About Us

Who We Are

The Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) represents the seventeen publicly chartered community colleges and their locally elected board members. 

Founded in 1962, OCCA is an association whose purpose is to support the colleges before policy-makers and partners whose actions affect the well-being of community colleges across the state. OCCA does this through a variety of services.  

OCCA is governed by a 34-member Board of Directors which includes each president and one board member from each of the seventeen colleges. The board member representatives are chosen by their own local boards and they, with the presidents, elect the association’s Executive Committee to provide OCCA leadership each year.

OCCA staff provides the services and information that support the association’s mission.  Staff members are knowledgeable about issues ranging from appropriations and the community college funding formula to governance and educational policy. OCCA works closely with the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission, the Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, and the State Board of Higher Education.

OCCA is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), the American Association of Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC), the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA), and the Oregon Society of Association Management (OSAM).

Mission

The OCCA mission is to advocate, communicate and collaborate in order to strengthen community colleges for the benefit of Oregonians. 

2017-18 Goals

Advocacy for students and their success

Strategic Action A:   Determine cost of student success.

Outcome:   A model will be developed that is similar to the K-12 QEM that defines what is adequate rather than focusing on CSL.  Model should consider financial aid/affordability impacts and include what is necessary to achieve student success.  An equity lens should be applied to ensure that all students succeed.

Strategic Action B:   Advocate for capital construction.   

Outcome:   Changes to the match requirement:  possibilities including pooling the match, using lottery or general fund, or eliminating the match.  Restriction on asking for capital every four years is eliminated.  Changes to the $8 million cap are adopted.

Strategic Action C:   Seek additional funding in February Session.

Outcome:  Additional funding of at least $32 million for the community colleges is obtained.  

Knowledgeable, high functioning, local members, who share a common state-wide purpose and direction.

Strategic Action A:   Create a cohesive cohort of board members who embrace their role as a statewide and local board voice.

Outcome:   Strong board development opportunities will be delivered at the annual conference and other state-wide events by seasoned board members sharing best practices.  OCCA board representative will be provided monthly updates for use at local board meetings.  Updates will include both written material and webinar or video-conferencing opportunities.

Strategic Action B:   Empower board members to be stronger advocates for community colleges.

Outcome:  Training provided to board members to be strong advocates through statewide meetings, through technology, and locally.

Successful OCCA culture and organization that reflects best practice

Strategic Action A:   Strong, Effective, Sustained Executive Committee.

Outcome:   The Executive committee will develop clarity on roles and responsibilities role.  A professional orientation program will be developed for the 2018-19 Executive Committee.

Strategic Action B:   Support for the Executive Director in the development and implementation of a management philosophy.

Outcome:   Executive Director will be able to articulate a management philosophy while staff is satisfied as demonstrated by a climate survey.  Action will be completed by April 1 prior to the Executive Director’s performance evaluation. 

Strategic Action C:   Strengthen fiscal integrity.

Outcome:   The Executive Director, in consultation with the Finance Committee, will ensure the fiscal integrity of the organization including implementation of the 10 fiscal recommendations by June 30.

Strategic Action D:   The OCCA will be a best Practice Organization

Outcome: Bylaws, policies, procedures, manuals, and job descriptions will be aligned through work with a consultant and be benchmarked to best practices standards by February 1.