College News - Week of Oct. 31

President Greg Hamann will be heading to Puebla, Mexico Nov. 6 for a seven week professional development trip, where he, along with his wife, Rita, will attend the Spanish Institute of Puebla, a Spanish immersion program focusing on the region’s culture and language. As part of our commitment to becoming the “College of Choice” for the region’s growing population of college-aged people of Hispanic descent, Greg decided that learning Spanish would be a good way to use his Professional Development Leave. He will return to campus January 5.  Executive Vice President Beth Hogeland will serve as acting president in Greg’s absence. Read more about the Spanish Institute of Puebla at: http://www.sipuebla.com/

The LBCC Foundation kicked-off its “Mission Possible” Annual Fund Drive with a goal to raise $70,000 in employee contributions. Donation letters are being delivered to departments this week. Last year, employees gave $66,115 to the annual drive. Your donations helped the Foundation award $141,675 in student scholarships and aid, and provided funding for college programs including the Arts, Culinary Arts, Welding, Music, Mechatronics, Horticulture, Automotive, the Horse Management program, the ROV team and other student and college activities.

The LBCC Foundation team, left to right: Donna Mainord,
Dale Stowell, Cynthia Currin, John McArdle,
Paulette Myers and Jim Birken.

LBCC is transitioning this term from calling student email “Roadrunner Mail” to calling it “LBCC email.” The decision is based on student feedback on when we use “Webrunner” and when we use “Roadrunner,” resulting in some confusion. The goal is to make it clearer for students. The official name change will take place beginning winter term. Librarian Richenda Hawkins is leading the effort, with a request that faculty and staff review class materials for reference to “Roadrunner Mail” and change that reference to “LBCC email” for winter term materials.

The Career Technical Education Open House held Oct. 24 generated 34 new admissions applications, with 49 programs participating. Kim Sullivan in recruitment led the effort, which brought approximately 100 potential students to LBCC campuses and the horse center. The feedback has been positive, and they are looking to hold the event again.






Insider published by: LBCC Advancement Marketing Office
Writer/Editor: Lori Fluge-Brunker, Communications Specialist, College Advancement

College News - Week of Oct. 17

The LBCC Board of Education conferred an honorary degree to former OSU administrator Bob Bontrager, Ph.D., to recognize his leadership in developing the LBCC and OSU degree partnership program, which was established in 1998.  Recently retired from AACRAO, where he served as senior director of Consulting and SEM Initiatives, Dr. Bontrager served as OSU’s director of Admission and Orientation, and as assistant provost for Enrollment Management from 1996 to 2005. He went on to develop partnership programs between OSU and all of Oregon’s community colleges. LBCC has issued just four honorary degrees in the past 10 years. The honor is given to people who have made a contribution to the college, community, nation and/or education over a period of time.

LB iLearn Campus online programs will see its first students taking courses starting January 14. To start, iLearn programs will include a two-year degree in Business Administration, a one-year certificate in Coding and Reimbursement Specialist, and a short-term certificate in Social Media. The LB iLearn team (Ann Buchele, Linda Carroll, Stacy Mallory and Steve Smith) is working on a comprehensive website which will include information on the degrees and certificates offered, as well as the structure and design of iLearn. The target audience for iLearn is past students who have some college credit but have not taken classes at LBCC for at least two terms.

Congratulations to Business faculty member Nancy Noe on being selected as the Post-secondary Teacher of the Year by the Oregon Business Education Association at its fall conference.

LBCC received a grant for $56,000 from Community College Workforce Development for student assistance and success, through June 2015. Lynne Cox will oversee the grant, along with Carol Raymundo and Carol McKiel. The grant allowed Student Affairs to hire three part-time employees: Kate Griensewic (also working with Student Assessment and Student Life); Kim Horn (also working with Student Assessment and Center For Accessibility Services/CFAR); and Emily Dray (also working with the Career Center). This team will use their knowledge of LBCC processes and their experience as prior students to support LBCC's outreach to grades 7-12, helping students develop a vision for "going to college" and "college-going behaviors." Staff will work with underserved and/or recent high school students who need help entering college and developing the skills/tools for a positive first year at LBCC. Any LBCC employee may refer eligible students to the outreach staff for assistance with navigating college processes or having positive conversations with instructors. "Eligible students" must either be currently in high school, just arriving at LBCC from high school, or from an under-served population (minorities, persons with disabilities, veterans, persons with a modified diploma, etc.). The grant allows a small amount of funds to be awarded to help students with unexpected academic financial needs. Future plans by the team include outreach to schools, parents and future students, as well as hosting Saturday conference sessions about planning and preparing for college. For more information, or if you would like to help, contact Lynne Cox in Student Affairs. Staff will be located in Takena Hall-112 (across from the Registration Counter) and Red Cedar Hall-105. You can also contact staff via their LBCC email.

There’s a new sidewalk through the landscape in front of Madrone Hall, part of a geologic timeline in progress, which begins in front of the Activities Center building and ends with the walkway in front of Madrone Hall as the more "recent" end of the timeline. The timeline project was requested by a donor to the Science and Health Building Fund, and will be used as an educational tool. Signage will be added to mark the different geologic time periods and to explain significant occurrences during the Earth’s 4.6 billion year history. The Earth's age will be scaled out to cover the 230 meters (754 feet), giving perspective to the enormity of geologic time, with rocks and replica fossils placed at their correct age along the timeline. A dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting will be held in January.

Geologic Timeline walkway in front of Madrone Hall.

Human Resources board report, Oct. 6 - New Hires, Promotions, Separations






Insider published by: LBCC Advancement Marketing Office
Writer/Editor: Lori Fluge-Brunker, Communications Specialist, College Advancement   

College News - Week of Oct. 10

Christy Stevens (center) leads a discussion with
K-12, LBCC and OSU educators.

Educators from six local high schools, LBCC, and OSU held a joint meeting for the first time to identify learning outcomes for practicum classes. Students who want to become teachers take these classes as a pre-student teaching experience. The classes can be taken at the high school, community college or university level. The group initiated the process of identifying common learning outcomes for college practicum classes, called cadet teaching at the high school level. Christy Stevens, director of the Valley Coast Partnership for Student Success and LBCC faculty member, co-facilitated the meeting with Carol McKiel, director of LBCC High School Partnerships. Additionally, the team is identifying course content and course delivery with a specialized focus on math instruction - a goal of the Valley Coast Partnership. LBCC students may enroll in a special math practicum class spring term.

LBCC won a $10,000 student scholarship video contest held by College Scheduler, the software used to help students create their term schedules. Rob Priewe and the LBCC Advising Committee organized a video testimonial about how our students use College Scheduler, which was filmed and edited by LBCC student and aspiring videographer, Andrew Walpole. College Scheduler voted on the top three video submissions, and our college won in a random drawing of the top three. The Advising Committee and the college Foundation will work on how best to distribute the scholarship funds.
LBCC’s video submission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93UKIRaGKoY 

Final drawing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4cmUJsE3-I

Campus High School Programs has moved to the Career and Counseling Center. Program advisors are Larry Anderson and Tiffany Madriaga. Liliane Moynihan is support staff and Lynne Cox is managing. The High School Partnerships Program, under the direction of Carol McKiel, will remain upstairs in Takena Hall. Campus High School Programs is one way for high school students to take college classes. High School Partnerships includes College Now and Perkins, and focuses on partnerships with local schools to promote student development, college-readiness, pathways from high school to college, and student progression and completion.

LBCC’s baseball team will play its last non-conference scrimmage game Sunday, Oct. 12 against Everett Community College at 10 a.m. at OSU's Goss Stadium. Coach Ryan Gipson has a current team roaster of 33 players, with 40 percent of the players from the local area, per the initial contract agreement with the college. The team will begin its first conference season play in the spring.

LBCC Baseball Team 2014-2015

LBCC’s Foundation received a grant for $10,300 from the Oregon Cultural Trust to produce an original play, titled “Bridges,” which focuses on the lives, experiences and challenges of Latino families living in Independence, Oregon. Inspired by a request from Independence Mayor John McArdle, the play will be produced by LBCC theater instructor Tinamarie Ivey over the next year.

The college will host three information forums, open to the public, to explain the projects that will be funded by passage of Bond Measure 22-130. Below are conceptual drawings of the projects. The drawings will also be available at the forums. Forums will be held: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 5:30 p.m., Albany campus, Calapooia Center building, room CC-103; Wednesday, Oct. 22, 5:30 p.m., Benton Center, room BC-107; and Thursday, Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m., Lebanon Center Annex Building. The Samaritan campus drawing shows the LBCC Health Occupations Center building directly behind COMP-Northwest (the building is unmarked in the drawing). The ATTC drawing shows the Heavy Equipment/Diesel training building on the left.

Benton Center additions.

LBCC Health Occupations Center behind COMP-NW, in Lebanon.

ATTC in Lebanon, with Heavy Equip/Diesel building on left. 

Insider published by: LBCC Advancement Marketing Office
Writer/Editor: Lori Fluge-Brunker, Communications Specialist, College Advancement

Update, Oct. 3: Summer Staff Changes and Fall Updates

Welcome to fall term. Get caught-up in this first edition of staff news for the school year. 

Staff Changes: Several management and dean positions were filled over the summer to replace retirees and vacancies. Two new positions were also added. Michael Quiner was hired in June as chief information officer for Information Services, replacing Ann Adams who retired last year. Kim Carey was hired as manager of Applications and Systems Programming, replacing Sam Oubari, who took a position elsewhere.  Jason Kovac is the new dean of Academic Foundations, replacing Sally Moore, who was promoted to dean of Instruction, replacing Jonathan Paver, who took a position elsewhere. Sally’s office is now in the Calapooia Center Administration Office. Brian Trice joined the ATTC as manager of Alternate Fuel Transportation, a new position. And, Amy Sikora joined Admissions and Registration in the new position of assistant director of Enrollment Progression and Technology. 

Ann Buchele received a promotion and a new job title of dean of Workforce Development and Program Effectiveness. Along with her continued work with the Healthcare, ELearning and Media department, and LB iLearn, Ann will guide work on program review, working with faculty on a review process for all CTE and transfer areas. She also will lead the work on college objective eight, "Expand our Career-Technical programs in response to (and anticipation of) local industry needs” with a focus on the "Middle 40" of the "40-40-20" initiative, in partnership with the soon-to-be-created Workforce and Economic Vitality Council.

Kudos to the Horticulture department for donating approximately 600 pounds of excess produce grown in their organic garden this summer to the local food bank. The department has sent about 130 pounds of produce each week to Food Share since last August. Harrisburg Gleaners pick up the harvest and deliver to Food Share for distribution to low income people in our community.

The Culinary Arts department has outdone themselves with a beautiful remodel of the Santiam Restaurant, thanks to the generous donation through the Foundation of community members Joanne and Wayne Chambers. In celebration of the remodel, there will be an Open House in the new dinning room Friday, Oct. 17 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. The event is open to everyone, and will include refreshments, wine and snacks. The restaurant reopens for fall term Tuesday, Oct. 14.

The College Advancement Marketing team won six awards at the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations District 7 conference Oct. 9. There were 180 submissions in 30 categories from colleges throughout Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Yukon Territory. LBCC won: Gold for radio ad; Gold for media success story; Silver for brochure; Silver for website; Bronze for schedule of classes; and Bronze for banners and outdoor advertising. Congrats marketing team: Dale Stowell, Joe Sherlock, M’Liss Runyon and Lori Fluge-Brunker.

As a thank you to faculty and staff for their efforts to engage students and boost enrollment, a Summer Success Celebration will be held in the DAC Thursday, Oct. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. Stop by for cake, punch, & community. The results of these efforts are more new students, more full time students, more students awarded financial aid, more students in DG, advisers assigned at the beginning of the term and increased enrollment.

This year’s Pastega Award winners are automotive faculty member and chair Bryan Schiedler, Faculty Excellence award, and graphic designer in College Advancement office M’Liss Runyon, Classified Excellence award. Bryan began work at LBCC in 1996. He was nominated for contributions to making the Advanced Transportation Technology Center a reality. The center has been recognized both locally and nationally. M’Liss was hired in 2006, and was nominated for her positive and creative support of college marketing efforts and her participation in college leadership groups and the community. 

LBCC Foundation Development Director and Mayor of Independence John McArdle received the James C. Richards Memorial Award from the League of Oregon Cities’ during its annual conference in September. The award is given to elected city officials who serve the citizens of Oregon through an exceptional personal investment in intergovernmental affairs. John founded the Mid-Willamette Valley Mayors Coalition, serves on the board of the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments, chairs the regional economic development partnership board, and is a past president of the League of Oregon Cities and the Oregon Mayors Association.

The LBCC bond measure, Measure 22-130, will be put to voters on the Nov. 4 ballot. If approved, the bond will raise an amount not to exceed $34 million. The estimated bond would replace the 2000 LBCC Bond, scheduled for retirement in 2016. It’s designed to stay at or near the current taxpayer cost of about 18 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Funds raised will be used for expansion or improvement in the following areas: health care, automotive and diesel/heavy equipment mechanics, advanced manufacturing, machine tool, welding, college transfer and community education, and encompass facilities in Albany, Corvallis and Lebanon, and including facilities maintenance needs. For more details, go to: www.linnbenton.edu/faculty-and-staff/administrative-information/bond-information

Sneak peak of the newly-remodeled Santiam Restaurant.

Insider published by: College Advancement Marketing
Writer/Editor: Lori Fluge-Brunker