History Highlights

History Highlights

1938

  • Eugene Vocational School offers first class.

1958

  • Eugene Technical-Vocational School (ETVS) offers first class.

1963

  • Report by University of Oregon Bureau of Educational Research identifies need for a community college in Lane County. (October)

1964

  • Bert Dotson, a Springfield School District administrator, is hired by the Lane County Community College Planning Committee to establish a legal framework necessary for creation of an area education district and to inform citizens of Lane County about community college concept.
  • The Metropolitan Civic Club presents a research report advocating the creation of a local community college. (September)
  • Lane Community College is founded following approval by voters of community college education district and election of Board of Education. (October 19)

1965

  • New college is named after Lane County, its service area. (January 20)
  • Dr. Dale R. Parnell, Lane County Intermediate Education District superintendent, is appointed the first president of Lane Community College. (February)
  • Board finalizes the permanent location of the college by receiving a 105.81 acre tract of land southeast of Eugene, donated by Wilfred Gonyea, a Eugene industrialist. (March)
  • Serial levy passes, $400,000 a year for five years for construction. (May)
  • College officially opens temporary facilities. (July)
  • College becomes a member of American Association of Community and Junior Colleges. (August)
  • College begins first regular year of instruction with staff of 138 and enrollment of 1,435 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. (September)
  • Oregon Governor Mark O. Hatfield presents charter to the college. (October)
  • First student body election is held. Constitution is approved 180 to 24; Titan is selected as school mascot; student newspaper is named The Torch. (November 29)
  • First issue of Lane Community College's student newspaper "The Torch" is published. (November)

1966

  • Lane graduates first class of 163 students. (June)
  • Lane is granted candidacy status for accreditation by Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.
  • Voters approve a $9.9 million construction bond issue for new 30th Avenue campus. (September 20)

1967

  • Formal ground-breaking ceremony for 30th Avenue campus with Oregon Senator Wayne L. Morse presiding as keynote speaker. (January)
  • KLCC-FM begins broadcasting. (February 17)

1968

  • President Parnell is appointed State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Oregon. (May)
  • Voters approve first permanent tax base for college, $1.5 million. (May 28)
  • Robert E. Hamill is appointed acting president. (June) College begins move to new campus, 4000 East 30th Avenue, Eugene, abandoning the over 40 sites that had been used by the college for its first three years. (July)
  • Classes begin at new 30th Avenue campus in southeast Eugene. (September)
  • Florence outreach program in local schools is established.
  • First full accreditation is awarded to college by Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. (December)

1969

  • Dr. Robert Lance Pickering becomes college's third president. (July)
  • Dedication of new $18 million campus with Oregon Governor Tom McCall cutting log with chainsaw. (October)

1970

  • Convocation on Vietnam War is held on campus in reaction to events at Kent State University. Flag flown at half mast for one week. (May 12-15)
  • Eldon Schafer becomes Lane's fourth president. He remained president until his retirement in 1985. (August)
  • Heceta House, on the property of Heceta Lighthouse north of Florence, is first leased. (October)

1971

  • Grateful Dead play benefit at Lane for Financial Aid and the White Bird Clinic. Over 7,000 attend. (January 22)
  • Student literary magazine, "Concrete Statement" (later "Denali"), is first published. (June)

1972

  • College is recognized by U.S. Office of Education as one of six best examples of a comprehensive technical-vocational community college.
  • Siltcoos Station land is donated by Mr.and Mrs. James Christensen. (October)
  • Joe Romania and Lew Williams donate 127 acres to college development fund, doubling the potential size of the campus.
  • Cross country team wins national competition.

1973

1974

  • Ten-year accreditation is awarded to college by Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. (December)

1976

1977

  • Downtown Center opens at 1059 Willamette Avenue in Eugene. (February)
  • National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and U. S. Steel Foundation award Lane the Cost Reduction Incentive Award.
  • Lane is cited by American Association of Community and Junior Colleges as one of six colleges in the country with exemplary outreach, counseling, and vocational testing programs for women.
  • College receives Robert Straub Conservation Award.
  • Central Area Education Center, at 216 South 6th St., Cottage Grove, opens and is dedicated.
  • Mobile classroom begins visiting outlying communities.

1979

  • College receives Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Award for significant contribution to education of the handicapped.
  • First telecourse is offered. (Spring)
  • Five-year accreditation continuation is awarded. (December)

1980

  • College manages to cut Kilowatt hours consumption by 50%.

1981

  • Productivity Center opens. (July)
  • Business Assistance Center opens. (September)

1983

  • College hosts national Focus on Productivity Conference. (July)
  • College purchases building at 103 South Fifth Street to house Cottage Grove Center. (Fall)
  • Energy programs win Award of Recognition from U.S. Secretary of Education.

1984

  • College receives NACUBO/U.S. Steel "cost-reduction incentive" award for VISA program. (July)
  • Development Fund is changed to LCC Foundation. (July)
  • National Commission for Cooperative Education ranks Lane's Cooperative Work Experience program largest of its kind in the U. S. or Canada. (Summer)
  • Exchange program with Nagasaki Wesleyan Junior College, Kyushu, Japan, is initiated. (Fall)
  • College is instrumental in forming Lane County Vocational Education Consortium.
  • Oregon Small Business Development Network is formed and housed at Lane. (Fall)
  • College receives additional ten-year accreditation. (December)

1985

  • Lane is selected one of the top five community colleges in the country by a panel of national educators convened by the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas. (Spring)
  • President Eldon G. Schafer retires. Dr. Schafer is named "president emeritus in perpetuity" by Board of Education. (April 30)
  • Dr. Richard M. Turner, III, becomes fifth president. (July 15)
  • Twentieth birthday celebration - "20 years...a great beginning!" (Fall)

1986

  • Graduation is held at the Hult Center for the first time. (Spring)
  • Lane is the first community college in the country to offer a nanny program. (Fall)
  • Productivity Center becomes department of Research, Planning and Evaluation.
  • CWE is again named largest Cooperative Work Experience program in the country.
  • Lane is one of 20 colleges described in the book "Searching for Academic Excellence." (Fall)

1987

  • First Electronic Artistry workshop and concert is held. (February)
  • Single parent/displaced homemaker "Transitions to Success" program is started with federal grant. (Winter)
  • Mobile Classroom discontinues service to outlying areas (June); eventually becomes mobile computer lab.
  • KLCC-FM celebrates 20th anniversary. (Spring)
  • The college received high approval ratings in a random telephone survey of 400 district residents, including a 3.4 on a 4-point scale for meeting the educational needs of the community. Thirty-three percent of respondents had made use of the college in the past five years; 36 percent are likely to in the next three years.
  • ClassLine Touchtone registration system is introduced. (Summer)
  • Dislocated Worker Program is named top in the nation by the National Alliance of Business. The official name of the award is "1987 Distinguished Performance Award for Dislocated Workers". (Spring)
  • Lane receives $500,000 endowment gift from Wayne Shields. (October 14)

1988

  • Career Information Center receives 1987-88 Les Adkins award for career guidance excellence from the Career Information System Board. (February)
  • Twenty-five Soviet athletes and their coaches visit Lane. (April)
  • College receives award from the Annenberg Corporation for Public Broadcasting project for extensive use of television courses to expand educational opportunities. (May)
  • Jack Carter is appointed interim president. (July 13) President Turner resigns effective August 3 and is named President of Nashville State Technical Institute, Nashville, Tennessee.
  • KLCC-FM is ranked first among public radio stations in the country for reaching highest percentage of audience. (September)
  • Weekend College is started, offering classes on Saturdays. (September)
  • On-campus infant/toddler child care center opens. (November)

1989

  • College celebrates 25th anniversary - "25 years of building successes".
  • Graduation ceremony is held at the Lane County fairgrounds, allowing High School Completion and Certificate programs as well as the Associate Degree programs to participate together in one ceremony. (June)
  • Five-year interim accreditation is approved. (December)

1990

  • Dr. Jerry Moskus is named college's sixth president. (March)
  • Lane's 600,000th student is enrolled. (March)
  • The college received high approval ratings in a random telephone survey of 400 district residents, including a 3.3 on a 4-point scale for meeting educational needs of the community. Forty percent of respondents had made use of the college in the past five years; 51 percent are likely to in the next three years.
  • Siuslaw Area Center changes name to Lane Community College at Florence; Central Area Center changes name to Lane Community College at Cottage Grove. (Spring)
  • College wins 1990 Gold Paragon Award from the NCMPR (National Council for Marketing and Public Relations) and 1990 Gold Woodie Award from the Mid Oregon Ad Club for "Study your Mail" television advertising campaign. (Spring)
  • New college tax base is approved. Ballot Measure #5 (property tax limitation) passes statewide.
  • College's student newspaper, "The Torch", celebrates its 25th anniversary. (November)

1991

  • College wins 1991 Gold Paragon Award from the NCMPR (National Council for Marketing and Public Relations) for "Tax Base Campaign" media success story. (Spring)
  • ASLCC Child Care Co-Op is approved by Board of Education. (August 14)

1992

  • KLCC-FM celebrates its 25th anniversary. (February 17)
  • College wins 1992 Gold Woodie Award from the Mid Oregon Ad Club for "Go!" television commercial. (Spring)

1993

  • Athena, a new $200,000 library computer system, begins operation. (January)
  • College wins 1993 Gold Paragon Award from the NCMPR (National Council for Marketing and Public Relations) for the "Cool School" college promotional video. (Spring)
  • Lane helps to recruit Symantec, a software company, to Eugene; trains 90 new employees for the company. Training begins in July.
  • College Council adopts vision statement: "Lane Community College provides a quality learning experience in a caring environment." (July 20)
  • Lane students achieve a first by winning first and second place in the League for Innovation student art competition.
  • The college received high approval ratings in a random telephone survey of 400 district residents, including a 3.2 on a 4-point scale for meeting educational needs of the community. Thirty-six percent of respondents had made use of the college in the past five years; 47 percent are likely to in the next three years. Weekday evenings were preferred by 55 percent, followed by weekday mornings, weekday afternoons, and Saturday mornings.
  • First Eugene airshow in many years is coordinated by the LCC Foundation as a benefit for Lane's aviation maintenance program. (August)
  • The college's 1992-93 enrollment sets a record of 35,570 headcount and 9,719.9 FTE. Previous records were 33,778 headcount in 1991-92 and 9,519.5 FTE in 1980-81.
  • College commemorates 150th anniversary of Oregon Trail with production of "That Pioneer Road," a pageant by instructor Pete Peterson, based on diaries chronicling the journey of a wagon train that nearly was lost en route to Lane County. (November)
  • Lane Aviation Academy Department receives award from the Federal Aviation Administration for 150,000 hours of training without a reportable incident or injury. (November)
  • College hosts first High School Visitation Day. (November 17)
  • Customized Training expands its services to include both customized training and seminars and changes its name to Business and Industry Services.

1994

  • Sony Corporation of America announces plans to build an optical disc manufacturing center in Springfield and cites Lane's customized employee training programs as a factor. (January 19)
  • College wins 1994 Gold Paragon Award from the NCMPR (National Council for Marketing and Public Relations) in the media success story category for coverage of the Eugene 1993 Airshow (fundraiser for Lane's Aviation Maintenance program). (Spring)
  • College wins an honorable mention in the 1994 AACC/IBM Community College Business/Industry Award for its training partnerships with Symantec Corporation and Sony Corporation of America. (April)
  • College wins 1994 Gold Woodie and Best of Show Awards from the Mid Oregon Ad Club for "Unbelievable" television commercial. (Spring)
  • College wins 1994 Gold Woodie Award from the Mid Oregon Ad Club for Cooperative Education's direct mail campaign that included postcards, poster and bookmarks. (Spring)
  • Four varsity sports -- men's and women's cross country, men's baseball and women's volleyball -- are reinstated, funded by a fee approved by students. (June)
  • Community leaders break ground for Lane's new aviation maintenance facility at the Eugene Airport. (July 13)
  • Lane begins its 30th anniversary (1994-95) celebration with a 1960's style sock hop for staff and students. (October 19)
  • The Dislocated Worker Program receives national publicity from the New York Times and CBS Sunday Morning for serving displaced timber workers (October) and extends services to people laid off from jobs in other declining industries and long-term unemployed. (November)
  • With the help of a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Lane launches a $1.1 million, three-year project to provide customized training in basic workplace skills for employees at Newood Display Fixture Manufacturing Company, PW Pipe, The Springfield Group, and Staff Management Associates. (November)
  • College makes grades available by phone, as well as via touch screen computer information kiosks on the main campus, the Downtown Center, Cottage Grove and Florence. (December 22)
  • Wildish Building at 1445 Willamette in Eugene is donated to Lane by Norm and Evelyn Wildish. (December)
  • College is granted accreditation for a ten-year period. (December)
  • The LCC Foundation brings in over $1.4 million in 1993-94, making it one of 30 community college foundations in the nation to raise over $1 million in contributions in a year.

1995

  • A community college equalization funding formula is adopted by the State Board of Education for community colleges. The formula resulted from the 1990 passage of the Measure 5 property tax limit. The formula "floored" Lane, or held it to 1994/95 fundling levels until the college's FTE catches up with the dollars-per-FTE standard. (February)
  • Voters approve a $42.8 million construction bond, the first bond request since the main campus was built. (May)
  • Hyundai selects Eugene as the site for a microcomputer chip plant and begins custom training program talks through Lane's Business & Industry Services Department. (May)
  • The 1995 U.S. Bank Eugene Airshow is held August 5 and 6 at Eugene Airport, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. The show attracts 15,000 spectators. (August)
  • STARTech, a pre-employment training program for high-tech jobs, is launched by Lane, Sony Disc Manufacturing, and Symantec Corporation. (September)
  • Lane's home page debuts on the Internet, following fiber optics and wide area network installation. (September)
  • The state's worst storm in a decade strikes on December 12, closing all campuses. No damages or injuries result. (December)
  • The associate of arts Oregon transfer degree becomes available via distance learning or televised courses. (December)
  • National publicity includes Dislocated Worker Program coverage on Macneil-Lehrer News Hour, January 19; and learning innovations in Terry O'Bannion's article on "Community Colleges Lead a Learning Revolution" in Educational Record, Fall 1995.

1996

  • Keiko, the orca whale of "Free Willy" movie fame, arrives at his new home in Newport's Oregon Coast Aquarium. Alan Siporin covered the story for KLCC-FM 89.7, National Public Radio, and the Discovery Channel Online. (January)
  • Affirmative action and equal opportunity training is made compulsory to serve on committees that screen and interview job applicants. (February)
  • CNN "Computer Connections" mentions the STARTech pre-employment training program and the Dislocated Worker Program in a story on the transition from timber jobs to high-tech jobs. (March)
  • Students First! process redesign project is launched. The project reviews services to students and recommends improvements. (April)
  • Lane offers first online course, "Parenting" taught by Linda Reipe in the summer term, using Ed-Net's First Class Conferencing System. The first online course delivered via the internet is "Writing 123" taught by Ken Zimmerman in the fall term.
  • The college received high approval ratings in a random telephone survey of 400 district residents, including a 3.3 on a 4-point scale for meeting educational needs of the community. Thirty-six percent of respondents had made use of the college in the past five years; 56 percent are likely to in the next three years. Weekday evenings were preferred by 78 percent, followed by Saturday mornings, Saturday afternoons, weekday afternoons, and weekday mornings.
  • Lane breaks ground for its new Cottage Grove facility, the first major construction funded by the May 1995 $42.8 million bond measure. (July)
  • African American Rites of Passage Summer Academy is established by the college and the African American Community Coalition. The three-week summer school is designed for at-risk African American high school students. (July)
  • Lane contracts with Hyundai Semiconductor America to train manufacturing technicians. (August)
  • Warner Bros. shoot a scene for the movie "Pre" on Lane's track, calling its black surface "vintage" to the movie time period of the 70s. Just weeks later, the track is upgraded and resurfaced in blue. (August)
  • ASLCC Child Care Co-op is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. (September)
  • Cooperative Education wins a $70,875 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to share school-to-work information and materials. (October)
  • Lane is the only community college invited to the Harvard Invitational Debate Championships. (October)
  • Lane's nursing program receives an eight-year accreditation from the National League for Nursing and the Oregon State Board of Nursing. (November)
  • Flooding forces the closure of all campuses on November 19.
  • Lane's online catalog for 1995-1996 is added to the college's web page for the first time. (winter)

1997

  • Lane airplane piloted by two advanced students in the Lane Aviation Academy program lands in the snow near Sunriver while on a routine training flight. They spend the night in the plane, are rescued the next morning and go home that afternoon. Lane's flight program has held a perfect safety record since 1967 and has won two safety awards from the FAA, most recently in 1993. (January 12)
  • The Daily staff newsletter begins offering subscriptions by email, reducing the number of paper copies. (January)
  • KLCC-FM observes its 30th anniversary with a celebration at the Downtown Athletic Club. Blues Power, the blues program hosted by Rooster, follows with its own 20th anniversary bash at the Wild Duck. (February 15)
  • Lane produces the first annual schedule of credit classes. Annual registration begins, allowing continuing credit students to reserve classes a year at a time. (April)
  • Lane is cited for excellence in "A Learning College for the 21st Century," a new book by League for Innovation Executive Director Terry O'Bannion, published by the American Council on Education and the American Association of Community Colleges. President Jerry Moskus writes Chapter 8, "Lane Changes: Transformation at Lane Community College." (July)
  • Lane wins a four-year, $720,000 Student Support Services TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve services to low-income students, first-generation college students and students with disabilities. Services will focus on improving student retention, graduation rates and transfer rates to four-year institutions. (July)
  • LCC at Cottage Grove holds grand opening for its new facility. The center is Lane's first major project funded by the $42.8 million construction bond approved by voters in 1995. (September 16)
  • Lane's online Events and Meetings Calendar is added to the college's web page. (fall)
  • Lane's Learning Center at Thurston High School holds its grand opening. It is the first of eight neighborhood facilities funded by the construction bond approved by voters in 1995. (December 8)
  • Strategic Learning Initiative, a faculty-led, systemic instructional redesign effort to support faculty innovation to improve student learning is launched. (Fall)

1998

  • The college observes Martin Luther King day as a holiday for employees for the first time. The day has been a holiday for students for several years. The college observes the holiday by co-sponsoring community events honoring King and his work. (January 19)
  • Lane's Community Learning Center at Willamette High School opens. The center is funded by the $42.8 million construction bond approved by voters in 1995. (January 26)
  • Students First! Center opens on the second floor of the Center Building. The center provides one-stop service to students for general information, enrollment, student records, financial aid, financial transactions and referrals. (March 23)
  • A new logo is selected after nearly a year of work and input from more than 70 members of the campus community. (March)
  • President Jerry Moskus is elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the American Association of Community Colleges, the leading organization for community colleges with 1,039 member colleges. (April)
  • TCI Cable changes the educational public access channel back to 12 from 97 following public outcry including activism by President Jerry Moskus and Board of Education members. Lane uses the channel for telecourses, including 20 courses in winter term 1998. (April)
  • Lane's Learning Center at Oakridge High school holds its opening ceremony. The center is funded by the $42.8 million construction bond approved by voters in 1995. (April 2)
  • Work Roles and Relationships project is signed by the Board of Education. Labor relations principles and the work roles and relationships agreements establish clear, basic expectations about how Lane employees will interact. (May)
  • Dale Parnell, Lane's founding president, is honored with a reception, the naming of the main campus drive as Dale Parnell Loop, and by the dedication of a monograph, "Lane Community College: The Parnell Years," written by Board of Education member Larry Romine. (June 10)
  • The retiree recognition wall is unveiled. The wall is made of bricks imprinted with the names of Lane retirees. (June 10)
  • The LCC Foundation donor name recognition wall is unveiled. (June 10)
  • Lane receives a Federal Aviation Administration safety award for 200,000 consecutive hours and 25 million miles of professional flight training since 1967 without a single injury accident. (June)
  • The Daily retires from print on June 29 and becomes an email newsletter on July 6. The switch saves $10,000 a year in material costs.
  • Main campus design schematics for future bond-funded construction are approved by the Board of Education. (July)
  • The LCC Fast Pass, a discounted LTD bus pass for Lane students and employees, goes on sale in the college bookstores for the first time after years of negotiations between the college and the transit company. At $29 per term, the pass is about half the cost of a regular pass. (September)
  • The Community Learning Center at Churchill High School opens. The center is funded by the $42.8 million construction bond approved by voters in 1995. (October 5)
  • The Community Learning Center project receives the Exemplary Program Award in Distance Learning from the National Council for Continuing Education and Training. (October)
  • President Jerry Moskus is elected 1999 chair of the board of the League for Innovation in the Community College at the League's 30th anniversary celebration. (October)
  • Policy governance policies are adopted by the Board of Education. Under policy governance, the board will govern with an emphasis on (1) outward vision, (2) encouragement of diversity in viewpoints, (3) strategic leadership more than administrative detail, (4) clear distinction of board and president roles, (5) collective rather than individual decisions, (6) future rather than past or present, and (7) proactivity rather than reactivity. (November 9)
  • The Tutor Program receives certification from the College Reading & Learning Association. (November)
  • The Board of Education holds its first Strategic Conversation under policy governance. The board meets with the Professional Technical Education Coordinating Committee to discuss program strengths and weaknesses and consider recommendations. (December 9)

1999

  • Media Arts & Technology students and staff break new ground with live broadcasts of Titan men's and women's basketball games, including the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges men's tournament in Salem. These are the first live broadcasts from outside the Forum Building studio. Live and tape-delayed games are broadcast on TCI Cable Channel 12 and are made possible by a complex technology link involving Lane, Chemeketa Community College, Oregon Ed Net, Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon. (January-March)
  • The Financial Aid counter closes permanently, turning over services to Students First! (March 1)
  • Students First! wins the 1998-99 Exemplary Program Award for the Northwest Region from the National Council on Student Development at the American Association of Community Colleges Convention in Nashville. Students First! is cited as an innovative rethinking of how work is performed and services are delivered to students. (April)
  • The college received high approval ratings in a random telephone survey of 400 district residents, including a 3.3 on a 4-point scale for meeting educational needs of the community. Thirty-one percent of respondents had made use of the college in the past five years; 57 percent were likely to in the next three years. Weekday evenings were preferred by 73 percent, followed by Saturday afternoons, Saturday mornings, weekday afternoons and weekday mornings.
  • College administrative procedures (College Online Policy and Procedures System – COPPS) are placed on Lane's web site and equipped with a dedicated search function and links to related sites such as Oregon statutes. Few other colleges have online procedure systems. (May)
  • Main campus bond construction projects get underway with excavation of the Welding Technology Building on the east side of campus. (June 7)
  • LCC at Florence holds grand opening for its new addition. The center is funded by the $42.8 million construction bond approved by voters in 1995.
  • Lane's Community Learning Center at McKenzie High School opens. The center is funded by the $42.8 million construction bond approved by voters in 1995. (September 27)
  • Lane Archives receives the Peter Wotton Papers, including 700 scripts and tapes of the weekly "Elderberry Wine" radio commentary that ran on KLCC from June 1982 to November 1996. (November)
  • LCC Foundation receives a $2 million gift from the estate of Ralph and Gilma Greenhoot of Springfield to provide annual $3,500 scholarships at metro area high schools beginning in September 2001. It is the largest single gift made to LCC's Foundation since its inception in 1971.
  • Class schedules for Continuing Education are placed on the college's web page in spring 1999, and for-credit classes are added in fall 1999. For the first time, both class schedules and the college catalog are available over the Internet.
  • KLCC begins 24-hour programming with the addition of Jazz Overnight airing 1-5 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 2-6 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. (December)

2000

  • Lane passes into the new millennium with no Y2K glitches. Critical operations staff are on duty New Year's Eve to monitor conditions, and dozens of other staff spend months making sure computers and computer-related equipment are Y2K compliant. (January 1)
  • Lane's first FTE audit is conducted by the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development. Audits will be conducted at all Oregon community colleges annually and are part of the process of moving toward a state system. (February 14-15)
  • Adult Basic and Secondary Education receives the 1998-1999 Secretary's Award for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs from the U.S. Department of Education, Division of Adult Education and Literacy. (February 22)
  • Dr. Jerry Moskus, president of Lane Community College since March 1990, announces his decision to retire effective June 2001. (March 8)
  • Lane Community Learning Center at Elmira High School celebrates its opening. It was built with funds from the 1995 $42.5 million construction bond. (March 16)
  • Building #8, which houses the welding and jewelry programs, opens for classes for the spring term. It is the first major new building on the main campus built with funds from the 1995 $42.5 million construction bond. (March)
  • Lane is selected as one of 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges in the United States and Canada for its outstanding record of achievement in improving learning. Vanguard colleges will share practices and models with other colleges around the world. (April)
  • The Jim Pitney Learning Center at Junction City High School opens. The festivities include recognition of long-time board member and Junction City resident. The Learning Center was built with funds from the $42.5 million construction bond. (June 13)
  • Steve Pruch is appointed Lane's first associate vice-president for information technology. (July)
  • A totally revamped class schedule debuts with the fall issue, following years of research including student focus groups and feedback from more than 200 students, faculty and staff lead by Institutional Advancement. Changes include grouping credit and noncredit classes by discipline or topic rather than by department. The last major revision was 1980. (August)
  • The family and childcare programs (Childhood Development Center, Infant/Toddler Center, Preschool, and the ASLCC Co-op) occupy Buildings 24-27 in the summer in preparation for the fall term. (September)
  • A greatly expanded evening program is launched offering night and weekend classes in 17 credit degree programs, up from 3 credit programs previously. (September)
  • Oregon's Attorney General presented Lane with checks totaling $2.3 million for low cost student housing to settle a suit with developers who unlawfully transferred ownership of student housing properties from a nonprofit to a for-profit corporation, affecting Lane and four other colleges. Funds will be used to provide apartments for Lane students in five Eugene/Springfield complexes, and to provide housing stipends. (September 27)

2001

  • Dr. Mary Spilde is chosen to be Lane's sixth president by unanimous resolution of the Board of Education. "We strove for the best, and we found the best," said Board Chair Robert Ackerman. Spilde was a vice president of instruction at Lane from 1995-2001. She begins presidential duties on August 15. (January 10)
  • A dual admission and enrollment program is announced by Lane and the University of Oregon. The program increases credit enrollment opportunities, advising and financial aid. About 100 students will be accepted for fall term, with program expansion planned. (February 15)
  • KLCC begins broadcasting in Reedsport from its new licensed radio station KLFR 89.1 FM. As with KLCO in Newport and KLFO in Florence, KLFR is a simulcast service of KLCC programming. (February 26)
  • Lane's student fee system is upheld as constitutional in accordance with a Ninth Circuit court ruling, following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to not hear a suit challenging the use of fees. Three Lane students filed a lawsuit in 1995 opposing the use of a portion of the fees to fund OSPIRG. Similar cases occurred elsewhere in the nation. (March 27)
  • The inaugural edition of the new faculty-led academic journal, "The Community College Moment," is published. (April 19)
  • The evening/weekend project is named the 2000-01 Innovation of the Year. Team PROJECT helped increase the number of degree and certificate programs which could be completed at night and on weekends, in response to community demand. (May 1)
  • A $2 million gift is made to the LCC Foundation by the Robert W. and Bernice Ingalls Staton Foundation. It is one of the two largest gifts in the Foundation's history. The gift will fund 20 $5,000 annual scholarships, 15 for professional-technical students and 5 for transfer students. (June 4)
  • Donna Koechig is named associate vice president for instruction and student services. She directed counseling and human development at Lane for four years. (August 27)
  • Cheryl Roberts is named vice president for instruction and student services. For the past five years she was associate dean of the division of health and human services at Seattle Central Community College. (August 29)
  • Lane holds a noontime observance for the nationwide Day of Remembrance to address the national terrorist attacks of September 11. At Bristow Square on main campus, about 200 people gather to hear the heartfelt thoughts. (September 14)
  • A college open house is held, sponsored by the Board of Education, to thank the community for passing Lane's bond, to offer tours of construction completed to date, and to welcome Lane's new president, Dr. Mary Spilde. (October 9)

2002

  • A windstorm on February 7 caused the closure of all campuses and centers for the evening. A woman was pinned by a toppled oak tree on main campus and treated for bruises; an Lane Aviation Academy airplane landed in Albany and two Lane Aviation Academy helicopters landed in Coburg. (February 7)
  • The main college telephone number changed to 463-3000 and the prefix 463 replaced most other prefixes in college telephone numbers. (February 16)
  • Lane's class schedule won first-place in the annual Paragon Awards competition sponsored by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. (March 20)
  • ARenewable Energy option was added to the energy management technician associate degree program, funded by public utilities. (April 10)
  • The Spanish program's Learning Strategies Project won the Innovation of the Year Award. (April 26)
  • NHK, Japanese public television, filmed at Lane to document examples of progressive disability services for a video to be shown in Japan on improving disability services. (May 15)
  • A budget reduction of about 7 percent is made for 2002/03 following years of state funding shortfalls and enrollment growth. Budget balancing action required a tuition increase of $10 or about 26 percent, and the elimination of 7 professional-technical programs. (February-June)
  • An economic impact study of Oregon community colleges with individual college profiles showed that every $1 of tax money invested in Lane returns a cumulative $19 over the next 30 years, among other evidence. (July 17)
  • A blessing for the site of a future longhouse was held September 11 by the college foundation and Native American students. The site overlooks the running track in the northwest corner of main campus. (September 11)
  • A weather station was installed on the roof of Building 16 (Math/Science) to record current conditions. Readings are updated every two-and-one-half minutes. (October)
  • A tuition indexing policy was approved by the Board of Education. The policy allows tuition to be adjusted for inflation. (November 13)
  • A single health insurance plan was approved by employees and the board to help control the rising cost of premiums. It replaced six different plans previously in use. (December 3)

2003

  • The Workforce Network opens remodeled facilities on the main campus. The remodel was funded by a 1995 construction bond approved by voters. The Workforce Network was formerly known as the Dislocated Worker Program. (February)
  • The League for Innovation in the Community College renews Lane's board member status. (February)
  • The Center for Meeting and Learning is named after opening in the fall. The facility offers conference and catering services provided by culinary and hospitality instructors, students, and professional food services staff. (March)
  • The Energy Management Program is named Lane's Innovation of the Year at Lane. Begun in 1992, the program is entirely grant funded and provides a two-year energy management associate degree and continuing education for professionals. (April)
  • A forum titled "Iraq, Democracy & Us," is held to offer a diversity of information and to promote critical thinking about the United States' war in Iraq. (April)
  • Respectful Environment policies and values are reiterated by the president after racial name calling and offensive leafleting incidents on campus. Through all-staff emails and meetings, comment at board meetings, and appointing a response team, the president reaffirms that Lane is committed to creating a respectful learning and working environment and that racial harassment will not be tolerated. (May)
  • ExpressLane, a self-service web tool, replaces telephone registration with online registration at www.lanecc.edu/explane/. (May 24)
  • The Reading Together project receives the Eldon G. Schafer Innovation Grant. The project uses two books, the novel " Montana 1948" and the text "Privilege, Power, and Difference," to engage the campus in discussions and activities focusing on diversity throughout 2003. (July)
  • The Dental Administrative Assistant Program is developed. (July)
  • The bond construction project of buildings and remodels draws to a close with the completion of the remodeling of the fourth floor of the Center Building. (September)
  • The Flexible Sequence Algebra program is awarded a $398,484 grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). (October)
  • KLCC proceeds with plans to purchase a building at 136 West 8th Avenue in Eugene for its future home, following Board of Education approval. (November)

2004

  • A $1 million gift is anonymously donated to establish Lane's first endowed chair. The endowment will be used to support teaching with specific uses such as attracting new faculty, developing new fields of study, or other instructional efforts. (February)
  • The Automotive Technology program is recertified by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). (April 8)
  • Health services from the campus health clinic becomes available to college employees under a pilot program to improve employee health and reduce insurance costs. (June)
  • Lane's Culinary Arts and Food Service Management degree program receives a five-year accreditation from the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation. (July)
  • Sonya Christian is named vice-president for instruction and student services. She had been associate vice president for instruction. (September)
  • English as a Second Language daytime program moves to main campus from downtown, bringing about 300 new students to main campus. (September)
  • Dr. Dale Parnell is named President Emeritus of Lane Community College by unanimous vote of Lane's Board of Education. Parnell is recognized for his distinguished service as Lane's founding president and a lifetime of influential leadership in the community college movement nationwide. (October)
  • Lane observes its 40th anniversary on October 19 with a special community open house on the main campus. President Mary Spilde addresses the 150 guests and welcomes guest speaker, Dale Parnell, Lane's founding president. At the Harvest Dinner on October 28, the Foundation honors four outstanding alumni: Dan Luoma, Kathryn Harrison, Pete Gribskov, and Marciann Guston. (October)
  • Voter registration reaches historic milestones at Lane and in Oregon. Secretary of State Bill Bradbury visits main campus to register Oregon 's two-millionth voter, hosted by the Student Vote Coalition at Lane. The coalition registers a record 2,584 voters at Lane in the first 12 days of the term. (October)
  • The new west entrance garden opens in early October, replacing the old fountain. The garden features a brick labyrinth, gravel maze pathway, colorful fall plantings, and a small fountain in memory of Carol Lynn Morse, a long-time counselor who died earlier this year. (October)
  • Lane's partners with K-12 through the Regional Technical Education Consortium (RTEC). Lane works with the Crow School District to offer a fundamentals of technology course that gives students both high school and college credit and helps make up for the loss of wood and machine shop classes at the high school due to funding cuts. (November)
  • The 14th Annual Native American Powwow marks the retirement of event founder Frank Merrill and ushers in successor James Florendo. (December)
  • KLCC-FM added frequency KMPQ 88.1 to improve service to Roseburg listeners. (December)

2005

  • The Lane Aviation Academy program earns a safety award from the Federal Aviation Administration for 250,000 hours of safe flight instruction without injury. (January 2005)
  • Ten-year reaffirmation of accreditation is awarded to the college by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. (January 2005)
  • The Black Student Union re-enacts Tent City at Alton Baker Park in observance of Black History Month. African American migrants to Eugene in the 1940s could not legally reside or own property within the city limits and so lived in tents, makeshift shacks, and other sub-standard housing on the banks of the Willamette River, then an unincorporated area. (February)
  • Associate of Science Oregon Transfer Degree-Business is approved to facilitate transfer to Oregon universities. (March 2005)
  • Associate Degree Nursing receives reaffirmation of accreditation for eight years from the Oregon State Board of Nursing. (March 2005)
  • A 16th century manuscript is re-discovered in the main campus library and transferred to the Archives. The one leaf (two-page) manuscript is from a 16th century choir book containing portions of a Catholic Mass. It has five lines of Latin text and square music notations on red 5-line staves. (April 2005)
  • Patrick Lanning is named associate vice president for instruction. He previously chaired health, physical education and athletics; music, dance and theatre arts; and art and applied design. (April)
  • The college is named Recycler of the Year by the Association of Oregon Recyclers. At the time, 52 percent of all college waste was recycled or reused, accounting for more than 343 tons of batteries, food waste, sawdust, paper, metal, glass, motor oil, and other materials. (July 2005)
  • The Rites of Passage program celebrates its 10th anniversary year with 91 students participating in the month-long cultural immersion program offering four academies: African American Rites of Passage, Pan Asian American Rites of Passage, Umista Native American Rites of Passage, and Puertas Abiertas. (July 2005)
  • The college is awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting award, and a Distinguished Budget Presentation award, from the Government Finance Officers Association of United States and Canada. (September and October respectively)
  • The first three-term sequence in American Indian languages to be offered at a community college in Oregon begins fall 2005 at Lane. Credits from the Chinuk Wawa program meet university system language requirements for a degree. The sequence was made possible by a $1 million gift from a local anonymous donor in 2004 to establish an endowed chair, the first at an Oregon community college. The endowment rotates annually among disciplines. (September 2005)
  • Oregon's first Art-O-Mat is installed in the college art gallery. The retired cigarette vending machine dispenses original works of art for $5 each. Vendors include Lane art students. (October 2005)
  • KLCC FM improves service to Central Oregon with new station KLBR 88.1 FM which reaches Bend, Redmond, Sisters, and Sunriver. (October)
  • Lane is the first community college in Oregon and only the second of any Oregon college to sign the Talloires Declaration, a 10-point action plan for achieving environmental sustainability. (December 2005)
  • Lane joins Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 950 college and university presidents representing some five million students, dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement and service learning in higher education. (December)
  • Lane's library adds the Summit catalog online offering students and staff access to more than 27 million library items from over 30 colleges and universities. (December)

2006

  • A co-enrollment program with Oregon State University is signed. Previously known as dual enrollment, students are jointly admitted and concurrently enrolled, allowing them to attend classes and apply for financial aid at both institutions. (March)
  • Greg Morgan is named as the new associate vice president for finance. He most recently served as senior vice president for overseas military banking for Bank of America. (March)
  • The Lane Health Clinic is named the college's Innovation of the Year. The clinic serves employees as well as students. Employee access has reduced the college's health insurance claims experience, reduced premium increases, and contributed savings to the college general fund. (May)
  • Geographic information science (GIS) curriculum development is funded by a $782,144 three-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The project will develop GIS modules for science, social science and computer information technology classes, and a three-course sequence in GIS for articulation with universities. (June)
  • A Native American longhouse groundbreaking is held on main campus, 13 years after the project was first proposed by Frank Merrill, founder of the Native American program at Lane. The longhouse will be the first on an American community college campus that is not part of a tribal college. (June)
  • Dental care for HIV/AIDS patients at the college's dental clinic in partnership with community groups is funded by a five-year, $2 million grant from the federal Health Resource Services Administration. (September)
  • A National Campus Sustainability Leadership Award is given to Lane by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Lane was one of only four recipients, and the only community college to receive the award. (October)
  • The National Outstanding College Program Award is given to Lane by the National Recycling Coalition. (October)
  • A local option tax levy is defeated in the November 7 election, as were all six college measures on the ballot in Oregon. The levy would have generated about $1 million a year in revenue for five years. (November)
  • A regional dental hygiene training program is funded by a $1.97 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The program will combine televised and interactive instruction from Lane with clinic instruction at satellite sites serving students at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, and Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. The program partnership includes workforce agencies, K-12 education, the dentistry profession, and the business community. (December)
  • A computer game and simulation development degree program is approved by the college's Board of Education and the State Board of Education. The new associate of applied science degree includes coursework in computer science, multi-media, and math. (December)

2007

  • Oregon's Small Business Development Network is accredited by the Association of Small Business Development Centers under standards set by the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Program. The network is a partnership of the Small Business Administration, the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, and Oregon community colleges and universities. Lane hosts the state network office and operates its own BizCenter; (February)
  • The Learning Community named Excavating Creativity: Movement, Image and Test is named Lane's Innovation of the Year. The community integrates dance, drawing and writing. Instructors are Margaret Bayless, English faculty; JS Bird, art faculty; and Bonnie Simoa, dance faculty. (April)
  • The first Nursing class reunion, sponsored by the LCC Foundation, is held with participation from more than 100 alumni, and a Nursing Alumni Association is established. (May)
  • Siltcoos Station Retreat and Learning Center reopens after renovation. The facility offers two conference rooms and four cabins suitable for educational opportunities, retreats, reunions, receptions, and business meetings. The Station is located on Siltcoos Lake, 20 minutes from downtown Florence. (June)
  • Life@Lane, a student moderated blog, is launched from Lane's homepage. The blog provides a communication tool primarily for current and prospective students. (June)
  • President Mary Spilde signs the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment agreement by more than 250 colleges to fight global warming. Spilde became a charter member of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment group in 2006. In (June)
  • President Mary Spilde is appointed by the governor to co-chair Oregon's Postsecondary Quality Education Commission. The commission will create a model for postsecondary education to address the needs of community college and university students; study the impact of the use of part-time faculty and graduate students; and identify key values for higher education such as career education. (September)
  • The Renewable Energy Technician Program is awarded ISPQ (Institute for Sustainable Power Quality) accreditation from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The Renewable Energy Technician Program offers a two-year associate of applied science degree. (October)
  • The Lane Peace Center debuts with a presentation from media critic, author and documentary producer Norman Solomon on November 15. The center plans a speaker series and an annual peace and democracy conference President Mary Spilde initiated the peace center concept two years ago and a steering committee has carried on development, led by social science instructor Stan Taylor and conference and culinary director Peg Allison. (November)
  • A Water Conservation Technician associate of applied science degree program is approved at the November Board of Education meeting. Pending state approval, classes will begin fall 2008 through the Energy Management program in the Science Division. The program will train and certify water conservation professionals. (November)
  • A Retail Management associate of applied science degree program was approved at the November board meeting. Classes begin fall 2008. The program will serve students and workers already employed in the industry who want to advance in store supervision and corporate leadership. Lane will partner with Clackamas Community College in Oregon City to offer second-year classes through distance learning. (November)

2008

  • The first Peace and Democracy Conference was held at Lane. (February-March)
  • KLCC-FM opened its new facility in downtown Eugene. The new location gives KLCC three times the space and the capacity to deliver a higher level of public service to its listeners. Funding for the purchase and remodeling of the station's new home came primarily from private donations. (March)
  • Lane placed fourth best in the nation in the RecycleMania waste minimization competition for colleges and universities sponsored by the National Recycling Coalition and the EPA.[Sustainability] (April)
  • The first National Sustainability Conference for community colleges was held at Lane. (April)
  • Back on Course was name Lane's Innovation of the Year for 2008. This is a one-credit course designed as an intervention for students who are not meeting college academic progress standards. (May)
  • Voters approved Measure 20-142 in the November 4 election to renew bond funding for Lane Community College. The $83 million, 15-year measure will help update instructional facilities, equipment and technology. The bond was endorsed by dozens of individuals and organizations including mayoral candidates, legislators, employee unions and labor groups, school boards, businesses and industry groups, and many others. More than one hundred volunteers worked to inform voters about the bond. (November)

2009

  • Opening Doors, the college's first capital construction campaign, kicked off with six gifts totaling $6.4 million towards a goal of $23 million for a new health and wellness building, a faculty endowment, a scholarship endowment, and an innovation fund. (February)
  • Deferred maintenance work began after the state awarded $8 million in stimulus funds, the largest stimulus award in the Eugene-Springfield area. (February)
  • First-year student success and retention received a $2 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education over a five-year period. (March)
  • Women's basketball won its third NWAACC title in four years. (March)
  • A call center for laid off workers was set up to provide information on food and shelter, retraining, and jobs, spurred by the layoff of 2,200 workers from Monaco Coach, 1,400 workers from Hynix, and other area layoffs. (March)
  • The Agricultural Business Management program was named 2009 Innovation of the Year. (April)
  • The Health and Wellness Center broke ground with an event featuring Lane founding president Dale Parnell as keynote speaker. (June)
  • President Mary Spilde was named chair of the American Association of Community Colleges board of directors. (July)
  • The Successful Aging Institute was launched to provide mature adults with a variety of educational services including job training classes. (August)
  • Hospitality Management received five-year accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration, and Culinary Arts received seven-year re-accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Foundation. Lane is the only two-year college in the Northwest to have both accreditations. (August)
  • Eighteen prints by former Lane art students were added to the college's permanent art collection. The prints feature a variety of etching, woodcut, screen print, collagraph and monotypes and are installed in building 19. (December)

2010

  • LCC at Florence celebrates completion of its new science lab, roof and siding, smart classroom, and infrastructure upgrades, funded by Lane's bond. The new facilities are put into operation in January and the open house/dedication is held in March. (January/March)
  • MyLane goes live on Lane's website. This is a new web portal that provides better access for students and staff to online tools; it was funded by a Title III grant. (March)
  • Kay Ryan, U.S. poet laureate, visits Lane on May 13 and 14 as part of the Reading Together project. Ryan is 16th poet laureate of the United States. (May 13-14)
  • The Ragozzino Performance Hall becomes the new name of Lane's main theater, by Board of Education resolution on June 9. The naming honors Ed Ragozzino who founded Lane's performing arts program and directed it for 18 years from 1968 to 1986. He was a leading figure in local theater arts. He passed away in February 2010. (June)
  • Lane is chosen to lead the National Student Roadmap Project. The initiative is sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and funded by the MetLife Foundation. The project will connect student support programs and create roadmaps for success anchored in learning outcomes essential for student success. (July/August)
  • The Health and Wellness Center holds it's grand opening. The center features state-of-the-art classrooms and labs for health careers training. Artwork for the center includes a 9-foot, walk-through sculpture called Living Vessel by artist Devin Laurence Field. (September 23)
  • Lane purchases 10th and Charnelton site for $1 from the City of Eugene to build a new Downtown Campus in Eugene. Construction of the $50 million academic and housing complex will begin in spring 2011 with completion in late 2012 or 2013. (October)
  • President Mary Spilde is appointed by Governor-elect John Kitzhaber to co-chair the post-secondary education team, along with Duncan Wyse, president of the Oregon Business Council. The team will address the need for stable state funding, how to meet the workforce and labor needs of the new economy, how to ensure the structural flexibility needed to drive innovation in the economy, and how to ensure affordable, reliable access for students. (December)
  • The Native American Longhouse at Lane holds it's grand opening ceremony and dedication. (December 3)

2011

  • Lane was one of 40 community colleges nationwide and the only Oregon college selected to pilot the Voluntary Framework of Accountability project of the American Association of Community Colleges to track student progress and completion data. (January)
  • Lane Titan's Women's Basketball ended the nation's longest home-court winning streak at 83 home game wins in a row over the last eight years. The team lost to Clackamas Community College. (January)
  • The Cooperative Education and Internship Association presented its Dean Herman Schneider Award to Andrea Newton. This is the highest honor bestowed by the international organization which provides resources to the field of cooperative education. (February)
  • Groundbreaking for the Downtown Campus attracted an overflow crowd including U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Congressman Peter DeFazio. The $53 million campus has an academic building and a student housing building. (March)
  • A tsunami warning closed the Florence Center. It is not in the tsunami zone but serves 30 staff and 400 students from around the area. The warning resulted from a historic earthquake in Japan. (March)
  • Lane was one of 30 community colleges nationwide selected for the Achieving the Dream project to improve student success, retention, and completion. (March)
  • The Sustainability Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree won the League for Innovation-Schafer Innovation of the Year Award. (March)
  • Lane alumnus Rosaria Haugland was named an Outstanding Alumni by the American Association of Community Colleges. She co-founded Molecular Probes which became a multimillion-dollar business. (April)
  • PeaceHealth Siuslaw Region was named Co-op Employer of the Year. (April)
  • Afghan-American author Tamin Ansary visited Lane as the year's Reading Together author. (May)
  • The Honors Program debuted. It provides students with a transformative learning experience centered around scholarly inquiry, academic rigor and intellectual growth. (June)
  • President Mary Spilde was appointed to the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges by the American Association of Community Colleges. She was one of the 36 appointees on the commission and the only one from Oregon. (June)
  • President Mary Spilde was appointed to the Oregon Education Investment Board by Governor John Kitzhaber. The board oversees public education in Oregon from early childhood through high school and college. (September)
  • The Oregon Small Business Development Center Network was accredited by the ASBDC Accreditation Committee. (September)
  • President Mary Spilde was given the Association of Community College Trustees CEO of the Year award. (November)
  • Lane was named a partner in a Next Generation Learning Challenges Grant program from the Gates Foundation and Educause, the only West Coast college in the project. (November)

2012

  • The AARP Foundation awarded $200,000 for the Plus Project to help people ages 50+ get back to work. (May)
  • Greg Evans was awarded the 2012 Trailblazer Award from the Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers. (February)
  • Lane became the only Northwest community college and one of only 53 colleges nationwide to participate in the Democracy Commitment sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. (March)
  • The Titan's Women's Basketball Team claimed their sixth Southern Region title in the last 10 years. (March)
  • The main campus Solar Station was dedicated during Earth Week. (April)
  • The Small Business Development Center received the State and Regional Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration. (May)
  • Main campus was chosen as the official practice site for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials (June-July)
  • The Ragozzino Performance Hall was formally dedicated in tribute to late faculty member and community performing arts leader Ed Ragozzino who died in February 2010. (June)
  • President Mary Spilde received the 2012 Mildred Bulpitt Woman of the Year leadership award from the American Association for Women in Community Colleges. (June)
  • Titan Court, Lane's first student housing building, opened in downtown Eugene. (September)
  • The Child and Family Center achieved a five-year accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. (September)
  • The Maxwell Student Veteran Center was dedicated in honor of Congressional Medal of Honor awardee Robert Dale Maxwell who served as an Army Technician 5th Grade, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, in World War II. He helped establish Lane's automotive technology program in the 1960s and taught auto mechanics at Lane from 1966 to 1986. (November)

2013

  • President Mary Spilde was awarded the prestigious 2012 Eugene First Citizen Award from the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. (January)
  • A time capsule of items from Lane's old downtown center at 1059 Willamette St., Eugene, was buried in a ceremony at the site of the new center at 110 W. 10th, Eugene, as winter term classes began. (January)
  • Head Women's Basketball Coach Greg Sheley won his 500th game. He is one of only 12 active coaches in the National Junior College Athletic Association to achieve this distinction. (February)
  • Lane was awarded $8 million in state capital construction matching funds for a remodel of the Center Building on main campus. (February)
  • The grand opening of Lane's new Downtown Center was held at 101 W. 10th Avenue in Eugene. (March)
  • The "Taste of Lane" cookbook, published in November 2012 by Conference and Culinary Services, won a first-place Gold Paragon Award by the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations. (March)
  • Lane was one of only 29 institutions nationally and the only community college to receive a National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Humanities Start-Up grant to address the lag in community college involvement in the emerging field of digital humanities. (March)
  • Lane's Men's and Women's Track and Field teams won the NWAACC Championship. (May)
  • Titan baseball pitcher Kenyan Middleton was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels major league team. (June)
  • President Mary Spilde was awarded the 2013 National Leadership Award by the National Council for Continuing Education and Training. (July)
  • ECCO High School (Early College and Career Options) opened on Lane's main campus. ECCO is a full-service Eugene 4J high school that helps students successfully transition to college, operated in partnership by Lane Community College and 4J. (September)
  • President Mary Spilde was presented the 2013 Center for Green Schools President's Award for a two-year institution by the U.S. Green Building Council. (November)

2014

  • “Snowpocalypse” blankets the region with record-setting snow and ice storms leading to campus closures and a shift to temporary online operations. CHECK The KLCC Microbrew Festival carries on with small but enthusiastic crowd who bussed, skied, skidded and sledded to the Festival. (February)
  • A groundbreaking is held for the Center Building remodel into the Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS). The project is funded by Lane's $83 million bond passed by voters in 2008. The project will remodel 106,222 square feet,at a total project cost of $35 million. (June)
  • LCC's Balinese Dance Group Tirtha Tari invited to perform in the prestigious annual Bali Arts Festival sponsored by the Indonesian government. Faculty Bonnie Simoa and her students will perform old style traditional Legong Keraton Playon. (June)
  • LCC nursing alumnus Jesse Kennedy elected to the board of the national American Nurses Association. The ANA was founded in 1911 and includes more than 100,000 members across the country. (July)
  • LCC’s track and field serves as the official practice facility for the international IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships. Lane's track and field previously served as the official practice site for the summer 2012 Olympic Trials. (July)
  • LCC celebrates 50th anniversary year beginning as grand marshal of the annual Eugene Celebration parade in August, followed by tours and open houses at main campus and its Florence center in October. (August-October)
  • LCC wins national Green Genome Award for environmentally sustainable practices, programs and job training presented by the American Association of Community College. LCC is one of five exemplary community colleges, and the only college on the West Coast, to receive the award. (September)
  • LCC earns Leader College status for its commitment to student success from the national Achieving the Dream project. It was one of 16 colleges selected nationwide. (September)

2015

  • LCC’s on-campus child care center, the Lane Child and Family Center, earns five-star rating from the Oregon Quality Rating and Improvement System. (January)
  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities reaffirms LCCs accreditation. (February)
  • LCC sculpture student Joslyn Jones wins first place in the national art competition sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College for her sculpture titled “Broken Bones.” (June)
  • Eugene's Digital Dojo Coding Team Project named the Community Broadband Digital Equity Project of the Year by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors Board of Directors. LCC launched the project in partnership with the City of Eugene, Eugene School District 4J, local computer science industry experts and the University of Oregon. (July)
  • College receives prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities grant to host a Digital Humanities Summer Institute with the goal of helping community colleges nationwide develop digital humanities practices. (July)
  • Founding board member Bob Ackerman retires after four terms reaching back 50 years to Lane's first board in 1965 and three more terms in 1999, 2007 and 2011. (July)
  • Women's volleyball and men's soccer added to LCC’s successful lineup of collegiate athletic teams. (October)
  • Biology instructor Stacey Kiser named National Biology Teacher of the Year by the National Association of Biology Teachers association for two-year colleges. (November)

2016

  • Remodel of the main campus Center Building officially opened to celebrate its transformation into the Center for Learning and Student Success (January).
  • LCC awarded $100,000 Goldman Sachs Gives scholarship matching funds grant, one of only nine colleges nationwide, and the only college in Oregon, selected to receive the grant. (April) CHECK DATE
  • Oregon Small Business Development Center Network awarded national accreditation by its national association, America’s SBDC. (May)
  • African American Rites of Passage summer program for local youth celebrates its 20th graduation. The program has served as a national model. (July)
  • LCC awarded one-year, $100,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to conduct a feasibility study for establishing an accredited dental therapist degree program. (August) DID WE ADD THAT DEGREE?
  • Women in Transition program celebrates its 30th Anniversary. (November)
  • Student graphic design magazine, The Bleed, wins national Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press. ACP considers its awards among the most prestigious in collegiate journalism. (December)

2017

  • LCC Board of Education names Dr. Margaret Hamilton as Lane’s seventh president by unanimous vote, after an 11-month national search. Hamilton brings 29 years of experience to the college after a career in academic leadership at Camden County College in New Jersey. (February)
  • Outgoing president Dr. Mary Spilde receives a lifetime achievement award from the national Phi Theta Kappa honor society for community colleges. (February)
  • LCC’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program partners with the North American Institute of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy to provide the first U.S. competency-based program in manual therapy for PTAs. The 14-hour courses includes online curricula, videos and mentoring. (April)
  • “The Oresteia Project,” produce by LCC’s student theater earned high praise from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Certificates of merit for four students and theater director Dr. Brian Haimbach. (May)
  • Commencement returned to main campus for an outdoor ceremony after 32 years of holding proceedings at the Lane County Fairgrounds. About 1,750 associate degrees and certificates were awarded to approximately 1,155 graduates. (June)
  • LCC’s downtown campus named the Mary Spilde Center in honor of its sixth president who will retire June 30 after 16 years as Lane’s president, 22 years overall at Lane, and 37 years in higher education. The Board of Education bestows Spilde with President Emerita status by unanimous vote. (June)
  • Lane Community College Public Safety receives the 2017 Department of the Year Award from the Western Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. (November)
  • KLCC celebrates 50th Anniversary year with special events including a Road Trip series visiting KLCC communities throughout Oregon. (February-November)

2018

  • Margaret Hamilton, president of Lane Community College in Eugene, is appointed to the Sacred Heart Medical Center Community Health Board. (March)
  • The Small Business Development Center launches the new SoloPreneur program to assist individuals interested in becoming solo entrepreneurs. (March)
  • Student Adama Sanou is awarded the national 2018 Minority Scholarship Award for Physical Therapist Students from the American Physical Therapy Association. (April)
  • Dr. Paul Jarrell is named Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. He brings 25 years of experience in community college leadership and teaching to the college, most recently as executive vice president for educational programs at Santa Barbara City College. (June)
  • LCC televises commencement for the first time. Lane-TV (Comcast Cable Channel 23) provided the live feed. (June)
  • Aviation Unmanned Aircraft Systems degree and certificate program opened to students. The drone flight program offers a two-year associate of applied science degree, a certificate in aerial photography, and a certificate in geographic information science. (August)
  • National Science Foundation grants $537,310 to LCC to redesign the Water Conservation Technician training program for online delivery. (August)
  • The Center Building is renamed the Dr. Dale P. Parnell Center for Learning and Student Success in honor of Lane’s founding president. Community members and all five of Parnell’s children attended a dedication ceremony. (October)
  • The Bleed Magazine produced by graphic design students won its second national Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press. (November)

2019

  • LCC’s Rites of Passage summer program for local color of youth receives $184,980 three-year grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust to expand offerings. The grant is one of the 22 Equitable Education Portfolio grants issued by the trust to support college and career readiness opportunities across the state. (January)
  • LCC’s Student Production Association presented performance of “Electra’s Oresteia” won accolades from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 7 conference at the University of Oregon. (March)
  • LCC Main Campus is certified by the Bee Campus USA program to benefit pollinator species. Lane is the fifth college to be certified in Oregon. (May)
  • LCC writing instructor Peter Jensen wins 2019 Lisa Ede Teaching in Excellence Award from the Two-Year College English Association for the Pacific Northwest. (May)
  • Radio station KLCC awarded its first-ever national Edward R. Murrow Award for journalistic Excellence in Writing by reporter Brian Bull. (June)
  • LCC launches cybersecurity degree program to train students for computer and network security jobs. (September)
  • LCC and Pacific University form transfer partnership under the leadership of LCC President Margaret Hamilton and Pacific University President Lesley Hallick. Under the agreement, Pacific will relocate its Eugene program to LCC main campus in July 2020. (October)
  • LCC wins five-year $2.22 million federal Title III Strengthening Institutions grant for student retention and completion. The grant funds Lane’s CAREERS (Comprehensive Advising, Readiness for Employment, and Education Retention Strategies) project to implement a Guided Pathways framework. (October)
  • Graphic design students win second national Pacemaker Award for The Bleed graphic design magazine from the Associated Collegiate Press. The Pacemaker Award is considered the Pulitzer of college journalism and design. (November)

2020

  • Voters approve $181.5 million bond for facilities repairs and improvements. It was the fourth straight bond request approved by voters since Lane was founded. (May)
  • The coronavirus pandemic arrived in Oregon. Lane cancelled events and travel and transitioned to online and remote operations. (March)
  • Marty Hanifin named Vice President of Finance and Administration. He brought expertise from a long and successful career in higher education, state government and politics in Vermont, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Oregon. (May)
  • The first ever virtual commencement ceremony was held due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Approximately 1,740 associate degrees and certificates were awarded to about 970 graduates. (June)
  • The second Monday of every October is proclaimed Indigenous Peoples Day at Lane Community College by unanimous vote of Board of Education. (June)
  • LCC and Pacific Northwest College of Art sign transfer agreement. (July)
  • The LCC Center Building earns LEED Silver certification. The building was remodeled in 2015 and named the Dale P. Parnell Center for Learning and Student Success in honor of Lane’s founding president. (August)
  • Longtime donors Alan Yordy and Joan Kropf make a gift to the Lane Community College Foundation to increase a nursing scholarship endowment to $600,000, in recognition of the enormous need for nurses driven by the pandemic and wildfires in Lane County. (November)
  • Remote operations are announced to be continue winter and spring terms 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Vaccines were approved and began to be distributed nationally in late December. (December)