MHCC Campus Atmosphere Leaves Much to Be Desired

The first time I walked onto the Mt. Hood Community College campus I was intrigued by the distinct concrete architecture style, otherwise known as “brutalism.”

However, the charm of the concrete Academic Center wing quickly crumbled away, as serious problems with it and the surrounding campus began to reveal themselves – issues I believe significantly impact the student experience and, in some cases, safety.

Here I will I bring up potential solutions, some that may even be coming to the campus in the not-so-distant future.

From that very first visit, I noticed the drab, gray concrete surrounding me in every direction. The lighting also stood out to me: Even if the sun is out, some parts of the Academic Center are still very dim, especially in the underpasses on the Lower Level.

All of this contributes to the unwelcoming feeling the Mt. Hood campus radiates. In turn, this makes it so I only want to stay on campus the minimum amount needed. I also believe this leads to it being more difficult to make organic connections with students on campus. If you are in an environment where everyone wants to leave, that is not very conducive to successfully make connections.

How do you fix the exterior problem with the campus I mentioned earlier? It can actually be quite simple. First, we need color. Our campus is almost all gray except for a few pieces of artwork on the south side of the Academic Center. I believe adding more student artwork and color could significantly lift up the mood in the Main Mall. Specifically, I would like to see bright colors. Also, improving the lighting in the underpasses to be brighter and a different color “temperature” than currently would help lift the overall feel. Next, I’ll move onto some interior changes. Oregon has a lot of rain and just plain bad weather in the fall and winter seasons. That makes up two thirds of the academic year. Yet, MHCC’s campus is designed in such a way that requires you to be outside a lot, whether you be walking to class, waiting, etc. This makes for a pretty miserable experience when you are out waiting for your class while it is 40 degrees and raining. While you could take refuge in either the Student Union or Library, this may not be a feasible option for those with classes on the other side of campus.

I believe the college should put in more areas where students can hang out and relax, especially towards the north side of the campus. This can be especially helpful in the morning and at night when the Library and/or Student Union are closed. This would greatly add to the ability to form personal connections, as well.

Those are just some of the issues I found particularly bad on the campus. But I want to end on one in particular that affects the personal safety of people.

Long before I attended MHCC as a student, I participated in one of its summer camps. Since I was in middle school nearby, I walked to the Mt. Hood campus, the nearest route entering through the Stark Street gate to the lower parking area, by the Fisheries building. While there is a paved sidewalk along the Stark Street hill, there is none to enter the college. I had to either walk in the grass or be forced onto the MHCC driveway in some spots to make it to my destination.

Even today, the lack of a sidewalk is an inconvenience, at best, and a safety issue, at worst – especially with cars entering the campus from Stark Street at 40 miles per hour. Adding sidewalks and lighting would help ensure pedestrians in this area can stay safe and be seen.

I should note there is hope: Some of these much-needed improvements may be coming soon.

As part of the five-year campus planning concepts unveiled earlier this month, many aspects of campus may be improved (new signage, colors, and shared spaces) if needed funding is found – most probably coming with a successful MHCC bond measure, by public vote.

These are just some of the improvements I believe could, and should, be made to the Gresham campus. What improvements would you like to see be made on campus?

No matter how big or small these issues may seem, we want to hear from you. Scan the QR code or email us to let us know your opinion on making our campus better.