LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF EDUCATION MINUTES
November 4, 2014
1. Attendance
Board members present: Bob Ackerman, Pat Albright, Gary LeClair, and Rosie Pryor. Matt Keating participated in a portion of the meeting by telephone. Board members absent: Tony McCown and Sharon Stiles. Also present were: President Mary Spilde; Vice President Brian Kelly, and Executive Dean Dawn DeWolf.
A. Chair Albright called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
B. President's Report
It's been quite month with the 50th anniversary, the Harvest Dinner, global conversations, and the accreditation site visit, all in addition to our usual course of business. I'm proud of everyone for stepping up and making each of these occasions as successful as possible.
Lane's 50th anniversary celebrations were wonderful, from the reception in Florence to our main campus event on the 15th. It was affirming to see the level of participation and enjoy the good stories and to make new memories. Everyone seemed so glad to be part of Lane Community College. We enjoyed great support from donors, the community, and our elected officials. There was a ton of publicity and I interviewed with The Register-Guard, KUGN, KEZI, KVAL, and KNND, and Open for Business. The 50th bling all over the community has been a hit, even at this last weekend's OSAA meet. Many people worked long and tirelessly to make it all happen but I want to give a special shout out to Marketing and Public Relations, Government and Community Relations, the Foundation, the Center for Meeting and Learning, and ASLCC for collaborating to accomplish this.
We had possibly our best ever Harvest Dinner and Auction on October 29, raising $360,000 by last count. Thanks to the Foundation, Culinary and Hospitality Management staff and students, and the Center for Meeting and Learning for another fabulous event.
I also wanted to mention that we did receive a $400,000 grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust for the CLASS project. We are at $2 million for the CLASS project, so we are on track with that.
On October 16, we had a staff meeting to talk about accreditation, student loan defaults, and legislative relations. There was plenty of audience participation. Tomorrow we will have our first Global Conversation on the Future of Higher Education.
Thanks to Vice President Brian Kelly officially for launching LaneStarter, our all-staff effort to launch more entrepreneurial ideas to help our budget from a revenue creation approach, not just a cost cutting approach.
Our seven-year accreditation site visit was very informative. Our guests were pleased with all of the arrangements, especially the food, and how accessible and open the process was. Many thanks to Executive Dean of Transfer Maurice Hamington for his leadership. We received 8 commendations and 9 recommendations, which are:
COMMENDATIONS:
1. The Board of Education, Administration, Faculty, Staff and Students of Lane Community College are commended for creating a learning culture that supports and encourages student success.
2. The Board of Education is commended for their systematic review of college policies and for their strong stewardship of the organization as demonstrated through policy development in alignment with institutional core themes and strategic directions.
3. Lane Community College is to be commended for their authentic, transparent and honest engagement in the accreditation process and for demonstrating a high level of integrity.
4. Lane Community College is commended for innovative, creative work that results in national recognition as a college of distinction in areas such as Achieving the Dream, Sustainability, and college leadership.
5. Lane Community College is commended for completion of the Downtown Campus, related partnerships, and effective management leading to moving this operation to a self-support status.
6. The library is commended for their work creating a comprehensive collection and cooperative agreements for lending materials in a manner that strongly supports the learning and research needs of the institution.
7. The Financial Aid department is commended for diligently and thoughtfully addressing issues concerning the college's cohort default rate.
8. Staff of Student's First programs such as the Women's Center, Multicultural Center, Veterans Center, Tutoring, and the Workforce office are to be commended for their commitment to the populations served and strong collaboration to leverage available resources.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. In order to ensure and document mission fulfillment, it is recommended that the college complete planning processes that are purposeful, systematic, integrated and comprehensive.
2. In order to ensure a widely understood and effective system of governance that supports mission fulfillment, it is recommended that Lane Community College review and clearly define the authority, roles, responsibilities and communication methods associated with its adopted decision-making structure.
3. In order to clearly state, document and evaluate mission fulfillment, it is recommended that Lane Community College fully develop an institutional effectiveness model that forms the basis for its accomplishment of the objectives of its core themes and ensures organizational adaptation and sustainability.
4. In order to ensure programs offered reflect appropriate content and vigor, it is recommended that Lane Community College engage faculty in developing a periodic and systematic process for assessing student learning at the college, program, and course level.
5. In order to ensure quality and relevancy of its program and service offerings, it is recommended that Lane Community College's administration, faculty and staff engage in establishing and implementing comprehensive program and services review processes that are informed by data and connected to its planning and institutional effectiveness process.
6. In order to reflect non-discrimination in practice and to realize accomplishment of its core themes, core values and strategic directions, it is recommended that Lane Community College fully implement the Board of Education policy related to diversity and inclusion.
7. In order to ensure policies and procedures related to student complaints are clearly stated, readily available, and administered in a clear and consistent manner, it is recommended that Lane Community College review its existing processes for and document its responses to formal complaints.
8. In order to ensure adequate performance of work duties and effective employee development, it is recommended that Lane Community College staff be evaluated in a consistent and systematic manner.
9. In order to ensure the library at Lane Community College is able to fully and adequately engage in planning for services, provide information resources, and support institutional learning outcomes, it is recommended that permanent library leadership be identified.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the process.
Our Titan Women's Soccer Team won its seventh straight game on October 22, clinching the NWAC Southern Region Championship. Congratulations to First Year Head Coach Erica Jensen and our student-athletes on this great accomplishment. The Titans Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams won their respective Southern Region Cross Country Championship titles on Oct. 25. Congratulations to men's coach Mike Blackmore and women's coach Grady O'Connor. We hosted the OSAA State High School Cross Country Championships once again on Saturday. This massive event puts Lane on the map for many people in our state. Special thanks to Coach Grady O'Connor, Athletics Director Greg Sheley and Division Dean Chris Hawken, and to our teams from Grounds, Public Safety, Custodial, and all of the volunteers. Next year's event will be on Halloween.
Enrollment reports from the third week of the term show registrations down 15.2 percent, and total unduplicated headcount down 12.1 percent.
I'd like to congratulate Mark Gregory as our new director of the OSBDCN. You'll recall that we host that program at Lane for the state.
Kudos to Foundation Director Wendy Jett for being named a 20-under-40 Rising Business Star. These awards are sponsored by Blue Chip and its partners to recognize young leaders who show exceptional potential. The awards will be announced in The Register-Guard's December issue of Blue Chip magazine, and at a reception at the Hilton on December 2 at 5:30 p.m.
I would like to commend college employees and the Safety Committee for practicing and promoting safe workplace practices. Their collective safety efforts have resulted in a $150,000 dividend refund from SAIF for the college.
Titan Court is still at 93% occupancy as we've had a few move out, and a few move in. However, we have a new master lease request from the UO for 12 more students starting in January. The current demographic breakdown of residents is 74% Lane students and 26% UO students. Among those, 38% are international students including 59% from Lane and 41% from the UO.
Senator Ron Wyden and State Treasurer Ted Wheeler held a meeting with community members at the Downtown Center on October 17 to discuss the issue of retirement security. About 30 people attended the invite-only event. I would like to thank Lane students Ilene Colman and Marianna Glenday for attending and sharing their personal experiences of returning to college later in life.
The Main-McVay Stakeholder Advisory Committee continues to explore the possible future expansion of EmX from Thurston to LCC. To date, the group has been identifying priority needs to meet and which modes to use in future transportation projects. Over the next 2-4 months, the committee will be making final recommendations to the City of Springfield and LTD. Contact Brett if you would like more details.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released final regulations on "gainful employment" programs, which encompass all Title-IV eligible non-degree programs at community colleges. The regulations will go into effect on July 1, 2015, subject to an expected legal challenge.
We have the OCCA conference in Sunriver on November 5 and 6.
The board has a busy schedule ahead with a retreat on November 15 and 16, and then the Community Conversations on strategic planning. The Conversations are set for Monday, November 17, in the Center for Meeting and Learning; Wednesday, November 19, in Veneta at Elmira High School; and Tuesday, December 2, at the LCC Cottage Grove Center. Each will be from 6-7:30 p.m.
On November 6 you might want to catch our Dance Program's presentation of "The Bali Study Abroad Program: Beyond Touristic Culture" in the Longhouse, starting at 4:30 p.m.. Admission is free. This will be a video presentation of the experience our own Balinese dance company, Tirta Tari, directed by Bonnie Simoa, had when they traveled to Bali at the invitation of the Indonesian government to perform at the prestigious Bali Arts Festival. The dancers stayed for two additional weeks studying different forms of traditional Balinese dance and exploring Balinese culture. In addition to the video, there will be a Balinese dance performance, followed by presentations from the dancers and a Q&A session.
I attended the Fall Music Gala on October 30 and was, as always, so impressed with the talent we have teaching here at Lane. There were performances by our Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Gospel Choir, and Chamber Orchestra.
Lane will have holiday closures on November 11 for Veterans Day, and November 27 through 30 for Thanksgiving.
1) Personnel
The college's current personnel appointments were presented.
E. Board Agenda Review/Changes
No changes were made to the agenda.
F. Statements from Audience
Ken Zimmerman, English instructor, read a letter from his department to the board requesting that the maximum capacity of classes be returned to the previous level.
Sue Williams, English instructor, agreed with the letter that Zimmerman shared and urged the board to restore the previous class sizes.
Dennis Gilbert, Physics instructor, distributed a statement to the board requesting that class sizes be restored to their previous maximum capacity.
2A. Consent Agenda
LeClair moved, and seconded by Pryor, approve the Consent Agenda consisting of:
• October 14, 2014 minutes
• Academic Calendar
Motion passed unanimously.
4. Discussion/Action Items
A. Spotlight on Student Success: Veterans Services
Helen Garrett, Dean of Enrollment Management Systems, introduced the team that staffs the Veterans Services Department: Ellen Jones and Christine Harr, Veterans Specialists, Sharon Hainley, Administrative Specialist, and Richard Murrell, Faculty Advisor. Garrett explained that identifying the number of veterans on campus is challenging because not all veterans self-identify on enrollment forms. The current breakdown of veterans on campus is Army, 49%, Marines, 10%, Navy, 17%, and Coast Guard, 2%. Students must check in each term to continue receiving funds.
Keating joined by phone at 7 p.m.
In November 2012, the Maxwell Student Veteran Center dedication was held. The Center is named in honor of World War II veteran Technician 5th Grade Robert Dale Maxwell, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Mr. Maxwell was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond of the call of duty on September 7, 1944." He was employed as an auto Mechanics instructor in Advanced Technology at Lane Community College in 1966 and retired in 1986. The Center provides a safe place for students to study, connect, and relax. There are laptops that are available for check out, as well as DVDs and books. Phones, a fax machine, printer, coffee, and snacks are also available.
A series of brown bag talks for veterans began on October 22 after a popular panel session at the last spring conference.
Robert Callahan, student veteran, retired from the Air Force and used his benefits to come back to school to get a computer programming degree. He is enjoying his time at Lane and spends a lot of time in the Veterans Center. He already has contacts with a company for an interview after he graduates.
B. Tuition Rate Index
LeClair moved to approve the use of the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) as the inflation benchmark for 2015-2016. Pryor seconded.
Motion passed 4 -1. Keating dissented.
C. Strategic Directions Report
Jen Steele, College Operations Manager, and Brian Kelly, Vice President, presented the Strategic Directions report. The report presents the annual review of progress toward the Strategic Plan goals and objectives, accomplishments over the past year, and areas of focus and priority for the coming year. This is the third year providing the report in this format. Steele thanked Ce Rosenow, English instructor, for editing the document.
D. Response to HECC Recommendations
Board Chair Pat Albright shared a draft of a response to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission regarding the inadequate recommended funding levels for community colleges. Board members agreed that the letter was well written. Ackerman suggested making the argument for more funding stronger. Albright agreed to try to incorporate that change, but the main thrust is that the funding seems to be ignoring the role community colleges are playing in the 40-40-20 goal.
Pryor moved that the response be sent to HECC with the recommended changes. LeClair seconded.
Motion passed unanimously.
4. Policy Review
A. Second Reading
1. Ending Fund Balance
LeClair moved, seconded by Pryor, to approve the second reading of the board policy, Ending Fund Balance, with the following revision.
Policy Number: BP 245
Category: FINANCE AND BUDGET
Policy Title: ENDING FUND BALANCE
Lane Community College shall maintain an unrestricted General Fund Ending Fund Balance equal to or greater than 5% 10% of total budgeted expenditures and transfers.
The Ending Fund Balance target shall include the Unappropriated Ending Fund Balance (UEFB) as set by board policy BP 295. When the Ending Fund Balance falls to 4% 9% or less, the college shall adopt a plan to replenish the Ending Fund Balance to 5% 10% within two years. When the Ending Fund Balance exceeds 6% 11%, balances in excess may be set aside for reserves or investment in one time expenditures.
If the total Ending Fund Balance (including restricted) falls to levels that require short-term borrowing, the levels set by this policy shall be automatically reviewed and adjusted as necessary.
ADOPTED: January 14, 2004
REVIEWED: February 14, 2007
REVISED: October 19, 2009
Motion passed unanimously.
2. Interfund Transfers
Pryor moved to approve the second reading of BP 280, Interfund Transfers. LeClair seconded.
Motion passed unanimously.
Policy Number: BP 280
Category: FINANCE AND BUDGET
Policy Title: INTERFUND TRANSFERS
All transfers between funds shall be in conformance with ORS 294.361. The Budget Document shall clearly show for each fund the amounts, origin and destination of each transfer. Accompanying documentation shall list the specific purposes for each transfer and will be submitted to the board for approval in initial budget or subsequent resolution.
Transfers from the General Fund to other funds shall be for the following purposes:
• Debt service on an obligation incurred as a part of normal operations of the college;
• Goods and services provided to General Fund units by units in other funds;
• Construction, maintenance and acquisition of facilities and/or real property used by the college in support of its mission;
• Acquisition of capital equipment for use by the college in support of its mission;
• Matching funds for grants and contracts;
• Operation of certain financial aid functions and matching funds required for financial aid grants;
• Contractual and legal obligations to employees and retirees for compensation and benefits;
• Other needs as deemed appropriate and necessary by the board for fulfilling the obligations of the college.
ADOPTED: January 14, 2004
REVIEWED: April 23, 2007
REVISED: February 3, 2010
3. Global Executive Directions
Pryor moved to approve BP 356, Global Executive Directions. LeClair seconded.
Motion passed unanimously.
Policy Number: BP 356
Category: GOVERNANCE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTIONS
Policy Title: GLOBAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTIONS
The president shall assure that every activity, decision, or organizational circumstance shall be lawful, prudent, and in accord with commonly accepted business and professional ethics.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: April 12, 2000
REVIEWED: September 10, 2003
REVIEWED: June 28, 2007
REVIEWED: January 13, 2010
4. Membership on the Board of Education
Ackerman moved to approve policy BP 370, Membership on the Board of Education. Pryor seconded.
Motion passed unanimously.
Policy Number: BP 370
Category: GOVERNANCE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTIONS
Policy Title: MEMBERSHIP ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
The Board of Education of the Lane Community College District shall consist of seven members, each member elected to a four-year term by the qualified voters of the entire district. A member shall reside in the zone from which elected and shall not be employed by the College during the term of office. Two members shall be elected to represent the district at large and five members elected from zones, each to represent one of the following areas:
Zone 1 is the western college district, which includes the Bethel area of Eugene, Veneta, Dunes City, Florence, Mapleton, Westlake, and Monroe.
Zone 2 is the northern college district, which includes North Eugene, Coburg, Harrisburg, and Junction City.
Zone 3 is the northeastern college district, which includes Springfield, Thurston, and the Marcola area.
Zone 4 is the southeastern college district, which includes the McKenzie River Valley, Creswell, Cottage Grove, Lowell, Oakridge, Westfir, and portions of the Churchill district.
Zone 5 is entirely within Eugene and, in general, the area south of the Willamette River and east of City View Street.
At-Large – Position 6 represents the entire college district.
At-Large – Position 7 represents the entire college district.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: July 17, 2002
REVIEWED: October 14, 2003
REVISED: October 10, 2007
REVIEWED: June 9, 2010
REVISED: December 3, 2013
B. First Reading
1. Borrowing
No changes were recommended to this policy. A second reading will be held in November.
Policy Number: BP 315
Category: GOVERNANCE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTIONS
Policy Title: BORROWING
The board may authorize borrowing for the college, in compliance with state laws, by resolution stating the upper limit to be obligated at any one time. The president or designee may initiate emergency borrowing prior to board approval should a quorum of the board not be available to authorize borrowing.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVIEWED: May 12, 2004
REVIEWED: November 9, 2005
REVIEWED: November 5, 2008
REVIEWED: September 17, 2011
2. Personnel Services
No changes were recommended to this policy. A second reading will be held in November.
Policy Number: BP 545
Category: HUMAN RESOURCES
Policy Title: PERSONNEL SERVICES
The president or designees shall be authorized to commit the college on such items as personnel transactions, voluntary and non-voluntary payroll deductions, and in those personnel matters requiring immediate resolution.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVIEWED: May 12, 2004
REVIEWED: December 14, 2005
REVIEWED: December 3, 2008
REVIEWED: November 16, 2011
3. Board Duties and Responsibilities: Budget Making
No changes were recommended to this policy. A second reading will be held in November.
Policy Number: BP 210
Category: FINANCE AND BUDGET
Policy Title: BOARD DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: BUDGET MAKING
The board of education has the responsibility to:
1. Adopt the annual budget before July 1 of the budget year.
2. Act as the levying board in the budget process.
3. Assist in presenting the needs of the college to the public and assist in the adoption, through the formulated budget process, of a budget that will address these needs.
4. Appoint the seven members with whom they shall serve jointly as the budget committee.
5. Review student tuition rates annually.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: December 10, 2003
REVIEWED: December 12, 2007
REVIEWED: October 13, 2010
5. Accountability/Reports
A. Benchmarks
The following Benchmarks were presented to the board:
• Student FTE by Reimbursement Category
And the Mission Fulfillment Indicators:
• 4-year Completion Rates by Declared Program
B. Facilities Update
An update on the status of bond and facility projects was presented.
C. Financial Condition and Activities: Quarterly Report, A.050
The Financial Condition and Activities quarterly report was presented to the board.
6. Reports
ASLCC President Michael Weed commented that enrollment levels offset the ability for students to achieve success. A raffle is being planned for Winter Welcome Week; proceeds will go to the Rainy Day Food Pantry. ASLCC is working on the bylaws and charter. The Oregon Students Association registered over 55,000 voters in Oregon, which was the number one student organization in the nation. Students spoke at the city and county council meetings regarding marijuana tax, and they will keep the city council meeting dates on their schedules. ASLCC representatives attended the last Oregon School Activities Association meeting at Eastern Oregon University, and it was discerned that Lane will secede. The Online Educational Resource Committee has been building relations on campus. ASLCC is conducting a student survey. The goal is to obtain 600 surveys. Students are concerned about the affordability of textbooks. Weed has been invited to speak at a roundtable discussion on November 7 regarding local homelessness. He spoke at a transportation meeting regarding keeping the Lane Transit system affordable, timely and accessible. He spoke at the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and encouraged them to fund community colleges accordingly. He expressed appreciation for being invited to speak at the 50th anniversary celebration. ASLCC is looking at rebranding student government. Weed met with the accreditation visitors on behalf of students regarding financial aid and advising. Lane is hosting the Oregon Students of Color conference on November 14, 15, & 16.
Interim Vice President Dawn DeWolf reported that the accreditation process was an incredible learning experience. She thanked Hamington, AnnaKate Malliris, the staff at the Center for Meeting and Learning, and everyone who participated in and helped with the process. She noted that faculty member Steve McQuiddy, who recently authored a book entitled Here on the Edge, presented in San Francisco with two of the members of the World War II camp written about in the book.
Vice President Brian Kelly reported that Sustainability Principles and Practices by Lane faculty member, Margaret Robertson, not only made the Top 10 Bestseller list among Routledge's Environmental and Sustainability titles, it made #1. This book is now being used in sustainability classes at colleges and universities across the country. He attended the annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, where several other Lane managers, faculty, and staff were in attendance and also presenting. The accreditation process was a wonderful experience, and he thanked everyone who was involved in making it happen. He attended the Harvest Dinner. It has been a treat to watch it grow and set the bar higher every year.
Board Reports
Pryor attended the Harvest Dinner and was grateful that Lane has earned such incredible support. She complimented Hamington for leading the effort on the accreditation process. Clatsop Community College, where her father was the president, was the first community college to be accredited in Oregon.
LeClair commented that the accreditation process was an interesting and collaborative one. He was impressed with the strategic direction report.
Ackerman attended the 50th anniversary celebration and thanked Spilde and Peter DeFazio for his recognition at that event. He noted that Germany has abolished tuition fees and stated that he did not want higher education to depend on the wealth of students' parents.
Albright reported that he had met Dr. Brauer, one of the charter members of Lane's Board of Education, at the 50th anniversary celebration. Albright attended the Harvest Dinner, and he thanked Ninkasi and the Oregon Lottery for sponsoring the event. The accreditation visit was an interesting experience. He will be attending the OCCA Annual Conference. He commented on the class sizes; at Springfield High School, class sizes were increased in order to keep industrial arts.
7. Date, Place, and Proposed Agenda Items for the Next Regular Meeting
Wednesday, December 10, 2014, Lane Community College Main Campus, Boardroom
8. The board meeting unanimously adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
______________________________ _____________________________
Mary Spilde, President/District Clerk Pat Albright, Board Chair
Prepared by:
Donna Zmolek, Assistant to the Board