Pierce College Facing Budget Cuts Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

As the 2020-2021 school year approaches, Pierce College prepares for potential budget cuts due to a wide state fund decline.
On May 11, Pierce College Chancellor Michele Johnson sent out a mass email stating that Pierce College will be experiencing budget cuts in the 2020-2021 school year. As a response, the college is preparing a budget development process that is taking place over the next few months.
Pierce College braces for budget cuts as high as 20 percent. While that percent only accounts for less than half of Pierce’s revenue, according to Johnson, that still is a 10 percent reduction, adding up to around $6 million.
“This work will be difficult and unfortunately, painful,” Johnson stated. “There is no way to handle revenue declines of this magnitude without pain. Departments throughout the college will need to rethink and retool their entire operation.”
Along with Pierce College, multiple other state agencies could face general fund reductions of 15 to 20 percent or higher. This is due to a large decline in Washington State’s general fund revenue.
“Currently, state officials and legislators are still trying to understand the full extent of the issue,” Johnson stated. “But preliminary forecasting by the state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council points to a very large decline in revenue that started in March and could continue for several years.”
Pierce College has made a temporary plan, in hopes of getting the college’s budget through the summer and parts of fall. “Over the next few weeks, the Budget Team and the Budget Planning Groups will be working on ideas and concepts to build a temporary spending plan to present to the Board of Trustees in June,” Johnson stated. “The proposed budget will be reviewed by the District Cabinet and presented to the Board of Trustees in October for approval.”
The Budget Team is currently formed around large groups of departments and divisions throughout the district, including Instruction, Student Services, Self-Support Programs, Facilities/Safety, and Institutional Support Services, as stated by Johnson.
Many questions still remain, such as what departments will be affected by these budget cuts the most, as well as programs or student resources. However, as the months go by, Johnson assures staff that Pierce will continue to answer questions and address the situation.
“The Budget Team and college leadership will continue to share information, involve constituents, and be open and transparent in this process.”
Coronavirus Situation During Quarantine
Remembering Denise Yochum

Pierce College Fort Steilacoom mourns the death of Denise Yochum, after a long battle with cancer. On Jan. 13, chancellor Michele Johnson announced the news of the former college president’s passing, which sparked commemorative responses from the community she impacted.
Yochum served as Pierce College’s president for 13 years before retiring last January; she remained an active member of the community even after, Johnson stated in an email. Yochum oversaw the expansion of many projects on Fort Steilacoom’s campus, including making the Science Dome interactive and renovating classrooms and student services spaces.
“Denise’s commitment to student success and her dedicated service to the college was exemplary,” Johnson stated in an email. “She has also been an active and beloved member in the local community, a state leader, and was a shining example of leadership that was grounded in integrity, skill, and courage.”
Not only was Yochum a leader, she was also a friend to many. “Denise’s quick wit has made us laugh, and we appreciated her fun and free flowing ways,” Johnson stated. “Denise’s thoughtful, caring, outgoing personality and sharp mind has endeared her to us now and long into the future.”
For Daniel Dino-Slofer, Pierce College’s media assistant, he admired Yochum’s ability to inspire others. One of his favorite memories of her was when he trained with Student Life in 2015.
“She shared her inspiring experiences with us on how she started her career path that ultimately led her to be the President of the Fort Steilacoom campus,” said Dino-Slofer. “Her story gave us student leaders a lot of encouragement on how far your efforts and goals can take you when you put your mind to it.”
Yochum will be remembered for her leadership and service for the Pierce College community. Yochum is survived by her husband Eric, sons Eric and Kyle, five grandchildren, and a large extended family, Johnson stated in an email. Yochum’s memorial will be held at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom on Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. in the Performance Lounge.
Nov. 2020 / Vol. 53 Issue 2
Golf-Scramble Scholarship
The remembrance of Ron Schwartz
January 7, 2019 / Vol. 52 Issue 3
Pierce College Fort Steilacoom President Medically Retires
“I needed to make a choice,” Yochum said.
Denise Yochum, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s now-former president, has medically retired due to her ongoing battle with metastatic breast cancer. After multiple surgeries and a month-long hospitalization, she realized she could not get healthy and give the college her best work.
“I needed to make a choice,” Yochum said. “I chose to work to get healthy and to let the college move forward.”
Yochum served as president for 13 years, but her work at Pierce was cut short; she said she was expecting to work for another 10 years.
Deidre Soileau will serve as interim president for Pierce College Fort Steilacoom until June 30, while Chancellor Michele Johnson directs a national search for a new, permanent president.
Yochum sent an email to the college district announcing her retirement Wednesday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write to all of you today,” Yochum stated in the email. “I am medically retiring, effective January 2, 2019.”
Her message included the college’s achievements throughout her time at Pierce and her hopes for future developments. One of the college’s achievements she is most proud of is Pierce placing in the top ten for the Aspen award this year.
Soileau, former Vice President for Strategic Advancement, worked with Yochum often.
“We served on the district’s executive team together for over five years, and we worked closely on a number of projects,” Soileau said. “She was a colleague first, and she has become a valued friend.”
Student Life Will Host More LGBT-Focused Events in the Future
In Washington state, more than 340,000 residents identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), according to the Movement Advancement Project. Redfin ranked Seattle’s Pride Parade the third most popular in the U.S. in 2016. Tacoma and Olympia host local pride parades and festivals every year, as well.
Although there is representation for the LGBT community around the state, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom seems to be lacking LGBT inclusivity for its own events.
The Puyallup campus hosts LGBT-related events regularly. This quarter, it is including two events on its calendar: a movie showing of “Love, Simon” and an off-campus celebrity impersonation drag show.
I think the best way to help LGBT students feel more represented is to communicate with them.”
— Madeline Buchanan
On the other hand, the Fort Steilacoom campus is not holding events for its LGBT students this quarter. The only event held in the past year through the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI) had little advertisement and low turnout.
What makes Puyallup more inclined to hold events for its LGBT students? The larger population of LGBT students at Puyallup means more requests are submitted for events that represent them.
This quarter, Puyallup reported 361 LGBT students compared with 286 students at Fort Steilacoom, said Carly Haddon, a Pierce College data solutions developer and analyst. Puyallup also enrolled 1,150 more students this quarter compared with the Fort Steilacoom campus.
Puyallup’s Vice President of Activities Madeline Buchanan said in an email that Student Life receives several requests for LGBT-related events. “(We) do our best each quarter to put on relevant, educational and fun events for not only our LGBTQ+ students but our entire student body.”
Buchanan added, “Making sure our students’ voices are heard is something we take very seriously whether it be through supporting the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) club, planning events focusing on LGBT issues or advocating for our LGBT students in Student Government.”
Aidan Helt, Fort Steilacoom’s Issues and Awareness Coordinator, said no one has requested an event so far this year. “It’s been on my radar since I was hired,” she said.
While there are few events for LGBT students to partake in, the Fort Steilacoom campus still welcomes LGBT community members. Leigh Rooney, a newly hired Digital Design instructor, has only had a good experience so far.

“I feel completely welcomed and accepted – not just tolerated, which is an important distinction for me – as an out lesbian at Pierce,” Rooney stated in an email. “All the students, faculty and staff I have encountered have been warm, kind and refreshingly open.”
Regarding what to do to increase LGBT representation at either campus, Buchanan said, “I think the best way to help LGBT students feel more represented is to communicate with them. Voice that you are wanting to create a safe and inclusive space and listen to their ideas.”
In turn, Helt said she plans to provide more LGBT-centered events at the Fort Steilacoom campus this year.
“I believe that they are a highly underrepresented population, and I hope to coordinate with the clubs on campus to have a Pride event in the spring quarter,” Helt said. She also said she plans to work with the newly ratified Queer Support Club on upcoming events.
For clubs looking to hold their own events, Cameron Cox, director of student programs, encourages them to talk to Student Life or the MLI for support. “I wish clubs would understand the power they have,” he said. “Sometimes, I feel like clubs are almost as powerful as Student Government in advocating (for their community).”