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Editorial: MHCC is laden with hidden gems
January 27, 2012
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‘Mythbusters’ show comes to Portland
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Men’s Bball loses first game after seven straight W’s
advocate the
Volume 47, Issue 14
www.Advocate-Online.net
Presidential salary set at $165,000 By Jill-Marie Gavin The Advocate
Study Abroad MHCC can take you beyond Gresham by John Tkebuchava The Advocate
Study programs are offered in Mexico, Italy and japan.
MHCC’s study abroad program, according to Spanish instructor Paul Eckhardt, has so much to offer students that it deserves more than a quick thought. The study abroad program is a faculty-run program in which students, accompanied by their teachers, travel to study at colleges and universities from all across the world, ranging from Europe, Central and South America, and Asia. Though it is advised that students interested in studying abroad take language classes, Eckhardt said it is not a requirement. “No prior language is required,” he said, though he added, “The more you have (language knowledge) before you go, the richer the experience.” Eckhardt said the groups of students that attend a study abroad trip vary in size from 12 up to 20 students. The program does not receive any funding from the college, so students must pay on their own, though Eckhardt said, “(Student) financial aid can be geared directly toward the study abroad costs.” Eckhardt said costs for the trips vary from $2,300 for the cheapest trip to $8,000 for the most expensive. Eckhardt said students can also seek study abroad opportunities with the Oregon International Education Consortium (OIEC), in which students may travel to London, Costa Rica and Florence as well as other locations. For the MHCC study abroad program, there are four opportunities for students to travel and study in Mexico, Japan and Italy. There are two separate trips to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, one that runs March 30 to May 26, which earns 15 credits of college Spanish and costs $3,825 (not including MHCC tuition), and a two-week trip to the same location from June 22 to July 7, for five credits ($2,300). The trip to Kyoto, Japan, is June 19 to July 9 and earns three credits of Japanese Conversation while attending Ryukoku University ($3,500). The last study abroad trip is to Perugia, Italy, which is from July 29 to Sept. 12 and earns five credits while studying
see abroad on page 8 Mt. Hood Community College
The contract for MHCC’s extended interim president has revealed him to be among the top five highest paid community college presidents in Oregon, according to the 2011-12 Oregon Community College President Compensation Survey. MHCC Interim President Michael Hay is to be paid a monthly salary of $13,750 ($165,000 annually) based on a 260-day work year starting Jan. 1 until June 30, 2012. Beginning on July 1, 2012 and continuing until changed by the board, compensation will be $14,167. At the time of his presidency, John Sygielski had a salary of $177,635. The highest paid president in Oregon is Portland Community College President Preston Pulliam who, according to an email from PCC Human Resources Systems Development Manager Julie Kinney, has a salary of $215,922. Under contract Hay is also allowed $700 a month for automobile expenses, including gas, insurance, and leasing costs. He is also allowed reimbursement of up to $600 a month for general expenses, defined as “all necessary and reasonable expenses.” A summary of these expenses is available from the board of education. In addition, Hay is allowed reimbursement for membership to a health club and to one local rotary club. In the employment contract under term, referring to the length of his term as interim president, it says Hay’s contract will extend until June 30, 2013, unless extended, modified or terminated. Hay said of his contract extension, “I was dubbed the interim president. Now I’m the actual president. I’ve always felt I was the president.” Hay also said he is good at transitional leadership and he isn’t just a caretaker. He said he is pleased with how things are going and wants to continue focus on the development of Allied Health. He said one of the major challenges here on campus is to deal with limited budget problems while trying to expand. He said he wants MHCC’s vital programs to be interesting. “While walking around campus, I was observing the P.E. areas, the Visual Arts Gallery and the theater. We (MHCC) have a tremendous allowance for arts and recreation on campus and I want to use that to revitalize our brand,” said Hay. Hay has a two-year contract. But with a history in private industry, Hay said his mentality is that it doesn’t matter the length of his contract because if the board isn’t happy with the job he is doing, he’ll have to move on. So in his current position, he said he will do his best. In response to an editorial in the Jan. 13 edition of The Advocate, Hay said, “The board actively talked about my position twice in public discussion. Anyone paying attention would have recognized the decision. The action of extending my contract just confirmed what they said they were already going to do. The contract was a technical detail and they had already communicated that (extending his contract) was the intention.”
Gresham, Oregon