‘We always find a way forward’: President of Central Oregon Community College shares state of the college

(Update: adding comments from COCC President)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Central Oregon Community College President Dr. Greg Pereira delivered a “State of the College” address Tuesday morning on the Bend campus -- highlighting growth, challenges, and the institution’s impact across the region.

Pereira emphasized a central message: despite ongoing challenges, Central Oregon Community College (COCC) continues to move forward and play a vital role in Central Oregon.

“The key takeaway from today's state of the college is that COCC is an absolutely incredible institution --that, despite challenges that come up, we always find a way forward, and we're doing incredible work in this community,” Pereira said.

The college serves a 10,000-square-mile area and plays a major role in workforce training and regional development. One out of every 41 jobs in Central Oregon is tied to COCC, which contributes an estimated $349 million annually to the local economy.

With growing demand for career and technical education, COCC is expanding its footprint. Pereira highlighted the recent completion of a 22,000-square-foot expansion at the Madras campus, which will support programs including nursing, medical assisting and early childhood education.

“We're also doing an incredible expansion of our Redmond campus to really expand our opportunity to provide career and technical education in that region,” he said.

Like many community colleges nationwide, COCC is facing funding challenges. Pereira said the college is working to stay creative and adapt in order to continue delivering quality education.

“Some of the biggest challenges we're facing are related to funding. So we have to be innovative and we have to think a little bit differently about how to ensure that we continue to provide the best education as possible for our students,” he said.

Affordability remains a key focus. More than half of COCC students receive financial aid, and the COCC Foundation awards about $2.2 million in scholarships each year.

While Tuesday’s address took place in Bend, “State of the College” events are also planned for Redmond and Prineville. Those meetings will focus more specifically on how the college is serving each local community.