Monthly Highlights
September 2006
A LOCAL OPTION INSTRUCTIONAL LEVY was filed for the November 7 ballot. The Board of Education decided in March to seek the levy. The levy will be measure number 20-120. Lane's electoral district includes portions of Linn, Benton and Douglas Counties and most of Lane County. If passed, the college would levy $1,366,372 annually for five years beginning July 1, 2007, for a total of $6,831,860 for tax years 2007/08 through 2011/12. It is estimated that the proposed tax would result in a rate of 6 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $9 a year in additional property taxes for a home whose assessed value is $150,000 in tax year 2007/08. Adoption of the levy would reduce additional budget impacts such as program eliminations and lay-offs necessitated by reductions in state funding. Funding from state sources has declined 20.3 percent, from $30.9 million in 2001/02, to $24.6 million in 2006/07. In the same time period, the cost of tuition to students has increased 83 percent, from $38 per credit hour for resident students in 2001/01, to $69.50 in 2006/07. If Measure 20-120 passes, the college would use levy proceeds to support funding for instructional programs and services including certificates and degrees that prepare students for professional technical careers; lower division college classes that students may transfer for credit towards a higher degree; skills-based classes that improve employee productivity; business development and management classes that assist owners of small businesses; and foundational academic, language and life skills classes that prepare students for college-level courses and/or entry into the workplace.
DENNIS CLARK AND MARY FOUST received recognition from the Oregon Council of Adult Basic Skills Development. Clark was named Leader of the Year and Foust was named Teacher of the Year. The awards were announced in September and will be presented at Adult Basic Skills Day at the state capitol in March. OCABSD recognizes outstanding individuals for their commitment to the field of adult basic education, contributions to their programs and students, their professional development, and leadership at the local, state and national levels.
THE FOURTH ANNUAL HARVEST DINNER set for October 27 sold out. The auction and dinner attracts nearly 400 people each year. This year’s guest chefs are Caprial and John Pence, of Caprial's Bistro in Portland and co-producers of "Cooking for Family and Friends" on PBS. Proceeds benefit students and college programs.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN Intermediate program curricula offered by Continuing Education was updated to meet new requirements by the State of Oregon.
THE DENTAL CLINIC partnered with HIV Alliance and and Community Health Centers of Lane County to provide dental care for people living with HIV/AIDS, thanks to a $2 million grant ($400,000 per year for five years) from the federal Health Resource Services Administration under the Special Projects of National Significance of the Ryan White CARE Act. Only 15 grants were awarded nationally and this was the only one awarded in the Pacific Northwest. Lane Foundation Grant Coordinator Aaron Shonk wrote the grant.
THE BIZCENTER AND NORTHWEST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION partnered to offer grants to individuals or businesses wanting to create and launch new products. Grants also are available to secure a patent through an attorney for a product, or create a proto-type product. The credit union will award grants up to $700 to recipients screened by the Center for Hi-Tech Innovation at Lane’s Business Development Center and Employee Training (BizCenter).
Excerpted from the staff newsletter and media sources by Joan Aschim, Marketing and Public Relations, (541) 463-5591, September 2006.