Halloween News: Hamann Turns Into Reaper for Good Cause

Greg Hamann as the Grim Reaper.

Ah, the lengths some people go to get attention – a-hum, I mean, to help our local communities!

President Greg Hamann, made up as the Grim Reaper, hit the streets in Lebanon on Saturday to participate in the Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon, a fundraiser benefiting ABC House, a center serving abused children in Linn and Benton counties.

LBCC's Theater Director Dan Stone did Greg's makeup and costume, taking about one hour to transform him into the reaper.

Dan and his theater students also partnered with Albany Parks and Recreation to turn approximately 100 people into zombies for the 5K Zombie Chase held Oct. 20, also a fundraiser that benefited Maple Lawn Preschool in Albany.


Check out the related videos and news articles, including Greg's blog of the event:
http://linnbentonpresidentsblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/other-duties-as-assigned.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJt-73nKLxc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdktJ0oVWm4
http://democratherald.com/news/local/dodging-the-undead/article_376be24a-1b31-11e2-92d8-0019bb2963f4.html

Dan Stone applies makeup to Greg's face, turning him into the Grim Reaper
for the Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon.

Website Messaging Research Enters Second Round

A second round of public opinion research begins this week with a phone and on-line survey conducted by Interact Communications to help determine what messages to convey on the soon-to-be redesigned LBCC website and other college communication tools from print through social media.

A link to the online version of the survey will be posted on the college’s web site this week.

Interact visited LBCC in August to conduct focus groups involving more than 120 individuals including recent high school graduates, current LBCC students, college employees, LBCC alumni, and local businesses.

Feedback from those groups resulted in a preliminary set of recommendations for a navigational structure for the new college home page, as well as a general list of college descriptors that will be further refined during the second survey.

The second survey also will be used to measure levels of community awareness of LBCC, which will help determine our current public image and indicate how important the public currently considers LBCC to be to the community.

“The results from the first round are fascinating,” said Dale Stowell, executive director of Institutional Advancement. “For example, there is an extensive list of current links that each audience identified as being irrelevant to them. They said they would never look at them. Yet we currently bombard everyone with everything we’ve got. We cover our bases, but we make it hard for people to find what’s most important to them.”

The second survey will further clarify the findings of the first, and help the college select messaging that leads to greater understanding of the college. It also will help LBCC organize and label items on the web site so audiences have an easier time finding information relevant to them.

Researchers were surprised during the first round at the difficulty that all audiences had in identifying specific things that they liked about LBCC, even though they generally had good feelings about the college, Dale said.

“Everybody likes LBCC, but no one can say why,” he added. “It’s not a bad position to be in, but we need to address that if we’re going to move ahead where we can gain the community support we need to better serve our communities.”

The new website is schedule to be launched after the end of the school year. As the project develops, it will be shared broadly for further feedback prior to launch.

LBCC Receives $20k grant for Reverse Transfer Program with OSU

LBCC will receive $20,000 as part of a $450,000 two-year grant program awarded to the state of Oregon.

The “Credit When It’s Due: Recognizing the Value of Quality Associate Degrees” grant is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Helios Education Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation and USA Funds.

LBCC’s portion of the grant will be used to help build its Reverse Transfer Program with Oregon Statue University, part of a new pilot program between Oregon’s public community colleges and universities offering students the option to obtain an associate’s degree after transferring to university.

This past summer, LBCC and OSU took the first steps to implement the program, allowing students who are enrolled in the college’s degree partnership program to be awarded an associate’s degree from LBCC upon completion of equivalent courses at OSU.

LBCC and OSU will track the student’s progress after they transfer, and once the student has met requirements for the LBCC associate degree, they will be awarded the degree by combining their OSU and LBCC class credits.

LBCC President Greg Hamann said the agreement will help students achieve their graduation goals, and enhances the strong ties already in place between the two schools.

“By working together, OSU and LBCC create an opportunity neither of us alone could do,” Hamann said. “So much of our future depends on us working together for the good of our students.”

There are several advantages to receiving your associate degree, said OSU President Ed Ray. “For students who are struggling to afford and/or complete the four-year degree, unexpectedly receiving their associates degree has been shown to be an enormously effective inducement to continue,” said Ray. “In fact, it appears to be the most effective inducement. It also reinforces for all potential transfer students the value, and the possibility, of pursuing and achieving the four-year degree.”

The reverse agreement also benefits LBCC by the college receiving credit for the degree completion, reflecting the investment of time, resources and support the college has provided.

New Foundation Board of Trustee Member Announced

Liz Carle

Corvallis attorney Liz Carle is the newest member of the Linn-Benton Community College Foundation Board of Trustees, the college announced today.

Carle, an associate attorney at The Reynolds Law Firm, joined the board in September. She is a past board and executive committee member of the Benton County Family Violence Council and Oregon Student Safety on the Move.

Carle previously worked as a Benton County deputy district attorney and a prosecuting attorney for the city of Eugene. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California San Diego and her law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law.

“I am excited to be a part of an organization dedicated to making our communities better places to live and work,” Carle said. “As I looked for ways to be more involved, I could see that my work with and support of the Foundation will make a difference in people’s lives.”

Formed in 1972, the LBCC Foundation raises money to fund major new campus facilities, replace instructional equipment, expand technology, bring visiting scholars and cultural/educational programs to the college, and providing student scholarships, grants and loans.  The Foundation has net assets of $6.4 million and raised $1.7 million in 2011.

The Foundation Board of Trustees helps support fundraising efforts, provides oversight of Foundation policy and budget, and provides guidance on areas within the college to receive Foundation funding.

Linn-Benton Community College serves more than 20,000 people each year, providing workforce training, the first two years of a bachelor’s degree, and community and continuing education at sites in Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon and Sweet Home.

LBCC Celebrates Pink Day

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. In recognition of the month, and those who have been touched by cancer, Patti Ball, Russell Tripp Performance Center theater coordinator, has organized an annual LBCC Pink Day, encouraging faculty, staff and students to dress in pink and come out to the courtyard for a photo. She also gets the centers to participate, and share their photos as well.

LBCC Pink Day, Albany campus

LBCC Pink Day, Benton Center

LBCC Pink Day, Lebanon Center