Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 1998)
N O V . 2 5 ,1 9 9 8 Page A 7 (El|c IJortlanh (libserurr Economic Impact Study Shows Value of PCC to District Economy Portland Community College s recently completed economic impact study details a dynamic financial force affecting residents and business throughout the 1,500-square-mile Portland Community College district. he study, conducted by the applied Economics Research Group at Portland State University, outlines the economic contributions made by PCC’s three campuses, four training centers, and the college ad ministrative operations. PCC oper ates in all or parts of five Northwest Oregon counties— Clackamas, Co lumbia, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill. It enrolls more students than any other college in the state. The study demonstrates that last year Portland Community College T pumped $194 million into the dis trict economy and created an addi tional 2,408 full-timejobs in its com munities for district residents. PCC spending also generated $71 million in personal income in its district. “Portland Community College is seen as a strong contributor to the quality o f life in the Portland-metro area with affordable and accessible education,” said PCC President Dan Moriarty. “For 37 years, we have been known as the door that opens wide to higher education and train- Snodgrass to preside Over House as Speaker a le m - A n e w s p e a k e r w ill p r e s id e o v e r th e H o u se o f R e p r e s e n ta tiv e s in th e u p c o m in g 1999 le g is la tiv e s e s s io n . H o u se M a jo rity L ead er Lynn S n o d g ra ss(R - D a m a s c u s ) g a in e d th e fin a l v o te s to s e c u re th e s p e a k e r s h ip in th e e a r ly h o u r s o f T u e s d a y m o rn in g . In a c o n te s t th a t g a in e d m u c h m e d ia a tte n tio n o v e r th e p a s t s e v e ra l d ay s, S n o d g ra ss p re v a ile d o v e r c u rre n t H o u se S p e a k e r , L y n n L u n d q u is t (R - P o w e ll B u tte ). “ It w a s a le n g th y p r o c e s s ,” S n o d g ra ss re m a rk e d . “ The c itiz e n s o f O re g o n s h o u ld fe e l g o o d k n o w in g th a t w e s p e n t h o u rs in in te n s e d e lib e r a tio n s , tr y in g to c o m e up w ith le a d e r s h ip th a t w o u ld s e rv e th e m w e ll.” N e w ly e le c te d H o u se M a j o r i t y L e a d e r , S te v e H a rp e r ( R - k la m a th F a lls ) w ill h e a d th e R e p u b lic a n c a u c u s . T h e h o u s e w ill a ls o se e R e p r e s e n t a t i v e K e n S tr o b e c k (R - S B e a v e r to n ) a s s p e a k e r P ro - T e m p o re a n d R e p r e s e n ta tiv e M ark S im m o n s ( R - E lg in ) as M a jo r ity W h ip . “ T h e c a u c u s h a s an o p p o r tu n ity to c h o o s e b e tw e e n le a d e r s h ip s ty le s , a b ilitie s a n d v i s io n s ,” S n o d g r a s s s a id . “ It w as s p e lle d o u t b e f o r e th e m e m b e rs la s t n ig h t, a n d th e y w e re a b le to m a k e up th e ir o w n m in d s .” S n o d g r a s s c o n tin u e d , “ I ’ve a lw a y s s a id , th e m o st im p o r ta n t th in g I h a v e to o f f e r is c o a litio n b u ild in g ; I m a k e it a p o in t to lis te n to e v e r y o n e .” S n o d g ra ss c o n c lu d e d , “ I am a n x io u s fo r J a n u a r y to r o ll a ro u n d . I h a v e so m u ch e n e rg y . I c a n ’t w a it to g e t to w o rk .” O r e g o n ’s 7 0 th L e g is la tiv e S e ssio n c o n v e n e s Ja n u a ry 11, 1999. Rep. S n o d g rass w ill en ter her third term in the H ouse, se rv ing H ouse D istric t 10 w h ic h in c lu d e s G r e s h a m , B o r in g , D am ascas,E stacada, C lackam as, and p arts o f N o rth e a st P o rtlan d . ing and better jobs for hundreds o f thousands o f district residents. This study goes a step further. It under scores the direct and pervasive fi nancial impact — and value — PCC has for the people in the district.” “At a time when our state has demanded outcomes and asked for limits on education spending,” he added, “this study helps share PCC’s positive economic contributions to our district economy, over and above the educational opportunities we pro vide for so many people.” The financial impact is more than two times the annual PCC operating budget o f $94 million. It is three and one-half times greater than the $56 million paid in the state and local taxes for PCC’s operation. The study examines the short-term financial impact PCC’s has on its district economy. The impact is de rived from looking at the dollars that flow within the economy from insti tution, employee and student spend ing. While there are many other factors that contribute to the overall C average starting salary for ITT gradu ates is $25,000. Besides Jefferson high school with students participating in the pro gram include Lincoln High in South west Portland: McCoy Academy in Northeast Portland: Portland Oppor tunities Industrialization Center in Northeast Portland; Marshall High in Southeast Portland; Madison High School in Northeast Portland; Youth Employment Institute in Northeast Portland; open Meadow High in North Portland: and Parkrose High in Northeast Portland. To qualify stu dents must be entering the 12th grade and have completed Algebra 1 and Integrated Mathematics, they must have a grade-point average o f 2.0 or better and be able to attend classes at the institute from 1 to 3 p.m. daily. Excellent attendance is expected and the high school students are treated no different than their college-level peers. Students in the college-level peers. Students in the program can also go on to take more advance training in Computer Aided Drafting Technology and electronics, Borders said. T hat’s the goal o f Daniel Delashmutt, 18,ofMarshallHigh. He plans to pursue an associate degree at ITT, then move to Germany to continue advanced training in com puter visual technology, he said. “That is a good starting point for students,” said Delashmutt, a Ger man. The students sometimes work ovember 11, 1998 - Recent graduates o f Port land State University’s School o f En gineering and applied Science once again passed the national Fundamen- tals o f Engineering (FE) examina- in teams and assist each other in the program. “I want to pursue architec tural design.” Arelliano later said “I saw this as an opportunity to learn something else. I try to get a taste o f everything.’ Arelliano said she is unsure she will pursue her career goals at ITT. She said she may enroll at Portland Community College then transfer to another college or univer sity. She said the program is interest ing but also very challenging. “I came in here knowing nothing,” she said. “There are some people who had some clue,” she said smiling and looking over at Delashmutt. Shanna Washington, a senior at McCoy, said she’s learning some useful skills through the program that could lead to a good job. She’s among those who plans to continue her education through ITT. It’s a great program,” said Jason Allen, the instructor. “A student has to be committed to make it through.” He said he’s lost a few students who were not committed. “I wish I had this type o f opportunity when I was in high school," he said. By the time the program wraps up next spring, the students would have built a working electronic appliance. Allen said, with their basics training, it would be something along the lines o f a volt meter, he said. “This is a great program and a great opportu nity for them.” he said “And it gives them a chance to show their knowl edge. Do You Have Winter Depression? Qualifications Research Study Volunteers Needed To qualify, you must be in good health and not taking any antidepressant medications. Do you feel down or sad in the winter, but not during the summer? If you experience sadness or other symptoms such as lack of energy/motivation. social withdrawal or changes in your sleep or appetite, you may qualify for a three-week research study treating winter depression with melatonin, which naturally occurs in the body. This is followed up with two weeks of bright light therapy (you will be given a light fixture at the end of the study). The program will involve five visits, with blood draws on three If you are interested, please call the Sleep and Mood D isorders Laboratory at OHSU: (5 0 3 ) 4 9 4 -1 4 0 2 This project is under the direction o f Dr Alfred] leuy fees. (Adjustments were made to reflect only a portion of full-time student spending and housing costs since a large number of PCC stu dents are part-time.) The three categories total $136 million in expenditures. The multi plier effect is then calculated by us ing a specialized software assess ment tool, IMPLAN, and U.S. De partm ent o f Com m erce models. IMPLAN is widely used by indus tries and groups to gauge economic impact. PSU Engineering Students Rank A m ong Nation’s Best tion at a rate significantly higher than the national average. Results released recently by the Oregon State Board o f Engineering Examiners and Land Surveyors, show PSU graduates passing the engineer S tudents g e t fast sta rt in tech skills h a r l e s Shambry isn’t sure ✓ if he will choose a career in electronics, but the 18-year old Jefferson High School senior has a running start. Shambry a straight A student who plans to pursue a col lege degree already is receiving col lege level training in electronics engi neering at ITT Technical Institute in Northeast Portland. He is one o f several Portland Public School and Southw est W ashington students taking part in the trade school’s Elec tronics Engineering Partnership Pro gram. The program gives students hands-on training. The programs are free. From 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, they leave their respective high schools to learn electric engi neering principals and theory at the institute combined with lab work. Some o f the students also earn high school and college credits in the pro gram. If they choose to continue in the trades and pursue their college degree at ITT. They enter as second- quarter students, ahead o f other stu dents who must start from the basics. Alan Borders, an ITT representative said the program also puts students on the fast track toward earning not only as associate’s degree but a bachelor's degree. He said students can earn their BA in three years. ITT students also are placed in jobs right after college, although Borders em phasized the institute does not guar antee anyone a job. He said the impact PCC has on district residents, The report concentrates on the short term economic impact, stating that it "makes no attempt to estimate the impact o f many o f PCC’s other ben efits, like open access to education, community outreach and improving the quality o f life in the region.” A multiplier or “ripple effect” is applied to a best estimate o f three categories o f spending: college op erations, take-home pay o f college employees, and student cost-of-liv ing expenses, excluding tuition and ing exam at a rate o f 95 percent, compared to the national average of 78 percent. Portland State Univer sity students consistently outperform students from other engineering schools on the national exam. Over the past five years, an average o f 90 percent o f PSU graduates passed the FE exam-apass rate 25 percent higher than the five-year national average o f 71 percent. The fundamentals o f Engineering exam is taken as the first step toward professional engineering licensing. It is generally taken shortly after re ceiving a bachelor’s degree. The Portland State University mission is to enhance the intellec tual, social, cultural and economic qualities o f life by providing access to a quality liberal education for un dergraduates and to an appropriate array o f professional and graduate programs especially relevant to the metropolitan area. Portland State University is the states only urban grant university and the second largest university in Or egon University system in terms of enrollment, offering 62 bachelor’s and 56 master’s degrees plus doc toral degrees in eight areas. PSU grants one quarter o f the state’s graduate degrees annually. For more information, please con tact Jan Woodruff, Director o f M ar keting & Communications, at 503- 725-8785 - Were VW J. V . C h a n g in g 11,1 W orld? * V One Bin At A Time. f you're like most Portlanders, you're committed to recycling. It's part of what makes our city special. And it's why we recycle more than most other communities in the nation. I We've Come A Long Way. Since 1991, we've increased the amount we recycle by more than 300% and decreased what goes into our garbage by 38%. It w ouldn't have happened without you, your neighbors and nearly 250,000 yellow bins. Take Pride. Before you head to the curb this week, give yourself a pat on the back. Then look for ways to trim your trash even more. For example, you can recycle most types of paper, including magazines, milk cartons and scrap paper such as cereal boxes and junk mail. And — rain or shine — put your filled bins out on recycling day. Rain w on't hurt recyclables. Keep up the good work. And remember, every bin makes a big difference. i. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES C ity of porti an d 823-7202