Board Report – May 2012

I want to introduce the board to this new report, Reclaiming the American Dream: Community Colleges and the Nation's Future. I have a copy for each of you, and it is also available on the AACC website as well. This is a report from the 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges. The report underscores that the connection between education and prosperity is direct and powerful, but the American dream as we know it is at risk. It states that because the highly educated population is fundamental to economic growth and a vibrant democracy, community colleges can help reclaim that dream, but to do so we have to step up. The report suggests that we redesign students' educational experiences, reinvent institutional roles, and reset the system. I was a member of this commission, and there were some members who thought the report was too bold, and there were others, like me, who thought it wasn't visionary or bold enough. The reason for that is that so many of the things that are recommended in this report, Lane is already engaged with and doing a lot of this work, which made me feel good. I think a few things are missing: I would have liked to have seen a strong statement that community colleges be the voice of quality in the completion agenda, I would have liked to have seen more explicit mention of the democracy commitment and sustainability, and I would have liked to have seen a commitment to not just closing the skills gap or educating workers, but educating empowered workers, educating students not just to be workers but to be citizens who are actively engaged in building healthy communities. These are the things that Lane stands for and the things that are reflected in our mission and values. However, within the narrower framework of this report, the framework of completion, I do think the report causes us to think about the work that we do and at least ask the questions about how we need to change. As you would expect, many of the recommendations are already underway.

We have updated enrollment reports: Winter FTE is down 1.7 percent overall, but credit FTE is up by 2.3 percent and non-credit down by 25.7 percent. Year-to-date, total FTE is down 1 percent. This is the leveling off that we've been expecting following our 40 percent increase over the last three years.

The Foundation board and staff are working on their five-year strategic plan. They will share preliminary results with you at the joint board meeting in June.

I want to congratulate Oregon Research Institute as our Cooperative Education Employer of the Year. ORI is a good example of how investing time in internships benefits both the business and the students. We honored ORI at the annual advisory committee gala and also recognized our Business Department Advisory Committee for excellence. I'm glad many of you were able to attend that event.

A couple of kudos are due to the Small Business Development Center. They will receive the 2012 State and Regional Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The national award will be presented during National Small Business Week May 20-25 in Washington D.C. Last week, they won the 2012 Outreach and Engagement Cooperator Award from the Oregon State University Extension Association, for significant contributions to OSU Extension programs and helping the service stay viable throughout Lane County. Congratulations to Jim Lindly and his staff.

As you may know, we are the official practice site for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials from June 21 to July 1. I hope you've admired our billboards at the Gonyea and Schaefer entrances to campus. Pat Albright is on the program committee and is no doubt ensuring some publicity for Lane. We also have several staff volunteers coordinated by Coach Grady O'Connor. And of course, we're all cheering for javelin thrower Cyrus Hostetler, who started his college career at Lane. In 2008, Cyrus broke the college record by nearly 30 feet with a throw of 241 feet, 7 inches. That qualified him for the 2008 Olympic Trials and later that year, he completed his associate degree with a 3.30 GPA.

The Department of Education intends to create a negotiated rule-making panel to address the issue of student aid fraud. Specifically, the panel will propose regulations to address organized crime rings that use distance learning programs to collect numerous Pell grants. The panel is also expected to propose regulations related to the disbursement of federal student aid funds via debit cards and other banking mechanisms in order to prevent abuse and fraud. Contact Brett if you'd like additional information.

I would like to congratulate ASLCC for its record-setting spring voter registration drive. Mario will share the final totals later, but I would like to remind everyone to get your ballots in. The final day to vote in the May Primary is next Tuesday, May 15. I'd also like to congratulate Mary Weatherhead and Judicael Ouermi (Tajo) for their election as ASLCC president and vice president for next year.

The Oregon Education Investment Board met yesterday. We are refocusing our work on the larger goal of creating a P-20 system. Yesterday we received a report on the ten-year budget that the governor is proposing. He has created program funding teams that will make recommendations to him about funding levels.

April and May are very busy events months at Lane but I'd like to recall a few:

• Kudos to Vice President Christian and her team for a very well received Spring Conference last Friday. The day offered excellent professional development opportunities. Turnout was good and response was enthusiastic.
• Thanks to board members Susie Johnston, Tony McCown, Bob Ackerman, and Pat Albright for joining us for the Achieving the Dream breakfast with visiting coaches, Dan McConochie and Diane Troyer.
• We celebrated Earth Week with a kick off at the Solar Station, and despite some rain, everyone got "charged up." A few EV owners plugged in, including our own Rodger Gamblin and Mara Fields. Thanks to Anna Scott and everyone in Facilities and Sustainability for this milestone project and the day full of activities. Thanks also to Stan Taylor for the Peace Symposium focused on democracy and corporate rule.
• We enjoyed great turn outs and publicity for our annual Job Fair, Hands-on Career Day, Drug Take-Back Day, and International Day. Teamwork got the job done and I'd like to commend Tina Hunter, Deron Fort, Jace Smith and Jennifer Falzerano for their leadership on these respective public service events.
• There are several upcoming events to consider, and you'll find details for these on our website:
• African American Parent and Student Success Conference on Saturday, May 12, at the Center for Meeting and Learning;
• Our continuing Festival of Films From Around the Islamic World with three more Wednesdays to go including May 16, "Earth" directed by Deepa Mehta of India; May 23, "Ten" directed by Abbas Kiarostami of Iran; and May 30, "The Lizard" directed by Kamal Tabrizi of Iran;
• Speaker, journalist and poet Taman Kahn will be here Thursday, May 17, to talk about "History's Omissions: Islam's First Women;"
• The Second Annual Lane Family Day will be Saturday, May 19;
• Our annual Employee Gala is Wednesday, May 23, to recognize 10-year, 20-year, 30-year employees and Retirees;
• We have one quiet and one noisy event on Thursday, May 31—the Gift of Literacy reading program for young adults in the Center for Meeting and Learning that morning; and Lanestock, the ASLCC music event that afternoon;
• Finally, you should have received your invitation to the dedication of the Ragozzino Performance Hall which was rescheduled to Friday, June 1.

Marketing is working with Helen Garrett and an admission's team from the University of Oregon to market the new TAG program--Transfer Admission Guarantee. The UO will provide contact information for applicants who have been "wait-listed" and we will mail them a postcard featuring our mascots and inviting students to apply to the TAG program, with the pitch, "A smart start to your four-year degree." We're also working hard to develop a brand for our downtown student housing and the subsequent marketing campaign, which we will share next month. Also downtown, exterior and interior signage for the Titan Store & Market is underway. Work is just beginning to strengthen our marketing materials for this fall's International Program recruitment cycle. Jennifer Falzerano is providing excellent guidance to ensure we have a competitive campaign. As part of our effort to strengthen awareness of the depth and breadth of Lane's community partnerships, you have a copy of one ad from a series that features our incredible Cooperative Education Program.

Tonight's marketing update is brought to you by the Construction Technology program, encouraging students to "Start your career here!" I'd like to conclude my report by showing their video.