Portland Community College
EN-5: Civic Engagement

Student civic engagement is facilitated through a combination of the Office of Civic Leadership Development and the community based learning office.

 The Office of Civic Leadership Development facilitates civic education and access through community advocacy, experiential learning, and leadership development. The Office of Civic Leader's goal is to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and experience to be change agents in our communities. The office values social justice and equity, student self-actualization, taking a critical approach and centering community cultural wealth.

This office oversees the Portland Community College Legislative Internship, a unique opportunity funded through student activity fees that gives students the opportunity to intern with legislators in Salem, learn about the legislative process, and represent the diverse student population of PCC.

The Community-Based Learning (CBL) office within Academic Affairs is dedicated to facilitating equitable access and opportunity in community engagement for students, faculty, staff, and community partners. It provides a professional development continuum open to all faculty, including individualized support through consultations and peer-to-peer mentoring, that emphasizes strategies for integrating inclusive community engagement activities in courses. The CBL team also provides opportunities for PCC students and community partners to access activities (e.g., providing GivePulse as a resource for individual and group volunteering throughout the greater Portland region).

GivePulse is a community engagement platform designed to assist students with finding volunteer opportunities and internships in the community. It helps them find opportunities for community engagement, track and share service hours/impacts and create a community engagement transcript for their resume/portfolio.

PCC uses the Give Pulse Platform to track community and civic engagement; our civic and community engagement team gave us a report for the number of students who have participated through the Give Pulse platform in FY 2023.

PCC organizes a few events each year that facilitate employee community service, such as the MLK Day of Service. At the MLK day of service, Volunteers worked on various activities including decorating placemats for Meals on Wheels clients, adding a personal touch to meal deliveries; assembling shelf-stable meal kits for the Panther Pantries, supporting fellow students facing food insecurity; and land-tending projects, which included working in the learning garden and planting natives with the Habitat Restoration Team.

In addition, employees participate in sustainability activities through the PCC Unity Crew. The Unity Crew is dedicated to fostering employee well-being, engagement, and inclusion. The Unity Crew encourages volunteering on campus and for example brings out employees to the college's learning gardens, provides sustainable appreciation gifts, such as native seed packets, and supports sustainable swag options at the college.

In response to Oregon House Bill 3409, the Oregon Department of Energy is conducting rulemaking related to developing Building Performance Standards related to Tier II, which includes higher education. PCC’s Energy Manager is part of the working group and is providing input.

In addition, our Associate Dean of Sustainability Strategies sits on  the Multnomah County Advisory Committee on Sustainability & Innovation (ACSI). ACSI members provide recommendations and input to the Board of County Commissioners and the Office of Sustainability on policies and programs that help to enhance equity, environmental justice, environmental stewardship, and inclusive prosperity. 

In response to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Naiuli Declaration was formed to support Pacific regions' call for a fossil free Pacific. This included the participation of the Director of Multicultural Services, who helps Pacific Islander students and staff participate in these engagements.