Monthly Highlights
June 2007
SILTCOOS STATION Retreat and Learning Center reopened after months of renovation. The facility offers two conference rooms and four cabins suitable for educational opportunities, retreats, reunions, receptions, and business meetings. Many Florence area businesses and individuals donated labor and materials. The Station is located on Siltcoos Lake, 20 minutes from downtown Florence. For more information, see www.lanecc.edu/florence/siltcoos/index.html
LIFE@LANE, A STUDENT MODERATED BLOG, launched from Lane's homepage. Topics are generated by Lane's Student Service Associates. Student blogs are common at four-year institutions. Lane is among the first community colleges to host a student blog. The purpose is to provide a communication tool primarily for current and prospective students and to increase "community" access. For more information click the Life@Lane link at http://www.lanecc.edu
FACULTY RECOGNITION AWARDS were awarded spring term to Thomas Rubick, graphic design; Katie Morrison-Graham, science; and Ruth Bichsel, social science. The awards recognize excellence inside and outside the classroom. For more information see www.lanecc.edu/fpd/grants/fra/
DENTAL HYGIENE instructor Tammy Maahs earned Quality Matters recognition for her online course, DH 234 Trends and Issues. Quality Matters is a faculty peer review process to assure continuous improvement in online education. It was developed by a consortium of Maryland colleges with an initial grant from the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. The project now offers services to other institutions. Lane’s participation was funded by a grant from the Oregon Community College and Workforce Development Department. Trends and Issues is the first course at Lane to meet Quality Matters standards. The course covers the state dental rules and regulations and prepares students for licensure exams. For more information, visit www.lanecc.edu/fhc/dental/dh.htm
LANE JOINED THE AMERICAN COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS CLIMATE COMMITMENT. This is an agreement by more than 250 colleges to fight global warming. President Mary Spilde participated at a summit in Washington, D.C., and pledged to eventually eliminate all of the college's global warming emissions as well as accelerate educational efforts to equip students with the knowledge and skills on sustainability and climate neutrality. Lane was one of the first signatories in fall 2006. Spilde serves on the steering committee of the initiative. For more information see www.lanecc.edu/sustainability and www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org
GRADUATION was held June 16. About 400 students participated in the ceremony. Lane awards about 800 undergraduate degrees and certificates in annually.
STATE FUNDING for the Community College Support Fund was approved at $500 million. While less than the $529 million advocated by the colleges and the State Board of Education, it was more than proposed by the governor or Ways and Means Committee co-chairs. A total appropriation of $511 million included funds for the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development and other purposes.
CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING for community colleges was approved, including $6.75 million for a new Health & Wellness Building at Lane. Matching funds are required and Lane has a capital campaign underway. With a new Health & Wellness Building, Lane will train more students in health occupations, including nursing.
THE 2007/08 COLLEGE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED at the June 28 Board of Education meeting. The budget includes a general fund of $72 million. The budget closed a $9 million shortfall caused by state funding decreases, health insurance increases, and restoration of the ending fund balance. Employees relinquished most cost of living raises and agreed to other contractual adjustments to help balance the budget. Instructional programs were preserved although some classes and sections were reduced. A tuition increase was limited to an inflationary 5 percent adjustment based on the Higher Education Price Index, to $73 per credit hour. For more information see www.lanecc.edu/budget/0708/index.htm
PRESIDENT MARY SPILDE EARNED HER SIXTH STRAIGHT OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE EVALUATION since becoming president in 2001. Chair Jay Bozievich said at the June 28 Board of Education meeting that Spilde showed exemplary leadership in a very difficult year and acted with "remarkable grace under fire while leading the college through an extraordinary budget crisis.” Another board member wrote, "She's Wonder Woman with a Scottish accent." Spilde was awarded a cost of living increase of 2.46 percent to match the faculty increase, but declined to accept it in light of budget cuts and concessions by other employees. For more information see http://www.lanecc.edu/mpr/news/releases.htm