President’s Report – July 2016

(Vice President Brian Kelly read the President’s Report:)

First, I'd like to thank Tony McCown for leading the board this year as board chair, and present a small token of appreciation.  It’s been a challenging year, and Tony has done an outstanding job guiding the board and the college through the ups and downs.

Later this meeting, I will introduce the 2016-2021 Strategic Plan for board discussion and approval tonight. We presented a draft last meeting. This work represents a robust process that engaged many stakeholders from across the college as well as community members through the community conversations led by the board. I’m looking forward to the discussion this evening.

Welcome to Richard Lubben, our new Arts Division Dean. He comes to Lane from McAllen, Texas, where most recently he was associate professor of art and department chair at South Texas College. He has an impressive arts background, and we’re excited that he’s joined Lane.

Total reported FTE for spring term 2016 was 10.1% lower compared to last year.

Total registrations for fall term after seven weeks of registration show that enrollment is down only 3.2% compared to the same point last year. This is a welcome indicator that our enrollment decline is leveling out.

You may have heard about a gang-related shot fired in downtown Eugene recently that went through a library window. You may also know that an unrelated incident happened at the same time at our Downtown Campus when an inebriated driver’s car struck part of our courtyard. Lane Public Safety Sgt. Jake Ryker was on site and immediately pulled in bystanders for their safety as well as fire personnel who had responded to the car crash. Additionally, Public Safety Chief Jace Smith immediately put both our academic building and Titan Court on lockdown until the situation was safe. I want to commend Public Safety for their fast and effective response on behalf of the college and the downtown community. They routinely keep our downtown students and staff safe from drug and gang activity.

In other safety news, thanks to Vice President Brian Kelly and Public Safety Chief Jace Smith for encouraging members of our Emergency Planning Team to sign up for the Disaster Resilient Universities Network Listserv. This is an excellent source of information and one of the outcomes of the recent ACCT safety summit that some of you and members of our staff attended.

Our workers compensation experience rating has now dropped to "0.60" which means that we have experienced 40 percent fewer workers compensation claims during the past three years than would be "normal" for a similar employer. This workers compensation performance over the past three years reflects a strong commitment to safety and health by the college. This also results in a savings of over $125,000 in annual workers compensation premium costs.

Lane has been selected to work with the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). We are in the process of updating our solar master plan and will receive technical assistance to assess, rank, and prioritize solar electric projects to best move us toward our goal of generating 6 million kwh/year of renewable energy by 2050. We hope to use the outcomes of the technical assistance to apply for funding resources like local or state grants, community donors, and other sources. Special thanks to Anna Scott in Facilities for her leadership on this.

Eugene’s U.S. Track and Field Trials cast the spotlight on Lane Community College a couple of times.

On Sunday, July 10, Lane student Dakari Hightower tied for sixth place in the men’s high jump at 7 feet, 3 inches. You’ll recall that he set a record the Northwest Athletic Conference track and field championships last month with a height of 7 feet, 1/4 inch.

On July 4, Lane graduate Cyrus Hostetler took first place in the men's javelin throw final with a throw of 273 feet, 1 inch. The mark earned him a gold medal and a spot on Team USA in the Olympics.

Really awesome athletes who got their start at Lane Community College.

I am grateful to the Classified Professional Development Team in helping the college celebrate outstanding work of our classified employees. This month, Spring 2016 Employee Recognition Awards were presented to three outstanding staff:

• Denise Bennett in Food Services, who has kept our students and staff fed and our kitchens running with a smile for many years;
• Andy McClure, a dedicated custodian not only of college facilities but also of our college vision, mission and core values; and
• Michael Levick, project coordinator in Academic Technology whose innovations in technology and mentorship of students have greatly improved tech service and access for the entire college community.

Executive Dean Mary Jeanne Kuhar and Interim Dean for Extended Learning Lida Herburger have been reaching out to the Cottage Grove community and have established a local advisory committee which met for the first time last month. In addition, local media are doing a good job of informing the local public as Lane looks for input and advice on the future of our Cottage Grove campus and mission.

The Lane Child and Family Center is remodeling its playground into a natural play-scape with grass, trees and natural materials. The playground will celebrate its new features in fall 2016. Natural playscapes are places of exploration, discovery and learning and “play” a positive role in early childhood development. Thanks to Management Coordinator Sue Norton and her team for this advance.

The Register-Guard has had the good sense to hire Lane alum Mohammed Alkhadher. Mohammed is a former Torch editor who did a responsible accurate job of reporting for the Torch. We’re glad to see him at the RG.

Consumer Reports magazine distributed its August issue with a cover story on student debt and student profiles. The lead profile is a nursing student who went to the University of Rochester, Portland State University, and Lane Community College. They quote her on the cover as saying, “I kind of ruined my life by going to college.” Unfortunately, the article does not explain how community colleges differ from universities or the success that two-year colleges have had in reducing student debt.

The League For Innovation IStream online publication features science undergraduate research at Lane in its July issue. Thanks to Science Division Dean Paul Ruscher for pulling together our article which explains how providing research opportunities beyond the lab benefit both science majors and non-majors.

Mary, Dawn, and Brian attended the Governance Institute for Student Success in Bend last month with board members Sharon, Rosie and Susie.

Later in July, Mary will attend the Oregon President’s Retreat at Treasure Valley Community College.

Finally, later this summer I will take some actual vacation time at an undisclosed location.

Just a reminder that there’s no board meeting in August, but the board is scheduled to hold a retreat on July 25 and 26.