Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Public Affairs media and website report for January 2012

Photos and story by James Hill

Here is a look at some of the news stories about PCC from around the local area and the nation in January. In total, PCC events and people appeared 56 times in the local community or national online media, newspapers or TV/radio.

Jan. 2: Asian Reporter: A new credit-based Chinese culture and language program at PCC is growing not only in student enrollment, but also by locations. The program, developed in 2009 to meet demand, has now expanded to Southeast Center.

Jan. 5: Bike Portland: PCC announced today that a proposal for an underground parking facility on N. Jessup between N. Albina and Mississippi was approved in late December and they’re “going forward with it.”

Jan. 6: The Oregonian: PDC is providing $1,600 scholarships for entrepreneurs to attend a Portland Community College business-management class.

Jan. 7: The Oregonian: Preston Pulliams, Portland Community College’s president, and Mayor Sam Adams have created Future Connect, which provides scholarships, mentors and internships so that students complete high school, go to college and obtain good jobs.

Jan. 9: Oregon Live: The 22nd Annual Cascade Festival of African Films raises the curtain on more than 20 films that will be shown from Feb. 3 through March 3 at three locations.

Jan. 14: The Oregonian: PCC, in partnership with College Goal Oregon, is hosting a day to provide free help to students submitting their FAFSA.

Jan. 17: The Oregonian: Heitzman Body & Paint, a Beaverton auto body shop in its 75th year of business, is being recognized by the city for its continued success and growth. For the past 40 years, the company sponsors a scholarship at PCC.

Jan. 18: The Portland Observer: Thanks to input from college and community members via stakeholder meetings and public outreach, decisions have been made for future development of the Cascade Campus for new academic and parking facilities.

Jan. 20: The Oregonian, Southwest Portland Post, Lake Oswego Review, KATU & Portland Observer: On Saturday, Jan. 21, it’ll be time for Portland Community College’s 13th annual Winter Powwow, one of Portland’s largest celebrations of Native American culture and tradition.

Jan 20: The Oregonian: The closest the Asian communities have to an event space is Legin Restaurant at Southeast 78th Avenue and Division Street. The banquet hall, which can seat up to 500, was recently purchased by PCC.

Jan. 23: The Business Journal: Portland Community College and Portland State University renewed a co-admission agreement allowing students to attend classes at both institutions and live in the PSU residence hall.

Jan. 24: Hillsboro Argus: Portland Community College is bringing activist and civil rights leader Hollis Watkins to its campuses in February.

Jan. 25: The Oregonian: Michael Fleming is only in his second quarter at Portland Community College, but he already is thinking about where he will go to earn his bachelor’s degree in history.

Jan. 25: The Oregonian: State Senator Jackie Dingfelder and Representatives Michael Dembrow and Alissa Keny-Guyer will host a town hall Monday, Jan. 30 at the Southeast Center.

Jan. 26: Portland Business Journal, Portland Tribune, OPB & Oregon Live: In another first for solar energy and the state’s public education system, Portland Community College will announce today that it’s building a large ground-mounted solar array at its Rock Creek Campus.

Jan. 26: Portland Tribune: A young man holds the door open for Kanya Sesser as she approaches the entrance to a building at Portland Community College. On the weekends, Kanya travels to Eugene to train for the U.S. Paralympic Track & Field team.

January: Oregon Business: PCC is ranked No. 7 in full-time equivalent enrollment in the state, according to the magazine’s Powerlist poll of colleges and universities.

Jan. 29: Cleveland Plain Dealer: Owens Community College received a $325,000 start-up grant from Gateway to College to implement the dropout recovery program. It was developed in 2000 by Portland Community College.

Jan. 30: The Oregonian: PCC will hold its 10th annual Asian New Year celebration and afterward will host a workshop to gather community input on the expansion of the Southeast campus.

Jan. 30: The Oregonian: Beaverton School District plans to close Terra Nova High School at the end of the school year, but will continue to provide produce from its farm to area schools like Portland Community College.

Jan. 31: Portland Business Journal: The City Council will hear from Portland Community College President Preston Pulliams on the Future Connect program, which provided city-backed scholarships to 200 students last fall.

Jan. 31: Daily Journal of Commerce: PCC has found a unique way to increase inclusion of MWESB contractors on its bond projects. Officials imply wrote it into the contract.