Monthly Highlights
December 2006
DEAN BERGEN AND VELDA ARNAUD RECEIVED FACULTY RECOGNITION AWARDS for fall 2006. Bergen teaches in advanced technology and Arnaud teaches business.
A BUDGET BLOG was developed to share feedback from budget forums and host additional input. It’s accessible on the Lane budget development web page at www.lanecc.edu/budget/index.htm
TARA PEMBERTON was named Outstanding Classified Employee of the Month for December. She is an instructional specialist in the Fitness Education Center and began part-time in March 2000 with the Health and PE Division.
A BIODIESEL PLANT built by organic chemistry students is processing the college's waste cooking oil into fuel for the boilers. The plant was built from used 55-gallon drums, an abandoned dental tank, and other recycled equipment. It is capable of producing up to 40 gallons of ethyl biodiesel per week. The project is supported by the college's Sustainability Program and by private donations.
THE GOVERNOR’S BUDGET released in early December proposes $483 million for the Community College Support Fund. College officials have characterized the proposal as a good starting point toward the $529 million needed for the state’s community colleges. The budget also identified bonding for Lane’s proposed Health and Wellness building; increased Opportunity Grant funding; and dedicated funds for Pathways, HealthCare, and Workforce projects.
A $1.97 MILLION GRANT FOR REGIONAL DENTAL HYGIENE instruction was awarded to Lane Community College by the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant project is to develop regional dental hygiene instruction using interactive television and clinics at satellite sites. Titled the Northwest Partnership for Dental Hygiene Solutions, the project involves 16 other organizations including Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, and Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. The remaining partners include workforce agencies, K-12 education, the dentistry profession, and the business community. The project will train at least 18 more dental hygienists. Students at the partner colleges will earn an associate in applied science in dental hygiene. Job growth for dental hygienists of 33 percent or greater is forecast in both Oregon and Idaho.
LANE FAMILY CONNECTIONS received Child Care Aware Quality Assurance certification from the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Certification ensures that Lane Family Connections meets national standards for service delivery and is the best resource for information on local child care availability, licensing laws, quality indicators, scholarships and subsidies, and other parenting resources. For more information, see www.lanecc.edu/lfc
A COMPUTER GAMING degree won Board of Education approval on December 6. The new associate of applied science in simulation and game development will be offered through Computer Information Technology and includes coursework in computer science, multi-media, and math. Initial development is funded by Carl Perkins and Lane County Board of Commissioners grants.
Excerpted from news sources by Joan Aschim, Marketing and Public Relations, (541) 463-5591, December 2006.