OFF PAGE ONE
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
HerMIsTOnHeraLd.COM • A9
Ben LonerganHermiston Herald
Students participate in classwork during an anatomy and
physiology lab Jan. 14, 2022, at Blue Mountain Community
College in Hermiston.
BMCC
Continued from Page a1
more comfortable with tak-
ing classes online,” Contre-
ras said.
Fighting declining
enrollment
BMCC President Mark
Browning said enrollment at
the college is down 5%, year
to year, and getting students
to return to classes is one of
the big challenges.
The school recently held
sessions in which admin-
istrators have heard from
students, past and pres-
ent, about their attendance.
The meetings included stu-
dents who dropped out or
changed their academic
plans due to the coronavi-
rus pandemic.
“There is a lot of uncer-
tainty,” he said.
The student body is con-
flicted, he said, with some
students wanting in-person
classes and others prefer-
ring distance learning. He
said he has heard from stu-
dents who are concerned
about COVID-19 exposure
and others who need atten-
tion they can only get from
face-to-face instruction.
Many other students,
Browning said, are express-
ing they do not know what
to do and are fearful of
committing to academic
programs. Rather, they are
sitting out school until they
can develop their career
intentions.
“Traditionally in years
past, especially in commu-
nity colleges, we’ve been
able to serve that role in
which students can explore
different career options,”
he said. “And we still serve
that, but it’s different under
COVID.”
Browning explained the
pandemic has made stu-
dents unsure of what they
want to do with their lives.
But the community col-
lege president also stated
there are other reasons why
enrollment at the school is
down — namely, the econ-
omy. Right now, he said, the
economy is good, and this
is something that typically
lowers college enrollment.
“We have one of the hot-
test economies anyone has
ever seen,” he said.
This being the case,
workers are not inclined to
return to school for further
retraining or study, accord-
ing to Browning.
To bring back students,
BMCC is doing things that
many other schools are
doing, Browning said.
Students may take asyn-
chronous online classes, in
which they download con-
tent and complete their
studies on a flexible sched-
ule. There also are syn-
chronous online classes
in which students all join
classes at the same time.
Other classes combine
these options.
“We are much more
fragmented in the way we
are approaching delivery,
but that’s what the student/
consumer is asking for,”
Browning said. “They want
that flexibility.”
There still are actions
the BMCC president would
like to do to entice prospec-
tive students. For instance,
he said, he would like to
create new course programs
for students and would like
to do more to make the
internet accessible to peo-
ple in the area.
Browning said he hopes
to find even more ways
to encourage students to
return to his school. In the
meantime, he said, he will
continue promoting the
school’s efforts. As more
students become aware
of Blue Mountain’s wide
range of class options, he
said, they should be inter-
ested to enroll.
Rockfall closes Highway
730 east of Umatilla
Hermiston Herald
A rockfall and and an
unstable slope closed U.S.
Highway 730 on the Wash-
ington side of the border Jan.
19. The incident closed the
highway in both directions
between the Oregon state
line and Wallula Junction
(13 miles south of Pasco).
The Washington State
Department of Transpor-
tation did not have an esti-
mated time for reopening.
For updated conditions in
Oregon, check TripCheck.
com or call 511/800-977-
6368. Outside Oregon, call
503-588-2941. For Wash-
ington Department of Trans-
portation updates, visit
wsdot.com/travel/real-time/
map.
Nixyáawaii Community Financial Services
Join our team!
Nixyáawii Community Financial Services is
currently hiring a Business Services Manager.
This position works with our small business
clients and community members interested in
starting or expanding their existing businesses
and leads frequent classroom and direct client
interaction for business aspects along with
youth entrepreneurial events. The Business
Services Manager is the point person for NCFS
marketing and communications including the
NCFS website, client software, and social media.
Advanced computer skills are highly desirable.
Salary range is $45-$65,000 annually.
Applications are now posted on the Wildhorse
Resort & Casino’s Careers page, in the Current
Open Positions, under Business Service Center.
www.nixyaawii-cdfi.org
541.304.2387
46440 Kusi Road #A-3
Pendleton, OR
Nixyáawii Community Financial Services (NCFS) is a
developing Native Community Development Financial
Institution loan fund that provides loans, homeownership
assistance, business development services, youth and
adult financial education to members of the Umatilla
Confederated Tribes, Reservation residents, and
Tribal employees.
KEEP IT
LOCAL