LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF EDUCATION MINUTES
January 13, 2016

1. Attendance
Board members present: Philip Carrasco, Susie Johnston, Matt Keating, Tony McCown, Rosie Pryor, and Sharon Stiles. Members absent: Gary LeClair. President Mary Spilde; Vice President Brian Kelly, Interim Vice President Dawn DeWolf; Lane Community College Education Association President Jim Salt, Lane Community College Employees Federation President Bob Baldwin, and Associated Students of Lane Community College Multicultural Coordinator Sean Goddard.

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

B. President’s Report
Happy New Year. I hope you had a good holiday. As you know, we started off the term with our first snow and ice closures of the year, and I want to thank everyone for making adjustments and putting students first. I especially want to thank Facilities and Public Safety for coming out in the middle of the night to make the campus safe for our students and staff.

On tonight’s agenda we’ll learn more about the Oregon Promise from Financial Aid Director Helen Faith. Helen will also clarify where we are with the Perkins loan program, contrary to information in a December 30 Register-Guard story.

I’d like to congratulate Helen on her election as President-Elect of the Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA). WASFAA is the regional professional development and advocacy group for financial aid administrators in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, and the Pacific Islands.

Marketing Director Tracy Simms has announced her retirement. She will be with us through June of this year. In the meantime, I will be working with staff before opening up a position. This also affects the outside agency with which we work, which is why I recommend maintaining Funk Levis as the agency of record for the next year. It doesn’t make sense to go out to bid when things are going to be changing soon. I’d like to congratulate Tracy, and I look forward to the next few months that she will be with us.

Another view on how well our state supports higher education is presented in the recently released report, “Young Invincibles Student Impact Project 2016 State Report Cards.” The report gives Oregon an F in four categories, including spending per student, burden on families, state aid to students, and education as a state priority. We got a D in tuition. We received a B- in equity attainment. Overall, Oregon was given a failing grade.

As of Monday, the start of the second week of winter term, total registrations for all classes are down 11.9%. This is a critical issue at Lane. It is a national trend, but clearly, the state’s lack of support is a factor, as is the typical economic trend that enrollment falls when jobs pick up. We have our Strategic Enrollment Plan in place but need to keep working on how to turn things around. We’ll start that conversation at your retreat at the end of the month.

We are doing all we can through marketing to boost enrollment. Last week, every household in our district with a 17-year-old received a letter from me along with a two-sided flyer featuring information about the Oregon Promise and getting started at Lane. This is intended to prompt seniors and their parents to consider Lane a smart start as they begin the college application process. The same flyer will be inserted in The Register-Guard to help promote our “Annual How to Pay for College” event this Saturday. We are also running an Oregon Promise ad on the radio and Pandora. In support for our consideration of a bond, special ads in Open for Business and The Register-Guard’s Blue Chip emphasized our partnerships with over 800 local employers. The creative ad for our new billboards and bus advertising also supports the idea of investing in your personal and the community's future. I'll pass around the publications for your review.

Congratulations to Lane’s Small Business Development Center. We lead the state’s SBDCs in total new job creation for 2015. The Lane SBDC worked with 673 businesses that created 120 new jobs. Kudos to the entire SBDC team.

I’d like to welcome Stephanie Willett as Head Coach of our new Women’s Volleyball Team. She previously coached at her alma mater, Southwestern Oregon Community College. Welcome also to John Galas, Head Coach for our new Men’s Soccer team. He has coached at both the collegiate and professional levels, including successful stints at Florida State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of Arizona.

Congratulations to Titan Sophomore Kylee O'Connor. She was named to the 2015 NSCAA Junior College Women's Scholar All-America team. She has maintained a 3.9 grade point average while dual-enrolled at Lane and the University of Oregon. She also was named a NWAC All-Star this fall. Kylee led the Titans to their second consecutive Southern Region Championship and a spot in the NWAC playoffs.

Finally, congratulations to the Health and Physical Education division for this morning’s grand opening of the Fitness Connection to the public.

• On December 17, the House and Senate Interim Committees on Judiciary headed up by Senator Floyd Prozanski held an informational hearing on safety and security at Oregon’s schools. Topics discussed included warning signs and prevention, issues and responses during active shooter incidents, and issues and responses in the aftermath of events.
• Elected officials and business leaders gathered in Portland last month for the annual Leadership Summit. Governor Brown told attendees she wants to create a seamless educational system from cradle to career, and in that effort she has created a new Education Innovation Officer position.
• Last Monday we hosted a town hall meeting for local legislators at the Downtown Campus. Nearly 90 people braved the elements to meet with State Representatives Phil Barnhart, Paul Holvey, Val Hoyle, and Nancy Nathanson, and State Senators Lee Beyer and Floyd Prozanski. Most questions addressed next month’s legislative session, which begins February 1. I’d like to thank the CML staff for their help as well as Matt Keating for attending.
• On Saturday I attended Senator Jeff Merkley’s town hall in Coburg. I had the opportunity to thank him for his work to reduce interest rates for student loans as well as ask for his support of America’s Promise.
• I also attended our local state of the city and state of the county addresses.

There are a few important events that should be on your calendars.

• The 2016 Eugene Community Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will feature keynote speaker April Ryan, noted journalist and veteran member of the White House press corps. The celebration will be Tuesday, January 19, at 7 p.m. at the University of Oregon, Columbia Hall, Room 150. This year’s event is sponsored by Lane Community College student groups and my office, in collaboration with the University of Oregon.
• We will celebrate the official re-opening of our wonderful Center Building remodel on Wednesday, January 27, from 12-1 p.m.

Chair McCown read a letter from Umpqua Community College Interim President Rita Cavin as follows:

“Dear Chair Tony McCown,

On behalf of the entire Umpqua Community College community, I want to express our sincerest thanks and praise for the help Lane’s employees have provided to us over the past several months. Our ability to move forward on our path to recovery this fall is resting directly on the shoulders of the Lane employees who have helped and who have continued to provide assistance to our campus.

Your administrative team helped us stitch together the initial decisions and held us up when we needed it most. Mary provided constant support to me, while working late to keep your college running. She was by my side, helping me look stronger than I felt and helping me focus on what needed to happen next, rather than the awful event that had just occurred. The Lane Vice-Presidents each provided the same support to UCC Vice Presidents. That initial week of support helped us face everything that came our way.

LCC help came from multiple departments and in unexpected areas. Your financial aid staff helped us work through important decisions that we never imagined having to make and that helped us put students first. Your security personnel helped us feel safer and more secure, lending not just their presence but also their smiling faces during our dark days. Your human resources team helped us with payroll, when our staff needed to focus elsewhere. Your counselors helped our faculty figure out ways to support each other and make plans for returning to the classroom. Your public information officers helped us manage the media. Again and again, when we needed help in those first few weeks and beyond, someone from Lane came to our aid.

On a personal level, I deeply appreciate the vision, energy and commitment of President Spilde and the LCC Board. Without your full approval this extraordinary support would not have been possible.

In Oregon, we have always prided ourselves on the voluntary, cooperative community of relationships among community colleges. Lane comforted us, embraced us, and helped us do the work we needed to do. I want the Board to know how much this helped all of us at UCC. I hope you will have the chance to read this message at a Board meeting so that all members of the board are aware of the extent of Lane’s assistance. Across UCC, we are all grateful and appreciative for the help. You can be proud of the leadership, compassion, and work of Lane’s staff in support of UCC in our time of need.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rita Cavin
Interim President, UCC”

1) Personnel
The college’s current personnel appointments were presented.

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

D. Statements from Audience
Ashley Jackson, ASLCC president, shared an experience she had last week at Learning Council. After attending, she was left questioning what academic philosophy supports how we talk to each other when there is discord. She spoke for the need of a policy for what the conversation should look like when there is disagreement.

Anastasia Vale, student, stated that she is involved in student government and the Gay Straight Alliance. With the student activity fee policy on the board meeting agenda, she wanted to express her opinion about how positive it is to be involved in student groups at Lane.

Mariana Paredones, Oregon Student Association Coalition co-chair and Higher Education Coordinating Commission student appointee, has seen how the student activity fee has been helpful for student clubs and activities. It is an opportunity to give students a greater level of ownership.

Tasha Briquet, student, stated that the gospel choir program at Lane is where she found people like her who had a purpose bigger than themselves on campus. She stressed the importance of student clubs and activities to help students “find their tribe” on campus.

Jan Woodcock, faculty member at UCC, expressed appreciation for the depth and breadth of support that President Spilde and Lane staff did for UCC after October 1.

April Hamlin, Director of Adult Basic Skills at UCC, expressed appreciation for the support Lane gave after October 1. She read some of the note cards she received from Lane’s Adult Basic and Secondary Education instructors.

Josh Friedlein, UCC student, extended his deepest gratitude to Lane for the assistance given in UCC’s time of need. He presented the board with a token of appreciation on behalf of all of the students at UCC.

Tony McCown, Board Chair, stated that he had experienced a lot of what the UCC folks are going through, as he was a student at Thurston High School at the time of the 1998 shooting. He reiterated the appreciation for everyone at Lane who stepped up to help UCC.

Mary Spilde, President, thanked the UCC folks for coming to the meeting. On behalf of everyone at Lane, it was a privilege and an honor to come to the aid of UCC. She learned so much about courage and the human spirit and was inspired by everyone she saw at UCC.

2A. Consent Agenda
Keating moved, and seconded by Pryor, to approve the Consent Agenda consisting of:

• Approval of the December 9, 2015, Minutes
• Marketing & Public Relations Agency of Record
• Advisory Committee List
• Policy Review

1. Affirmative Action, BP 505

2. Board Duties and Responsibilities: Personnel, BP 510

Motion passed unanimously.

3. Discussion/Action Items
A. Spotlight on Student Success: Mathematics and Math Developmental Education
Kathie Hledik, Mathematics Division Dean, and instructors Angela Martinek, Kristina Holton, and Jessica Knoch presented information on Lane’s Mathematics Division.

The Math Division consists of 16 full-time faculty, 45 part-time faculty, 3 classified staff, and the division dean. Offerings include 7 engineering, 12 developmental math, and 20 college math courses. Enrollment in 2014-15 was 9,433 students, the majority of which took developmental math. The division also offers specialized math courses developed by request for culinary, health sciences, advanced technology, and computer networking programs. A new specialized course has been developed: Math for Network Operations, and there has been recent interest in developing a course for students in the Sheet Metal program.

Several innovations have occurred in the last few years. There has been an increase in online sections from 20 in 2011-12 to 44 in 2014-15. The division began using Accuplacer placement tests in 2015. The division has expanded outreach to high schools, including College Now, meeting with visiting students, and participates in an annual Math Skill Fair, where teams of high school students compete in events. There has recently been a change in requirements to help students get into Math 112, Trigonometry. The newest course developed in developmental math is MTH 98, Math Literacy, which was developed in coordination with other community colleges and is aimed at students not interested in STEM careers and is meant to be practical in non-STEM fields.

Engineering students take their first two years at Lane and the majority transfer to Oregon State University, but some attend Oregon Institute of Technology or Portland State University. Their success rates are equal to students who began at the universities. Enrollment at Lane has increased from 31 students in ENGR 102 in 2014-15 to 51 in 2015-16. Engineering Lead Instructor Angela Martinek is a member of the Churchill engineering steering committee.

The Math Resource Center is a popular, well-used center where students can get math tutoring. The student usage in 2013-14 was over 1,000 student hours. Testing services are provided for many classes and increasing with the addition of more online classes. The tutors include students, part-time employees and full-time math faculty.

B. Oregon Promise
Helen Faith, Financial Aid Director, updated the board on the Oregon Promise and how it affects Lane. The Oregon Promise application period opened in November and runs through March 1. As of January 10 there are 852 applicants from Lane County. That number is expected to double by the deadline.

There are two distinguishing features that will make it difficult to administer financial aid for those receiving the Oregon Promise. There is a different set of academic standards than what Lane requires. Lane’s Financial Aid currently requires a 2.0 GPA and the student needs to earn .67 of the credits they are trying to complete. The Oregon Promise requires a 2.5 GPA, and there is no completion requirement. In addition, each student’s amount may need to be calculated individually on a term-by-term basis. This may require additional Financial Aid staffing.

The Perkins Loan expired October 1, 2015. In January 2015, Lane received advice from the Oregon Department of Education to wind down. There were some narrow grandfathering provisions. Faith’s staff reviewed the situation and decided it would not benefit Lane to continue. On December 18, 2015, Congress provided a two-year extension. The grandfathering no longer applies, but there are other provisions. Lane will receive guidance soon, and the Financial Aid office will look at the rules and determine how to go forward. The Perkins Loan has comprised 1% or less of support to students, and the interest rate is higher. Students receiving Perkins typically have a high default rate due to the loan having a different servicer, so there is a tendency for students to lose track of the debt.

C. Strategic Directions and Mission Fulfillment
The Strategic Directions report was distributed and will be discussed at the board retreat. Spilde acknowledged the work of Jen Steele, Ce Rosenow, Graphic Design student Dan Coling, and over 50 additional individuals who contributed to the report.

D. CLASS Project Naming Opportunities
The donors and naming proposals for the CLASS project were reviewed. These are the donors who have met the criteria approved by the board in October that have chosen to pursue naming opportunities. FMP is working to get signage in place by the grand opening event on January 27. Spilde expressed gratitude to all of the donors for the project.

Keating moved to approve the naming opportunities for the Lane Community College’s CLASS Building as presented. Pryor seconded.

Motion passed unanimously.

E. Budget Update
Vice President Brian Kelly referred to board policy BP 755 which states “when the Ending Fund Balance exceeds 11%, balances in excess may be set aside for reserves or investment in one time expenditures.” The surplus over the policy requirement is $2,533,321. One-time options were presented at the December board meeting:

1. Re-establish the financial stabilization reserve fund up to $2.5 million
2. Fund the strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan with the following resources

a) Implementation of an online pre-orientation system

b) Fund a programmer/report writer to develop SEM data elements and key performance indicators

c) Deploy a retention support team

3. Fund deferred maintenance up to $1 million
4. Other options up to $2.5 million

Pryor motioned that the board fund all of item 2 above, the strategic enrollment management plan, in the amount of $160,000 and place the remaining balance of $2,373,321 in the financial stabilization reserve fund. Keating seconded.

Motion passed unanimously.

F. First Reading: Mandatory Student Fees, BP 715
Spilde provided background on the revisions to board policy BP 715, Mandatory Student Fees. A lawsuit was filed against the college and specifically some of Lane’s student groups regarding the way that the policy reads around student fees which included an advisory vote by students, although the board was ultimately responsible for deciding the mandatory student fee. Administration has worked very closely with legal counsel. Spilde has met with student government leadership, the Oregon Student Association and the clubs that were mentioned in the lawsuit with the exception of OSPIRG, whom she will be meeting with soon. Changes to the policy included the lawyers drafting what would meet legal sufficiency, amendments made by administration, and incorporating comments from discussions with students and Ashley Jackson, ASLCC president. An initial draft was shared with opposing legal counsel, and there will be further discussion as the process moves forward. The goal is to develop a policy that meets the changing legal requirements which will make the lawsuit moot. We want to be able to have fees that benefit and meet the unique needs of Lane students, and the board and the administration have always supported the student clubs and organizations because they provide leadership and educational support for the students. The use of the fees has to be viewpoint neutral, and guiding principles have been included to assist on making decisions regarding the student fee.

Two major changes to the policy are that the board will be entirely responsible for deciding the detail of the fees. ASLCC can give advice to the administration, which will provide a recommendation to the board. A mandatory fee committee will be established and will include students and staff. Spilde will work with the Executive Dean of Student Affairs to develop the procedure to create the committee. Legal team has put together starting place for that. With these changes, students can feel the autonomy that they have had in the past, but Lane will also be compliant with the constitution.

The board held a first reading of the following policy. Additions are noted in bold. A second reading will be held in February.

Policy Number: BP715
Policy Type: STUDENTS
Policy Title: MANDATORY STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES

The board may approve an assessment of mandatory fees for programs or activities that it determines provide educational value to the students consistent with the college mission and goals. The board will approve the mandatory fee on an annual basis to ensure that the programs or activities maintain educational value to students.
Programs that use funds generated through the mandatory fee must further the following guiding principles:

1. Improve the overall quality of the campus experience from the students’ perspective;

2. Increase opportunities for student involvement and leadership in the educational process through extra-curricular activities and support services;

3. Enhance the appropriate out-of-class services and programs at the campuses based on the unique needs of Lane students.

The mandatory fee enhances student life and the overall student experience by maximizing opportunities for out-of-class experiences that build on classroom education and connect to the larger world and improving the educational climate by offering programs and activities.
The President will establish a Mandatory Fee Committee by October 30 of each year to advise the administration on ongoing and emerging student needs. An annual report from the Mandatory Fee Committee will be submitted by the President to the Board before budget decisions are finalized for the next year. All appropriations in relation to this fee must be viewpoint neutral. All changes to the mandatory fee remain in the sole discretion of the Board.

ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: July 12, 2000
REVISED: December 2002
REVISED: July 27, 2004
REVISED: June 14, 2006
REVIEWED: April 8, 2009
REVIEWED: June 13, 2012
REVISED: January 13, 2016

4. Accountability/Reports
A. Facilities Update
An update on the status of bond and facility projects was presented.

B. Financial Planning and Budgeting Monitoring Report
The Financial Planning and Budgeting, BP260, monitoring report was presented to the board.

C. Compensation and Benefits Monitoring Report
The Compensation and Benefits, BP515, monitoring report was presented to the board.

D. Asset Protection Monitoring Report
The Asset Protection, BP205, monitoring report was presented to the board.

6. Reports
ASLCC Multicultural Program Coordinator Shawn Goddard reported that he is excited that the board is revising the student activity fee policy. This may end up being a model for autonomy for other community colleges around the state. It has been amazing to see the work and partnerships that arise out of the student groups, such as the MLK event with the University of Oregon, the Native American Powwow, the Lavender Graduation, Rites of Passage, Lanestock, and others. Goddard acknowledged the staff and students who will be recognized at the MLK event.

LCCEF President Bob Baldwin reported that his team spent the day in the facilitation process with administration. It was a productive meeting. The decline in enrollment at Lane has been greater than that of other community colleges. This implies that there are factors affecting the decline beyond employment. He has been trying to get the information on those factors from the administration. The problem cannot be solved if we don’t understand the nature of the decline. Baldwin assumes there has been research done on the factors, and he would like to engage in the discussion. Enrollment affects revenue and everything we do at the college. Many classified members deal with students in one capacity or another and inform Baldwin that there are things that Lane has or does not have relative to the other community colleges that make it more difficult to enter and remain at Lane. Baldwin expressed disappointment that the board has chosen not to address the cultural competence training issue and will deal with it in the retreat and not in a regular board session. The retreat will be held on a weekend and therefore will not be as accessible to many folks who would be interested in hearing that issue.

LCCEA President Jim Salt echoed Baldwin’s points regarding enrollment. He thanked McCown and Keating for attending a meeting with the LCCEA Executive Board last week and looked forward to additional conversations. The delay of the Cadillac tax signed by President Obama is very good news; hopefully this will be a precursor to the elimination of that tax. The National Education Association should be commended for their efforts on this issue. The administration’s actions regarding the Medical Office Assistant coordinator are of concern to faculty members. The administration denied the grievance by restating the same arguments; it is moving to arbitration. The administration is stonewalling the association on a number of grievances; this is a lost opportunity for collaboration and leaves no alternative but to incorporate a third party. LCCEA will be stepping up the campaign for Better Oregon. Salt thanked Pryor and Keating for collecting signatures.

Interim Vice President Dawn DeWolf congratulated Helen Faith on her election to the WASFAA. DeWolf is participating on the hiring committee for the coordinator of Connected Lane County, whose purpose is to provide a seamless transition from young learners to higher education. She is finalizing the ad hoc report for the NWCCU accreditation. She will be participating in How to Pay for College in One Day this Saturday. She thanked all of the staff who come together every Monday morning to review enrollment and appreciated all of the comments regarding the enrollment decline. It is a complex issue and one that Lane is trying to get a handle on, including calling students and looking at processes to address the challenges students are having. She welcomes a larger conversation on how to address enrollment decline.

Vice President Brian Kelly thanked Baldwin and the Federation team for participating in the mediation process. It set a good tone for moving in the right direction. He acknowledged that the visit from the UCC folks was an emotional experience. He reminded everyone that for every employee who had the opportunity to go help at UCC, others stayed on campus and made sure things were running smoothly here. We have a strong college that makes it possible to do those things. The Egan Warming Center has been activated 13 times this fall and winter and has had close to 50 guests. Volunteers have put in 261 hours, and 20 people have donated materials. He thanked Mike O’Neal and Clive Wanstall for coordinating the food and Public Safety officers who provided radios to volunteers to add a level of security. He thanked Dawn and Lisa Rupp for coordinating services and Jace Smith for his work on the program. The guests have been mostly students, but community members have not been turned away. The Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference is coming to Lane on February 4 and 5; the board is invited to attend. We are hoping to have 300 members here talking about sustainability in higher education. Michael Canning, midday host on KLCC, has announced his retirement after 40 years. His voice on the radio will be missed. Enrollment is a complex issue, but we are all talking about it. It is clear what impact it has on the budget. It’s going to take a village to address the problem.

Board Reports
Johnston acknowledged that the enrollment situation is complex. She is proud of everyone who offered their help to UCC. It was great to hear from their staff and student. She recognized that having the retreat on the weekend is unfortunate for those who may want to attend, but it was difficult and challenging to find a date during the week when all board members could get together.

Keating attended the town hall meeting with Senator Merkely in Coburg. He looks forward to continuing the conversation in Washington, D.C., over the ACCT National Legislative Summit, where he will be joined by Johnston, McCown, Rowlett, and Spilde. He thanked Lane’s staff for accommodating the town hall even though the college had a weather closure that day. Keating attended two council meetings – Faculty Council and Learning Council – and invited colleagues to do the same. It was a great experience, and he plans to sit in on many more to come. He appreciated the UCC folks attending the meeting, and it reminded him to keep fighting for common sense gun control. He thanked our team who traveled south to Roseburg to help.

Pryor reported that she will inform the Foundation Board about the faculty scholarship at UCC and let them know about that opportunity. She complimented Baldwin and Salt for wanting an analysis about the root causes of enrollment declines and imagines everyone on campus would welcome that discussion. There is a full range of options that exist to close the gap, including adjustments that may need to be made to programs that are not meeting community needs. She welcomed anyone who wants to roll up their sleeves and help with that work.

Carrasco stated that it was great to hear from the UCC folks tonight. One thing that stood out was that UCC sees us as unified support. We all care deeply about this community. We express it in different ways. He looks forward to taking positive steps in bridging the gap in relationships with the unions, administration and the board and encouraged others to reach out as well. He was impressed with the Math presentation and that the division is being creative in meeting the needs of the different demographics. Carrasco helped to organize support for the Eugene City Council to adopt a resolution against poorly constructed trade agreements like the TransPacific Partnership that would really endanger career technical programs. It’s important that we continue to pursue excellence and serve the community by giving them what they need. The Math Division provides a great example of that, and it is necessary to conduct routine reviews of programs to ensure needs are met. He is thankful that work is being done to ensure no disruption in the student activities. He looked forward to the various MLK activities in the area, including the event with the University of Oregon. It shows the partnership that we should have with the university. He encouraged everyone to look at MLK’s work through a new lens.

Stiles reported that Florence recently hired Marcia Sills as Continuing Education Coordinating Specialist. Florence Director Russ Pierson attended the Regional Accelerator & Innovation Network event at the Hult Center. She thanked Lane’s staff for all that they did to support UCC.

McCown thanked the LCCEA officers for meeting with him. It was nice to have a robust conversation. He is working on finding a date to meet with LCCEF.

7. Date, Place, and Proposed Agenda Items for the Next Regular Meeting
Wednesday, February 3, Boardroom, Building 3, Lane Community College

8. The board meeting unanimously adjourned at 9:24 p.m.

______________________________ _____________________________
Mary Spilde, President/District Clerk Tony McCown, Board Chair

Prepared by:
Donna Zmolek, Executive Assistant to the President/Board