LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Minutes - April 12, 2006
1) Attendance
Board members present: Jay Bozievich, Roger Hall, Paul Holman, Susie Johnston, Larry Romine, and Michael Rose. Board member absent: Pat Riggs-Henson. Also present were: President Mary Spilde; Vice Presidents Marie Matsen and Sonya Christian; Executive Assistant to the President Tracy Simms; College Counsel Meg Kieran; Lane Community College Employees Association President Jim Salt; Lane Community College Employees Federation President Bob Baldwin; and Associated Students of Lane Community College President Jeremy Riel.
A. Chair Hall called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm.
B. President’s Report
I will be talking about the budget later so will defer my comments until then.
Lane is developing a number of “mini-certificates” based on existing Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees. They are Legal Assistant Office Skills (based on Legal Assistant AAS), Software Skills (based on Administrative Assistant AAS), and Industrial Computer Control (based on Electronic Technology AAS). These are open enrollment programs that are composed of courses wholly contained in the base AAS degree program. They are identified by the same classification code as the base AAS degree program, and prepare students for the same occupational field.
The Dental Assisting Program students had a 100% pass rate on the national board Infection Control Exam and on the Radiology, Health and Safety National Board Exam. The number of enrollment applications for next fall's incoming Respiratory Care Program and Medical Office Assisting Programs is higher at this point in the process than in any other previous year.
The Gray Family Scholarship program has been extended until the year 2013. This scholarship program is dedicated to students in the Early Childhood Education program and awards $20,000 in scholarships to LCC students each year.
For spring term, Lane's International English as a Second Language (IESL) program enrollment is at 40 students. That's up from 15 students in spring ‘05 and an increase of 4 from last term. Winter ‘06 IESL enrollment was 36, up from 26 in Winter 04. Fall is usually our highest enrollment, so we're very pleased that it continues to increase. The IESL students attend 18 hours of instruction per week and pay $1980 per term, which goes to the general fund, plus fees of about $270. Other interesting IESL statistics from this term:
We have 17 men and 23 women. Students come from 9 different countries—Japan; Korea, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Burkina Faso, Turkey, Brazil, UAE, and Taiwan.
Beverly Farfan, Cooperative Education instructor at Lane since 1998, will receive the Educator of the Year Award at the 2006 Transition to Education and Employment Conference today in Salem. Farfan coordinates Lane's Career Workforce Skills Training Project (CWST), a partnership with the Oregon Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. The award is given to an individual who shows a unique and innovative teaching style when working with students with disabilities. Farfan works closely with Vocational Rehabilitation counselors and high school transition specialists to address their students' personal and academic needs by developing individualized plans and programs. She connects students with Lane student support services and professional technical programs. The award is given by the Oregon Department of Education Office of Student Learning and Partnerships and the Oregon Parent Training and Information Center.
We had a very successful League for Innovation board meeting last week. We received very positive feedback from League members and representatives and talked about a number of projects. Thank you to Roger Hall and Susie Johnston for your attendance and involvement in the week’s events.
1) March Highlights
March 2006 Highlights at Lane Community College as offered in the board mailing were presented.
2) Personnel
The college’s current personnel appointments were presented.
C. Board Agenda Review/Changes
Roger Hall asked to address item 4, Discussion/Action Items, prior to item 3, Policy Review.
Larry Romine asked that item 2B, Selection of Marketing and Public Relations Agency, be taken off the Consent Agenda and placed with the discussion items.
D. Statements from Audience
Sandin Riddle, President of the Native American Student Association, asked the board to support the student fee initiative increasing the fee to raise funds for the Longhouse project.
Happi Mathews, ASLCC officer, also asked that the board support the Longhouse student fee initiative.
2. Consent Agenda
A. Approval of the March 8, 2006, minutes
Rose moved, seconded by Holman, to approve the amended Consent Agenda consisting of:
- The approval of the March 8, 2006, Minutes
Motion passed unanimously.
B. Selection of Marketing and Public Relations Agency
Romine questioned the funding to be used to support this award. Simms explained that this recommendation does not represent any additional funding for Marketing and Public Relations. This award brings the purchasing of outside services into alignment with ORS public purchasing code and the board policy C.050: Purchasing Procedure. Simms reviewed the Marketing budget, including the recent budget proposal to reduce .5 FTE from Marketing staff.
Rose moved, seconded by Holman, to approve the award of the Marketing and Public Relations contract to Funk/Levis & Associates.
Motion passed unanimously.
3. Policy Review
A. Second Reading
Romine moved, seconded by Bozievich, to approve the second reading of board policy D.120, Expanded Options Program.
Motion passed unanimously.
POLICY NUMBER: D.120
POLICY TYPE: MISCELLANEOUS
POLICY TITLE: EXPANDED OPTIONS PROGRAM
Consistent with Senate Bill 300 (2005 Oregon Laws, Chapter 674, Sections 1-21), the Board is committed to providing additional options to students enrolled in grades 11 and 12 to continue or complete their education, to earn concurrent high school and college credits and to gain early entry into post-secondary education.
Eligible students may apply to take courses at Lane Community College through the Expanded Options Program. A student is eligible if he or she is in grade 11 or 12 or is 16 years of age or older, has developed an education learning plan and has not completed four years of high school. A student must demonstrate preparedness for the intended courses at Lane. A student who has graduated from high school may not participate; however, a student who has completed course requirements for graduation, but who has not received a diploma, may participate in the Expanded Options Program.
Lane Community College will provide written notice to the student’s school district and the State Department of Education and shall enter into a financial agreement with the student’s district such that each district will be responsible for their students’ tuition, fees or other required instructional costs associated with the student’s enrollment.
The College does not intend to provide special education and related services to the student.
ADOPTED: April 12, 2006
B. First Reading
1) Conflict of Interest, D.080
No change was recommended to this policy; a second reading will be held in May.
POLICY NUMBER: D.080
POLICY TYPE: MISCELLANEOUS
POLICY TITLE: CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Board Members 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, children of the person or spouse, or the brothers, sisters or parents of the person or the person’s spouse. The Government Standards and Practices Act set forth in ORS Chapter 244 is applicable to Board Members and employees. If questions arise, Board Members and employees are urged to contact Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission, 100 High Street SE, Suite 220, Salem, Oregon 97301-3607; Telephone Number 503-378-5105.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: September 8, 2004
4. Discussion/Action Items
A. Budget Development
The budget reduction proposals were distributed and reviewed by the board. Spilde explained that this situation is a result of public disinvestment of higher education. Most of the attempts to balance the budget are primarily through layoffs, but there are some other things on the list as well. Although the bulk of the reductions affect classified staff and not classroom experience, these will have a practical impact on students as they will have less access to offices and student services.
Human Resources, Professional and Organizational Development, and LCCEF officers are working individually with people who will be impacted, those whose jobs will be affected, and employees with lower seniority that are likely to be bumped. Every effort is being made to do so in a caring and respectful way.
The proposals went to College Council today and will be reviewed by the Budget Committee beginning April 26. After recommendations from College Council and the Budget Committee, the 2006-07 budget will be adopted at the June board meeting.
Hall stated that this is a nearly criminal act that the board is forced to perform. Like Spilde, he also believed that the funding problem is due to public disinvestment in education. This is unfortunate, because every dollar invested in Lane Community College goes right back into the community and the state.
At 7:25 p.m., the board took a ten-minute break.
Spilde offered a few other budget pieces for consideration. There have been a number of proposals for revenue options. Some of the proposals involve fees to the students, such as a differential fee for some or all of the professional technical programs. Another idea is to charge some type of surcharge. The board was not in favor of placing the burden of the budget situation on the students.
Helen Garrett, Registrar and Enrollment Services Director, and Dan Timberlake, Counseling Director, presented an idea for an enrollment fee charged to first-time credit students. The $30 fee would combine the $5 placement test fee and the $25 graduation fee. These are fees that the students already pay, but this would make those fees be due up front. The charges would be made through Express Lane, which would involve less staff time and would provide approximately a $215,000 increase to the general fund. The board took the idea under consideration for further discussion with the Budget Committee.
The board reviewed the cost per FTE for nursing and dental hygiene programs. A discussion ensued regarding which costs and revenues to include in the calculation, such as overhead, other indirect costs, and state reimbursement. There are many factors to consider, but the fact remains that these are expensive programs. However, community demand is high in these professions. The goal is to determine what the charge to students would be in order to break even, and what would enable the college to expand the programs. The board considered the possibility of partnering with a health care organization to provide training for employees.
B. Student Fee Adjustment
The board reviewed the two ballot measures to be placed on the ASLCC May elections. The first proposes an increase to the student fee of $3 to provide funds for the Longhouse project. The second proposes an increase of $1.75 to provide internships to student leaders and additional ASLCC staff positions.
The board had some concern about raising student fees, but overall it was agreed that the students are in control of the student body fee as much as is allowed by law.
Rose moved, seconded by Bozievich to approve the proposed ASLCC ballot measure language for inclusion in the spring term elections.
Motion passed unanimously.
C. Local Option
The board discussed the local option tax levy specifics regarding the amount and number of years to request on the ballot measure. The board directed the administration to pursue the maximum dollar amount, knowing that with compression the actual collection rate will be lower, and the maximum number of years for the levy.
5. Accountability/Reports
A. Benchmarks
Craig Taylor, Institutional Research and Planning director, responded to questions and comments on the following Benchmarks:
- Employees by Color as a Percent of All Employees
7. Reports
ASLCC Jeremy Riel explained that he missed the last board meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., lobbying for community college programs. An integrated lobbying day was held immediately following the release of the fiscal year 2007 budget. ASLCC is starting to get the voter registration drive out, which will be followed by the “Get Out the Vote” drive, a two-part program designed to encourage students to vote. Students have been working with Lane Transit District to increase bus service to and from Cottage Grove. The student government is going to try to cause a stir in the legislature in terms of funding and public disinvestment in the special legislative session.
LCCEF President Bob Baldwin stated that it has been a bad day all around. The classified staff were hit very hard in the budget reduction proposals, and LCCEF has been working with them to identify assistance and resources. While Baldwin is not opposed to the fee for the Longhouse, he wondered if the students understand the magnitude of the cuts. If given a choice, would they choose the Longhouse over tutoring, services, etc? He has continuing concerns about time and money spent in the governance process. He reported that affected staff will continue to prioritize student service until their last day here, and those remaining are trying to determine how to work with the remaining resources.
LCCEA President Jim Salt reported that the college and association bargaining team have reached an agreement. Faculty will be voting to ratify the contract by Friday, and the union will formally inform the college of the result Friday afternoon. Regarding the budget, the deep cuts that we are facing are not due simply to public disinvestment, but the attack of the right wing on the public sector. The faculty understand the loss to the college with the proposed reductions of classified staff and recognize the contribution of the classified staff in the success of our students. Budget reduction proposals also affect faculty in the loss of vacant positions and release time. The Oregon Education Association voted to launch a ballot this fall to create a requirement that corporations publicly report the taxes paid.
Vice President Sonya Christian reported that the proposals came forward today from the Office of Instruction and Student Services. Although there was an attempt not to directly affect enrollment, it was recognized that classified staff are an integral part of student success, so there may be an indirect effect. The recommendations are the result of 133 meetings in 25 instructional departments, focusing on reduction proposals, revenue generation, and increasing productivity.
Vice President Marie Matsen stated that it’s been a difficult day for classified staff, and she thanked Bob Baldwin for his support in the process and helping classified staff in dealing with the proposals. She also thanked the Human Resources staff. She shared a couple of stories of how the staff were dealing with the news.
Board Reports
Bozievich reported that he attended the recent Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) meeting. There, he gave a report on Oregon opportunity grant, which saw a 37% increase in community college students eligible for the grant. OCCA’s strategic plan was also discussed, and nearly every board named funding and access as first and second priorities. There will be an OCCA dues increase, but due to the change in funding formula, it will be less for Lane. OCCA Executive Director Andrea Henderson will be visiting community colleges in the near future to talk about funding. Regarding the student fees, it’s not an issue of prioritizing one thing over another; it’s letting students have control over where their money goes. Bozievich responded to Salt’s comment on the attack of the right wing on the public sector, stating that the republican house caucus had proposed a larger amount for community colleges than either the governor or the democratic caucus. Some of the major issues in state funding are due to past decisions made by the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) board.
Rose followed up on Salt’s report regarding the initiative on corporate accountability act. Two-thirds of Oregon corporations pay the minimum of ten dollars in state taxes. All this initiative does is let the public know how much is being paid so that people may step up and ask the legislators to balance the books.
Johnston commented on the League for Innovation meeting, stating that it was truly a pleasure to be involved. She had the opportunity to talk with community college presidents from all over North America, and she felt it is an honor for Lane to be a part of the League board. She addressed the proposed budget cuts, reminding the board that every cut is connected to a person who will be losing their income. She acknowledged the work that went into making those difficult decisions. To say that making these reductions is a near-criminal act is an understatement. Lane Community College is where people can come to make a change about how they are living and what they want to do with their lives. With the current funding situation, it will be a challenge as Lane lives up to the mission and vision of transforming lives in the coming years.
8. Date, Place, and Proposed Agenda Items for the Next Regular Meeting
Wednesday, May 10, 2006, Boardroom, Building 3, Lane Community College
9. The board meeting adjourned at 9:38 pm.
| _____________________________ | _____________________________ | |
| Mary Spilde, President/District Clerk | Roger Hall, Chair |