Insider Staff News

Time-lapse cameras have been installed at both the Advanced Transportation Technology Center and the new Health Occupations Center construction sites, providing a daily view of the construction compressed into a brief video. On the building projects site, click on either the ATTC link or the HOC link. The site also includes the latest updates on all upcoming LBCC bond related projects. The ATTC project includes a new building for the Heavy Equipment Diesel program and the creation of an Innovation Center to provide space for worker and industry training. Expected completion date is end of summer 2016. The new 42,000-square-foot Healthcare Occupations Center, located adjacent to COMP-NW Medical School in Lebanon, will consolidate LBCC’s medical programs in a single location. Expected completion date is spring of 2017.

Construction under way at the new
Health Occupations Center in Lebanon.

Bruce Clemetsen, vice president, Student Affairs, shared the following information on the College Coach program at LBCC: The College Coach program connects current LBCC students with K-12 students in their local communities. The program was started by an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer who was able to get the program off the ground and create a solid foundation from which the program continues to grow. Members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society are taking the lead in making sure College Coach continues to grow and thrive. Both PTK members and other LBCC student volunteers devote time from their busy schedules in local schools in two different formats. The first is tutoring, which is offered to local schools in a variety of subject areas (elementary, middle and secondary schools). The second is College Club, an after school program for elementary school students that is facilitated by LBCC students and engages participants in learning more about what it means to go to College, the wide range of opportunities available to them, and helps them build a relationship with a College mentor who can show them that College is an option. PTK students have been committed to offering these services in some of our local schools with the highest level of need to try to instill a college going culture from early on in a youth's education. As a capstone experience, College Club students take a field trip to the Albany campus to get a first hand look at what college life is like. K-12 students are not the only ones who benefit from the College Coach program, as the LBCC student volunteers also express learning a lot and building their own leadership and teaching skills in the process.


Randy Falk

After 25 years leading LBCC Men's Basketball and serving as the college athletic director in a part-time capacity, Randy Falk has been promoted to the position of athletic director on a full-time basis. Randy’s focus for the Athletic Department will continue to be on student academic success, competitive excellence and community outreach and engagement. Assistant coach Everett Hartman will assume the role of interim head basketball coach for the 2016-17 season. Everett has taught high school for the past 33 years and is retiring at the end of this year. He has 29 years of coaching experience, with 23 years at Philomath and West Albany High Schools. He also served as assistant coach for the Roadrunners in 2004-05 season and most recently in 2015-16 season.

Jenny Strooband, Animal Science program faculty member, was featured in a WalletHub article on the Kentucky Derby. The online publication posed several questions to a panel of leading experts, including how to better protect the health and well-being of race horses, what would help revive horse racing as a spectator sport, and who they thought would win the Kentucky Derby. Read Jenny's answers at: https://wallethub.com/blog/kentucky-derby-facts/20836/#jenny-strooband

An addendum to the Independent Association of Classified Employees contract allows for a bilingual pay incentive compensation to classified employees who demonstrate Spanish language proficiency, effective June 1. The incentive allows for a $140 per month stipend for full-time employees, with a prorated amount for less than full-time. In return, employees receiving compensation would be required to respond to requests for bilingual translation. Additional languages may be considered if a need arises. The added compensation supports efforts around the college’s core theme of cultural richness and strategic goal of equity, as well as the college values. 

Several faculty and staff are retiring over the next few months, leaving the college with a total of 222 years of combined service! A retirement celebration and reading of the resolutions will be held Wednesday, May 18 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Fireside Room, CC-211. Happy retirement to: Joseph Bailey, Kathy Body, Glen Brumbach, Kathy Chafin, Cynthia Currin, Cyrel Gable, Pam Gordon, Denis Green, Vern Jackson, Kevin Krefft, Jan Legris, Twila Lehman and Mark Weiss.

Artist and mural painter Rip Cronk has been commissioned to create and paint a mural on the east side of the Activities Center building. The mural will feature four LBCC student athletes, one from each athletic team, each in a posed shot depicting their sport. Measuring 27 feet high by 145 feet wide, it will take approximately 100 days to complete the mural. Take a walk and watch the progress over the next few months! More about Rip and his work: http://www.westland.net/venice/art/cronk/