This page is part of the 2016 Lane website archive, and is presented for historical reference only.

April 11, 2012

LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF EDUCATION MINUTES
April 11, 2012

1. Attendance
Board members present: Bob Ackerman, Pat Albright, Susie Johnston, Gary LeClair, Tony McCown, Rosie Pryor, and Sharon Stiles. Also present were: President Mary Spilde; Vice President Sonya Christian; Chief Financial Officer Greg Morgan; Legal Counsel Meg Kieran; Lane Community College Education Association President Jim Salt; Lane Community College Employees Federation President Bob Baldwin; and Associated Students of Lane Community College President Mario Parker-Milligan.

A. Chair Johnston called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.

B. President's Report
We have begun to give regularly-scheduled tours of the Downtown Campus for downtown residents, community organizations, business owners and project supporters. If you or someone you know would be interested in a tour, please contact Brett Rowlett.

We met with Blanton Turner staff last Friday to begin working together on operational and marketing plans for the Downtown Campus. It was a good kick off for all the work that's ahead of us.

The Meyer Memorial Trust is conducting a site visit here on April 13 to consider our grant application for $267,000 to fund smart classrooms at the Downtown Campus. They want to know more about Lane and our project. Tentative dates for trustee review are May 14-16, and we should have their decision by May 17.

With pleasure we presented three Faculty Recognition Awards winter term. They went to Wendy Lightheart in Mathematics, Cynthia Adams in Social Science, and Ken Loge in Media Arts. Congratulations to all three for inspiring our students and helping them succeed.

In Washington, House Republicans introduced their comprehensive Workforce Investment Act reauthorization bill. The legislation combines three previous Republican bills, which consolidate many existing workforce programs, enable states to designate funding and services, and restructure workforce investment boards. The bill counters the reauthorization bill introduced by House Democrats, which includes funding authorization for President Obama's proposed $8 billion Community College to Career Fund.

Student government is in the middle of its spring voter registration drive. I'll let Mario share updates on totals with you, but I would like to remind everyone who needs to register to vote or update their voter information, the voter registration deadline is April 24 for the May 15 Primary Election.

Some upcoming events:

  • I'm looking forward to Earth Week and will kick off our celebration of sustainability with a ribbon-cutting at the Solar Station on Thursday, April 19 at 10 a.m. The rest of the day will offer tours of sustainability features on campus. On April 20-21 our Peace Symposium will explore the theme of "People Powered Democracy Confronts Corporate Rule."
  • Our annual Advisory Committee Gala will be April 26 in the CML.
  • We will again accept expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs at our third National Pharmaceutical Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Center for Meeting and Learning. Thanks to Public Safety Manager Jace Smith for arranging this increasingly popular public service in coordination with the DEA.
  • We will hold Spring Conference on May 4 and the college will be closed.
  • Finally, the dedication ceremony for the Ragozzino Performance Hall has been rescheduled.

I'm advised that all but one of the recipes for the new Taste of Lane cookbook have been gathered and are in the design layout process. I guess this is a subtle hint to get my favorite recipe to Tracy pretty quickly. Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management are very excited about the cookbook's debut at the Harvest Dinner.

Perhaps you noticed the new signage on campus that I mentioned last month? New signage includes the Olympic Trials billboards, the Track and Field sign, and the Student Success Starts Here sign. We look forward to completing the electronic work for the Student Success sign.

By the end of spring term we will have completed approximately 50 videos showcasing each of our Career and Technical programs as well as Co-operative Education, Career Pathways, and more. These videos will link from the new Career and Technical webpages, also in development. This month we would like to show you the Early Childhood Education video.

2) Personnel
The college's current personnel appointments were presented.

A. Board Agenda Review/Changes
No changes were made to the agenda.

B. Statements from the Audience
Merriam Weatherhead, ASLCC Chief of Staff, urged the board to support the ASLCC ballot measure requests for the May elections.

Vashi Selix, GSA advocate, asked the board to support the GSA ballot measure request for the May ASLCC elections.

2. Consent Agenda
McCown moved, seconded by Pryor, to approve the Consent Agenda consisting of:

  • The approval of the March 14, 2012 meeting minutes

Motion passed unanimously.

3. Policy Review
A. Second Reading
1. Equality of Opportunity, D.060
A first reading of board policy D.060, Equality of Opportunity, was held in March. Ackerman moved to postpone the second reading of D.060 to harmonize the language with that of D.070, Equality of Opportunity in Admissions, and D.100, Affirmative Action. McCown seconded.

Motion passed unanimously.

POLICY NUMBER: D.060
POLICY TYPE: MISCELLANEOUS
POLICY TITLE: EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

The board directs strict adherence to the principles embodied in Oregon and Federal "Equal Employment" legislation.

Lane Community College shall provide employment opportunity to all qualified persons and prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, physical or mental disability, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, veteran's status, familial relationship, expunged juvenile record, association with anyone of a particular race, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age or religion, opposition to safety and health hazards or application for Worker's Compensation benefits.

ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVIEWED: June 9, 2004
REVISED: October 17, 2006
REVIEWED: March 11, 2009

B. First Reading
1. Possession of Firearms, D.030
A first reading was held on board policy D.030, Possession of Firearms, was held. A second reading will be held in May.

POLICY NUMBER: D.030
POLICY TYPE: MISCELLANEOUS
POLICY TITLE: POSSESSION OF FIREARMS

No person, including students, employees, college patrons and vendors may bring, possess, conceal, brandish, use or be in possession of a firearm, destructive device, or other dangerous weapons as defined by law, or give the appearance of being in possession on college-owned or controlled property or at activities under the jurisdiction or sponsorship of the college, except as provided by ORS 166.370 and federal law. As authorized by ORS 659A.001(4), the exceptions provided by state and federal law do not apply to Lane employees while engaged in work activities. Permitted exceptions include use in conjunction with approved instructional demonstration.

ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: November 16, 2004
REVISED: February 15, 2006
REVISED: April 8, 2009

2. Equality of Opportunity in Admissions, D.070
The first reading of this policy was deferred to the May meeting to align with the Equality of Opportunity policy.

POLICY NUMBER: D.070
POLICY TYPE: MISCELLANEOUS
POLICY TITLE: EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY IN ADMISSIONS

Lane Community College accepts all students who are 18 or over or have a high school diploma or GED. Students who are under 18 and have not graduated may still attend if they follow the guidelines for Under 18 Students. Under no circumstances shall an applicant who is otherwise qualified be denied admission or given a preference for admission to the college based on an individual's race, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status, familial relationship, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, religion, expunged juvenile record, or veterans' status.

ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: June 9, 2004
REVISED: October 17, 2006
REVISED: May 13, 2009

3. Conflict of Interest, D.080
A first reading was held on board policy D.080, Conflict of Interest. A second reading will be held in May.

POLICY NUMBER: D.080
POLICY TYPE: MISCELLANEOUS
POLICY TITLE: CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Board Members, candidates for Board positions, and employees shall avoid actions as a public official or public employee that have the effect of being to the private, personal or financial benefit or avoidance of detriment of the person or the person's relatives. Relatives include spouse, domestic partner, children of the person, or spouse, or domestic partner, or the brothers, sisters or parents of the person, or the person's spouse or domestic partner and any individual to whom the person owes a duty of support. The Government Ethics Act set forth in ORS Chapter 244 is applicable to Board Members, candidates for Board positions, and employees.

ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: September 8, 2004
REVISED: May 10, 2006
REVISED: May 13, 2009

4. Discussion/Action Items
A. Recognition of Dean Webb
Bob Ackerman gave a tribute to one of the charter members of Lane's Board of Education, Dean Webb, who passed away in February. Webb served on the board from 1965 to 1973.

B. Democracy Commitment
Vice President Sonya Christian and members of the Democracy Commitment team presented information on Lane's involvement with the Democracy Commitment, which is a national initiative providing a platform for the development and expansion of community college programs, projects, and curricula aiming at engaging students in a civic learning and democratic practice across the country. Lane's efforts include curricular infusion of civic education in political science courses; experiential learning through cooperative education and service learning; co-curricular activities such as student government, clubs, and councils; student-led causes such as the voter registration campaign; international discussions; and digital democracy and social networks.

C. Achievement Compacts
Spilde updated the board on progress on the achievement compacts. Included in the meeting materials for the April meeting were the preamble to the achievement compacts, a copy of the final community college achievement compact, and definitions regarding the measures that were in the compact. Information will be provided to the budget committee in May, an update will be provided to the board in May, and the board will be asked to approve the final achievement compact between Lane and the State of Oregon at the June board meeting. A subcommittee of the Learning Council has met to determine the internal work in terms of populating the achievement compact, and Craig Taylor is working with the Oregon Department of Community College and Workforce Development (CCWD).

D. Downtown Campus Update
Spilde informed the board that two of the three allocatees have signed on for the new market tax credit allocation for the Downtown Campus project. The net was $3.56 million; we were aiming for $3.4 million, so this will close the funding gap.

E. ASLCC Election Ballot
McCown moved that the board approve the proposed ASLCC ballot measure language as a non-binding recommendation for inclusion in the May 2012 election. Stiles seconded. The ballot measures propose to 1) increase the student activity fee by $.65 to provide funding for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán; 2) increase the student activity fee by $.55 to provide funding for the Gender and Sexuality Alliance; 3) increase the student activity fee by $.50 to provide funding for the Asian-Pacific Islander Student Union; and 4) increase the student activity fee by $.65 to provide funding for the Native American Student Association.

Motion passed unanimously.

5. Accountability/Reports
A. Benchmarks
Craig Taylor, Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning director, responded to questions and comments on the following Benchmarks:

Employees of Color as a Percent of All Employees

B. Facilities Update
An update on the status of bond and facilities projects was presented to the board.

6. Reports
ASLCC President Mario Parker-Milligan reported that 17 Lane students participated in the national student conference and lobby day in Washington, D.C. Several students, including Parker-Milligan, were arrested for blocking the entrance to Sallie Mae in a protest of student debt. Students have been working with the Black Student Union to host a rally to raise awareness for students who are killed in hate crimes. On Monday, the college budget and tuition will be discussed in the ASLCC work session. Parker-Milligan attended the Oregon Presidents' Council meeting to talk about ASLCC's voter registration and access to classes. This weekend, several students will participate in the 5k Wild Salmon Run. ASLCC elections will take place at the end of April and beginning of May for officer positions and ballot measures. GSA will sponsor the Week of Silence next week. The ASLCC voter registration goal to register 1,000 voters for spring term was surpassed and increased to 2,501.

LCCEF President Bob Baldwin reported that there was a pending arbitration regarding a termination case in which an investigation was conducted from the vice president's office. The conclusion did not support LCCEF's position, however, it was persuasive, and LCCEF eventually withdrew the grievance from that case after credibility was acknowledged. The union is currently questioning the hiring process for a recently filled management position.

LCCEA President Jim Salt reported that he is working on a project to compare levels of support that various sectors of education have received from the state for the past six biennia. The results show that community colleges are clearly not equally supported by the state in comparison to K-12 and the university system. The association has taken a position to support goals to increase the education attainment rates, but they do not find significant merit in the achievement compacts. He encouraged board members to think about what they are being asked to do in this process.

Vice President Sonya Christian promoted the last in the series of Islam speakers who will be at Lane on April 12. She reported that Pat O'Connor is the new dean of Advanced Technology; O'Connor started his career at Lane and then went on to be president of Oregon Coast Community College. Christian commented on the snow closure during finals week, thanked the FMP staff for their work clearing the campus, and recognized Alen Bahret in IT for working tirelessly to reschedule the final exams.

Chief Financial Officer Morgan reported that Lane will issue 26 million dollars in financial aid this term. Financial aid is disbursed through a company that can provide more options to students and at a much lower cost than what we can do ourselves. It's time to select a new company; a request for proposals was sent out, and we received five proposals. The committee is made up of half students and half employees, which engages students in a material way for a service that affects them directly.

Board Reports
McCown noted that last year was the first in history that student debt exceeded credit card debt. Too many people are accumulating debt to obtain an education and not able to pay back their loans due to lack of employment. He applauded Parker-Milligan for appearing on the news while back in D.C.

Stiles reported that the Florence Center advisory committee just elected three new members. Executive Dean Andrea Newton recently came to Florence and met with the PeaceHealth board of directors. Stiles noted that two Florence students regularly commute from Eugene to Florence.

Pryor reported that she toured the amazing new Downtown Campus. She submitted two Lane graduates for the Distinguished Alumni award.

LeClair stated that the 40/40/20 goal is unrealistic and wished that the governor would have established a reasonable goal rather than something that is doomed to fail. He commented on the severe traffic hazards on the I-5 exit to Lane and wondered if something can be done, such as staggering class start times.

Albright reported that he continues to try to find positive aspects regarding the achievement compacts. Something to be considered is how much expense institutions will incur to pursue these goals. He attended the Lane Economic Committee meeting, where one topic discussed was the growing industry of local organic food sectors. He also attended the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) board of directors meeting. We need to make concerted efforts as to our message to the legislature and be sure that the rationale is meaningful when requesting additional revenue.

Ackerman stated that he would oppose the achievement compacts if Spilde were not on the Oregon Education Investment Board. He noted the inconsistency between OCCA and the CCWD's answer whether or not this can be a prelude to performance based budgeting, so he will be watching that very closely.

Johnston reported that she recently met with George Russell, former 4J Superintendent. Russell is active in NAACP and thanked Lane for the space provided to students at the Downtown Center. Johnston expressed her appreciation for the scheduling that took place after snow closed the college for a day during finals week.

7. Date, Place, and Proposed Agenda Items for the Next Regular Meeting
Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 pm, Boardroom, Building 3, Lane Community College

8. The board meeting unanimously adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

______________________________ _____________________________
Mary Spilde, President/District Clerk Susie Johnston, Board Chair