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The Independent Student Voice of Mt. Hood Community College
February 28, 2014
Volume 49 Issue 19
The Unsung Heroes of MHCC. MHCC’s Student Activity Board recognized three MHCC employees as “Unsung Heroes” for their service to students. An event was held on Feb. 18 to honor this year’s recipients: Christy Weigel (left), Orientation Center coordinator; Craig Marks (center), audiovisual technician; and Shannon Valdivia (right), speech instructor and forensics team adviser. Graphic by Heather Golan, photos by Carole Riggs - The Advocate
Making the Orientation Audiovisual technician Center a success meets students needs As Orientation Center Coordinator, Christy Weigel has the opportunity to interact with students, and be one of the first faces they see on campus. The center opened at the beginning of Fall Term, and provides students a place to obtain help with any online forms not required for homework. Weigel said one her highlights at the Orientation center is “getting to know all of the students that I work with and all the students who are coming in. It’s kind of fun to be one of the first people that they get to talk to,” she said of the latter. The Hero award came as a “very big surprise” and it “brought a little tear to my eye.” she said. “It’s one thing to be noticed for your hard work by your supervisor or your co-workers. But when it comes from the student side, it (is) really nice and really sweet.”
Craig Marks, MHCC audiovisual technician, is one man who could tell anyone where to find an obscure room on the Gresham campus. Marks treks all over campus each day, delivering technology to meet instructors’ and departments’ needs. When a classroom teacher cannot fix a machine that refuses to operate properly, chances are it is Marks who will come to the rescue. ASG also works closely with Marks, who provides all of the electronic needs for the student group’s events. “Sometimes they give me short notice or things get kind of mixed up. I’m usually able to overcome it and help them out,” he said. While not many co-workers attended the Unsung Hero event on Feb. 18, he said, “a lot of instructors emailed me and said, ‘Oh, this is great. I’m so glad you got it.’
Weigel
Continued on page 6
Following weeks of briefings and debate, the Student Finance Council has set the 2014-15 budget for Mt. Hood student activities and athletics. Both groups will see significant reductions, due to Mt. Hood’s current
2014-2015 awarded funds Two public forums will be held on the finance council budget in the Student Union. Monday noon to 1 p.m. & Thursday 3 to 4 p.m.
and projected enrollment decline, which also cut into the current-year spending. The programs’ cutbacks reflect a 17 percent reduction in funding ordered by school officials. The MHCC athletics department finished its deliberation in just one meeting, on Feb. 13. Student activities groups met for two deliberation sessions before final budget figures were adopted. The athletics program will receive $348,674, down about $89,000 from current-year funding. The biggest reduction comes from cutting outof-state travel, including all out-ofstate travel for the Saints cross country teams. Student activities groups grappled to find $28,825 in combined budget savings. ASG took the brunt of the cuts, losing about 30 percent of its budget. The final, total amount approved for activities came to $353,675. Student representatives for the various groups were the only people allowed to agree on the budget cuts,
Valdivia
Continued on page 6
Derr forms team to lead college
Students negotiate, complete athletics, activities budget The Advocate
Forensics coach and public speaking instructor Shannon Valdivia is pleased to be chosen as one of ASG’s unsung heroes. “It’s an award that means a lot because it comes from the students and working with students is my job, so to get the recognition from them meant the world,” said Valdivia, who spent a year away from teaching and coaching the Mt. Hood speech and debate team, and didn’t expect to be chosen as a hero. “I was surprised, ‘cause I’ve been flying under the radar,” she said. Valdivia took a year off to get away from the hectic lifestyle of being an instructor and coach. “I was burning out,” she said. Her break grew more stressful due to the death of her mother, who had fought cancer. “I really spent my year off taking care of my mom,” said Valdivia, who gives her credit for helping set a teaching path. “It was my (first) speech coach who, along with my mother, got me involved in speech and debate,” Valdivia.
Marks
Continued on page 6
by Alexandra James
Forensics coach shares inspiration
since all funds for activities and athletics come from student activity fees. Each year, each group or department must submit its proposed oneyear budget plan. Faculty members and student advisers are to provide only assistance. David Sussman, MHCC manager of Student Union and specialized student services, oversees the annual student finance council proceedings and provides key help in advising student leaders representing the programs. He said this year’s deliberations went “very well,” especially in light the large cuts forced by the projected enrollment decline. This has not had to happen for several years, he said. Sussman praised program advisers, including MHCC Athletic Director Kim Hyatt, and the student representatives who saw the process through. Students were able to collaborate successfully and to produce a balanced budget “that should allow MHCC’s programs to continue and thrive,” he said.
by Katelyn Hilsenbeck The Advocate A half year after her arrival on the MHCC campus, President Debbie Derr has initiated significant changes to shape and reorganize the college’s administrative team. Derr outlined the most important features in her Jan. 28 all-staff email regarding her restructuring plan. “The greatest changes happened within instruction and student development,” said Derr in a recent interview with The Advocate. “Every instructional dean reports to the vice president. That wasn’t the case before. I think it’s very important that the vice president for instruction and student development supervise the instructional leaders at the institution.” She has elevated the priority of economic and workforce development. “It’s our future. It is a very important part of our mission,” Derr said. “Elevating and bringing those resources and programs together was an important piece for me.” She also sought to blend other cru-
cial functions. “Looking at student development and organizing around systems was very important. If you look now, we sort of have enrollment, student success and retention, and student life,” she said. This provides an opportunity for synergy, she said. Derr also has added people with whom she worked during her previous time at Mt. Hood, up until 2002. Bill Becker returned in mid-January to work as a temporary fiscal adviser to Derr. He will keep the position until the college finds a full-time replacement for Bill Farver, who had served as interim vice president of administrative services. Derr said Becker will help facilitate the filling of Farver’s vacated position. “We had some work that needed to be done. Although Bill Farver served a wonderful purpose for us... he worked 20 hours a week,” she said. “Bill (Becker) is working 50-plus hours a week.
Restructuring
Continued on page 3
2013 FIRST PLACE
General excellence Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association
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