Recent listening sessions at Highline drew strong turnout and clear themes. Nine employees attended the session with Tim, who was noticeably more receptive than Pham, though he stated he had been instructed not to offer solutions during these meetings. Even with that limitation, the conversation surfaced the same issues members have been raising for months.

Employees reported persistent problems: assistive technology withheld because “not enough people use it,” unusable offices in Building 18 due to failed heating, chronic digital-literacy gaps among incoming students, and too few IT tutors to support them. Faculty are carrying basic computer instruction on top of their regular workload. Concerns also included unclear expectations around AI use in coursework, students being redirected between cashiering, BankMobile, and financial aid without resolution, and more than a decade of understaffing in Finance and Student Financials.

Questions about transparency and accountability were repeated. Employees asked where campus-works reports stand, why unanswered meeting-chat questions receive no follow-up, and what long-term feedback process will replace these sessions. Budget transparency, pay disparities, and recent administrative promotions also came up, as did concerns about the volume of campus-wide emails, the lack of hybrid meeting options, and whether student employees are being excluded from sharing workplace feedback.

Additional comments after the scheduled hour focused on advising: faculty being assigned students outside their expertise, and frustrations with Watermark’s poor alignment with ctcLink.

For more updates and to join the ongoing conversation, members can connect on Discord at wpea.org/discord .