College News - Week of Jan. 23

President Hamann updated the college on the status of the bond initiative at his winter forum held Jan. 15. Due to state grant money tied to the project, the first initiative will be the expansion of the Advanced Transportation Technology Center in Lebanon to include the Heavy Equipment/Diesel Technology program. Plans are to break ground in June to start the first phase of the construction, with construction to be finished by the end of the 2015. The next project in line will be the new Health Occupations Center, to be built on the Samaritan Health campus in Lebanon, with construction to begin in the spring of 2016. This project also includes an $8 million state grant. The Benton Center project will begin with construction of the new parking garage, to be built in partnership with Samaritan Health. Once the parking structure is finished, work will begin on the new addition for instructional space at the center. On the Albany campus, Industrial buildings IA, IB and IC, along with Takena Hall, will be the final projects. After the Heavy Equipment/Diesel program moves to the ATTC, the IB building, along with the vacancy created by the Automotive program move from IA, will provide room to expand Machine Tool, Mechatronics and Welding programs on the Albany campus. Takena Hall renovations will include re-purposing space now occupied by the Nursing program, which will be moving to the new Health Occupations facility in Lebanon. The college also received a $1.5 million grant to use for seismic upgrade to Takena Hall.

Governor John Kitzhaber toured the Advanced Transportation Technology Center Wednesday, Jan. 21, getting a firsthand view of the new training facility for automotive students. Second-year students Jeff Pendleton and Nicholas Garber showcased a Benton County Sheriff’s vehicle, which the students helped to convert to run on propane, and various other alternative fuel vehicles that are used for training. “It’s a great example of taking the increased demand for jobs in a changing workplace and creating opportunities for students on career paths,” said Kitzhaber in a recent Democrat Herald news story.

Governor John Kitzhaber tours the ATTC in Lebanon Wednesday, Jan. 21.

At Wednesdays Board of Education meeting, board member Jim Merryman outlined an industry led request to the Albany City Council on Monday that would bring more than $2.9 million from Albany Economic Development Funds to LBCC to use for manufacturing training, education and equipment. The proposal grew out of a joint effort of Albany area businesses, Greater Albany Public Schools, Albany and Lebanon Chambers of Commerce and LBCC to provide a workforce of high-level technically skilled individuals to benefit local industry.

Renee McKitterick recently joined the Benton Center as lead ceramics faculty, replacing Jay Widmer who retired last summer. Originally from Ohio, Renee moved to Oregon from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she earned a Master’s of Fine Art in Studio Arts at the University of New Mexico. Renee has taught a variety of studio art classes at both the university and at Central New Mexico Community College. Welcome aboard, Renee!





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

College News - Week of Jan. 16

The Accelerated Learning Program in Writing, or ALP, recently posted data showing its progress through the program's second year. Previous to offering ALP, students moving through the traditional sequence of WR95, WR115, and WR121 showed a 27 percent pass rate through WR121. In its first year, ALP helped raised the pass rate for that population through WR121 to 72 percent. This year, after doubling the size of ALP and teaching a population that included both WR95 and WR115 students, the data shows that 80 percent of ALP students passed WR121 with a C or better. The numbers also indicate that ALP students persisted from fall to winter term at a three percent higher retention rate than regular WR121 students. Information from Chris Riseley, ALP/English/Writing faculty member.

The Lebanon Center showed the highest increase in reimbursable FTE for winter term. At 101.00, that's an increase of 93.9 percent, up from 52.08 from the same time last year. Most of the gain is due to higher enrollment in various Diagnostic Imaging and Occupational Therapy Assistant courses, and the redesigned Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) program, the new Coding/Reimbursement Specialist program, and the new two-credit medical terminology class, Allied Health 111 (AH111). The data may be a bit skewed, however, with the first two programs not actually seeing an increase, but rather due to Banner now crediting the programs to the Lebanon Center instead of the Albany campus. However, AH111 does show very high enrollment, around 98 students total over four sections, and the new CMA program is offering more courses in Lebanon this term. Data courtesy of the “Better Know Your Data” team - Justin Smith and Justene Malosh.

The Business Office is now offering a Job Shadow program designed to help students grow professionally while experiencing a day on the job in a professional office environment. The one-day program is open to all students. While observing a typical day on the job of an office professional, the idea is that students will be able to hone-in on their career focus while learning the skills and attributes needed to succeed in an office environment. For more information, contact Son Le Hughes, Business Office Director, ext. 4320. Interested students should contact Karen Green in the Business Office, ext. 4307.

Andrew Wynings

Andrew Wynings has joined the college Foundation Office as the new development officer effective Jan. 12. Andrew comes to LBCC with 15 years of professional development and fundraising experience with Western Oregon University, Family Building Blocks in Salem, and the Willamette Cancer Foundation in McMinnville. Andrew will work under the supervision of John McArdle, Foundation director of Development and Government Relations, and will specifically focus on expanding relationships with existing donors and establishing new relationships with alumni and friends.

Two new propane-powered shuttle buses have been added to the Linn County Shuttle fleet, in partnership with LBCC and AmeriGas, with one bus sporting a vinyl wrap-around showcasing photos of LBCC students working on vehicles at LBCC’s Advanced Transportation Technology Center in Lebanon. The new buses will primarily be used on the Linn Shuttle, which stops at LBCC campuses in Sweet Home, Lebanon and Albany.

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

LBCC receives $2 million, the largest private gift in its history

Future site of the Advanced Transportation
Technology Center in Lebanon.

The LBCC Foundation has received the largest single private gift in the 45-year history of the college from an anonymous donor.

The $2 million dollar donation is to be used as a matching gift to support the construction and development of LBCC’s new Advanced Transportation Technology Center.
This is a major achievement for the college, and another important step in the college's fundraising efforts.

While many people were involved over a long period of time, Foundation Development Director John McArdle and President Greg Hamann played key roles in making the donation happen.

LBCC finalized the purchase of an 11-acre site in Lebanon last week that will become home to its auto and diesel programs, and allow space to add hands-on training on alternative fuel technologies. The Lebanon site is the former home of PACE Manufacturing, and includes a 35,000-square-foot industrial building.

“We are humbled and very grateful for this historic contribution,” said Hamann. “Our donor was clear that this gift serves as an inspiration for others to support the college, and this contribution will help stimulate the support of others.”

The gift, in addition to support from the Lebanon Urban Renewal District, the Lebanon Industrial Development Council, and state lottery funds, brings money raised for the project to $4.3 million. The total cost of opening the center is estimated at $6.85 million.

While the anonymous contribution is designated to support the development of the ATTC, it coincides with planning efforts to significantly increase private fundraising in the LBCC Foundation, according to Foundation Executive Director Dale Stowell. Money would support initiatives at LBCC to help greater numbers of its students complete degree and certificate programs that lead directly to jobs and the ability to participate in and contribute to the community.

“This gift is a perfect example of what we need to do as a community,” Stowell said. “Because of it, we’ll be able to expand programs where we have students on waiting lists on one side and jobs waiting to be filled on the other. The students in this program will have clear goals, and that is a key to making sure they finish what they start. It supports both students and our communities."

The center will also mean this region will be able to build the infrastructure to support alternative fuel technology, which could significantly reduce costs for businesses that provide on or rely on transportation, Hamann added.

Plans call for the ATTC to provide training that involves applications, development and adoption of alternative energy in biofuels, electric vehicles, compressed national gas (CNG), propane, hydrogen, hybrid, and new technologies in addition to industry-specific and contracted training for people already in the auto and diesel mechanics field, and first -responder training to enable them to respond safely to incidents involving alternative fuel vehicles.

When the auto and diesel programs move from their current homes on the Albany campus, the project will also create room to expand programs in welding, machine tool technology and mechatronics.