Browning opposes centralizing community colleges

By on Tuesday, January 10th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON โ€“ An audit of Oregonโ€™s Higher Education Coordinating Council by the secretary of stateโ€™s audits division resulted in several suggestions for improvement last month. One of the major ones was having the Oregon Legislature grant the HECC more power in controlling the stateโ€™s 17 community colleges.

When asked if he supports that proposal, Blue Mountain Community College President Mark Browning answered with a firm โ€œno.โ€

โ€œI think the people that live in Morrow, Umatilla, and Baker counties have a much better idea of whatโ€™s happening here in our region versus somebody who might be only sitting in Salem or Portland,โ€ he said.  โ€œIโ€™ve never seen it where a centralization of governance like that works really well, especially in the far-off lands.โ€

Browning said heโ€™s spoken with his peers at other community colleges not along the I-5 corridor and finds they have similar feelings about protecting local control.

โ€œI think thatโ€™s an easy solution that comes out of kind of Government 101 and it doesnโ€™t work, at least in my opinion,โ€ he said.