Weekly Update, Jan. 10

The final Math Fast Track data for the first term of 18 students shows eight students moved up one course test placement, seven moved up two placements, and three students moved up three test placements. The improved math test placements saved the 18 students a total of $2,659.50 and 13 terms! (thank you to Justeen Malosh in IR for her math skills)


The Career Center launched enhanced student employment job search software to help students connect with potential employers. “Career Connections” allows students to create a profile from which they can post resumes, search job listings and internships, view employer information, save favorite employers, schedule job workshops through their Google calendar and more. Employers post their positions directly to site, and can search the database using key words to help them find potential employees from our students and alumni. Faculty and staff are asked to direct students to the service, as well as employers who would like to hire our students. Find Career Connections at www.linnbenton.edu/current-students/work/career-services/career-center.

Fall term stats from the Institutional Research and “Better Know Your Data:”
•    12,265 fall term credits earned out of 14,647 attempted, an 84% success rate
•    69% of students attempting a math class passed (50% of students took math)
•    80% of students attempting a writing class passed (42% of students took writing)
•    Average GPA 2.64

Weekly Update, Jan. 3

The Financial Aid office offers two programs to help students learn to manage their college finances, with student loan debt in mind. SALT and Cash Course are free programs designed to help students better handle their finances. SALT, launched at LBCC the beginning of fall term, offers free counseling to help students borrow less, spend less and repay loans successfully. SALT also offers searchable job, internship and scholarship opportunities for students. Faculty and staff who teach financing to students can utilize SALT program materials, and Phi Theta Kappa plans to use the materials to help inform students. The free Cash Course program offers financial literacy and management tools to students, and is used by the Financial Aid office to help students who are having problems managing their student debts. LBCC currently has a 20 percent loan default rate. Financial Aid staff is working to bring that rate down, with two goals in mind: to keep students out of default, and help students with financial literacy. Find out more about these programs at: http://linnbenton.edu/current-students/money-matters/financial-aid/debt-management

LBCC Board of Education approved three new certificate programs and one new associate of applied science degree program at the December board meeting. The Profitable Small Farms certificate will focus on skills for starting and sustaining small farms. Two technical core level program certificates will offer hands-on training to support Welding, Mechatronics, Machine Tool, and Water, Environment and Technology courses. The new AAS degree in BioEnergy Operations will provide foundational skills for those seeking to be operators of bioenergy production systems. The AAS program will be offered online and include instruction from Walla Walla Community College in Washington, where it was developed through a National Science Foundation grant.

Plan to attend the President’s Forum with Dr. Greg Hamann Thursday, Jan. 16 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Forum building, room F-104. Hear from President Hamann regarding LBCC directions, opportunities and challenges, and bring your questions for a question and answer session.

Enrollment numbers for winter term are as follows: Full-time equivalent (FTE): 2,565; Part-time: 3,244; Non-credit: 857; total: 6,666 students currently registered.

Weekly Update, Dec. 13

Recently revised Board Policy 1010, which covers the college values statement, has been reviewed by College Council with the recommendation that it be submitted to the college Board of Education for approval at the January meeting. If approved by the board, the new policy will be available in the Paperless Office under Board Policies at http://po.linnbenton.edu/BPsandARs/.

English faculty members Chris Riseley, Matt Usner, Robin Havenick and Jane Walker undertook a trial of a new program during fall term, Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) in Writing, which can shorten students' path through the developmental writing sequence by two terms and save students $400. ALP Writing is an innovative program that allows students who have tested into WR 95 to take WR 121, along with WR 115, to develop their skills and complete WR 121 in their first term. Each instructor taught 10 under-prepared WR 121 students in their traditional class, along with the second WR 115 class designed to give one-on-one instruction. Normally the completion rate is 29 percent for under-prepared students in writing. The ALP program is hoping to double that completion rate to around 60 percent. While they cannot know the exact pass rates until final grades for the term have been posted, they are confident that they will meet that goal. Institutional Research will conduct an annual review process to compare the numbers of developmental students who succeeded in ALP with students who took the traditional writing sequence route, and will examine the success of students through the next highest writing class. Data gathered will be used to help track student success and completion, and will become part of Achieving the Dream data.

About 20 faculty and staff designed holiday cards to be sent to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.  Many people also stopped by at the DAC, SL&L and The Commuter offices to sign one of the 104 cards, which were sent to the center last week.

Seated, left to right, Marci Johnston, Leta Howell, Lynne Cox and Michelle Slay.
Standing, left to right, Kimberly Kopplien, Tammi Drury, Joy Hobbs,
Megan Pickens-Lloyd and Patti Ball.

Weekly Update, Nov. 22

Developed by the math department, Math Fast Track is for students who have had algebra in the recent past, but tested into Math 20, 60 or 65. Math Fast Track helps “fill in the gaps” with the goal of moving students into a higher math placement, saving them both time and money. At mid-term, Hollis Duncan’s first Fast Track class is showing good results. With 18 students enrolled, mid-term data shows 12 students moved up one test placement, four moved up two placements, and one student moved up three placements. One student in class is struggling to move up for various reasons. Hollis plans to give full results at the end of the term. As part of the Achieving the Dream initiative, data generated will be used to track student progression and success.  

Barry Broadbent was sworn in as the newest Board of Education member at the board meeting Nov. 20, replacing outgoing board member Cathrine Thomas. A Scio resident, Mr. Broadbent will represent Sweet Home Zone 1, which includes parts of rural Linn County, Sweet Home, Scio and Brownsville. Mr. Broadbent is a marketing specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Portland, and is the former owner of Valley Industries, a lumber manufacturing facility in Scio. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Resource Management from OSU. The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m. in the college board room, Calapooia Center.

Each November, the Board of Education takes time to review the most critical financial issues facing the College, which provides initial guidance to staff members who have budget development responsibilities, and helps in developing the proposed budget presented by the Board to the Budget Committee in May. The college is at a place where the outlook is improving. Enrollment has stabilized, state resources are improving, and pension costs increases have moderated. This puts the college in a position to rebuild reserves to restore the buffer and make a few investments for the future. Board  recommendations around critical financial issues, developed around the college’s strategic goals of increasing completion, ensuring student equity, and ensuring quality education, include: Adding $200,000 to the Mission, Effectiveness, Resources and Improvement Team (MERIT) for investments to move the college forward; continue to add at least $600,000 to the ending fund balance in order to meet target levels as directed by the board; freeze tuition for the 2013-14 academic year; continue funding specific projects pertaining to capital depreciation, technology, instructional equipment and the roof reserve, and continue not charging department payrolls to fund the PERS rate reserve fund. For more detailed information, see the Critical Conversations document in the Board of Education packet for Nov. 20: http://po.linnbenton.edu/boardmeeting/11_20_13BoardPacket/

Weekly Update, Nov. 15

LBCC's nursing program received numerous commendations for instruction and student support during its recent accreditation visit by the Oregon Board of Nursing. Program director and chair Sheryl Caddy led the lengthy process, which included a self-study report and a three-day visit from the Nursing Board with tours of clinical sites and classrooms, and interviews with students, staff and administrators.

LBCC’s Re-Choired Element Chamber Choir and the Concert Choir have been selected to compete in the eighth-annual World Choir Games held this coming July in Riga, Latvia. Students will compete in three categories including Mixed Chamber Singers (a cappella), Musica Sacra A cappella, and Musica Contemporanea, with approximately 300 choirs from six continents and more than 60 countries competing.

LBCC has five Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) on campus to help stop an irregular heartbeat in the case of sudden cardiac arrest. AED locations are noted on campus maps as a heart shape, including the online campus map and building directory maps. Although the device should be operated by trained personnel, knowing the locations of these portable devices is important to everyone. Locations: Public Safety Office, first floor Red Cedar Hall; Takena Hall, first floor; Industrial A, second floor hallway; Activities Center hallway; and in the President’s Office, Calapooia Center.

Students in James Reddan's choir signing in the Bookstore atrium.

Weekly Update Sept. 20

Carolyn & Stephen Lebsack

Biological sciences faculty members Carolyn and Stephen

Teresa Thomas

Lebsack received the Pastega Faculty Excellence Award.  Carolyn started with the college in 1976, and Stephen in 1979. The Lebsacks retired in June. Teresa Thomas, administrative assistant, received the Pastega Classified Excellence Award. Teresa started with the college in 1981. The Distinguished Staff award went to Alice Sperling, former coordinator for the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.  Alice started with the college in 1995 as an instructional assistant. She retired in June.

Andrew Feldman

Andrew Feldman was hired as the new dean of Science, Engineering and Mathematics.  Andrew comes to the college from Luna Community College in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he was the academic director for the department of Science, Math, and Engineering Technology for the last five years. He has a PhD and a bachelor degree in geology from Florida State University. In his free time, Andrew plays guitar and he and his wife, Barbara, enjoy good food, walking their huskies, motorcycling and winter sports. Andrew currently lives in Albany and is waiting for his wife to join him before deciding where to settle.

Sandra Shinkle and Rica Amity have joined the Career and Counseling Center. Sandra will be a full-time faculty counselor and instructor in Albany and at the East Linn Centers, transferring from her previous position with the CASE program.  Rica will serve as fixed-term faculty for fall term only, and will be located primarily in Albany. Both will teach Destination Graduation classes, counsel and advise undecided students, work with students in crisis management services and lead initiatives to help us achieve our equitable success and quality outcomes.

The new web site is currently in the internal viewing process until Oct. 10, and is viewable only when logged into the LBCC network at www.linnbenton.edu/inspired. Public preview will begin Oct. 11 via a link on the current web page. Web site launch is scheduled for Oct. 21.

The college landed a $2.7 million grant to help develop the new virtual college, LB iLearn Campus, which will initially target healthcare and business programs, with the goal to increase completion, improve accessibility and raise the quality of online education. The grant is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant.

Board of Education member Catherine Thomas announced her resignation effective the end of September. Thomas' Zone 1 represents areas of East Linn County that include Sweet Home, Scio and Brownsville. An announcement calling for applications for her replacement will be posted in the newspaper and on the web site, with applications due Nov. 8.

The college will receive a “virtual” accreditation visit in October, the third such visit by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in this new process, which requires smaller, focused reports to be written every other year on specific topics instead of the once every 10 year approach. The third-year visit demonstrates the alignment of college resources with the mission of the college. A 180-page document responds to questions of alignment, and the college is likely to receive commendations and recommendations for its work.

College board members voted to establish LBCC email addresses which will be posted on the LBCC website, allowing them to be more accessible to answer questions and communicate with the community.

The board voted to increase the pay of LBCC management staff by 3 percent. The pay increase is coupled with benefit reductions for managers. That cost reduction was accomplished by dropping the most expensive health plan available to managers. The pay increase is similar to pay increases, coupled with benefit reductions, granted earlier this year to classified staff and faculty.

Weekly Update, September 5

John Rehley

Carol McKiel

John Rehley has joined the college as manager of Printing and Mailing Services. John came to LBCC after working at Mid-Valley Newspapers for nearly 30 years. While at the newspapers, John worked in a variety of positions including distribution, press, accounting, IT, circulation and prepress. He has two degrees from LBCC: an associate's in automotive technology and associate's in graphic communication. John and his wife of 16 years live in Corvallis. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two grandchildren, and hiking and fishing.

Carol McKiel joined the college in July as the new director of High School Partnerships. Carol comes to us from Lane Community College, where she served as director of the TRIO STEM program. She has a bachelor’s in elementary education from Indiana University, a master’s in student personnel services from Northeastern State University, and a PhD in education leadership from Oregon State University. Originally from Indiana, Carol and her husband moved to Oregon six years ago and reside in Monmouth. They have a daughter and son, and a new grandson who lives in Texas, and who Carol says she is learning to bond with via Skype. Carol also enjoys gardening and bicycling.

Institutional Research has created a new database designed to access to enrollment data. The new Enrollment Management Pulse (EMP) system gives you access to up-to-date information on LBCC's current headcount, FTE, tuition revenue and more. You can even drill down to specific course types or departments. Visit www.linnbenton.edu/emp to check it out.