OCCA Lunch & Learn Webinars

Join OCCA for monthly professional development webinars during 2025-26 to learn about issues important to community college board members and leaders. Register for one or all eight!

These hour-long webinars will take place the last Thursday of each month at noon PST. There is no registration cost to attend these training sessions for OCCA members as they are included as a member benefit. All webinars are recorded, with recordings posted to this page following webinar completion.

PERS

We’ve invited Carol Samuels and Brendan Watkins from Piper Sandler & Co. to lead this Lunch and Learn to share some hot topics related to PERS that could impact community college budgets in the coming years.

For a copy of the presentation slides, please email laura@occa17.com

Preparing for Oregon’s 2026 Budget Landscape

Join fellow Oregon community college leaders for a timely Lunch & Learn session focused on the fiscal challenges ahead in the 2026 Legislative Session. This briefing will explore the key budgetary pressures facing the state and what they might mean for community college funding.

Advocacy for the 2026 Legislative Session

The 2026 “short” Legislative Session begins in February, so attend this session to learn about community college priorities, messaging and how you can be a strong and effective advocate.

From Authority to Implementation: Applied Baccalaureates in Action

This Lunch & Learn will provide an overview of developments since legislation granted Oregon community colleges the authority to offer Applied Baccalaureate degrees. Participants will receive an update on the current statewide Applied Baccalaureate landscape, followed by a focused discussion of the two consortium models: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Science in Education (BASE). Attendees will hear directly from the consortium leads for both degrees, who will share insights on program structure and key lessons learned. The session will conclude with time for questions and discussion.

Data, Belonging, and Student Voice: Improving Outcomes for Rural Young Men

This Lunch & Learn is presented in partnership with The Ford Family Foundation and Education Northwest.

Rural young men face significant gaps in college enrollment, persistence, and completion — gaps that widen at the intersections of race and income. Because community colleges are the primary postsecondary pathway for rural students, they are a critical lever for change. This session highlights how some rural Oregon community colleges are using data and student voice to strengthen belonging, provide targeted supports, and increase completion rates for young men.