Board Report - September 2009

Welcome to the first meeting of the 2009-2010 academic year. It’s going to be a tremendous year of opportunity and challenge.

One great opportunity is the American Graduation Initiative proposed by President Barack Obama this summer. I attended the announcement in my role as board chair for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). This unprecedented investment in community colleges, if approved by Congress, would fund job training, online instruction, and facilities renovations, and would graduate 5 million more students by 2020. Lane already is a leader in healthcare and green energy training, which Obama called for, and we already have strong business and agency partnerships that he said are vital to economic recovery. I was very impressed with Obama’s strong and calm leadership style. After the event I interviewed with the Chronicle of Higher Education, KMTR, KLCC, and was quoted in an AP story in The Register-Guard. There are some challenges in the legislation that AACC is working on; there is also a powerful lobby of banks and private colleges that do not support the legislation.

Speaking of media, this summer I also interviewed with the Chronicle about emerging degree programs, and I have completed two articles for the Community College Journal. I am pleased that Lane’s ArtWorks initiative was featured in an Oregonian story about the Oregon Cultural Trust awards. I want to thank board member Sharon Stiles for appearing on KCST radio in Florence to talk about Lane. Finally, Lane is one of only 18 colleges to be highlighted in a US Chamber of Commerce report on careers to be released at a conference in Atlanta next month.

It’s been a busy summer for several programs—

• Deferred maintenance and bond construction have sped forward at a dust-defying pace, and we’re keeping everyone posted online.
• Our Energy Management program won renewed support from EWEB with a five-year, $713,000 grant. The program also won a three-year, $810,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for a project called, “Leading Alternatives in National Energy Solutions.”
• Lane is one of only eight community colleges chosen to participate in the Walmart Brighter Futures Project to increase services and training to people who are out of work and seeking employment. We will receive up to $336,500 over two years.
• Our Hospitality program received full, seven-year accreditation, and our Culinary program received full, seven-year re-accreditation. Lane is the only two-year college in the Northwest with both accreditations.
• Our Nursing program was awarded another $333,000 earmark in the Labor, Health and Human Services bill for 2010, the second such award in two years, thanks to Congressman Peter DeFazio and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.

On the state front, the state budget forecast is down as expected, to $14.5 billion from $14.7 billion, assuming that corporate and affluence taxes are not defeated. Opponents have until September 25 to gather signatures for January ballot measures, and the Legislature already has scheduled a special session for February.

We have eight new programs starting this fall, including certificates in Small Business Ownership, Basic Manufacturing, Construction Trades, and Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance; plus new degrees in Construction Trades, Resource Conservation Management, Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance, and Sustainability Coordinator. We’re also premiering our Successful Aging Institute for older learners.

I would like to welcome new managers Sheryl Berman, Dean of Health Professions, and Janis Brew, Manager in Human Resources.

Enrollment is up. Credit enrollment is up for fall at unprecedented levels. Registrations are 25% higher compared to the same time last fall. Net registrations for Fall 2009 are 35,903, compared to 28,636 for Fall 2008. Headcount is 18% above this same time last fall - 11,537 for Fall 2009 compared to 9,757 for Fall 2008.

Financial Aid applications are up 55.6%, and as a result processing times are now running 2-8 weeks. As of today we have 1,931 students who have enrolled for fall term and have not been awarded financial aid. We are currently working on August 10, 2009 applications that are complete and ready for review. As of the end of August we have packaged and awarded 7,247 students for this academic year. This represents an increase of 2,319 students over the number of students awarded this time last year (4,928). Students who turned in their FAFSA applications and the supplemental items Lane requires after August 15th will not have an aid award by the October 4th refund deadline. Their aid awards will be offered late in fall term or even in early winter term.

Credit admissions are still open, but more than 50% of the credit sections are filled and all of the Placement Testing spots for fall have been filled. Credit classes at Florence and Cottage Grove still have openings. Students who have not yet taken placement tests will be advised to move their admissions to winter term. They’ll take their winter term placement tests beginning September 29th forward, and then will sign up for a Winter SOAR in November or December, allowing them to register early for winter term. Eleven General Education credit morning (9-12) classes were added to the DTC, at least 23 additional sections were added for the main campus.

Additional testing, financial aid staffing support, and advising were staff added and more help was available in the lobby of Building #1. The Titan Store (Bookstore) opened Sept. 14; all cash registers are open and a new online ordering system debuted this week, as well. Notices about the enrollment surge, parking challenges, H1N1 precautions and the Lane Community Cares initiative are featured on the top of our website at lanecc.edu.

Students are receiving reminders in ExpressLane, our on-line registration system and all financial aid applicants for fall who have registered, but not yet completed the process are receiving post cards notifying them of the delay in awards going out.

Lane launched “Lane Community Cares,” which is a coordinated effort to provide a way for Lane faculty, staff, managers and friends of Lane to be easily identifiable with bright pink stickers to show that they can help students coming this fall feel welcomed and valued to have a successful start. Our SOAR early orientation for new students served 2,800 students, up from 2,200 last year, and financial aid applications are up 54%, meaning those who haven’t filed by now will have to wait until the end of the term or next term to receive their awards.

We’re expecting a parking crunch, despite adding 400 spots to our 3,700 base by restriping for compact cars and adding four gravel lots. All we can say is take the bus, carpool, and arrive at least 30 minutes early if you drive.

We’re preparing for H1N1 flu with a multi-department team. We have posted information online, distributed posters, and installed hand-sanitizer stations. More work is planned. Help us get out the three key messages: Wash your hands, cover your cough, and stay home if you’re sick. Also consider a seasonal flu shot, and if you’re in an H1N1 risk group, get the vaccine. It should be available sometime in October.

You might have noticed that the foundation on the new Health and Wellness Center is in and the steel beams are going up. We will be having a couple of donor events to watch them being placed tomorrow and then again next week. If you are interested in attending, Donna can give you the times.

The AACC board retreat and my first meeting as chair took place the first week in August. I had asked staff to make connections with the Obama administration and the media. As a result at our meeting we had the Secretary of Education and Labor, the Under Secretary of Labor and Education, the Under Secretary of Energy, the Under Secretary of Agriculture and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education. The Secretary of Labor invited us to the Department of Labor for our meeting in November and subsequently invited Vice President Biden to attend. Jill Biden is already attending our meeting. The Chronicle of Higher Education hosted a reception for us, and I was able to talk to several reporters about Lane and then Inside Higher Education editor joined us. All in all it was a very successful meeting.

It’s been challenging to find vacation time, but I hope most everyone managed. I visited my mother in Scotland. She’s 93, and while I was there she had an angina attack, not for the first time. She’s okay right now. I witnessed national health care in action and was highly impressed by its speed, efficiency and thoroughness. I later took one week to relax at a spa—but I also thought a lot about the coming year.

I presented at the OCCA new board member orientation on Board President Relations. I also presented at the national Council for Resource Development Presidents’ Workshop on Fundraising. I attended the Rights of Passage graduation, which was wonderful, and then hosted the Oregon Presidents’ Council meeting. A Task Force was established to discuss and come up with recommendations on growth.

Here are few reminders for your date book:

• All-staff in-service is Wednesday, September 23, at 8:30 a.m. in the Center for Meeting and Learning. I hope you can attend.
• Classes start Tuesday, September 29, not Monday.
• The Harvest Dinner is Wednesday, October 28, in the Center for Meeting and Learning. Stephanie Pearl Kimmel will be the guest chef.
• The OCCA conference is October 29-30 at Lane in the Center for Meeting and Learning. Special guest will be U.S. Undersecretary of Education Martha Kanter.
• Finally, remember that our interim accreditation visit is November 4.