Monthly Highlights
March 2009
A $2 MILLION TITLE III GRANT from the U.S. Department of Education will improve the success and retention of first-year students. The five-year project will focus on first-year experiences, learning communities, early alert systems for students with academic problems, a student computer portal to improve communications, policies and procedures to help more students persist to degree completion, and greater integration of student and academic affairs.
CONGRESSMAN PETER DEFAZIO secured $330,000 in the federal omnibus spending bill for nursing lab equipment at Lane. DeFazio met with Lane officials and staff at a community college summit in D.C., including Board of Education Chair Susie Johnston, Vice Chair Pat Albright, President Mary Spilde, and Governmental and Community Relations Director Brett Rowlett. He later visited campus to tour nursing and energy programs and speak with students.
CANDIDATES filed for open seats on the Board of Education. Running unopposed for Zone 1 is Sharon Stiles. Unopposed for Zone 3 is Gary LeClair. Competing for Zone 4 are incumbent Susie Johnston, and challengers Jose Ortal, Gordon Culbertson, and Zachary Blalack.
PRESIDENT MARY SPILDE AND STUDENT TOBY KUBLER attended the Clinton Global Initiative meeting at the University of Texas at Austin. Kubler is working to double food garden space on main campus from its present area of 2,000 square feet.
VELDA ARNAUD was selected to serve as the Regional Coordinator for Phi Theta Kappa's Rocky Mountain Cascade Region. She teaches business at Lane and has served as advisor for the Sigma Zeta PTK chapter since 2005.
GAIL BAKER, biology instructor, had a page of photos and information about Lane’s Native Landscape Project published in the March 2009 bulletin of the Native Plant Society of Oregon.
BOND PROJECT planning work proceeded for Group 1 projects. These include Florence Center improvements, Performance Hall improvements, Business building remodel, and Downtown Center design work. A Project User Group was formed for the Florence project and other PUGs are being formed.
GO OREGON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE funded by $8 million in state stimulus funds got rolling with a flurry of activity including:
- Hiring nine architectural and engineering firms to develop drawings and specifications for contractor quotes and building permits
- Setting up a webpage with information and forms for contractors, suppliers, architects, and design firms
- Posting job openings and interviewing candidates
- Setting up a storage and staging area in parking lot N
HEALTH & WELLNESS BUILDING architects completed design development. Designs meet the LEED silver standard (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Facilities staff are seeking ways to achieve the gold standard. The project is on schedule for a June 15 groundbreaking.
THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM won its third NWAACC title in the four years. A story in The Register-Guard said, “If this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Lane Community College … the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges better look out next year.”
A CALL CENTER for laid off workers was set up by a partnership including Lane Community College, Lane Workforce Partnership, United Way, Oregon Department of Human Services, and the Oregon Employment Department. The center helps workers find food and shelter options as well as job retraining. The center was prompted by the layoff of 2,200 workers from Monaco Coach this month, plus other area layoffs, including 1,400 workers from Hynix last July.
LANE ALERT automated emergency message system was launched after months of planning and review. The system will alert faculty, staff and students in the event of emergencies, weather closures and similar events. Lane Alert is based on Connect-Ed software currently used by universities and colleges nationwide. A test message will be planned next.
FAMILY CONNECTIONS extended service to Douglas County. The agency is headquartered at Lane and helps parents learn about and find child care, and offers education and training for child care providers.
PREVIEW NIGHT, Lane’s annual recruitment event for high school students and their families, attracted about 1,100 people. Coordinator David Van Der Haeghen said participants enjoyed the new format and that the workshops provided valuable information.
PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT served more than 1,550 people with community volunteers’ help including Lane staff, students from nursing, medical office assistant, and other health career programs, OSPIRG members, and others.
Excerpted from Lane Weekly and news sources by Joan Aschim, Marketing and Public Relations, March 2009.