This content was published: October 11, 2016. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Leading college affordability researcher to speak at PCC
Photos and story by Celina Baguiao
A leading college affordability and accessibility researcher is coming to Portland Community College in October.
PCC and Oregon Community College Association are hosting Sara Goldrick-Rab on Oct. 18-19 for a lecture, book signing and discussion forums. She will begin her PCC visit with a lecture and book signing at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday Oct. 18, in the Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building Auditorium, Cascade Campus (705 N. Killinsgworth St.).
On Oct. 19, she will host a discussion forum from 9-11 a.m. with faculty, staff, students and the public in the Performing Arts Center, Sylvania Campus (12000 S.W. 49th Ave.). As this visit is designed to highlight issues related to student hunger and homelessness, visitors are asked to bring a can of non-perishable food for the college student canteen. Light food and refreshments will be provided.
And, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Goldrick-Rab will present on the costs of going to college and the insecurities students face. Lunch will be provided to students who attend.
All events are free and open to the community. Permit parking required.
Goldrick-Rab’s book “Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream,” which is an Amazon Bestseller, was released on Sept. 13, 2016. “Paying the Price” looks at one of the most sustained and vigorous public debates today about the value and price of college. According to Goldrick-Rab, there’s an unspoken, outdated assumption that underlies all sides of this debate: if a young person works hard enough, they’ll be able to get a college degree and be on the path to a good life.
The Professor of Higher Education Policy & Sociology at Temple University says that’s not true anymore and with “Paying the Price,” she shows why. Drawing on a study of 3,000 young adults who entered public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008 with the support of federal aid and Pell Grants, Goldrick-Rab reveals the effects of these shortfalls. The cause of their problems, time and again, was lack of money, she says, and being unable to afford tuition, books, and living expenses. As a result, they worked too many hours at outside jobs, dropped classes, took time off to save money, even went without adequate food or housing.
“At PCC, we know these issues face Portland-area students on a daily basis, and that the challenges related to affordability can impact student retention and graduation rates,” said Sylvania Campus President Lisa Avery. “This is a great opportunity to welcome Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab to our community and have an open dialogue about how to alleviate the problems of affordability, completion and insecurities that our students are facing on a daily basis.”
Goldrick-Rab has been most recently featured on The Daily Show. Her research examines the intended and unintended consequences of the college-for-all movement in the United States. Many professional organizations and foundations have honored her work. In 2013, she was invited to testify before the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Senators Tom Harkin and Lamar Alexander.
For more information, contact Sylvania Campus’ Community Relations Manager Celina Baguiao at celina.baguiao@pcc.edu, or (971) 722-4339.
About Celina Baguiao
A Los Angeles native, Baguiao joined Portland Community College in 2016 as the Community Relations Manager at the Sylvania Campus. Spending her entire career in higher education, she has a background in public relations, athletics and event... more »