LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF EDUCATION MINUTES
January 14, 2015

1. Attendance
Board members present: Bob Ackerman, Pat Albright, Gary LeClair, Matt Keating, Tony McCown, Rosie Pryor, and Sharon Stiles. Also present were: President Mary Spilde; Vice President Brian Kelly, Interim Vice President Dawn DeWolf; Lane Community College Education Association President Jim Salt; and Lane Community College Employees Federation President Bob Baldwin; and ASLCC President Malisa Ratthasing.

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

B. President's Report
Welcome to winter term. I hope everyone had a safe holiday. It already feels like ages ago.

You can see that our CLASS project has really advanced. We're looking forward to a soft opening of the Titan Store later this month, tentatively set for January 26.

Winter term second-week enrollment is down 16.3% compared to last winter, so the trend continues.

I interviewed this afternoon with KMTR TV about our student loan default rate. That's on your agenda tonight for an update.

We got some good news from Salem this afternoon. The co-chairs budget was released and set the Community College Support Fund at $535 million. If funding at the end of session allows, they might increase that to $550 million.

Regarding Obama's recent proposal, there is going to be legislation introduced by Senator Hass on free tuition for community college students. He's very open to working with us to figure out how that might work. If they fund it, it can work, but that is the key.

We are engaged in a pilot project with the University of Oregon as part of the Lumina Project Oregon Reverse Transfer (PORT) grant. The project is to create systems to encourage community college students who have transitioned to Oregon universities with 90 credits or more but have not yet earned a degree at their community college to have their university credits returned to their community college for a degree audit to see if they qualify for an associate's degree. The first group of fall term UO students has self-identified to have their UO transcripts sent to Enrollment and Student Financial Services at Lane to perform an auto-awarding review. We are looking at more than 150 transcripts to see if we can award any associate degrees. Research shows that students who complete an associate degree are more likely to also complete a bachelor's degree and have lower financial aid default rates.

We had 44% employee participation in our annual giving campaign, raising almost $98,000 for the LCC Foundation and the United Way. I am grateful to everyone who was able and willing to participate. Kudos to Public Safety, who had a 53% increase in participation for total participation of 80%. Also, Continuing Education and Cottage Grove had a 25% increase in participation, Specialized Support Services had a 22% increase, and KLCC and The Library had 18% increases. Thanks to Phillip Hudspeth in the Foundation for coordinating the campaign.

Last Friday, President Obama announced two new community college proposals. The first, entitled America's College Promise, is a federal-state partnership grant that would provide free tuition at community colleges for qualified students. I interviewed with KLCC on Friday about this, and also on Monday with the Community College Journal. Obama's proposal is based on a program launched this year in Tennessee. In order to qualify, students would have to be enrolled at least half-time and maintain a 2.5 GPA while making progress towards their degree or certificate. The requirements for community colleges are that they offer 1) academic programs that fully transfer credits to local public four-year colleges and universities, or 2) occupational training programs with high graduation rates and lead to in-demand degrees and certificates. Community colleges also would have to adopt evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes. The federal government would cover three-quarters of the cost under this proposal, but states would be required to provide some matching funds if they chose to participate. The projected cost of this proposal is $60 billion over 10 years. It is unclear where the funding would come from and whether this has a chance in a divided Congress. This is sure to be a topic we discuss with our Congressional delegation next month when we're in Washington for the ACCT National Leadership Summit.

President Obama's second proposal, entitled the Advanced Technical Training Fund would be a successor to the expired Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant (TAACCCT) program. Funds would be used to support college and industry partnerships that include "work-based learning opportunities, provide accelerated training, and are scheduled to accommodate part-time work." The proposal would fund the creation of 100 programs at community colleges or other training institutions, as well as the expansion of existing programs that have strong outcomes.

The 2015 Oregon Legislative Session officially kicked off on Monday. The governor and members of the legislature were officially sworn in and pre-session filed bills were given a first reading. Floor sessions and committee hearings are up next, beginning February 2. By law, the session must conclude by July 9. Over 1,000 bills were filed the first day.

Oregon business and political leaders came together in Portland last Tuesday to rally support for the Oregon Business Plan agenda at the annual Leadership Summit, which I attended. This year's priorities include: connecting education to work, improving the economy and opportunities in rural Oregon, and improving earnings and moving Oregonians out of poverty. A recurring focus throughout the day was the need to reinvest in Career and Technical Education. The day also gave the Kitzhaber administration an opportunity to talk about its education goals, and he gave a moving speech on the disparities we face even in a recovering economy. If we only look at job growth and productivity, we are missing the fact that hundreds of thousands of Oregonians are not doing well.

I wanted to let you know that I resigned from the Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB). I talked to the Governor over the holidays and felt that it was important that I move from the state policy table and focus more locally. Yesterday was my last meeting. I'll share with the board the letter that the Governor sent to OEIB members. I'm feeling good about that decision.

I presented and attended the Oregon President's Collaborative in Portland yesterday on how to advance Oregon's educational attainment initiatives and other shared interests.

We have some important events this weekend.
• The first is a celebration of Life for Richard Archambault. That will be on Sunday, January 18, from 1-4 p.m. in the Longhouse. As you will recall, Richard was a long-time volunteer and supporter for the Longhouse and Lane's Native American student program. He passed away last month.
• On Monday, January 19, we will celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., with participation in the Eugene march and then here at Lane to hear actress and activist Holly Robinson-Peete. Lane is always well represented at these events, and of course it was our students who founded the community celebration and have kept it going. At this time when events across the world are drawing harsh lines of division and accentuating difference, it is even more important that we come together and stand for the dream of Dr. King.
• On February 6, our Cultural Competency Professional Development Committee is hosting Tricia Rose, civil rights scholar. She will speak at 9:30 a.m. in the Longhouse. Tricia wrote "Black Noise," which has become a foundation text for the study of hip hop culture. The presentation is open to anyone interested.

Just a reminder that you have three Community Conversations this term: on January 26 at the Downtown Campus, in Room 114; on February 5 in the Springfield Public Library Meeting Room; and on March 18 at our Florence Center. All of the conversations will be held from 6-7:30 p.m.

We have another faculty and staff Global Conversation this month, on January 20. Dawn DeWolf will lead us in a discussion of Oregon's 40-40-20 educational attainment plan.

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 Audience
Dan Welton, Photography instructor, stated that his class sizes have doubled over the years, but the work has tripled because of digital technology. The administration has enhanced class sizes and reduced the number of sections, making it difficult for some students to work classes into their schedules, thus reducing enrollment.

Justin Blakely, former student, expressed dissatisfaction with services received from Center for Accessible Resources.

Rachel Hunter, student, questioned where the funds for the warming center would come from because some students are concerned that funding the center may raise the cost of tuition.

Dennis Gilbert, Physics instructor, commented that performance based funding does not ensure that it will improve retention and completion. There needs to be a positive alternative and a bridge to getting there. He asked that if the board approves the governance system policy that it does so tentatively.

Sandy West, student, commented that the P.E. locker room has workout pants that aren't being used, and she suggested selling them. She also asked for more access to the University of Oregon Library.

Manuel Mejia, Multicultural Coordinator for ASLCC, informed the board about a new group that students of color have formed called SOJUST.

Amiel Farfan, student and Co-chair of the Black Student Union, advocated for lowering tuition prices. As he learned in his Economics class, when business goes down, you don't raise the prices.

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

• December 10, 2014 minutes
• Readings of Board Policies:
o Board Members' Code of Conduct
o Board Vacancies
o Chairperson's Role

Motion passed unanimously.

3. Discussion/Action Items
A. Accreditation Update
Spilde explained that the accreditation team from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities visited in October and submitted their report. On January 7, President Spilde, Vice President Dawn DeWolf and Executive Dean Maurice Hamington appeared before the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. As instructed by the chair of the evaluation team, a response to the recommendations was prepared and submitted to the Commission. Spilde accepted the recommendations but brought up points in the report that she felt were overstated. Her remarks were well received. The lead evaluator systematically went through each recommendation as Spilde, DeWolf, and Hamington walked them through the report. They were impressed that we had a clear plan on how to respond. Lane staff has already begun the work on each recommendation. The next report is due in September, and we will likely get another visit in the next couple of years.

B. Student Loan Default Rate Update
Spilde provided an update on the student loan default rate. Helen Faith and her staff have worked on a number of data challenges, and the default rate has been brought down to 30%. There are 31 borrowers for whom there are no records. We must appeal that they are included, but typically when there are no records those borrowers are removed, which would bring the number down to under 30%. For 2012, we are tracking under 30% which will restart the clock.

C. Data Inventory
At the retreat in November, the board requested information on data collection. Data points that Lane has been using to prepare external and internal reports that can be applied to the creation of indicators of student success were included in the board meeting materials. Spilde asked the board if these were the kinds of things that are helpful or if there are other things the board would find useful.

The board indicated that they would benefit from an establishment of a baseline metric or set of metrics that give a picture of the student success rate today and a dashboard on a regular basis on the rate of students achieving their goals here at Lane. They also asked to compare Lane's student success with other community colleges. The information would be used to understand how Lane supports students to be successful and whether there are opportunities to be better. During the accreditation process, it was clear that there is a great deal of data and not many systems in place for the board to utilize it.

Keating added that one possible student success measure would be to establish a "Student of the Month" award. He moved that the board recognize a student of the month based on success in the classroom. McCown seconded.

The board discussed the practicality of such an award and the amount of staff time and effort involved in determining a recipient each month. Spilde suggested that it might be helpful for the Executive Team and ASLCC to determine the workload and feasibility and work out the logistics and bring that back to the board.

Keating respectfully withdrew his motion. McCown withdrew his second.

Gary LeClair left the meeting at 7:30 p.m.

D. Warming Center
Kelly updated the board on the progress of creating a warming center on campus. Lane has met with staff from Egan Warming Centers twice and has a commitment to partner with them to establish a space on campus. Egan would staff the center; Lane would provide the space. The site selection is still in process. A walk through is planned for next week to identify a possible space to serve our students in the event of freezing temperatures. Kelly asked that the board consider a pilot program where once we identify a site and secure a partnership that administratively we move forward with the partnership with the Egan Warming Center to house some of our students on evenings when the warming center is activated.

McCown moved to accept the administration's recommendation. Keating seconded.

Robert Schumaker, ASLCC Chief of Staff, reported that 83 students were surveyed, and 9 of those identified as currently homeless. All 9 indicated that they would use a warming center if one was established on campus.

Motion passed unanimously.

E. Budget Update
Kelly noted that work has been solid in the past with the Budget and Finance Committee and an ending fund balance has been built. There have been no recent layoffs of full-time employees, and the college has been able to bring something to the table each year for bargaining. Lane has the highest part-time faculty pay in the state and the most comprehensive benefits. For the full-time employees, Lane's benefits are outstanding compared to other schools. When crisis budgeting is considered, these are the items to remember. A large issue Lane is facing is that Oregon is 47th in the nation in terms of funding higher education.

Kelly reported that the co-chairs of the Ways and Means committee have recommended $535 million for the Community College Support Fund, and he noted that the projections would be updated to include the co-chairs' recommendation. He shared projections that were prepared with the governor's recommendation of $500 million, showing an 18.5% enrollment decline and no increase in the tuition rate. With those elements, the deficit for the next two fiscal years is over $5 million.

The board discussed the projections and what a fee increase and/or tuition increase would look like. They asked to compare tuition rates to other community colleges. Spilde recommended adjusting the tuition rate to match the HEPI increase. The tuition recommendation and updated projections will be shared at the February meeting.

F. Council Work Plans
At the December meeting, the board requested to see the governance council work plans. The work plans were included with the board packet. The one exception is the Diversity Council; with all of the recent events around cultural competency involving the Diversity Council, the group has been spending some time on how they would work together, so they have not yet submitted a work plan.

There was also a request from Board member Ackerman regarding College Council. The administration has not had a chance to finalize that yet, but it will be coming and sent to all of the board members.

Board members discussed the plans, noting the variety of formats for the work plans and that some of them do not address timelines. It may be helpful to create a template for governance council work plans.

A. Second Reading
1. College Governance System
The board conducted a first reading of board policy BP 325, College Governance System, in September. A second reading was held in October. The board discussed the policy at the retreat in November and again at the work session in December. Recommended changes are reflected below.

Keating felt that some of the language regarding timelines was unclear. Spilde pointed out the sentence in the third paragraph addressing the process in the event a consensus was not timely reached and that it would fall to the responsible administrator to make a decision. Other board members discussed the need to provide for a majority and minority report, as well as having councils provide work plans with timelines, which are both addressed in the revisions to the policy.

Motion passed 4-1. Keating dissented.

Policy Number: BP 325
Category: GOVERNANCE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTIONS
Policy Title: COLLEGE GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Lane Community College is shall be governed by a system that is a learning-centered system and fulfills the vision, mission, and core values and strategic directions of the college.

The college governance system shall recognize that the best decisions regarding policy and planning at the institutional level are made through the inclusion of many and diverse voices. The system of governance shall ensure that the authority, responsibility, accountability, and relationship among and between the board, managers, faculty, staff, and students are clearly described and communicated.

By Oregon statute, authority to govern Lane Community College is vested in the board of education. The board, in turn, delegates authority for the general supervision and control of the college to the college president. The president, to achieve the college ends, delegates authority to college administration and the college governance system, while retaining final authority over both.

The president shall be the steward of the governance system, be accountable and responsible for the decisions made in the governance system, and evaluated accordingly.

The governance system recognizes the role and authority of the president of the college as being directly accountable and responsible to the board of education for the education leadership and effective management of the college's human, facilities and land and fiscal resources. Every effort will be made to reach a consensus acceptable to all stakeholders. In the event consensus is not timely reached at the governance table, the final decision will rest with the administrator with authority and responsibility for the matter under consideration. The final decision will be informed by the multiple perspectives voiced during consideration of the matter and by majority and minority reports submitted.

The college governance system shall recognize that the best decisions are made through the inclusion of many and diverse voices. The system of governance shall ensure that the authority, responsibility, accountability, and relationship among and between the board, managers, faculty, staff, and students are clearly described and communicated. The system of governance shall be evaluated as to its:

The focus of the governance system is at the institutional planning and policy level, not the operational or implementation level which are the responsibility of managers and administrators. Timelines for policy and planning work will be established by the responsible administrator. Administrators will consult with the appropriate Council on implementation of plans and policies.

The board of education shall evaluate the governance system based on its:

1. Clarity;
2. Wide and explicit communication;
3. Effectiveness;
4. Efficiency and timeliness;
5. Processes that encourage employee and student participation in problem solving and decision making;
6. Processes that assure that decisions are made at the appropriate level, by the appropriate group with the needed expertise; and
7. Recognition of the support needed for employees and students to participate and contribute meaningfully.

The president shall present a monitoring report on the work of the governance system which is responsive to these criteria on an annual basis.

ADOPTED: March 10, 2004
REVIEWED: September 10, 2008

Stiles and Ackerman left the meeting at 9:00 p.m.

5. 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
Malisa Ratthasing, ASLCC President, reported that there have been many staffing changes in the ASLCC offices. Three senators, a staff member, and the president have stepped down. ASLCC is also transitioning to a new campus organizer. During Welcome Week, students were greeted with a chili cook-off. ASLCC will be part of a student government coalition to do a rally in Salem with the Oregon Student Association. The goal is to have 150 students attend. During the upcoming legislative session, ASLCC will send folks to the Capitol every other week, hopefully working in conjunction with the faculty.

LCCEF President Bob Baldwin reported that there will be an arbitration tomorrow. There will be two more as soon as management provides their negative responses at step 3 of the latest grievance. Bargaining starts in February.

LCCEA President Jim Salt welcomed Ratthasing and other new ASLCC officers. He supported the general concept of student success but commented that the conversations regarding improvement need to include faculty. Conversations about metrics may encourage reductionist thinking. As a sociologist, he encouraged thinking about student success but not in a reductionist fashion. He commented on the homeless survey, stating that we should not be surveying less than one percent of the student population. He was encouraged by some of the discussion around the budget and hoped there will be a commitment to the process used in previous years. He did not support the model of President Obama's proposal on free community college tuition but was encouraged by the conversation. Three faculty arbitrations are being processed; one is scheduled, and two are being scheduled.

Interim Vice President Dawn welcomed Ratthasing. She congratulated Lane Child and Family for raising the consistency of child care and programs around the state. The trip to Bellevue for the accreditation review was interesting, and she thanked the staff who worked on the report after the term ended.

Vice President Brian Kelly welcomed Ratthasing. He noted that SAIF claims have drastically reduced in the past year and acknowledged the Safety Committee and Human Resource's efforts in that area.
He recognized the College Services Leadership Team for their work to influence student success.

Board Reports
Pryor agreed with Salt's comments regarding free college tuition and Obama's proposal. It may not be right for Oregon, but something could be. She will attend the MLK event and will be doing the welcome.

McCown reported that the MLK celebration is one of his favorite events of the year. As a result of the work of our students, we can show tribute and build community through this event. He welcomed Ratthasing to her new position. He commented on President Obama's proposal on free community college tuition and suggested that people check out Tom Hanks' editorial in the NY times and his comments about community colleges. It is great to have the conversation so prevalent on a national stage.

Keating reported that, as a two-term delegate for President Obama, he couldn't be more proud. President Obama is echoing what we've been saying for years about community colleges. He thanked Spilde for her comments on KLCC. He congratulated John Stark and Don Hein for KLCC's work with Food for Lane County. He will be attending the upcoming KLCC Brew fest and the MLK event. He will be attending the Cottage Grove Chamber annual dinner this Saturday night. There will be a celebration of life for actor and community Ralph Steadman Friday night at the Wildish Theatre.

Albright reported that he will be at the Springfield Chamber annual dinner and then will be making preparations to go back to the ACCT National Legislative Session in Washington, D.C.

7. Date, Place, and Proposed Agenda Items for the Next Regular Meeting
Wednesday, February 4, 2015, Lane Community College Main Campus, Boardroom

8. The board meeting unanimously adjourned at 9:17 p.m.

______________________________ _____________________________
Mary Spilde, President/District Clerk Pat Albright, Board Chair

Prepared by:
Donna Zmolek, Assistant to the Board