MHCC ADDRESSES STUDENT CONCERNS AT TOWN HALL

On Wednesday (May 20), MHCC President Lisa Skari and Associated Student Government (ASG) leaders held a virtual town hall meeting to address the concerns and questions of Mt. Hood students and others.

Foremost on most minds: Skari confirmed that for now, MHCC plans to continue to operate online-only through Fall Term, via Zoom and Blackboard for class sessions.

Any potential transition back into classroom learning is still an unknown.

The ASG and Skari did their best to answer as many questions as they could, but with our current situation, few outcomes are certain.

Many of the questions asked during the meeting were about health and other restrictions during this COVID-19 quarantine. One student asked the ASG if visitors were allowed to use the tables and benches outside the building to use the school’s WiFi for schoolwork.

Skari said the answer is yes, but only with proper precautions: “The campus is only cut off from the public (nonstudents), but we must keep up with the social distancing guidelines, so all students must stay at least 6 feet apart.”

The topic of mandatory face masks when/if the campus reopens also came up. There isn’t enough information at the ASG’s disposal to give a clear answer, participants were told.

The other big concern some students raised was regarding class materials fees for certain courses that MHCC offers. For those students who already paid the extra fees for these classes, Skari recommends that they speak to their instructor about refunds. The college’s financial offices are already starting to make refunds, she said, but these are dependent on what exactly those fees are for – and so, her advice is to ask the instructors.

Other participants asked about the status of courses/programs completely shut down after Winter Term – such as the cosmetology program – and possible completing their studies, with/without using campus resources during the current situation.

The ASG and Skari couldn’t offer concrete answers on that, given the many unknowns, they said.

Ultimately, they pledged to keep MHCC students informed as best they can and to offer help to any struggling students, while expressing hope for better circumstances in the coming school year.