On July 16, Portland Community College's board will vote on a new policy that would give it formal authority to declare a college-wide financial emergency, a tool that, once invoked, would authorize program cuts and staffing reductions at Oregon's largest community college.

The Financial Shortfall Declaration Policy, listed as Resolution 27-003, would let the board declare a shortage if PCC's funding drops by at least 5% or if the budget can't cover all existing programs, personnel costs, contractual obligations, or minimum reserves.

Once declared, Interim President Katy Ho would have 60 days to present a remediation plan to the board.

The policy arrives four months after PCC's first-ever faculty strike ended with a contract settlement that then-President Adrien Bennings warned was "so far outside of our budget that it will result in significant additional cuts in the future." PCC projected a roughly $37 million deficit over the 2025-2027 biennium as of March 2026, driven by rising personnel costs and flat state funding.

The board approved a supplemental budget on June 18. Updated deficit figures were not available.

Interim CFO Chris Kinsley prepared the new policy, which applies to PCC's general fund and affects employees, students, and outside vendors. The board gave it a first reading on June 18. Thursday's vote would finalize it.

New student trustee, leadership election

The board will also swear in Afia Mboup as its new student trustee. Mboup serves as ASPCC Senate president and sits on PCC's Integrated Budget and Planning Council.

Board members will then elect a chair and vice chair for the 2026-27 year. The current chair is Tiffani Penson (Zone 2) and vice chair is Greg McKelvey (Zone 6). The seven elected board members eligible for those roles are Laurie Cremona Wagner, Penson, Kien Truong, Brandy Penner, Dan Saltzman, McKelvey, and Gina Sanchez Roletto.

Other business

Three additional second-reading votes are on the agenda: the ASPCC memorandum of understanding for fiscal year 2026-27, a Cash and Investment Program Policy, and the archival of Board Policy B 401 on student rights and responsibilities. According to the agenda, the student protections in B 401 are already incorporated into PCC's Student Rights & Responsibilities handbook and operational procedures.

The consent agenda includes contracts with Carahsoft for cybersecurity software and BGSF for Workday support services.

How to attend

The business session begins at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at PCC's Sylvania Campus, 12000 SW 49th Ave., in CC Building Rooms 233 A/B. The meeting is also available via Zoom (Webinar ID: 924 1727 1318) or by phone at 669-444-9171. The deadline to sign up for public comment was July 15 at 5 p.m.

Faculty union president Laura Wadlin and classified employees union president Aenghus Taylor are both scheduled to deliver reports at the meeting.