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Employee Suggestions

Dollor Signs Dr. Ski, JoAnn Zahn and Nancy Szofran have been conducting Town Hall meetings focusing on the budget situation and how the College will be impacted by the reduction in State funds anticipated for the current fiscal year and the next biennium.

Listed below are suggestions and ideas from the Town Hall meetings on creative ways we may be able to generate additional income for the College and implement cost-saving measures to reduce unnecessary expenses:

Administrative/Facilities
College Advancement / Marketing / Foundation
Human Resources
Instruction

Administrative/Facilities

Adopt an energy efficiency program
Advertise how much everything costs (e.g., copier)
Ask students to bring in a ream of paper for college use in exchange for five extra credit points
Barter services
Become cultural hub of east county; coordinate with other organizations to hold cultural events in the theatre
Centralize purchasing; engage MESD in combining purchasing
Change the image of the cafeteria by making it brighter; market it so community will eat there
Change phone-service provider to Douglas Telecom (locally owned company) http://douglastelecom.com/
Charge employees and students a parking fee / designate one lot & charge for convenience of parking / provide employees a sticker for emergencies for parking lot (employees would pay for sticker)
Close College during the summer
Close Maywood Park campus down on the weekend
Consider the purchase of travel vehicles and trailers for certain programs and utilize the automotive program to perform maintenance / vehicles can also be rented long-term from the State of Oregon for a reasonable fee
Consolidate classes into certain wings and reduce energy levels
Coordinate bond measure with east county schools and municipalities; form teams of volunteers to work on the bonds
Create a master plan to include the back 40
- Create an outdoors program for the Back 40
- Develop a disc golf course on the back 40 until a master plan is developed for the entire Gresham campus
Create a food court (could be student run) with pizza, taco stand, burgers, drink bar
Create a second level to the PE building; renovate locker rooms
Determine ways to enhance efficiencies
Develop a technology store on campus
Develop a nature center and interpretive trail in the Back 40 and open it up to youth and other groups for tours and educational experiences / Combine with time at the rockwall for a complete adventure package
Dispose of metal cars / trucks
Educate community on expense of graffiti
Eliminate purchasing toilet paper covers
Enable flexible employee scheduling
Encourage our community to use our College locations more
Encourage community groups to adopt an area, e.g., planting a flower bed or donating supplies to the Early Childhood Center
Engage community in a monthly/annual clean up day
Engage Eagle Scouts in completing projects around the College
Engage Hiroshi to determine if College can use any of the fuel he is creating
Engage retirees in needed operations within the College
Engage sports teams to do more regarding grounds maintenance
Engage student workers, especially from the criminal justice program, to provide security coverage at the Bruning Center
Engage students from our programs (e.g. welding) to accomplish work at any College location
Engage work release individuals as custodial personnel
Engage person(s) (procurement pro) to review/monitor telecommunication systems for errors in bills, redundancies in design of systems, usage waste, etc. and to review all contracts
Enhance lighting around
Enhance revenue generation opportunities from computer labs
Ensure all people attending classes are registered
Expect full and/or part-time faculty to ensure the PE building is locked down
Extend power management software to all servers and computers to quiet all machines not in use (investment usually pays for itself within eight months)
Finish covering the roofs with solar - can be laboratory/training area for the future alternative technology program
Form a 501c3 corporation for the college
Hire an events promoter / coordinator
Hire students for work currently under contract
Host events at MHCC campuses and charge event and parking fees:
- Wellness Fair at Bruning Center
- Extreme fighting matches
- Saturday Market
- Rock Around the Block
- Weekend arts and craft fairs/carnival
- Flea Markets
- Weekend car washes
- BBQ cook-offs
- Cinco de Mayo or Blues Festival type events
- Summer high school workshops/contests
Implement R25
Include a discount for college training or services to the KMHD member discount card
Increase apprenticeship FTE
Increase incentive for early retirement
Increase room rental fees at all College locations
Increase student fees
Increase user fees
Install automatic lights in restrooms
Install automatic lock system on doors, especially in the PE building
Install Fine Print software throughout the campus allowing for two-sided printing on one side of paper / download software that will eliminate the last page with nothing but a URL http://www.printgreener.com/
Invest in server virtualization with estimated savings of $885K over five years for a one-time investment of $150K
Investigate offering a tuition differential
Just in time purchasing is important
Keep student center open until 10 p.m. with a small espresso stand operated perhaps by the Hospitality and Tourism students
Keep the library, cafe, bookstore and gym open later so students and residents have places to congregate
Let businesses in area know about projects the College has because of GO OREGON and engage them in the life of the college more completely
Let organizations like AA, book groups, meditation groups, business groups, church groups) use the College for meetings
Make College greener / add more containers
Make numbers on buildings larger and easier to read
Make rooms at Bruning Center available to community to rent for meetings
Make it mandatory for everyone to turn off computers, monitors and printers at the end of the day; have all desk-top printers default to draft mode and black ink
Maximize the use of our Maywood Park campus
No new capital improvements
No new hires; existing open positions frozen
Offer incentives for higher enrollment instead of COLA or step increases; increase based on student enrollment increase rather than longevity
Offer shift differential incentive for staff who teach night and weekend classes in order to expand current class offerings
Offer a yearly membership or lifetime membership (paid monthly) for the public to taken a class, attend an event, use of facility; businesses could join to send employees to trainings, use facility for meetings, etc.
Paint many sections of the College; remove dark blue and red in the narrow hallways
Parking permits for a fee
Partner with local community colleges to offer programs and / or combine process / functions / pool resources
Pay for parking at all locations
Perform an energy audit of the entire campus and invest in solutions that will reduce current levels of dependence
Place wind turbines on Back 40 and in parking lots (multi-use parking lots)
Promote bookstore more and host more events
Promote lunch time self-defense classes for employees
Promote the beauty of the College and its landscaping
Provide a car pool incentive
Provide a shuttle service from the Gresham MAX station to the Gresham Campus
Provide food services on Saturday
Provide free tuition to teachers who recommend students to MHCC
Provide more data and information through CX, in addition to using the research office (monitor results / outcomes)
Provide certain amount of free printing to students each term and charge three cents for black and white or 20 cents for color from that point forward
Provide professional development courses for high school teachers during the summer
Provide students who finish College in two years a rebate (e.g. $600)
Provide TriMet discount passes to students
Provide voluntary non-service day options for all employees
Provide space in Back 40 for a community garden; sell produce at a booth or Farmers Market
Provide volunteer patrols to turn off lights when rooms are not in use
Provide special parking permits for seniors taking classes
Provide opportunities for art and summer sport camps for children
Purchase new furniture for classrooms
Purchase electric cars for custodial and repair work
Purchasing:
- Address purchasing issues with Office Max
- Determine ways to creatively purchase equipment / other items
- Centralize purchasing
- Engage MESD regarding combining purchasing
- Sign up at Office Depot and other local retailers to receive purchasing rebate
Pursue broadband initiative grants from ARRA to extend service
Raise fees for traffic violations, especially moving violations
Reallocate individuals within the college to enhance efficiencies
Reduce irrigation of flower beds/grass
Reduce number of printers and purchase / use network printers
Reduce number of work days / establish four-day work week year round (save 52 days per year in electrical, heating and air conditioning costs / establish more evening classes to increase enrollment
Reduce paper use by creating online folders for employees to store copies of documents; make two-sided copies when possible
Reinstate General COOP
Remodel GE Building for conferences / meeting rental space
Remove $25 application fee for students
Remove individual refrigerator/microwaves from individual offices
Remove smoking kiosks from the Gresham campus
Rent parking lots out for weekend markets and fairs
Rent classrooms during breaks/weekends to the community
Repair leaky faucets
Repair malfunctioning light sensors in the 2600 wing of the Gresham Campus
Restrict travel/conferences
Review department budgets
Review pool dome placement ($30k)
Salary freeze across the board
Sell all surplus equipment and materials no longer needed by the College
Sell cords of wood through ASG
Sell raffle tickets for various programs / events
Share resources / costs with other schools, e.g. purchase science supplies / equipment with other districts including K-12 if there is a cost savings
Close Fridays or stagger 40 hour work week to cover needs
Stock the fisheries lake with fish, charge an admission fee and market it as a fun thing for families with kids; create picnic space close to the lake
Stop cover page from printing on Cars/Jenzabar to save paper costs (Cover and trailer page removals are already being looked into by Computer Services)
Tuition discount plans
- Reduce tuition if student registers early
- Lower tuition $1.00 per credit hour below the lowest area community college
Turn off lights; review heating/cooling systems to enhance energy (library, temperatures)
Turn down thermostats by at least two degrees / keep outside doors shut
Use art gallery for high school students
Use Child Care Resource and Referral as a resource to help students find childcare while they are attending school
Use private contractors for some areas like public safety, groundskeepers, maintenance
Use students in welding, art and graphic design to help create new campus signage and redesign new Web site
Use bicycles vs. cars / trucks
Use e-mail as the preferred official method of communication with students
Use the facilities more, e.g., local bands (the profits would be split with the College), bring public speakers to the College, sports camps for the local high schools, open gym for basketball, soccer or volleyball and charge admittance (have students on scholarship volunteer to help), enlist the cinema across the street to have a movie night with a percentage going to the College, and do a better job advertising to the community
Use solar/green power
Utilize MESD for printing color projects
Utilize digital technology to decrease paper use and increase efficiency
Wash the blackboards more than once a month and clean the classrooms and bathrooms more regularly (particularly near the Town & Gown Room
Stagger the workforce in the summer to a 32-hour work week: 2/3 Monday thru Thursday and 1/3 Tuesday thru Friday
Work with other community colleges and universities to advocate for a shift to the semester system, which will lead to cost savings while providing for a richer learning environment
Work with Oregon Institute of Technology to offer Mt. Hood Community College rooms / facilities for engineering / electrical programs
Write grants to procure new security vehicles

College Advancement/Marketing/Foundation

Access additional dollars from foundations, including MHCC Foundation
Access private foundation funds to support our operations, especially in allied health industries
Be more visible throughout the service region
Create a College Facebook account as an additional MHCC communication tool and connect with students
Create and market chart showing costs for two years at MHCC versus the same two-year cost at a university
Create and market chart for high school students showing potential salary related to graduates of various degrees/certificates
Create a film of students / employees to market College
Eliminate printing course schedules and mailing
Engage our alumni more in the life of the College
Enhance marketing of College to / for:
- High schools and parents
- Unemployed
- YouTube
- Art gallery
- Satellite locations
- CAL
- Latino community
- International students
- College programs on the Southside of the College
- Veterans, especially the National Guard
- Employee tuition waivers more effectively
- Facility Use
Follow through on grant opportunities / initiatives; hire a grant development professional / grant writer
Promote success stories through different media outlets
Provide more media recognition of our students and alums
Provide for naming opportunities on our College buildings
Provide drawing for weekly parking permit, using cars with MHCC bumper sticker/logo would be only ones eligible
Recycle bottles / cans and proceeds go to Foundation
Revise scholarship announcement information dates
Solicit ideas on Colleges Web site
Solicit benefactors
Stop printing a full schedule of classes; go online
Target All groups/areas rather than a specific ethnic group
Use employees to market programs and services of College
Use student testimonials as a marketing technique / create a u-tube page for this that would show up when anyone searches MHCC / tracking device would show number of hits to the site / provide incentive to students who would do this
Use our television programs to market the College/create a community television channel for MHCC:
- Class program information scrolling across the bottom of the screen
- Commencement
- Hospitality & Tourism culinary cooking show
- Hospitality & Tourism travel show/book tours
- Informational TV classes
- MHCC weekend sporting events
Weekend campus events
Use employees to market programs and services of College
Use student testimonials as a marketing technique / create a u-tube page for this that would show up when anyone searches MHCC / tracking device would show number of hits to the site / provide incentive to students who would do this
Utilize sandwich boards more to get the word out about programs/services
Visit 3rd graders and up (faculty and staff) to share lessons about college / sell the college

Human Resources

Conduct a salary comparison study across ALL groups: faculty, management, classified, etc. to systematically tie the highest salary plus benefits to the lowest salary plus benefits (and everything in between)
Encourage direct deposit of checks instead of printing and mailing
Make it more accessible to move from a part-time position to a full-time position / remove obstacles in HR that make it possible to change a current position to full time
Make employee payroll statements, W-2s and attendance reports available electronically instead of printing and mailing to employee home addresses
Offer more employer-sponsored recruitment forums for community members and students
Opt out of health insurance / encourage employees to join spouses health care plans
Provide a cafeteria style benefits package
Provide health benefit opt-out: if an employee provides evidence they are insured through a spouse/partner, offer a $200 / month opt-out incentive
Provide a one-time enhancement of the early-retirement incentive to $60k
Pay back 2-8 hours a month for days not worked (snow days)
Propose all future salary changes to ALL groups, together, and to the same equitable degree
Provide early retirement packages
Reduce days (up to two weeks), COLA, salaries, benefits
Reduce salaries
Take vacation day once a week / month during summer
Waive cost of living increases / freeze COLA

Instruction

Attract international students
Balance technology resources; make all rooms SMART classrooms
Bring in lecturers
Change classes to four-credit hour classes similar to Portland Community College, Portland State University and University of Oregon
Charge employees and their families at least $10 to take classes at the College
Combine evening and weekend courses/packaged for accelerated learning
Combine online and in-class blended options for students working during the day
Combine forces with Clackamas and Portland Community Colleges for program and cost savings
Conduct for profit tutoring experiences during the summer
Convert Weight Watcher classes into credit courses
Create weekend College
Create programs/classes geared toward environmental sustainability and urban food production
Cut low enrolled and/or low interest programs that are costing more than they are generating or generating very little FTE
Develop an accelerated degree program (hybrid) (general education)
Develop an Elderhostel program
Develop and deliver more on-line and hybrid courses
Develop and offer new classes / increase DL offerings
Develop more cohort classes / programs
Develop more programs in health care fields for unemployed
Develop a part-time nursing program
Develop quick classes and / or credit classes starting various times during the term; provide opportunity to begin classes throughout the term
Encourage all employees to sign up for a class
Encourage hospitality and tourism program to sell prepared foods/meals to employees and students
Encourage course packets to be purchased by students instead of printing all course handouts free / put more course materials online instead of using paper copies
Engage more programs into events, e.g. Hospitality and Tourism
Engage national speakers to use the Theatre
Enhance customized training offerings/marketing
Enhance courses at the Maywood Park campus
Enhance summer offerings
Ensure faculty order books on time
Expand College Now opportunities at high schools for increased FTE
Expand athletics and athletic rosters for recruiting, exposure and community engagement
Focus on courses that are not high cost
Have faculty offer refresher trainings to local businesses
Have students, as part of their education, design and create business opportunities for Back 40; and possibly have students run the businesses, e.g. hospitality, art students, etc.
Have students design and sell houses to help fund their programs
Hire additional part-time faculty to offer additional sections
Investigate and develop occupational therapy assistant program
Increase College NOW fees
Increase Visual Arts Department materials fees
Increase the number of credit hours that part-time faculty can teach per year
Increase revenue generated by the rockwall by installing a new one in a different location
Investigate ways to keep rejected allied health applicants at the College and find them another program to enter into
Investigate ways to engage adult learners, senior citizens and others who would more readily access community education conversational Spanish, waltzing, painting, short-story writing, acting philosophy and art appreciation classes
Market credit and credit-free classes to 55+ community
Maximize personnel, free up classroom space, attract weekend students and increase enrollment by operating seven days a week; split work week M-Th schedule and Fri-Mon schedule; alternating start time, e.g., 7 a.m.-5 p.m. and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. shifts
Move three credit courses to four credit courses
Move away from three-day per week classes and offer classes Monday through Thursday
Offer high school graduates an opportunity to take classes with current students
Offer high school seniors a discount on tuition
Offer more courses in the evening and on weekends
Offer more courses outside the 10am to 2pm time frame
Offer desirable courses to the nursing community at large, e.g. EKG, documentation, Spanish for healthcare providers, DL courses, etc.
Offer late summer camp for children at Maywood and Gresham campuses
Offer a program in Elder care, retirement home management / Partner with someone to build a retirement home facility on the Back 40 and use as a live lab (the income generated from those living at the site would raise revenue for the future
Offer early placement tests to high school students/involve parents early on with placement test results to ensure student readiness
Offer credit classes at Maywood again
Offer short courses for one-two credits, twice/term (result: more FTE)
Promote and support alternative approach learning communities to increase retention and increase dollars
Promote use of open source software and save money used for licensing fees, e.g., software used for online classes Blackboard/WebCt could be replaced by an open source alternative such as Moodle (and also with the Portal). Links for more information: http://www.schoolforge.net/ and http://osel.oregonstate.edu/
Provide classes (e.g., CPR, horticulture, etc.) for Latino students/residents
Provide discounts to all students if they register four weeks before each term begins
Provide more flexible class times during the day and during each term (2 week, 5 week, etc.)
Provide more credit-free industry-based training to include more CEU training
Provide more open labs for students on the weekend
Provide college labs on Fridays to high school students and teachers
Provide offsite career-themed schools with competitive entrance requirement earn both a diploma and associate degree
Provide vans to travel to public events, community centers to assist people with enrollment and financial aid services to boost enrollment
Provide more hybrid, compressed and credit/credit-free classes at all locations
Provide continuing education courses for nurses
Provide more evening / weekend services / utilize existing staff and adjust schedules
Put teacher evaluations online to reduce paper and printing costs as well as student administrative student labor costs
Reduce full-time teacher loads to 45 ILCs (no more extra teach/pay and use part-timers to fill this overload)
Rent out all scientific laboratories to entrepreneurs and other local businesses
Review thoroughly every program offering on campus using two passes: objective rating and ranking using strict revenue and cost approach; and subjective rating and ranking using a community needs approach
Review course fees and charge accordingly
Run automotive department as a business, fixing cars for a modest price and giving students experience
Start an alternative technology program for solar and wind facility installation and maintenance
Suspend DC model put DCs back in classroom
Tie major class projects for class credit to work needed on campus
Use the back 40 to provide a wilderness/outdoor program
Use art and machining students to develop exterior and interior wayfinding signs
Utilize the Steps to Success location for more testing and education classes
Value part-time employees more (certificates / awards)
Waive $25 admission fee if FAFSA form is completed and submitted by student

Research

Conduct needs assessment of our communities

Student Success

Advocate for Latino students
Bring concerts to the Gresham campus
Conduct a College Round-up at high schools
Create more Critical Friends Groups with neighboring high schools in order to work more closely with teachers, staff and administrators (Web site for more information: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/
Create a volunteer exchange in partnership with communities in the district (Web site for more information: http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=123492568614749400
Develop a road map for new students to better navigate our system
Develop student / class drives for registration
Develop a student-based supervised recruiting team made up of outgoing students to visit high schools, shopping malls, athletic events, etc. Wear Mt. Hood Community College shirts, pass out literature, invite those they meet to campus and provide tours; offer scholarships, reduced tuition or work study for those on the team
Employ student workers
Encourage athletes to clean and / or keep fields clean
Engage more children and their parents into the life of the College
Engage our Native American communities in the life of the College
Engage students mid-term to learn how they are doing
Enhance marketing of counseling center activities
Enhance placement office within College
Enhance recruitment efforts at high schools
Ensure part of the student fee would pay for childcare services, if needed
Establish a late fee for students registering past a certain date
Focus efforts on retention of students / student persistence
Have all students complete a FAFSA form
Have College employees adopt a student and become a mentor
Host and staff FAFSA instruction sessions at the high schools during winter and in late spring
Keep College open to at least 6pm
Move employees around to assist other departments, when necessary. Power Move
Offer to print the high school graduation programs in exchange for a full-page ad on the back page of the program
Provide more student worker opportunities
Provide more summer camps for children and their parents (e.g., Theatre, Robotics, Reading, etc.)
Provide testing at high schools for juniors and seniors
Provide walk-up copy center for students
Recruit international students
Rethink the use of flash drives at orientation not successful
Review all antiquated processes and procedures and make it hard not to go to College
Review costs of all co-curricular programs, including athletics
Send post cards to remind students about registration
Trade work hours for tuition (students)
Use computer labs for registration
Utilize kiosks (with computers) for registration
Utilize existing staff to recruit / retain students on campus
Utilize natural resource students in the operation of the College

Workforce Development

Address growing Latino training and education needs quickly
Advocate with WorkSystems Inc. to attract funds for credit-free training programs
Create fliers outlining certain programs and target businesses whose employees would benefit from these programs; offer a low-cost solution to help employees improve knowledge, skills and abilities
Enhance community education offerings / get more people on campus
Enhance industry partnerships
Ensure WorkSource Inc. Web site goes to MHCC rather than PCC
Expand community education program to increase FTE and associated revenue by offering additional classes in music: harmonica; drums; percussion; jazz guitar, etc.
Investigate and develop geriatric programs / services
Investigate ways to work closely with PGE and other utilities to identify workforce needs and offer appropriate classes / programs
Offer new long-term training programs
Partner with national businesses
Partner with business / government to provide training (e.g. MHCC / OR-OSHA Alliance)
Provide more short-term courses
Provide more classes for senior citizens and encourage them to come to the campus
Provide short-term training for green industry that is easy to pay for using Workforce Investment Act funding (streamline process)

Other Miscellaneous Ideas

At marketing events, fairs, etc. place informational tables with banners, balloons and flyers giving program, FAFSA, registration and campus events information and with energetic staff/students manning the tables
Become a Cisco Certified Network Academy
Build a MAX station in the parking lot opposite the College Theatre for the future Gresham-to-MHCC MAX extension
Build a visible, handsome student services center in parking lot E near the library that would include student health center, counseling and advising, admissions and financial aid
Build a parking garage behind the College / build a strip mall for retail and restaurants along 257th and Stark Street / use private investors / ensure businesses complement College programs and would offer internships to students, e.g., cosmetology; photograph; computers; bookstore; B&B for Hospitality & Tourism; dental services; and/or a nursing clinic
Build a room only for events
Build a parking garage behind the College / build a strip mall for retail and restaurants along 257th and Stark Street / use private investors / ensure businesses complement College programs and would offer internships to students, e.g., cosmetology; photograph; computers; bookstore; B&B for Hospitality & Tourism; dental services; and/or a nursing clinic
Change the Performance Management system to a 360 degree process so supervisors / managers are given critical input from not only their own supervisor but by subordinates and peers as well
Change the attitude toward career development; establish career paths / goals for employees / evaluate existing jobs to determine training and/or education required / post career path opportunities so employees could plan for their future
Create a community garden
Create new programs
Create a central system for checking availability of rooms
Develop a geriatric care facility on the Back 40
Develop comprehensive community public relations campaign to educate community about major college readiness timelines (placement testing, advising, financial aid, registration) to not only increase enrollment but to increase student success and persistence
Encourage the Associated Student Government to reach out to the community/offer senior assistance
Engage art students and faculty in decorating dingy concrete and brick walls with pictures or schematics that illustrate nearby activities or programs, e.g., stars, planets and quasars near the Planetarium
Feed the homeless/offer free haircuts and manicures
Have a Childrens Read A Book day
Have a parade in September Homecoming Parade / invite community (businesses, scout troops, etc) to walk
Help those who are recently unemployed by offering free tuition for a selected number of credit hours to those returning to college for additional training
Host a childrens theater year round/have high school students perform during the summer
Host a kids bike safety weekend with local police, bike safety, helmet safety, identification bike engraving, kid stickers bike for safety, bike for fun
Install better signage in breezeways and on campus streets/maps of campus near library flagpoles and all campus entrances
Install electronic sign/show current event happenings
Look for talented individuals early in employment to groom them for future leadership
Make the Back 40 a community park with barbecue pits, wedding setting, food booths, etc/have volunteers do the clean ups or those who have minor student conduct behavior infractions
Offer a veterinary program
Offer high school tutoring on campus
Offer senior citizen classes againthe MHCC golden age card is back because we care
Offer Zoology
Partner with high school students, the Gresham community and others to build a house for Habitat for Humanity
Reorganize the College infrastructure to fit in with a changing economy while remembering and renewing the values of the past, of integrity and genuine care for the well being of others
Require incoming students to take computer placement tests / direct those who need it to remedial classes / offer a Windows course
Teach the value of reading to children
Train all employees (faculty and staff) to recruit for the campuses and programs so that theres a unified message
Use the Zin Obelisk activity for conducting meetings