An Oregon community college president is hitting the pavement this summer to spotlight a critical issue -- the basic needs of community college students.
On June 16th, Clackamas Community College President Tim Cook -- an avid marathoner -- set off on a bold challenge to run to every community college in Oregon. That's more than 1,500 miles over 50 days, averaging 32 miles per day.
On Thursday at 9 a.m., President Cook will run into the Marjorie Holzgang Concert Bowl at Rogue Community College's Redwood Campus in Grants Pass where he will be met with cheers from local staff, students and faculty.
The Running for Oregon Community College Students (ROCCS) campaign is a statewide awareness and fundraising initiative to highlight the challenges facing today's students and to advocate for increased state funding.
Community college students represent some of the most vulnerable populations in the state. A survey from The Hope Center highlights the pressing needs of Oregon's community college students including food insecurity (41%), housing insecurity (52%) and homelessness (nearly 20%).
Oregon's community colleges serve approximately 200,000 students, which is 52% of all public and private higher education enrollments in the state. Many of these students encounter significant obstacles. Through this run, Oregon's community colleges seek to highlight these challenges and generate support to address them.
RCC Board Member Pat Fahey has pledged to match up to $5,000 in contributions to the RCC Foundation, which is collecting funds to support RCC students facing financial hardship. To donate, please visit "roguecc.edu/foundation."
