The Columbia Gorge Community College Student Services team coordinated meal deliveries for snowbound students living in the college' on-campus Chinook Residence Hall in The Dalles last week. The team also stocked the hall's kitchen with staples and snacks.
The Columbia Gorge Community College Student Services team coordinated meal deliveries for snowbound students living in the college' on-campus Chinook Residence Hall in The Dalles last week. The team also made sure students were able to safely navigate campus.
The Columbia Gorge Community College Student Services team coordinated meal deliveries for snowbound students living in the college' on-campus Chinook Residence Hall in The Dalles last week. The team also stocked the hall's kitchen with staples and snacks.
THE DALLES — Despite both Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) campuses being officially closed due to extreme weather last week, the college continued operations and support for its students. The college’s faculty and staff operated behind the scenes to meet the instructional and fundamental needs of students, especially those residing on the snowbound campus.
Unlike most community colleges, CGCC has an on-campus residence hall that houses more than 30 students. Regardless of the weather, there are students on campus who depend on the cafe for meals and need campus paths and roadways cleared and accessible for basic safety. CGCC’s Student Services team has an incident response plan in place to address any student concerns or needs.
“The facilities team works in shifts to keep the roads plowed and graveled and walkways shoveled and clear for our students,” said Danny Dehaze, CGCC’s executive director of infrastructure. “Several days [last] week, we’ve had to accelerate our schedule to keep up with the snow and ice.”
The Chinook Residence Hall features a full shared kitchen, so students have the option of storing and cooking their own meals.
“The cafe manager and I started talking the week before the storm, considering numbers, food allergies, and what was likely to be available locally,” said Tiffany Prince, CGCC’s director of housing. “We prepared and delivered meals to our students each day, and also stocked their kitchen with staples and comfort foods to help them get through the extended time indoors.
The Columbia Gorge Community College Student Services team coordinated meal deliveries for snowbound students living in the college' on-campus Chinook Residence Hall in The Dalles last week. The team also made sure students were able to safely navigate campus.
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“Whenever we arrived with our deliveries, the students would come out to greet us,” Prince said. “They did great — lots of games, community meals, movies, and sledding. I am beyond impressed by our cafe manager and facilities team who all leaned into keeping our on-campus residents safe and happy.”
“Honestly, it’s been nice — the community meals we have when food is delivered bring people together, it gets the whole group together and talking for a few hours each day,” said Resident Assistant Myah Sallee.
The storm hit over the second week of winter term. In order to address student needs, which may have been amplified by the weather closure, “the CGCC Student Services team worked remotely to support students with academic advising and scheduling, financial aid, and coaching on how to stay current with their school work online,” said Mike Espinosa, vice president of student services. He added, “Beyond academics, we support students in many additional capacities, including those for whom the storm has caused major life disruptions.”
CGCC President Kenneth Lawson, experiencing his first winter in the Columbia River Gorge, applauded the work and planning that underpin the efforts of the whole team.
“Without this kind of dedication to continued, safe operations of campus facilities and the residence hall, many students would likely have faced food scarcity and endured hazardous travel conditions to meet their basic needs,” he said.
Prior to and during winter weather events, CGCC monitors forecasts and reviews school closures across the district. The CGCC facilities team meets as early as possible with Lawson to determine whether to close. The college always posts the status by 7 a.m. on the day in question.
For closure information see the CGCC website, college social media, or sign up for Flash Alert messages.
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