LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Minutes - October 8, 2008
1. Attendance
Board members present: Bob Ackerman, Pat Albright, Roger Hall, Paul Holman, Susie Johnston, and Tony McCown. Absent: Pat Riggs-Henson. Also present were: President Mary Spilde; Executive Assistant to the President Tracy Simms; Vice President Sonya Christian; Associate Vice President Greg Morgan; Lane Community
A. Chair Johnston called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
B. President’s Report
As you can imagine with all the turmoil in the financial markets, we are keeping a close eye on what is going on at the state level. I am hopeful that there will be no change to our state allocation for this year, but it all depends on how bad things get and what the November forecast looks like. The governor will use that forecast to develop his budget, and it is looking to me that we will have to manage our expectations about what is possible next session. It’s not that we won’t work hard to make community colleges a priority, which they should be when we are in a recession, but I think it will be very difficult to get a 10 percent increase, let alone the $621 million we requested. We will bring a projection in November and go from there. Given the unknowns regarding the budget, the best thing we can do for ourselves right now is work to pass the bond so that our facilities expenditures are covered.
The year got off to a good start with division meetings, all staff gathering and other in-service events. There is a great deal of positive energy around the college. We have challenges ahead, but there are wonderful things going on.
Academic and Student Affairs (ASA), the area formerly known as Office of Instruction and Student Services, has one single priority in helping students achieve their dreams and that is enrollment growth, which translates into access for students. The ASA team, Sonya Christian and her Executive Deans, staff and Division Deans will be laser focused on this goal. They will do it through growing new programs in lower cost areas, online expansion in niche areas, and retention. There has been a lot of activity in these areas over the summer.
The Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) is a one-time grant for $632,000 from the State, which will help us provide statewide educational opportunities for students, through online methods, in the areas of health care and sustainability—which are in high demand in Oregon. The idea with this money is we must have statewide impact while increasing our enrollment. The programs participating in this grant are: Respiratory Care, Physical Therapist Assistant, Energy Management, and Water Conservation. Courses in nursing, Advanced Technology and Science are also part of this project.
The design for implementing this initiative is research-based with the appropriate connections to institutional support structures and one-on-one support structures. The fifteen faculty involved with this project will work with an instructional designer and a programmer to move learning from the traditional environment to the online environment.
Lane has been trying for several years to get a Title III grant. We finally did it! The grant was written under the leadership of Aaron Shonk, Anne McGrail, Mary Parthemer, and Sonya Christian. It is a $2 million grant for five years. This grant is focused on the student success initiatives at Lane, including the development of a comprehensive first year experience for students and learning communities. It will take many of the initiatives started by the Strategic Learning Initiative and SAGA to the next level.
We received close to half a million dollars for three years from NSF to develop three computer science courses in Second Life. Second Life® is a 3-D virtual world created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe. Jim Bailey, CIT faculty, is the principle investigator for this grant. Jim will be working closely with Mark Williams and Sonya Christian in exploring development dollars to fund the expansion of this learning forum to other disciplines.
The Disabilities Resource Center received over a $1 million grant from the Department of Education. Project ShIFT, Shaping Inclusion through Foundational Transformation, is a research demonstration grant that will improve the quality of higher education for students with disabilities by providing social model education, technical training and support related to universal design of instruction for faculty and staff.
Technology services have been consolidated under Sonya Christian. I hope you understand that asking Sonya to provide leadership for technology is an intentional act. It’s not that the Instructional Technology Division hasn’t been doing a fabulous job with constrained resources, but we want to integrate instruction and infrastructure so that everyone understands the importance of technology to our future and that technology exists in the service of learning.
Our Athletics programs are being led by our fabulous women’s basketball coach Greg Sheley. If he can do for Athletics what he has done for women’s basketball, we will be in great shape. Cross Country and Soccer have started their seasons and have record number of participants. All of the coaches are very excited to get started and are looking forward to their upcoming seasons. Women's Basketball's home winning streak is still alive and is at 63 consecutive games. The last home loss was December 6th, 2001. This is the nation’s longest current home winning streak at the collegiate level. We have 18 people committed to be Athletic Leadership Committee members and are looking to do great things with this group.
We are doing some very exciting exploration with the University of Oregon School of Architecture to have graduate students do a Design Studio that focuses on our land assets and helps us see what we could do to use them productively. This will build on the great work that Facilities Council, with leadership of Margaret Robertson will do this year in developing design principles. We will talk with you more about that in November.
A great deal of work is going on to provide information about our bond measure 20-142. It’s about replacement, renovation, renewal, upgrading of facilities we already have, not adding new buildings. It’s about replacing forty year old infrastructure. It’s intended to keep the tax rate about the same—25 cents per thousand—because we will pay off the old bond before we levy the new one. We are simply asking taxpayers to keep doing what they are already doing. This amounts to about $50 for a $200,000 home, or $1 a week. Even if your home is worth $500,000 we’re still talking about $125 a year, or $2.40 a week.
I’d like to share an advertisement for the bond that was sponsored by the Lane League. The ad shows both mayoral candidates who may not agree on everything, but they both agree on supporting Lane’s bond measure. This picture came from a press conference held on Monday at the Downtown Center.
Last year the Management Structure Work Group reviewed the management structure and made several recommendations. I asked them to come up with a structure that did not spend more than we were already spending for managers, and the board approved the structure in March. The most striking things about the organizational chart is the number of interim positions we have. Some people have retired; some have moved on to further their professional career goals. We simply don’t have the capacity to fill all the positions in one year, and I want to save some money from vacant positions so we will be strategically filling these positions over the next couple of years.
This year we are launching a leadership development program for managers, faculty and classified staff who want to explore leadership. Forty-three people applied for twenty slots. We increased the number to twenty-five, and the program will start on Friday. We plan to make this an annual program to build our own capacity for leadership.
Just a reminder that you will be having a strategic conversation with the Foundation Board during the work session in November. I am proposing that we invite the architects for the Health and Wellness building to present their work so far to both boards. Then we can have round table discussions with the Foundation Board members.
1) September Highlights
September Highlights at Lane Community College as offered in the board mailing were presented.
2) Personnel
The college’s current personnel appointments were presented.
C. Board Agenda Review/Changes
Item 6F, Legal Counsel Report, was added to the agenda.
D. Statements from Audience
Chris Calise, husband of the Downtown Center (DTC) program coordinator Cathy Calise, advocated for public safety at the DTC.
Lizzy Calise, daughter of Cathy Calise, also emphasized the need for public safety at the DTC.
Lawrence Birch, massage instructor, encouraged the board to have adequate public safety staffing at the DTC.
Kim Store, massage program instructional aide and massage student, also stressed the need for public safety at the DTC.
2A. Consent Agenda
Albright moved, seconded by McCown, to approve the Consent Agenda consisting of:
- The approval of the September 10, 2008 minutes
- 2009-10 Academic Calendar
Motion passed unanimously.
3. Policy Review
A. Second Reading
1. C.010, Global Board-President Relationship
McCown moved, seconded by Hall, to approve the second reading of board policy C.010, Global Board-President Relationship.
Motion passed unanimously
POLICY NUMBER: C.010
POLICY TYPE: BOARD-PRESIDENT LINKAGE
POLICY TITLE: GLOBAL BOARD-PRESIDENT RELATIONSHIP
The president is accountable to the full board. The board will instruct the president through written policies that prescribe the college Ends to be achieved and describe college situations and actions to be avoided, allowing the president to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.
1. The board’s sole official connection to the college, its achievements, and conduct will be through the president.
2. Ends policies direct the president to achieve certain results; Executive Directions policies constrain the president to act within acceptable boundaries of prudence and ethics. With respect to Ends and executive means, the president is authorized to establish all further policies (utilizing the College Governance System), make all decisions, take all actions and develop all activities as long as they are consistent with the board’s policies.
3. The board may change its policies, thereby shifting the boundary between board and presidential domains. By so doing, the board changes the latitude of choice given to the president. But so long as any particular delegation is in place, the board and its members will respect and support the president’s choices. This does not prevent the board from obtaining information in the delegated areas.
4. No individual board member, officer, or committee has authority over the president. Information or assistance may be requested by individual board members, but if such a request—in the president’s judgment – requires a material amount of staff time or funds, it may be refused, unless authorized by the board.
5. Board members who have a concern or issue will first inform the president or designee, providing the administration an opportunity for response. A board member can request that an issue be discussed at a work session or placed on a future board agenda (see B.030 Agenda Planning).
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: May 12, 1999
REVISED: March 10, 2004
REVISED: October 12, 2005
REVIEWED: October 8, 2008
2. C.020, Delegation to the President
McCown moved, seconded by Hall, to approve the second reading of board policy C.020, Delegation to the President.
Motion passed unanimously.
POLICY NUMBER: C.020
POLICY TYPE: BOARD-PRESIDENT LINKAGE
POLICY TITLE: DELEGATION TO THE PRESIDENT
The president’s performance will be considered to be synonymous with the total performance of the college.
The president’s job contributions can be stated as performance in the following areas:
- College accomplishment of the provisions of board policies on Ends.
- College operation within the boundaries established in board policies on Executive Directions and state mandated policies.
- Achievement of annual goals approved by the board.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: April 14, 2004
REVISED: November 9, 2005
REVIEWED: October 8, 2008
3. C.030, Contractual Authority
McCown moved, seconded by Hall, to approve the second reading of board policy C.030, Contractual Authority.
Motion passed unanimously.
POLICY NUMBER: C.030
POLICY TYPE: BOARD-PRESIDENT LINKAGE
POLICY TITLE: CONTRACTUAL AUTHORITY
Only the president, or formally designated representatives, may commit the college to financial obligations or contractual agreements. No obligation may be incurred unless it first has been authorized by the budget or by the budget change process. Any contract entered into in violation of this policy is void as to the college.
All contracts of $100,000 for goods and services contracts, or $150,000 for public improvements contracts or greater shall be approved for award by the board of education. The president is authorized by the board to enter into contractual agreements on behalf of the college up to a total dollar value not exceeding $100,000 for goods and services contracts, or $150,000 for public improvements contracts. The president may delegate this authority to college staff.
The Lane Community College Board of Education shall be the college's Local Contract Review Board as defined in ORS 279A.060.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: April 14, 2004
REVISED: April 13, 2005
REVISED: November 9, 2005
REVISED: July 19, 2006
REVIEWED: October 8, 2008
B. First Reading
1. B.110, Governing Style
The following changes are recommended to this policy. A second reading will be held in November.
POLICY NUMBER: B.110
POLICY TYPE: GOVERNANCE PROCESS
POLICY TITLE: GOVERNING STYLE
The board will govern with an emphasis on meeting community needs, respecting diverse viewpoints, leading strategically, clearly distinguishing board and president roles, making collective decisions, being future-oriented, and being proactive.
More specifically, the board will:
1. Operate in all ways mindful of its obligation to the people of its district.
2.Enforce upon itself whatever discipline is neededStrive to govern with excellence.Discipline will apply to, particularly in matters such as attendance, policy-making principles, respect of roles, speaking with one voice, and adherence to ethical practices.
3. Keep adequately informed about relevant global and local educational and other issues, actively gathering information to fulfill this role.
4. Direct, control, and inspire the organization through the careful establishment of the broadest organizational values and perspectives through written policies.
5. Focus chiefly on intended long-term impacts on the world outside the organization (Ends), not on the administrative or programmatic means of attaining those effects.
6. Be an initiator of policy. The board will be responsible for board performance.
7. Use the expertise of individual members to enhance the ability of the board.
8. Monitor and regularly discuss the board's own process and performance.A. Self-monitoring will include an annual comparison of board activity and discipline to its Governance Process and Board-Staff Relationship policies.
B. Continual redevelopment will include orientation of new members in the board's adopted governance process and periodic board discussion of process improvement.9. Acting as a committee of the whole, perform the functions of the Audit Committee including:
A. The appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any public accounting firm employed by the College to audit its financial statements.
B. The appointment, compensation and oversight of independent counsel or other advisor as deemed necessary to carry out its audit duties.
Additionally, the President shall be responsible for establishing and reporting to the Board procedures for:
- The receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the College regarding accounting, internal controls and auditing matters.
- The confidential, anonymous submission by employees regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
ADOPTED: November 9, 1998
REVISED: July 27, 2004
REVISED: March 9, 2005
2. C.040, Borrowing
No changes were recommended to this policy. A second reading will be held in November.
POLICY NUMBER: C.040
POLICY TYPE: BOARD-PRESIDENT LINKAGE
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
4. Discussion/Action Items
A. Child and Family Education Reorganization
Sue Norton, Child and Family Education Manager, provided background on the reorganization of the Child and Family Education Department. The Lane Family Connections program, Early Childhood Education, the Child Development Center and the ASLCC Child Care Coop programs had been separate over the years. New facilities were built during the last bond measure, and the programs were moved to the new buildings. Last year, a consultant was brought in to review the programs and provide recommendations. The consultant recommended that the college bring all of the programs together in one unit, have a manager on site, and have all programs under the leadership of one director. The result is the Child and Family Education Department, which consists of three programs: Early Childhood Education, Lane Family Connections, and the Child and Family Center (which merged the Child Development Center and the ASLCC Child Care Coop).
Students and community members attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the programs. Danielle Cunningham is in her second year of Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. As a student in the program, Danielle feels fortunate to have hands-on experience in the Child and Family Center, where she can develop activities and focus on the interests of the children.
Chandra Coursey, is also a second-year ECE student. She has appreciated the decision to move instructor offices to the Child and Family center, which makes them more accessible to the students.
Jenny Freida is full-time student at Lane and a single mother of two boys. She utilizes the child care center for her children. She commented on the quality of the care and the convenience of having the program on campus.
Karen Dirks, Director of Security First, described the benefits of Lane Family Connections. The program matches parents’ needs with providers, helps providers start and maintain a business, and provides training for child care providers.
B. Legal Services Options
Last month, the board extended the contract for legal services through this academic year. Now the board needs to consider whether to contract out for legal counsel services or move to having an in-house counsel in an employment relationship. There are advantages and disadvantages to each option. For instance, having an attorney on site would provide more availability on campus, familiarity with higher education issues, and institutional memory and understanding of internal politics. However, contracting out legal counsel service would give access to expertise in many areas of law, cross-institutional experience, and a greater capacity to handle litigation. In house counsel may provide a cost savings in salary, but there are operating costs which need to be considered, such as administrative support, equipment, travel, professional development, liability insurance and licensing fees.
Ackerman moved that the board continue to use outside counsel and issue an RFP early in 2009 for outside counsel services beginning July 1, 2009. Hall seconded.
Motion passed unanimously.
C. Budget Committee Process
In July, the board met in work session with the budget committee. Budget committee members gave input regarding their role in the budget process and raised some concerns which required research by legal counsel. Kieran provided a memo responding to some of the issues raised.
The board discussed how the budget committee currently takes public comment, which is basically the same format as board meetings. The board felt that there should be opportunity for staff to provide the budget committee with information, but that most of that information should be shared during the college’s internal budget process and then brought to the budget committee.
D. Transportation Fee Increase
Lane Transit District (LTD) is increasing the fee for the group bus pass effective January 1, 2009. Based on the LTD increase and projected parking maintenance improvements, the college recommended increasing the credit fee from $19 to $22 a term effective Winter Term.
Morgan explained that the college tries to absorb every other increase so that the fee is not increased every year. Spilde explained that the fee covers the cost of the LTD fee as well as parking lot maintenance.
Hall moved to approve an increase in the Transportation Fee for credit students to $22.00 effective Winter Term. McCown seconded.
Motion passed unanimously.
The board took ten-minute break at 8:10 p.m.
E. Tuition Rate Index Options
In June, a change was made to board policy D.110, Tuition, specifying that the board would review index options, affordability and access for students, and the revenue requirements of the college before increasing the tuition rate. Morgan provided information regarding index options. Once the board identifies an index to use, budget projections can be developed, which will assist the board in determining whether to increase the tuition rate.
The most common inflation index is the Consumer Price Index, but that has never represented the cost of education. The Higher Education Price Index does represent higher education and aligns with the academic year.
McCown moved to direct staff to use the All Higher Education Price Index for the purpose of budget development. Ackerman seconded.
Motion passed unanimously.
5. Accountability/Reports
A. Benchmarks
Craig Taylor, Institutional Research and Planning director, responded to questions and comments on the following Benchmarks:
- Unduplicated Student Headcount
- Student FTE by Reimbursement Category
6. Reports
ASLCC President Josh Canaday reported that over 900 voters have registered through voter registration drive efforts. ASLCC will be holding a barbecue for students tomorrow from 11 am to 1 pm. Next Thursday, they will be getting bond information out to the students. Canaday met with David Van Haeghen, High School Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator, and is scheduled to visit two high schools next month.
LCCEF President Bob Baldwin reported that union members have put a lot of time into the bond campaign. Rodger Gamblin is recruiting volunteers to canvass and phone bank. Information will be sent out which will be handled as a membership communication and mailed to various districts. Baldwin stated that many staff members are apprehensive about the DTC Public Safety issue. There is significant concern about converting from a full-time officer to a part-time, on call situation. He agreed that if the budget development process works correctly, we should work with the internal process and not bring new information to the budget committee. Simply because students are charged the transportation fee does not necessarily mean we should be charging staff when they register for classes. If this was changed to a parking fee, the union would hope to bargain a commensurate increase in salary.
LCCEA President Jim Salt reported that the faculty union is working hard on the bond campaign. There has been a major effort to get as much participation as possible from employees to make sure that this passes. Salt expressed concern about the transportation fee, stating that faculty will be paying increasingly high fees to take a class. He advised rolling the fee back into the tuition costs. Part of the plan for the management structure reorganization had to do with a test pilot of the faculty chair model, and no progress has been made on that. The faculty are still hoping that there will be a test pilot and look forward to working with administration to develop a model for that. LCCEA and the college have not reached an agreement on holding faculty vacancies open this year. Faculty vacancies are currently being filled with part-time faculty, which is not the case with management vacancies. The union has proposed several times to meet with administration to get back to the bargaining table.
Vice President Christian reported that six programs have been developed in which existing classes have been organized to form pre-professional programs: Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physician Assistant, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Optometry, and Pre-Chiropractic Medicine. Three of Lane’s Language, Literature, and Communication instructors presented a workshop on Technology and Teaching at a Community College Humanities Association conference in Portland. Christian thanked employees and students for giving their time to help campaign for the bond.
Chief Financial Officer Morgan reported that the sludge in the ponds at the college entrance is all gone, and there will now be officially clean water in them. Flu shots are being provided by the Health Clinic for no cost this year. The KLCC Radiothon is currently underway.
Legal Counsel Meg Kieran responded to Baldwin’s comments at the September board meeting. Kieran clarified that legal counsel does not have a conflict of interest when their office investigates a college employee because their client is the Board of Education, for whom they provide legal services directly and through the president and her designees.
Board Reports
Hall thanked Christian for identifying those courses of study and feels it will be a very good recruitment effort.
Albright commended the active role that Johnston has taken in promoting the bond.
Johnston reported that she has enrolled again this fall as a student, saying that it is great to see the increased number of students coming to Lane. Johnston thanked all of the employee groups for supporting the bond on their own time.
Ackerman reported that the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) will have its convention in late November. Ackerman spoke with John Wykoff at OCCA regarding the next forecast, who feels that it will be fairly negative. However, he also believes that because of the decline in the economy, there will be an emphasis on retraining.
7. Date, Place, and Proposed Agenda Items for the Next Regular Meeting
Wednesday, November 5, Boardroom, Building 3, Lane Community College
8. The board meeting unanimously adjourned at 9:16 p.m.
| _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
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| Mary Spilde, President/District Clerk | Susie Johnston, Board Chair |
