BMCC Providing Out of District Higher Education Services to Union County
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, June 14th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – (Release from Blue Mountain Community College) The Union County Commissioners have approved an out-of-district contract with Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) to provide support and coordinate higher education programs and services to the people of Union County. BMCC has hired Barbara Peden as the contract out of district (COD) coordinator. Peden who has lived in Union County for over 30 years will work closely with a local advisory board that represents the various industries and partners throughout Union County.
The advisory board had their first meeting on June 6, 2023. Their focus was to determine the scope and vision for the COD coordinator position and to determine the top service priorities. Partnerships were explored and goals were set. Two important goals emerged from this meeting.
The first goal was to support and maintain BMCC’s higher educational services already in place that allow high school students to earn college credit while they are still in high school. This includes several options like dual credit, expanded options and supporting the AAOT pathway which allows a student to earn an associates of arts Oregon Transfer degree.
The second goal was to work with industry partners to provide certificate-based classes that benefit the current workforce. It might be an EMT class, or a CPR class taught locally so that people don’t have to travel out of town to get the needed training. It could also be a “work skills class” where people earn “work ready” certificates when they finish.
It became clear in the advisory board meeting, that BMCC’s strength is in the partnerships they have within the community. Historically, Union County and Blue Mountain Community College have danced in and out of these agreements for over 40 years. This partnership has survived because it clearly benefits the whole community in many ways. The challenges are getting the word out about the services that are available and finding teachers to teach the classes.
Barbara Peden’s office and classrooms are located in the WorkSource building at 1901 Adams Ave. For more information about any of the BMCC programs in Union County you can contact her at 541-786-2351. You can also email her at bpeden@bluecc.edu.
