Yesterday, the Portland Community College Board announced that President Bennings signed a separation agreement with the College and is stepping down from leadership effective immediately. Executive Vice President Katy Ho will assume the role of interim president.
While this marks one small step toward accountability and healing, we strongly oppose the terms of the agreement, which allocates roughly $300,000 in public funds to a generous severance, including health benefits and full salary through March 2027. At a time when students and employees struggle to afford basic needs, and PCC programs are fighting for crumbs under the Fiscal Sustainability Action Plan, this payout is shocking and unacceptable.
The harm done to this institution over the past several years runs deeper than a single presidency. Dr. Bennings’s tenure has ended, but the structural challenges remain: inequity, financial mismanagement, administrative bloat, and austerity budgets still threaten our ability to serve students. And now, we must reckon with the fallout of the last four years under the terms of a non-disparagement clause that continues to undermine transparency and accountability at the highest levels of college leadership. (Thankfully, FFAP is under no such clause.)
Dr. Ho steps into her new role after many years of service at PCC. We recognize that this transition carries both complexity and possibility. We invite her to join us in the continued work of rebuilding trust, advancing equity, and creating a stronger institution that truly prioritizes students, respects workers, and strengthens our broader community.
This moment happened because we organized. It happened because we withheld our labor for three weeks. It happened because students and community members stood with us and said “enough.” Democracy in the workplace means we do not need to accept the unacceptable.
The work continues for authentic shared governance and institutional transparency. Dr. Bennings’ Fiscal Sustainability Action Plan must be set aside in favor of more flexible and adaptive budgeting models. We expect and deserve a democratic presidential search process meaningfully guided by students and workers.
We remain committed to creating a PCC that is fair, equitable, transparent, and that truly serves all employees, students, and the public. We move forward with hope and resolve.
In solidarity,
Ben Cushing, FFAP President, PCC Sociology Instructor
Michelle DuBarry, FFAP Executive Vice President, PCC Grants Officer