Portland Community College Separates From Its President

Portland Community College president Dr. Adrien Bennings has resigned from the college after more than three years marked by ongoing financial restructuring and the first community college faculty strike in Oregon’s history.

The board of trustees authorized a separation with Bennings on Thursday by a 6–1 vote. She will receive a $261,000 severance package—a reflection of nine months of salary— as well as up to nine months of health insurance, and a $25,000 retention bonus from the 2025–26 academic year. Bennings will be under Family and Medical Leave Act leave through June 30, her last day at the college.

Dr. Katy Ho, PCC’s executive vice president, is set to take on the interim president position as the college determines its process for the next presidential search.

The board voted unanimously to approve Ho’s interim role.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to serve PCC during a period of significant change and impact,” Bennings said in a statement. “I remain proud of the work accomplished along with so many dedicated employees, students, and community partners. I leave with gratitude for the opportunity to serve PCC and with continued belief in the transformative power of community colleges.”

Bennings joined PCC in April 2022 after two and a half years as president of Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Mich., and more than a decade of experience at other higher education institutions. She took charge of Oregon’s largest community college system: PCC enrolls about 50,000 students across its four campuses each year.

Tiffani Penson, the PCC board of trustees chair, said at a Thursday night board meeting that the separation agreement is voluntary. “This is the right time for leadership transition, both for Dr. Bennings and for the college,” she said. “I am grateful for Dr. Bennings’ service and leadership at PCC…we appreciate her professionalism and shared commitment to the future of PCC and the students we serve.”

Bennings’ departure from the college comes about a month and a half after PCC became the first community college in the state to see its workers strike. The college’s faculty and academic professionals union and classified employees union—which together represent about 2,300 of the college’s employees—went on strike at the end of winter term. The faculty and academic professional strike lasted about three weeks, delaying the start of spring term by a week.

In that time, the PCC community’s sentiment around Bennings’ leadership soured dramatically. As the strike dragged on, membership in both striking unions voted overwhelmingly to declare no confidence in Bennings, with classified members voting 94% and the faculty union voting 98%. Many students agrees; the student government of the college has also overwhelmingly voted to declare no confidence in Bennings’ leadership.

Bennings is also facing a complaint filed with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission over the college’s “One Together, Together One” slogan, which is trademarked by G7 Enterprises LLC, a private company Bennings’ husband owns and that she is a member of.

As the Portland Mercury has reported, that complaint came from PCC board of trustees member Kien Truong. (Representatives for PCC have previously told WW that the slogan is not considered the college’s official one, and that it had not contracted with G7 Enterprises LLC.) Under the agreement, Bennings will not charge PCC for the slogan.

Truong voted against Bennings’ separation on Thursday night, noting his disapproval of the severance package, saying nine months of severance was more than he could support, but that he would have been comfortable with four to six months of severance. (Bennings’ current contract stipulates that if terminated early, she is entitled to a full year’s salary and benefits.) He also said he was troubled by a nondisparagement clause in the severance agreement that applies to board and cabinet members.

“In my view, this separation agreement is not a good use of public dollars, and I will vote no tonight,” Truong said. “Not because I oppose the college moving forward, but because I cannot put my name on a package that pays too much and silences too many.”

At the time of her separation with the college, Bennings’ base salary was about $350,000 a year, not including benefits. She was the second woman to serve as PCC president, and the first permanent hire in that position. Sylvia Kelley was PCC’s interim president from 2015 to 2016.

Penson said the board will share next steps on a search for a permanent president, but that Ho’s immediate priority, shared by the board, is to support PCC at this time.

“I’m truly humbled and honored, and I look forward to our work together to the PCC community, students, faculty, and staff,” Ho said at Thursday’s meeting. “I know that we have been tested with many challenges, and there is a need to rebuild trust in community.”

This story will be updated as more details become available.