while aligning with Oregon standards.
HECC Receives Donation of Artwork from Betty LaDuke
We are pleased to announce that in August, the HECC received a generous donation of six pieces of fine art from Oregon artist Betty LaDuke for public installation at the HECC Salem Offices. Betty LaDuke is a globally renowned visual artist known especially for her work with women artists in the United States and internationally. Her large acrylic paintings, prints, and panels have appeared in hundreds of art centers and museums across the United States.
The pieces include three painted panels titled Grape Harvest – I & II and Radish Harvest, which pay homage to farm workers in Southern Oregon, and a series of three paintings titled Ecuador Rainforest: The Shaman’s Dream – I, II, & III. Their placement at the HECC agency office pays tribute to the history of the office building as a former industry headquarters of a farming and food processing company (NORPAC), HECC’s commitment to promoting equity, and our continuing work to support the growth of learners and workers.
Betty LaDuke's work has also been exhibited at numerous museums and public installations including at the Portland and Medford airports; Oregon State Capitol; Salem Public Library, several Oregon universities, the headquarters of the humanitarian organization Heifer International in Arkansas; as well as internationally in Eritrea and in Mexico. More information on her work can be found on her artist website here or in the OPB's Oregon Art Beat episode here.
These donations were made possible through the coordination of HECC Commissioner Gayle Yamasaki, a lifelong supporter of the arts. The artwork is now on display in our first-floor corridor and is available for viewing by staff and visitors.
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Register Now: 2024 ASPIRE Conferences, October 16 and 18
Registration is open for the ASPIRE Fall Conference, an annual event organized by the HECC Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) that brings together professionals committed to advancing college and career mentoring and access. In 2024, we will hold two ASPIRE conference events—one in Eugene and one in Bend. Along with many exciting workshops, sessions will focus on financial aid and scholarships, supporting students with the FAFSA or ORSAA, supporting students interested in apprenticeships and trades, supporting middle school programs, and exploring the role of artificial intelligence in career and college readiness.
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Register Now: The "Point of View" Oregon Adult Basic Skills Conference on November 4-5 Will Focus on Diverse Perspectives
We invite partners to join us for the Oregon Adult Basic Skills (ABS) Conference on November 4-5, 2024, in Salem, Oregon. The theme of this year's conference is "Point of View," emphasizing the importance of recognizing and valuing diverse perspectives of adult learners and those pursuing high school equivalency.
The diverse perspectives of adult learners span a wide range of experiences, including those of immigrants, first-generation students, individuals with dyslexia, those impacted by trauma, gifted students, individuals affected by incarceration, individuals experiencing poverty, people from both rural and urban environments, and more.
The conference aims to prepare educators and leaders with strategies to understand how these varied backgrounds influence learning processes and outcomes. By integrating these perspectives into their teaching practices, educators can foster a more inclusive and effective learning environment with better outcomes.
The Oregon Adult Basic Skills Conference is an annual event organized by the HECC Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development that brings together professionals committed to advancing Adult Basic Skills and high school equivalency education.
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HECC Participates in Panel on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) at PODER Hispanic Heritage Month Summit
We are pleased to share that HECC representatives joined in PODER’s Hispanic Heritage Month Breakfast & Summit, a day-long event bringing together a dynamic ensemble of leaders from the Latino higher education community, on September 13, 2024, in Salem, Oregon. Among many exciting parts of the program, this summit included a focus on higher education.
HECC participated in the higher education summit panel focused on how Oregon’s community colleges and universities are evolving into Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The panel was moderated by HECC Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA) Rudyane Rivera Lindstrom. Panelists include HECC DEIA Specialist Osvaldo F. Avila; Western Oregon University Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dominique Vargas; Chemeketa Community College Executive Dean Manuel Guerra; and Warner Pacific University Vice President of Enrollment Student Success & Engagement Dr. Darilis Garcia.
Oregon HECC Student Child Care Program Highlighted at National SHEEO Conference
The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) national policy conference held in August in Washington D.C. brought together representatives from state coordinating agencies across the nation to highlight crucial issues and policy considerations states must address to build and sustain excellent systems of higher education. This August, we are pleased to share that Anne Shearer, state grants administrator for the HECC Office of Student Access and Completion, participated in a panel with three other leaders on Navigating Parenthood in Higher Education: Child Care Access and State Policy Solutions. The panel was focused on how state policy can support parenting students in meeting their academic goals, and Shearer discussed OSAC’s Oregon Student Child Care program.
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