Thursday, March 20, 2014

Weekly Update, March 20


At the recent Initiative Leaders meeting faculty and staff shared news of the progress on various projects. Most notably, Math Fast Track, the Accelerated Learning Project in Writing and the Destination Graduation and Advising initiative have seen promising results. All three programs will be expanded for fall term 2014 to benefit more students.

During spring term, the college will again participate in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Research shows that the more actively engaged students are, the more likely they are to persist in their college studies and achieve at higher levels. The survey will be administered between April 21 and May 2 in randomly selected classes to ensure a representative sample and to preserve the integrity of the survey results. Faculty members whose classes are selected for survey administration will receive more specific instructions in early April. Learn more and see results from our three previous surveys, visit the CCSSE webpage.

LBCC honor roll students Alisha Haskett and Willard W. Hucks III were selected to represent LBCC as part of the OCCA All Oregon Academic Team. They will attend a luncheon with Governor John Kitzhaber and the OCCA All Academic team in Salem April 22.  Haskett is a networking and systems administration major from Sweet Home, and Hucks is an accounting technology major from Albany. They will each receive a plaque from the OCCA and a $1,000 scholarship from Oregon State University, where they plan to transfer.  

OCCA Academic Team members Alisha Haskett & Willard Hucks.

For those wondering about the progress to fix the courtyard clock or the broken fountain by the Calapooia Center, facilities are currently in the process of repairs. The fountain may take a bit longer due to the need to replace the pump, which costs around $5,000. They are currently looking at alternatives to replacement. 


Wednesday, March 12, 2014

LBCC Lands Large Business of Year Award

Bryan Schiedler, right, and Gary Price with LBCC Award.
LBCC received the Large Business of the Year award from the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce during its Lebanon Distinguished Service Awards banquet held March 11.

LBCC has a dual presence in Lebanon with its East Linn County Center and the Advanced Transportation Technology Center. Gary Price, regional director of Linn County Centers, and Bryan Schiedler, automotive technician faculty member and department chair, accepted the award on behalf of the college.

“It was an honor to accept an award that so many of us, past and present, have contributed to,” wrote Schiedler.

Nearly 350 people attended the awards banquet held at the Samaritan Center in Lebanon. The awards recognize exceptional individuals, businesses and organizations that contribute their time and energy to Lebanon, and include: man and woman of the year; junior first citizen; senior first citizen; outstanding community group; large business of the year (49 or more employees); small business of the year (fewer than 49 employees); business leader of the year; non-profit organization of the year; and the Frankie Gray Answering a Call award.

Along with LBCC, Lebanon High School, Consumers Power Inc. and Lowe’s Distribution Center were in the running for the large business award. The award recognizes the college's efforts around its values of excellence and opportunity.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Weekly Update, March 7

Assessing Placement Testing (APT) Initiative Committee is working on ideas to reduce the percentage of students who are placed into developmental coursework as a result of taking the CPT without advance preparation. Through winter term, the APT looked at online and print information to help develop marketing strategies that insure prospective students know the importance of preparing for the CPT. The APT committee will assess whether these efforts make a difference by measuring and improving the percentage of students who report being prepared before taking the CPT. They are looking to the fall of 2014 to begin analyzing the results of the committee work.

Did you Know: 80 percent of LBCC career and technical education students responding to last year’s graduate follow-up survey report being employed within nine months of graduation. (Stats from "Better Know Your Data" Institutional Research team, Justin Smith and Justene Malosh)

The 36th annual Career Fair will be held Thursday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Activities Center gym, Albany campus. More than 50 businesses, industries and government agencies will provide information on careers and employment opportunities. College advisors will available to answer questions on career and technical training programs. Employment, training and family needs agencies will be on hand to inform job seekers about their services. LBCC will offer workshops to enhance job search skills, and employment specialists will provide resume and interviewing workshops. More information at: www.linnbenton.edu/career-fair