Weekly Update, Jan. 24

Highlights from the last Board of Education meeting held Jan. 15 included approval of the revised college values statements, retiree honors, and a report on successful bond elections. The Board approved a revised statement of college values that expressed the values consistently, clearly and in ways that helped all members of the college community see their connection. The five values – each with an accompanying one-sentence description – are: Opportunity, Excellence, Inclusiveness, Learning and Engagement. The Values are expressed in Board Policy 1010. You can see a complete copy of the Values Statement, and a one-page description of the process and goals of values is linked in the Jan. 15 board agenda at: http://po.linnbenton.edu/boardmeeting/1_15_14BoardPacket/. Board member Shelly Garrett shared insights from a conference she attended last week on planning successful bond campaigns. The Board will make a decision early this summer about whether to put a bond package to modernize and maintain LBCC facilities. Among key factors to garner public support were regular communication with the community, strong commitment from Board members and employees (who people in the community turn to for information), an active community engagement committee made up of community volunteers, messages that are simple and focused to mobilize yes voters, and visible support of the campaign (e.g., written endorsements), among other things. The board honored six retirees including Holly DeRamus, Dee Dee Strombeck, Pam Dunn, Ann Adams, and Jim Huckestein.

The new sections of Accelerated Learning Program in Writing (ALP) succeeded in raising pass rates for students in the program to 72 percent (72 percent of the group of WR95-placed students who took ALP completed WR121 in one term versus over the course of two years.) Students who's CPT score places them into WR95 can join ALP if they are ready to for a challenging, accelerated writing program. Interested students should send their X numbers to Chris Riseley at chris.riseley@linnbenton.edu, or contact Admissions.


The percentage of the 2013 fall term Roadrunner cohort who returned winter term is 75 percent. According to Institutional Research data, the fall-to-winter trend has been almost completely flat over the last six years, ranging from a high of 77 percent to a low of 72 percent. (Data provided by Institutional Research and “Better Know Your Data.”)



Chris Nystrom has joined LBCC as director of Community Education. Chris’ professional experience includes leadership roles at the Lane Community College’s Small Business Development Center, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, and in the private business sector in technology and professional services. Chris has a bachelor’s degree in business finance from California State University, Chico, and an accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management. In her free time, Chris enjoys scuba diving, skiing, meeting new people, community involvement, family and travel. Community Education also welcomes Ann Whittington as the Albany center coordinator (previously with LBCC Small Business Development Center), and Melissa Richey, program coordinator. New Benton Center staff include Maggie Underwood, Career Specialist, and Paulette Simmons, payroll, purchasing and events coordinator.

Chris Nystrom