Monthly Highlights
December 2007
LYLE SWETLAND, charter member of the Lane Board of Education, passed away November 26 at age 88. He was elected in 1964 and served on the board for five years until 1969. He also served as Lane's director of development from 1969 to 1983. He is pictured with Lane's charter board on the Archives website at www.lanecc.edu/archives/PYpresidencyA.htm#Challenge.
A RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM was installed at the grounds keeping greenhouse to irrigate the Student Learning Garden. The system also will be used in future Water Conservation Technician classes, beginning fall 2008. The tank will collect 1,550 gallons of rainwater over the winter. The Learning Garden is used by students to grow organic fruits and vegetables for Food Services and Culinary Arts. For more information go online to www.lanecc.edu/mpr/news/rel00951.htm.
MAN (MUNG) NGUYEN BUI was named Classified Employee of the Month for December. Mung has served as financial specialist in Continuing Education since July 1996. She joined Lane in 1983 as a grant-funded clerk in Adult Basic Education.
LCC FLORENCE CENTER was without power for a few hours on December 3 due to power outages resulting from coastal storms including hurricane force winds. All neighboring schools closed including Oregon Coast Community College. Winds were recorded at 125 miles per hour at the headlands. Director Bob Purscelley said the center had not closed for inclement weather in nine years.
HARLAND WILHELM, Continuing Education Spanish instructor from March 1982 until his retirement in 2001, and a college courier, passed away December 11 from congestive heart failure. He was 91.
THE COLLEGE CLOSED FOR WINTER BREAK from December 17 through 26. Some online services were not available during the closure but students were able to use ExpressLane to register for classes, order official transcripts, review unofficial transcripts and fall grades, and manage all payments online.
A TUITION WAIVER FOR GED STUDENTS was approved by the Board of Education. GED completers who meet qualifications may apply for the six-credit waiver beginning in January. About 200 students who take GED classes at Lane each year intend to enter college, but only about half typically do so. The waiver provides an incentive to complete GED instruction and pursue a career training degree or certificate or a transfer degree. If successful, the plan also will increase tuition revenue for the college. For more information contact Adult Basic and Secondary Education at 463-5214 or see www.lanecc.edu/abse.
COMMUNITY PERCEPTION SURVEY results were presented to the Board of Education. The survey revealed that the public values Lane for providing affordable, accessible higher education, especially for those striving to improve their lives. The most valued offerings were career training programs, transfer classes, and GED instruction. Six-hundred telephone interviews were conducted from November 10-13.
A CHALLENGE GRANT FOR LCC LONGHOUSE was issued by the Spirit Mountain Community Fund of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The $50,000 grant requires a match in donations of cash or in-kind materials by January 25. As of early December, $18,000 had been raised. For more information contact the Lane Foundation at 463-5226 or go online at www.lanecc.edu/foundation.
THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM made the news for its 54-game home winning streak, which started in 2002. The streak is one of the longest in the nation for a college team, if not the longest, say athletics officials. Lane has won back-to-back conference championships and four Southern Region titles in the past five years. For more information see www.lanecc.edu/healthpe/athletic/wbball.htm.
Excerpted from Lane Weekly and news sources by Joan Aschim, Marketing and Public Relations, November 2007.