LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF EDUCATION MINUTES
April 9, 2014
1. Attendance
Board members present: Bob Ackerman, Pat Albright, Matt Keating, Gary LeClair, Rosie Pryor, Sharon Stiles, and Tony McCown. Also present were: President Mary Spilde; Vice President Brian Kelly; Executive Dean Dawn DeWolf; Legal Counsel Meg Kieran; Lane Community College Education Association President Jim Salt; Lane Community College Employees Federation President Bob Baldwin; and Association Students of Lane Community College President Paul Zito.
A. Chair Pryor called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.
B. President's Report
I arrived back from break in time to attend the Pew Charitable Trust Dental Campaign. There was a meeting in Portland of the Northwest Health Foundation, Community Catalyst, the Pew Charitable Trust and the Kellogg Foundation. The goal of them coming together is to make oral health care available to rural areas through the creation of a dental therapist strand within dental care, and they want to partner with community colleges to provide the training, so we are exploring that.
I am sad to note the unexpected passing of Erik Humphrey last week. He was an instructor in our Criminal Justice program and a graduate of that program. He also served with the Eugene Police Department. Erik was a Native American and a member of the Klamath Nation. There will be a memorial service this Friday at 10 a.m. at the Faith Center on 13th Street in Eugene. We will miss Erik.
I was also saddened to learn of the passing of Lane student and scholarship recipient Tamera Flores. She lost her battle with cancer on March 14 at age 47. She won an Oregon Community Credit Union scholarship this year, and a Staton Scholarship the past two years. She was in the Physical Therapy Assistant program. In her scholarship essay she wrote, "I have learned that my strengths are not negated by my limitations and that I can grow during adversity."
You may remember that Lane chemistry instructor Harry Rice passed away earlier this year from cancer. A Celebration of Life is planned for June 15. Gifts in Harry's memory may be made to the Lane Community College Foundation which is establishing a scholarship in his name. Wendy Jett can help you if you'd like to contribute.
Lane art and sculpture instructor JS Bird also writes fiction. He has published a novel titled, "The Boy Who Painted Fire," now available on Amazon.com. It's the story of a young boy's life as he becomes an artist. Congratulations to JS.
English instructor Anne McGrail has completed the reporting for Lane's NEH Office of Digital Humanities Start-Up grant. Our project is called, "Bringing Digital Humanities to the Community College and Vice Versa." There is now a video and other materials related to the grant on the project's website. Russell Shitabata produced the video. You can find the video and more on our online newsroom at lanecc.edu/newsroom
I want to thank the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County for creating a library for our Adult Basic and Secondary Education students with a donation of 300 books. The library is in the ABSE area of Building 11.
Total registrations for all classes for spring term as of the second week of classes are down 16.2% compared to the same time last year. Total unduplicated headcount was down 15.5%.
The Senior Companion Program's annual recognition event for volunteers is scheduled for April 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church in Eugene. Congressman DeFazio and Mayor Piercy are scheduled to attend and speak. Contact the SCP office if you're interested in attending.
In Washington, the budget season is well underway. Last month, the President and House Republicans released their proposed budgets for fiscal year 2015. Both proposals respect the overall spending caps set at the end of 2013, although I'm not sure if either of them will make it through.
I just wanted to say a word about governance. The board had asked for a review of the governance system and expected some recommendations by this meeting. College Council created a subcommittee to do that. The members of that subcommittee are Bob Baldwin, Barb Delansky, Anayeli Jiminez and myself, and it is chaired by faculty member Russell Shitabata. Since the subcommittee started meeting in January, both the chairs and vice chairs of governance councils have been invited and have attended meetings to share their perspectives, and there have also been other invitations to faculty, staff, and students to attend to provide perspective, and several people have taken advantage of that opportunity. In addition, the subcommittee developed a survey which was available for people to complete for the last couple of weeks. The survey closed last night. I'm interested to see the results of this survey and to see if there is alignment with the other testimony we have received so we can have a good diagnosis of which issues need to be addressed to make the governance system stronger. So I am not ready to make recommendations this evening, but we will continue with the review.
Last month I told you I had interviewed with the Associated Press about proposals to make community college tuition free. It finally hit the wire on March 26 and has been picked up by dozens of media across the country.
I am writing four quarterly columns for the Oregon Business Magazine. The first was published online on March 26 under the headline is "Closing the Gap: Community Colleges and Workforce training.
I also interviewed for a Business Officer Magazine story on a story carbon neutral efforts at various colleges, including Lane, to be published in June. The magazine is published by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. I want to thank Brian Kelly and Jennifer Hayward for helping provide data for that story.
Last night I returned from the AACC Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. It was a jam-packed weekend. We had Vice President Biden join us along with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, who is a community college faculty member. She was presenting on Monday and back in her classroom on Tuesday. Also, you will recall I was a member of the 21st Century Community College Commission which published the report "Reclaiming the Dream." Since then, over the last year and half, implementation teams have been developing resources, and they issued a report at the convention. I also presented on our International Program, attended the meeting of the Global Commission that I sit on, I met with the first secretary on education with the Chinese Embassy to talk about partnerships for sending students to Lane, and finally I met with the Kellogg, Carnegie, and Kresge Foundations regarding funding for math reform. All in all, a pretty busy but productive meeting.
Spring is a very busy term as you know. Here are a few of many upcoming events:
Juan Carlos Arean will speak at the Downtown Campus this Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. He wrote "Breaking the Cycle: Fathering After Violence," and produced "Something My Father Would Do: Overcoming Legacies of Family Violence." Donna Koechig has details.
Tinh Mahoney, a Vietnamese storyteller, filmmaker and guitarist, will be at Lane Thursday and Friday, April 17-18, for film screenings and a presentation. Donna Koechig has details.
The Peace Symposium is Friday, April 25 in the Longhouse. The theme is "Awakening the Dream–Move to Action." Stan Taylor has details.
The NAACP Education Forum will be held at our Downtown Campus on April 26.
Our annual Advisory Committee Gala will be held April 30 in the Center for Meeting and Learning.
Finally, our Spring Conference will be Friday, May 2. The college will be closed.
1) Personnel
The college's current personnel appointments were presented.
C. Board Agenda Review/Changes
No changes were made to the agenda.
D. Statements from the Audience
Marisa Hastie, Exercise Movement Instructor and Faculty Professional Development Coordinator, asserted that the faculty are professionals and asked the board to put their support behind the faculty.
Jay Frasier, Communication Instructor, stated that the faculty have endured significant losses over the last few years and asked the board to bargain in good faith and give the faculty the respect they deserve.
Dennis Gilbert, Physics Instructor, stated that the college seems to operate on a fear of financial crisis model, especially during bargaining years.
Polina Kroik, Writing instructor, asked for a fair contract and for fair treatment for part-time faculty.
Steve McQuiddy, Academic Learning Skills instructor, asked the board and administration to bargain in good faith.
Gayle Townsend, Women in Transitions instructor, addressed the expense of health care and asked for fair treatment of part-time faculty.
Dan Welton, Media Arts instructor, stated that one of his classes was nearly cut, but he worked with the division dean to run the class and it ran with 22 students.
[At this point, Chair Pryor thanked the faculty for being at the meeting and said it was an honor to have them. The board does not undervalue the faculty. The struggles with the budget have made things difficult for everyone involved. The board is looking for a resolution for the college and for the faculty. She knows what faculty do for the students as her son is a student.]
Jacob Keeten, student, expressed concern regarding cuts to part-time faculty. One of his instructors, Nicki Armstrong, is part time, and she is the best instructor he has ever had. On another subject, he asked that e-cigarettes not be banned from campus.
Russell Morgan, student, stated that e-cigarettes should not be banned from campus and users should not be put in the same category as cigarette smokers.
Sharlita Holmes, OSPIRG Chapter Chair, updated the board on OSPIRG activities. OSPIRG works with students, staff, and campus organizers to educate students on environmental sustainability and student rights.
Justin Newman, Vice President of Emerald Vapors, expressed concern that the board's use of tobacco policy would exclude e-cigarettes from campus. He demonstrated how e-cigarettes work and pointed out that they contain no tobacco.
Brittany Mcpherson, OSA Organizer, informed the board about the voter registration campaign. The goal is to register 2,400 students this year, and 1,000 have already been registered.
2A. Consent Agenda
McCown moved, and seconded by LeClair to approve the Consent Agenda consisting of:
• The approval of the March 12, 2014 meeting minutes
Motion passed unanimously.
3. Discussion/Action Items
A. Spotlight on Student Success: Arts Division
Rick Williams, Arts Division Dean, presented information on the division's programs. Williams stated that he has the best faculty he has ever worked with. They are so dedicated to their students. They don't just teach art, they are artists.
Dance instructor Bonnie Simoa and her students have been invited to an international dance festival in Bali this summer. Simoa had traveled to Bali previously and learned traditional dances from the masters. Eighteen music concerts are held annually at Lane, and others are held in which our students travel to fifteen high schools around the state. All of Lane's music faculty are involved in the symphony or other organization.
The Student Productions Association (SPA) "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opens April 18 for several performances including one performance in Florence. Annually, SPA and the faculty present four major plays and five short plays.
Much of the art seen on campus is designed by students with help from faculty. The new art gallery has had 14,000 visitors, with 16 exhibitions and 14 lectures.
The Media Arts program is keeping up with industry changes by being multidisciplinary. Fields are merging and encompassing photography, web design, and videography skills. Williams is working with faculty to revise the curriculum to better articulate to journalism at the University of Oregon.
Williams introduced Robert DuBois, graduate and multimedia teacher at the Academy of Arts and Academics in Springfield. DuBois had come to Lane after 22 years in the Air Force to get an education in multimedia design. After Lane, he moved on to UO, and found the equipment, training, and software at Lane superior to that of UO. Several of his Lane classmates have gone on to successful careers in multimedia, not just regionally but around the globe. The instructors at Lane are the best he has studied under.
B. ASLCC Ballot Measures
McCown moved, seconded by LeClair, to approve the proposed ASLCC ballot measure language as a non-binding recommendation for inclusion in the Spring 2014 election (April 28 – May 2, 2014).
Motion passed 5 – 2. LeClair and Keating were not present.
C. Rainy Day Food Pantry
Ackerman requested that this item be set over to the May meeting pending the vote on the ASLCC fee and the locating of a site for the pantry.
4. Policy Review
A. Second Reading
1. Human Resources
The following changes were recommended to this new board policy. LeClair moved, seconded by Stiles, to approve the third reading of the board policy, Human Resources.
Motion passed unanimously.
Policy Number: XXX
Policy Type: BOARD POLICY
Category: INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY
Policy Title: HUMAN RESOURCES – GLOBAL DIRECTION
College employees are an asset and an investment to help achieve organizational goals. The College is committed to developing a highly competent work force in which each employee abides by the policies and procedures of the College that offers and to offering equal opportunity to all and in which each employee abides by the policies and procedures of the College. To those ends, the President is responsible for developing policies and procedures which are consistent, fair, and equitably applied.
Human Resources policies and procedures must comply with federal, state and local laws and statutes, be consistent with College labor agreements, and be based upon generally accepted human resource management principles,. Human Resources policies are intended to satisfy the standards of regional and national accrediting organizations, and to promote a work environment of collegiality, respect and professionalism.
Human Resources policies and procedures must include, but are not limited to the following matters:
1. staff recruitment and selection;
2. staff development and evaluation;
3. code of professional conduct;
4. conditions of employment;
5. security and appropriate confidentiality of human resources records;
6. risk management; and
7. employee discipline and termination
ADOPTED: April 9, 2014
2. Use of Tobacco
The board held a discussion about the following policy and the need for additional information regarding electronic nicotine delivery systems. The policy was tabled, and the Wellness Committee will be asked to present to the board in May.
Policy Number: D.160
Policy Type: MISCELLANEOUS
Policy Title: USE OF TOBACCO
The use, distribution, advertising, promotion, sponsorship or sale of tobacco, including any smoking device or an electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS), is prohibited in all core areas of Lane's 30th Avenue Campus. The inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying of any lighted smoking material, including cigarettes, cigars, or pipes as well as vaping an electronic nicotine delivery system (i.e., electronic cigarettes) is prohibited on college property except in one of the designated smoking areas on the perimeter of the campus. The use of other tobacco products, such as smokeless or chewing tobacco, is also prohibited on LCC premises. Smoking and other tobacco use is prohibited completely in all other Lane campuses and locations. FDA approved nicotine replacement therapy products for the purpose of cessation are excluded.
Limited exemptions to this policy may be allowed when tobacco has a ceremonial use.
ADOPTED: December 8, 2010
3. Institutional Integrity
The following changes were recommended to this policy. McCown moved, seconded by Albright, to approve the third reading of the board policy, Institutional Integrity.
Ackerman asked legal counsel if this policy applies outside of work duties when employees are not on campus. Legal Counsel Meg Kieran confirmed that it does not.
Motion passed unanimously.
Policy Number: A.100
Policy Type: INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY
Policy Title: INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY
The institution strives to adhere to the highest ethical standards in its representation to its constituencies and the public; in its teaching, scholarship and service; in its treatment of students, faculty, and staff; and in its relationships with regulatory and accrediting agencies. All concerned with the good of the college will seek ways to support institutional integrity.
The board is responsible to ensure the integrity of the college. Individuals are responsible for their personal integrity and for acting in a manner consistent with this policy. Integrity is demonstrated by conduct that is honest in words and actions, and promotes respect, fairness and openness. Responsible stewardship of resources and the public trust are expectations for all employees.
All college employees are expected to conduct themselves with integrity; and to hold themselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct; and to comply with the government ethics standards for public officials set forth in ORS Chapter 244.
ADOPTED: October 13, 2004
REVIEWED: June 11, 2008
REVISED: June 9, 2010
B. First Reading
1. Financial Integrity
A new board policy, Financial Integrity, was presented. A second reading will be held in May.
Policy Number: XXX
Policy Type: EXECUTIVE DIRECTIONS
Policy Title: Financial Integrity
Clear financial policies and procedures, regularly reviewed and revised as necessary, are critical to the effective management and operation of the College. The president shall oversee the responsible development and management of all College financial resources, such as financial planning, operating and capital budgets, reserves, investments, fundraising, cash management, debt management, and transfers and borrowings between funds.
5. Accountability/Reports
A. Benchmarks
Craig Taylor, Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning director, responded to questions and comments on the following benchmark:
• General Fund Revenues and Transfers by Source
• General Fund Expenditures by Category
And the mission fulfillment indicator:
• Core Theme 3: Foundation Skills Development
B. Facilities Update
An update on the status of bond and facilities projects was presented to the board.
6. Reports
ASLCC Sustainability Coordinator Michael Weed noted that President Paul Zito was out at a conference. Weed thanked the board for passing the ballot measure language. Moving the legal fee outside of the ASLCC operations budget will free up funds for the food pantry and clothing stash while raising awareness that ASLCC provides legal services for students. The voter registration drive is going well, and there was an event held recently in Bristow Square to get students registered. Student elections will be held April 28 – May 1. Weed noted that students are asked to follow guidelines regarding placing signs on campus, but faculty are placing signs in nondesignated areas. The No Cash Clothing Stash is seeing high usage.
LCCEF President Bob Baldwin noted that listening to faculty talking about respect made him think of Denise Brinkman's LCCEF report in September and how LCCEF had formed a closer working relationship with LCCEA. It is not just Baldwin's perception; it is broad based. The administration does not really respect staff and faculty at the college.
LCCEA President Jim Salt reported that few people are as anti-smoking as he is, but he has not really studied vaping long enough to know if it should be treated differently than smoking. He was surprised that the policy came to the board before it came to College Council, which is where the initial use of tobacco policy was passed. It was a compromise between different positions. It worked out because there is a spirit of working together in the governance system. He recommended that the policy be reviewed at the College Council level. He appreciated Chair Pryor's statements but noted that faculty often receive similar remarks, but there are two forms: verbal and substantive. Tonight's meeting was the first time he had seen a proposal from administration in budget plans. His initial reaction was that not filling the vacancies doesn't mean that the work goes away, it is backfilled by part-time faculty for 70 cents on the dollar. How is that different than Walmart?
Executive Dean Maurice Hamington reported that tonight's meeting was a testament to the great things faculty are doing. We don't want to get caught in binary oppositions. This is a really good place and good things that are going on. Hamington noted that he is impressed with the executive team and management and the compassion that they exercise in thinking about what's best for the students and the community. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" runs this weekend and next at the Ragozzino Performing Arts Center. Lane ESD has been awarded a $455,208 grant from the Oregon Department of Education for the Lane Healthcare Pathways initiative, which will enable partners, including Lane, to develop and implement an innovative, regional healthcare pathway of study. Keith Harrington, Property Strategy Manager of Freightliner, donated a 2009 Freightliner Cascadia tractor to the Diesel Technology program.
Vice President Brian Kelly invited the board to join us on April 21 for an all campus budget meeting. He congratulated Todd Smith and Russ Pierson and their staff for the outstanding job of tackling the work orders. Lane will be getting a new CFO on April 21—Greg Holmes comes to us from Oregon Coast Community College. He thanked the committee for participating in the search process.
Board Reports
Albright attended the Lane Economic Committee meeting where they looked at economic development strategies and a comprehensive regional plan. He is ensuring that education is part of plan. He attended the OCCA Board meeting and was nominated to be on the executive committee. For the next legislative session, OCCA will be putting forth a funding request between $623 and $682 million, a substantial increase over the $460 million from the last session. If legislators want us to continue to aspire to 40/40/20, that's what it will take based on research from NCHEMS. There also needs to be an additional investment in high school credit recovery and developmental education. He attended a meeting of the taskforce to facilitate the transfer from K-12 to higher education. The board has received several e-mails asking to support the faculty. He supports faculty, but he asked that people take a look at the pay reductions that are happening in other places, and we have not done that at Lane. Faculty may not be getting increases to the levels we would like to see, but they are getting increases. The college is limited by the revenue we receive, and we need to be realistic.
Keating thanked Bob Ackerman for leading the Rainy Day Food Pantry taskforce. The pantry needs a permanent place on campus. He thanked Weed for his work with that project and the No-Cash Clothing Stash. The 4J School District have expressed an interest in sending students to "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He encouraged everyone to go see it. He thanked Salt for suggesting that the governance system review the Use of Tobacco policy. He applauded the voter registration efforts and offered to lend some time to the effort. Registration deadline is April 29 for the county and statewide election.
Stiles thanked everyone for letting her attend the Emotional Intelligence training. She thanked Wendy Jett, Tiana Marrone-Creech, and Barbara Enright for coming to Florence to help people look at scholarships and make choices. Interviews have been completed for a caretaker at Siltcoos Station. Non-credit classes are up 18% at the Florence Center. The Outward Ventures class filled up within two weeks. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" plays in Florence on April 27.
McCown commented that this is the first student election he has seen with slate plus senate candidates and three pairs of president and vice president candidates. It is a strong example of what ASLCC has done over the past few years. The last few years there has been a collaborative effort among student groups to understand their impact on the college. He explained to Salt how Lane is different from Walmart. There are no billionaires around the table walking away with excess profits that could go to your unions, but in a lot of way there is a similarity, because those same billionaires are the ones walking away with our tax revenues that have drifted from this college. That's the similarity. The decisions made at Lane are not similar to decisions made around the corporate table.
LeClair commented on the content of e-mails being sent from faculty to board members regarding contract negotiations and was appalled at the waves of negativity, anger, hatred, and disrespect for the board and the administration. The reality is there is not enough funding to continue at current levels, and we are facing a deficit of over $10 million. He has been on a lot of boards and doesn't surround himself with negativity and will have to make a decision on whether or not to continue with this board.
Ackerman thanked Keating, Zito, Weed, and Delansky for their dedication to the Rainy Day Food Pantry. The attitude they have with respect to this project is phenomenal. It was 42 years ago when the associated students of the University of Oregon amidst a huge amount of turmoil asked him to draft a plan to provide legal services to their students. It was a great exercise in academic resistance to a program that has and does create greater access to educational services as students can relieve themselves of legal problems. He will provide more information at the May meeting.
Pryor reminded the board of the meeting with the Foundation consultants on April 14. It is important for board members to get the information for the next capital campaign to align objectives with the Foundation Board.
7. Date, Place, and Proposed Agenda Items for the Next Regular Meeting
Wednesday, May 14, 6:30 pm, Boardroom, Building 3, Lane Community College.
8. The board meeting unanimously adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
______________________________ _____________________________
Mary Spilde, President/District Clerk Rosemary Pryor, Board Chair
Prepared by:
Donna Zmolek
Executive Assistant to the President