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The Portland Community College Board met last night, with a controversial vaccine mandate on the agenda.
But rather than vote on the mandate, the board elected to defer a decision until September, according to PCC spokesman James Hill.
The mandate the board was to consider (found on page 45 of this board agenda) would have required all students and employees to be vaccinated by the beginning of the January term.
As WW reported earlier, several members of the board, led by Chairman Mohamed Alyajouri, expressed concerns that a mandate could punish low-income students and students of color. Dan Saltzman, the former Portland city commissioner who joined the PCC board in 2019, has pushed strongly for a mandate.
Last night, in a meeting that included impassioned testimony from several faculty members in favor of a mandate, the board decided to delay any action until its next meeting, Sept. 23.
Saltzman told his colleagues he was “deeply disappointed” in PCC leadership’s failure to protect students and faculty.
PCC’s board meeting came on the same day that Gov. Kate Brown announced a vaccine mandate for all health care workers and K-12 teachers and employees.
And on Friday morning, Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury issued a vaccine mandate for the county’s 6,000 employees—and said those who refuse without a legitimate reason for exemption will be laid off.
“Our community depends on Multnomah County employees,’’ said Chair Kafoury. “As the largest local safety net provider in the state, we need to assure our workforce is able to show up and safely serve the people of this community.’’
