OPERATIONS COUNCIL MINUTES October 12, 2015

Transcription

1 OPERATIONS COUNCIL MINUTES October 12, 2015 Attending: Roxana Ahmadifard Tamra Bell Hahli Clark Jodi Dahlke Marisa Geier Brendan Glaser Wendy Hall Eli Hayes Cliff Hicks Karen Joiner Sandy Junker Mary Kate Marthaller Chad Meadors Brandon Ray Kirc Roland Nichole Seroshek Janel Skreen Kendra Sprague Melinda Weatherford Nolan Wheeler Erin Zeiger Recorder, Linda Clark Nolan Wheeler called the meeting to order at 1:31 p.m. 1. UPDATE ON GOALS 2. MEETING TOPICS - CTCLink update - Nolan explained that he was at the state Commission meeting last week and attended a ctclink discussion about the problems that both Spokane and Tacoma have encountered during the conversion, as well as the cost over-runs. The basic takeaway was that all old data needs to be cleaned up before the Wave 1 conversions in August Spokane said they have spent approximately $1.6M in overtime to input correct data. The state ctclink staff feel comfortable that all of the bugs will be fixed prior to our go live date. Eli Hayes said that he will be attending the next meeting for the First Wave schools, so please feel free to contact him with questions and concerns. Amy Roloff Event Mary Kate explained that we hosted Amy Roloff last week and she spoke about diversity to an almost full auditorium. Since we--and the system-- are focused on diversity, this was a timely event. We will continue to look at ways to support diversity and equity on the campus. There was a health emergency at the event where the AED in the Rose Center was used. The campus now has four AEDs on campus in the Rose Center, Student Center, and Gymnasium-- with three more on order. The new units will be installed in the Health& Science Building, Head Start, and Don Talley. Emergency Preparedness Discussion Brendan explained that the Instruction team met last week to talk about specifics relating to emergency preparedness and Cabinet wanted to have the same type of meeting today. Brendan explained that It is important that everyone take steps now to protect themselves as we continue to refine our processes and procedures. Cabinet began working on increased preparedness this summer and, as a result, there is updated emergency preparedness information and safety videos on our website. We aren t focusing specifically on active shooters, but also on medical emergencies and other events, such as earthquakes. Everyone needs to realize that there is no "cook book" action for every event, so be as prepared as you can. Brendan distributed some information that resulted from the Instruction meeting. Wendy reported that she just signed the College up for a push alert system "Flash Alert." As soon as she gets the sign-up information, she will forward on to campus. College Relations is also working on posters that will go in every classroom with the main emergency information, and they are also finalizing the emergency management plan for the college. Please forward suggestions to her. Nolan explained that he and Janel have met with the Kelso Police Chief and will meet with the Longview Police Chief next week to discuss emergency preparedness and response from both the college and the police departments.

2 As a result of several meetings on campus, some immediate steps can be taken for personal safety, including: Ensuring that each employee has keys to lock their doors. We have a vendor scheduled in tomorrow to discuss key options and cost. Have faculty share the active shooter video (on our website) with their students. Research a room intercom/pa system Better signage on facilities, including maps at building entrances, as well as our online maps. Installing security camera Emergency Building Coordinators - These will be identified and updated. Training will need to be conducted. Continue to have small group training in each area The state-wide Washington Shake-out will be held on October 15 where all staff are encouraged to participate in earthquake preparedness. It was agreed to coordinate some of our online emergency alerts on that day. Suggestions/concerns resulting from the round table discussion: 1) Can we number buildings? 2) Can we make building names more identifiable? 3) Put the room number inside each room 4) How do we determine when to initiate intervention? What do individuals have to do or say? Janel said to please feel free to notify Security with any concerns. They are in contact with the BIT team and the police department. Document reasons for your concerns and forward to Security. 5) Don t hesitate to ask to see a student s ID card 6) Athletics coaches keep their eyes open at athletic events. Coaches take NWAC training on medical emergencies. 7) Both the Student Center staff and Library staff have concerns about non-students loitering on campus. 8) Ensure that Security knows when to lock and unlock buildings. 9) Every Department needs to talk about situations. Please communicate any facility concerns to Nolan and Janel. 10) Be cognizant of keeping doors locked 11) Make it routine to report unusual or concerning behaviors. Put efforts into BIT team in order to help individuals with problems. Need to get training on what should be reported. 12) The LCC website can and will be updated immediately in the case of an emergency 13) Our Emergency Plan can be printed from the website. The emergency posters that College Relations is making will have the most critical information from the emergency plan. 14) Can we have an armed resource officer on campus?

3 OPERATIONS COUNCIL REPORT - President s Office OCTOBER 2015 President Chris Bailey Margit Brumbaugh, International Program Hahli Clark, Business & Industry/Corporate Training Wendy Hall, Effectiveness and College Relations Erin Zeiger, Foundation Kendra Sprague, Human Resources CORE THEME I: WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Corporate Partnerships & Training was invited to speak at the ACT Work Ready Communities Best Practices Summit late September. Cowlitz County was the first county in the Work Ready Washington initiative to participate in the project. Using Common Ground as Your Lunch Pad shared the story of Cowlitz County and our work across industry sectors and organizations to help identify and bridge the skill gap between education programs and employers. More than 150 participants attended to learn more about how to develop their own leadership group to support the use of the National Career Readiness Certificate in their own counties. To learn more about the NCRC or Work Ready Communities, please visit workreadywa.org Mental Health First Aid training was delivered to 51 community members totaling 408 hours of training for the month of September. This brings the Mental Health First Aid training number up to 237 individuals with more than 1,890 hours of training since May Trainings are scheduled to happen in Cowlitz, Clark, Wahkiakum, and Skamania counties. To register for one of these trainings, please contact Leeann Curry at In collaboration with Aaron McNabb, Corporate Partnerships & Training delivered Mental Health Awareness training to 150+ Head Start employees and volunteers at the Head Start annual training. Mental Health Awareness: Responding to Crisis taught participants the skills to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders, learn about risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in a crisis situation, and where to turn for help in the local community. CORE THEME III: STUDENT ACCESS, SUPPORT and COMPLETION The Effectiveness & College Relations (E&CR) department hosted a welcome back activity for students on the first day of fall quarter. Under the new Pavilion, students were greeted with coffee, hot cider, doughnut holes, maps, and lots of volunteers from around the campus to answer questions. The E&CR team also provided you are here maps that were placed in various locations around the campus. Highlights from the 2015 Graduate Survey include: o 93% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they feel well prepared for their next step continuing education, work, or both, up from 87% the year before. o 93% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they achieved their educational objective at LCC. Up from 91% the year before. o 89% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they participated in meaningful learning experiences at LCC, up from 88% the year before. o 89% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they received high quality instruction in classroom settings at LCC, up from 86% the year before. o 83% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they received high quality instruction in laboratory settings at LCC, up from 81% the year before. o 78% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they received high quality in elearning (hybrid or online) courses at LCC, up from 76% the year before. o 88% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they would recommend LCC to a friend, the same as the prior year. o 92% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they were treated with respect as a learner at LCC, down from 93% the year before. o 91% of graduates agree or strongly agree that they were treated with respect as a person at LCC, down from 95% the year before.

4 The 2015 Scholarship Social is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5. Last year, the Foundation awarded over $270,000 in scholarships to students. The annual scholarship event brings donors and students together for an evening of celebration and thanks. We encourage faculty and staff to get involved by attending the event and greeting students and scholarship donors! Huge thanks to all the faculty and staff who participated and gave as part of the GiveMore24! Fundraising event to raise money for athletic scholarships. The 24 hour online giving campaign raised nearly $5,000 to support our student athletes! CORE THEME IV: INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE The Effectiveness & College Relations department recently released an all new, online and mobile friendly Emergency Handbook with updated Crisis Communication and Campus Closure procedures. There is also a detailed roles and responsibilities document for the Public Information Emergency Response Team that is accessible through the handbook. The Foundation recently accepted the donation of a five parcel piece of land on the river in Cathlamet appraised at roughly $500,000. The property will be immediately put up for sale and all sale proceeds will go to the Foundation s unrestricted fund, which is used to support grants and programs on campus. Last month, the Foundation celebrated the grand opening of the Minthorn International Art Gallery in the upstairs gallery in the Rose Center for the Arts. The new permanent collection is the bequest of Dr. and Mrs. H.H. Minthorn and features Chinese art. The collection will be a great addition to our growing international student program. Red Devil Wellness (RDW) continues the partnership with Willow Grove Gardens to bring a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program to LCC employees. The CSA program allows participants to pick up fresh, local produce at LCC each Thursday. It has run all summer and will go through October For September s lunch & learn, the HealthLinks Program offered information about Cancer Prevention. In addition, the week of faculty in-service was also wellness week so that faculty & staff could add some fun to their busy week. Wellness week consisted of a healthy BINGO challenge, community Poker Walk at Lake Sacajawea, and healthy potluck (burrito/salad bar) under our new outdoor pavilion. Human Resources helped welcome and orient a number of new employees and nine new faculty. HR provided training opportunities to employees on records management and retention schedules. A representative from the Washington State Archives Office came to campus and enlightened nearly 30 staff about the requirements of the record retention rules. During the faculty in-service week, Lew Bayer, from the Civility Experts Worldwide, offered an engaging seminar on Building a Culture of Civility for all full-time faculty and staff. The session was well attended and well received. HR also held a booth at the faculty resource fair. International Program: 1 new application (from China) received so far for Winter Qtr 2016, and 2 pending for Spring. Currently 75% of international students are from China. Recruitment this year will focus on students age 18 and over from other countries. Margit created and maintains an LCC Host Family Program Facebook group page which provides an easy, efficient, and centralized way to share information and resources that is helpful to host families and their students. IP staff hosted the first Welcome Night for Host Families and their students on Thursday, Sep. 24 th. This was a social event, with desserts and beverages, which provided opportunities for families to meet one another in person, share experiences, exchange ideas, and answer general questions. Margit is working with Instruction to develop an online and print presence for the LCC Intensive English Program. There is significant recruitment potential, especially in South America at present, for English programs. Margit and Chris will travel to Wako, Japan in October as part of a Sister City delegation, and to recruit students for the 2016 program with Atomi. Last year s inaugural program had 6 participants. This year s goal is participants for the Feb. 14-March 5 program.

5 We expect to host a delegation from Changzhou Institute of Tourism & Commerce (CTITC), in China to continue discussions on long-term collaboration. Margit will attend an agent fair on Dec to broaden student recruitment outreach to South America, Middle East/Africa, Europe, and Asia. OTHER TOPICS: New Hires/Changes: 9/1/2015 Sarah Griffith Director of elearning 9/1/2015 Melinda Weatherford Associate Dean of Learning Resources 9/1/2015 Katie Lane ECPS3/Lead Teacher (Head Start) 9/1/2015 Kristin Nunes ECPS3/Lead Teacher (Early Learning Center) 9/1/2015 Kami Collette Ed Planner, Running Start 9/1/2015 Eli Hayes ctclink Project Manager (Project - June 30, 2017) 9/1/2015 Eric Lane Assistant Athletic Director & Assistant Athletic Coach 9/1/2015 Heidi Patrick CEO Manager 09/14/2015 Maggie Stuart Business Instructor 09/14/15 Earnest "Trey" Batey Anthropology Instructor 09/14/15 Lucas Myers Biology Instructor 09/14/15 Jason Malozzi Math Instructor 09/14/15 Shari Samuels Math Instructor 09/14/15 Benjamino "Stefan" Rijnhart Computer Science Instructor 09/14/15 Becky Connolly English Instructor 09/14/15 Janell Haynes Hughes English Instructor 09/14/15 Elizabeth "Betsy" Richard Drama Instructor 09/14/15 Leah Moore Speech Instructor- One Year Temp 09/22/15 Maggie Berryman Custodian 3/Lead 09/22/15 Lyda Stetzer Custodian 3/Lead 09/24/15 Rebecca Boultinghouse ECPS2/Assistant Teacher (Head Start) 09/25/15 Sue Heath ECPS2/Assistant Teacher (Head Start)

6 LOWER COLUMBIA COLLEGE Administrative Nolan Wheeler, VP Services Desiree Gamble, Payroll Richard Hamilton, Campus Services Cliff Hicks, Auxiliary Services Brandon Ray, Information Technology Casey Tilton, Safety & Security OCTOBER 2015 OPERATIONS COUNCIL REPORTS CORE THEME III: STUDENT ACCESS, SUPPORT and COMPLETION Information Services staff worked with the nursing department to setup a video recording system so that students can record their interactions with mannequin simulators and review the recordings on demand. CORE THEME IV: INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE Information Technology Services: Setup single-sign-on (SSO) to work with the Campus Clarity training solution. At SBCTC s prompting, ITS setup the ability for the Finance Department to generate certain tax forms at the end of the year. Setup video conferencing for University partners to send and receive both a presenter/audience camera perspective and an actual presentation using two separate displays. Developed a database reporting tool to extract information from databases and automatically generate online reports for people who do not have licenses to use the application where the data is stored. Maintenance/Custodial/Grounds/Print Shop: 220 work orders were generated in the month of September and 163 work orders were closed. Parking lot refinishing on parking lot G was completed along with stripping on all the others parking lots to get ready for the influx of Fall traffic A wall and lockable door for the baseball team was completed with shelves in the upper area of the GYM behind the climbing wall. Head Start and HFL work order requests for their state and Federal inspections were completed. These included, painting, window screen repair, and whiteboard and tack board installations. Many hours also went into constructing playground toys for HFL along with building a track and repairing chipped areas in the play structures. CMS set up many back to school events in the month of September, requiring much assistance from custodial and grounds! A sealed bid sale is set for the week of October 12 th. We expect a great turnout! Minel is doing a fantastic job in the Print shop! He s taking care of the back log of orders and dealing with the large influx of pre-quarter materials with ease.

7 Safety & Security: Security Report: September Items Casey Tilton s service to LCC ended in Sept. Slight restructuring of the Behavioral Intervention Team Chad Meadors became new Student Conduct Officer Security is working on the creation and implementation of new procedures including scheduled patrols during daytime hours. Updating draft of the current Annual Security Report to include sections on prevention and reporting strategies for sex crimes. October Items: Finish update of the annual security report. Creation of emergency phone card for classrooms, listing emergency numbers. Updating Emergency Preparedness Procedures. Creation of interdepartmental computer misuse response and reporting procedures. Medical response procedure update. Creation of Emergency Preparedness Training, including active shooter. Creation of HIV training. Completion of the DOE Pollution Prevention Plan Continued work on self-audit of waste streams

8 OPERATIONS COUNCIL REPORT STUDENT SERVICES Kendra Sprague, Interim Vice President for Student Success Chad Meadors, Advising & Testing Jodi Dahlke, TRiO Educational Talent Search & Student Support Services Nichole Seroshek, Registration Marisa Geier, Financial Aid Mary Kate Morgan, Disability Support Services Roxana Ahmadifard, Student Programs October 2015 CORE THEME II: TRANSFER AND ACADEMIC PREPARATION TRiO Student Support Services and Educational Talent Search teamed up again this summer to put on their annual Summer Bridge program. This is a program designed for Educational Talent Search students who recently graduated from high school and are planning to attend LCC the following fall. TRiO had 9 students participate in last year s Summer Bridge program, and increased their numbers by 8 students with a total of 17 Summer Bridge participants for the program. Of the 17 Summer Bridge attendees, 9 wanted/needed to retake the math placement test. Those students attended math boot camps with math faculty and retook their tests at the end of Summer Bridge week. All 9 students scores increased with 6 of the 9 students testing into a higher math class. TRiO Student Support Services recently took a group of 7 students to the University of Oregon for a campus tour and admissions presentation. Advising and Testing staff scheduled nine extra New Student Orientation sessions prior to the start of fall quarter, based on the need to orient additional students after tuition was reduced, application fees were cancelled, and a very successful telephone retention program was implemented. Transfer student NSO sessions are normally limited to 14 students and regular student NSO sessions are normally limited to 24 students. CORE THEME III: STUDENT ACCESS, SUPPORT AND COMPLETION The annual College in the High School information and registration night at Woodland HS is scheduled for October 6 th at 5:30pm. Kyle Hammon and Nichole Seroshek will be presenting at the event. Current CHS course offerings for the year at Woodland HS include Pols&202, Hist&136, Hist&137, Biol&211, Biol&212 and Biol&213. TRiO Student Support Services took a group of 9 students to leadership and team building training at Tree to Tree Aerial Adventure Park. This activity proved successful by further developing the cohort model amongst TRiO SSS students. Four of the 9 students have created a study group and meet bi-weekly; something they had not done before attending the leadership training. There are currently 19 New Student Orientation sessions scheduled for winter quarter. Sessions begin November 23 and will run through the week prior to winter classes beginning. A new online video version of New Student Orientations is currently in the works. Advising and Testing staff hope to have the first video ready for preview in November. CORE THEME IV: INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE A new student satisfaction survey is being drafted by Advising and Testing staff. They anticipate the final draft will be ready in late October or early November. TOPICS OF INTEREST ENROLLMENT Enrollment as of close of business : State FTE for fall quarter is 2383, compared to 2627 on the same date last year (-9.3%). The cross-divisional Enrollment and Retention Workgroup is finalizing their analysis of current practices and will be making recommendations about guided pathways and resources for our students. TRiO Educational Talent Search graduated over 60 students from the academic year. 30 of those students have enrolled at LCC and are attending fall quarter.

9 RECOGNITION/PERSONNEL Longtime Financial Aid Office employee, Betty Sjoblom, retired recently. Staff sent her off with hugs, smiles, best wishes, a potluck and a set of decorative wine glasses. Chad Meadors, Director of Advising & Testing and Women s Basketball Coach, has taken on some temporary additional duties as Student Conduct Officer until a new Director of Safety and Security is hired. The full moon in September delivered plenty of issues to christen his additional workload, but Chad managed to rise above the chaos that was thrown his way! Shalaina (Joiner) Williams has a new name, but the same duties in Advising and Testing. STUDENT ACTIVITIES/ATHLETICS TRiO Educational Talent Search will take a group of 9 th and 10 th grade students to Central Washington University on October 9 th for a campus tour and admissions presentation. UPCOMING EVENTS AND IMPORTANT DATES NOTE: October is fall council and commission meeting month for most state groups. Student Services departments may have some minor service impacts in mid-october, as various Student Services staff members will be out for 2-3 days at a time at various times and dates mid-october attending their various state meetings. Services will continue, but may be limited in a few cases. September 28 AEW Academic Early Warning begins October 2 Last day to withdraw and avoid a W on transcript October 9 50% refund cutoff October 21 Graduation application deadline for fall quarter November 8 AEW Academic Early Warning ends November 9 60% point of the quarter November 11 Holiday-No classes November 13 Last day to withdraw from fall quarter classes November 13 Winter quarter priority registration for veterans and their dependents November 16 Priority registration appointments begin for winter November 23 Open registration begins for winter November 23 Priority application deadline for winter quarter Financial Aid November Holiday-no classes December 1 Winter quarter admission application deadline for degree and certificate seeking students

10 OPERATIONS COUNCIL REPORT INSTRUCTION October 2015 Brendan Glaser, Vice President of Instruction Darlene devida, Dean of Instructional Programs Kyle Hammon, Dean of Instructional Programs Karen Joiner, Executive Dean & Director of Nursing Melinda Weatherford, Associate Dean of Learning Resources Tamra Bell, Director of Workforce Programs and Career Services Sarah Griffith, Director of elearning Sandy Junker, Director of Head Start Core Theme I: Workforce & Economic Development Career and Employment Services: Career and Employment Services staff are planning three campus wide career events. The quarterly events will include the following: Fall: Career Options in Healthcare, Winter: Human Resource panel of industry professionals, and Spring: Career & Networking Fair on April 19 th, Career staff worked to design and update 13 documents designed to assist students with career related issues specific to career development and job search (e.g. resumes, portfolios, interviewing, and networking). These user-friendly documents are utilized in workshops, class presentations, and similar activities to help forward endeavors for ensuring students participate in early career planning. These documents will soon be available on the LCC Career Center webpage. Since July 2015, Career & Employment Services staff have seen 583 scheduled and drop-in appointments specifically for career exploration, financial aid, and job search related services to students and community members. Career Pathways/Advisory Committee and Employer Engagement: The annual Advisory Committee Appreciation/Kickoff meetings are set for October 20 th -22 nd. Twelve advisory committees consisting of 160 employees/employers and LCC faculty will gather for their first meeting of the year to discuss how LCC s professional-technical programs are strengthening our community and local workforce as well as gather feedback for program improvement by identifying training, skills, and equipment needs. Career Pathways staff, in partnership with the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Career Development Consortia, are planning the annual Business Education Roundtable. The event is set for October 15 th at the Longview Library Auditorium. Approximately 70 K-12 educators and area employers will meet to hear presentations given by local Career Technical Education Directors on challenges facing upcoming high school graduates. In addition, Scott Baily, Regional Economist will discuss job growth projections. Worker Retraining: In September, workforce staff attended the state Worker Retraining Conference held in Olympia. Dani Trimble, Workforce Services Manager, served on the state steering committee for the conference and presented two breakout sessions titled Retention & Completion: How and Why We Do It and Enrollment Support Strategies. An additional 21 FTEs have been added to the Worker Retraining allocation, for a total of 92 FTES for the year. Although enrollment in Worker Retraining has slowed, recruiting efforts are underway to reach to reach out to veterans, dislocated workers, displaced homemakers, and underemployed students.

11 Basic Food, Employment & Training (BFET): The BFET program continues to recruit and enroll a high percentage of new students through referrals from DSHS. Enrollment during Fall quarter has increased nearly 10% over Spring quarter A welcome back social event was hosted for new and returning students the first week of classes and offered students the opportunity to connect with staff, learn about resources, and network with other students. The event was a success with more than half of all BFET students in attendance. B&I and Continuing Education: Lower Columbia College was awarded a $55,000 Job Skills Program Grant for to offer Lean Manufacturing, leadership and communication skills training, and job analysis and skill assessment development for Northwest Motor Services. The Longview Company provides service and an inventory of motors, motor drives and pumps to industrial plants. It has experienced rapid growth, more than tripling its revenue in the past two years. NW Motors is currently in the process of building a larger facility that can handle requests it has received for handling larger industrial motors. It expects to be at its new location by June Continuing Education offered three workforce training classes in September. Thirty Home Health Aides completed required continuing education classes Sept. 21 and six individuals completed the Traffic Flagger Certification Sept. 22, a Washington Department of Transportation regulated occupation. Core Theme II: Transfer & Academic Preparation Mathematics: Dawn Draus and Terri Skeie completed the design and development of YouPrep Online Math Placement Refresher Course Terri Skeie and Joel Stetzer are teaching the pilot quarter of MATH 087/097 Essentials of Pre-College Math II/III Science: The week of Sept 8-11, seven students participated in the dissection of the new cadaver with Rhonda Meyers. Transitional Studies: With the support of an Exceptional Faculty Grant, Jill Yates organized a Team Teacher Training session for I-BEST/content faculty teams on September 16th. Ten instructors, representing six I-BEST team teaching teams participated. The training was facilitated by I-BEST instructors and long-time team teaching partners Amy Spain and Sue Akins-Fields. The highly successful training led to a discussion on the value of blanket CASAS testing I-BEST classes to enable eligible students to access to I-BEST support classes while earning 1.75 FTE for the college. CASAS testing is underway and the results will be in by the first of October. Core Theme III: Student Access, Support & Completion Early Learning Center Ann Williamson is working on two committees setting the Standards of Employment for: General Education Para s and Special Education Para s. Findings will go to Legislators in December or January. Next step on the agenda is to create the who and how the training is done. Ann s hope is for the college to play a part in this. Michaela Jackson and Ann partnered with Longview School district for a grant from Southwest Early Learning to bring together Kindergarten teachers and Early Care providers with the goal to bridge the gap between the K-12 system and the Early Learning Community. This will occur toward the end of October. The LCC Early Learning Center recently upgraded the infant/toddler outdoor playground to include new climbing equipment, a new sand box, increased safe fall-zone areas and a bike track. The children are benefiting greatly from this remodel project. The Early Learning Center provides full-day childcare for LCC students, staff and faculty and is a lab for over 40 LCC students each quarter. Nursing: Several nursing faculty members attended a four-hour workshop at St. John Medical Center on Wednesday, September 16 to learn the new electronic medical records system that is now in place at PeaceHealth. Students will also be oriented to the new system. The Simulation Lab, HSB 241 is up and running with new high-fidelity mannequins. Simulations can now be recorded as cameras and microphones are in place; this allows for review and debriefing after the simulation activity. Some refinements and final improvements are still in process. Jeanne Hamer and Nikki Warthen have worked together over the summer on the Sim Lab project, funded by an Exceptional Faculty grant.

12 Learning Commons and elearning The first week of fall quarter in the Learning Commons was extremely busy. Compared to the first week of fall quarter last year, there were 53% more visits to the Learning Commons, 107% more tutoring appointments scheduled, and 115% more new tutoring clients registered. The Learning Commons first Saturday of fall quarter was also exceptionally busy with 114 visits between 10 am and 2 pm. One hundred sixty Open Educational Resource (OER) Psychology textbooks have been ordered for Psychology courses this fall. Student cost savings are currently being calculated by the bookstore. This increased use of OER is generating cost savings for students and increasing profits for the LCC bookstore. Beginning fall quarter, students can now make appointments to sit down with a tutor for a one-on-one overview of Canvas and online classes. elearning and Canvas questions are being tracked for the first time through the same statistic keeping software used by Tutoring and Library Services. This will aid in the development assessment methods for the elearning program. Transitional Studies At the request of the Career Center, Jill Yates and Theresa Stalick met with Gina McConnell-Otten from the Post Prison Education Program and Carl Cecka from the Goodwill on September 23 rd. Discussion centered around ways to provide educational opportunities and support for the post-prison population leading up to and following their release. In an effort to continue convenient access to long-standing ABE and ESL classes in Woodland, the Woodland School District is providing unlimited access to two portables near the primary school. Campus Services and the IT Department have been instrumental in getting these classrooms up and running in short order, for fall quarter. Student Success Grant: To support enrollment and retention efforts, the Student Success Grant continues to assist students with financial assistance and counseling support. Due to increased awareness and student need, participation in the program has increased significantly. Thus far in Fall quarter, a total of 73 students have been awarded textbook assistance and $23, has been spent. Opportunity Grant: The Opportunity Grant program continues to support students in high-wage professional-technical programs through their first 45 credits. Thirty-three students were awarded for Fall with a total of 55 students receiving assistance with tuition, books, supplies, and academic support. Career Pathways: Career Pathways staff are currently registering local high school students for Tech Prep credit as well as explore new articulation options. Evergreen School District is examining a possible agreement for American Sign Language that can be utilized in meeting the Professional-Technical Diversity requirement. Core Theme IV: Institutional Excellence 25Live: LCC s new room scheduling software, 25Live, is on track for full implementation by January The 25Live Webpage has been completed which provides employees with a central location to login and tips on using the system. In September over 100 employees participated in trainings and the Sign-In launch party. Additional trainings will be held weekly in October to orient employees with the new system. To date, employees have created over 90 non-academic events, with hundreds of occurrences, in 25Live. Academic scheduling will occur at the end of October. University Center: The University Center currently has 64 students enrolled in Bachelor/Graduate programs. This is a huge jump compared to this time last year when the center was serving 12 students. Warner Pacific will begin a new program, BS in Healthcare Administration in January 2016.

13 Tier 1 Partners - Overall Enrollment WSU-V 16% City University 11% EWU 36% Warner Pacific 37% Tier 1 Partners - Program Enrollment WSU- V - BS Nursing CU - BA Education WP - MMOL WP - BS Human Development EWU - MBA EWU - BA Children s Studies EWU - BS Applied Technology EWU - BA Interdisciplinary Studies EWU - BA Business Administration The University Center will be working with various departments across campus to create advising pathways. These advising pathways will assist students in knowing what classes to take so they can transfer to a University after graduation or in the future. The University Center will be working with partners to install general use computers for all current and future University Center students. Language & Literature Department: Amber Lemiere will present her strategies for giving audio feedback on papers at the NW elearning conference in Olympia in October. Becky Connolly and Amber Lemiere developed a team building exercise that helped department faculty to understand their various strengths. This will help the Language and Literature department to move forward more mindfully when working together and will allow the conscious pairing of people with tasks that will enable them to thrive. The Language and Literature department worked on norming and aligning their expectations for English 102, which will eventually translate to updating the outcomes and developing a shared rubric. They also shared assignment prompt best practices, which clarified expectations of our 101 students (which will eventually translate to updating the 101 outcomes and developing a shared rubric). Amber Lemiere, Mavourneen Rister, and J Haynes-Hughes are actively strengthening connections with the writing tutors and participated in the tutor training during in-service week. Amber Lemiere and Melinda Weatherford completed an MLA project this summer. Mavourneen Rister created a first-year seminar class for TRIO and is developing one for the International program. Amber Lemiere is teaching in a new integrated studies class this term with Michael Kohlmeier. Nicole DiGerlando completed an OER project, researching open educational resources and creating a fully OER English 101.

14 Amber Lemiere is developing new English 101 curriculum. Klint Hull attended World Con, a science fiction convention. He got to see hundreds of science fiction writers and to attend discussion panels on science fiction-related issues. What he learned will influence this year's Nano Con. J Haynes-Hughes & Becky Connolly have revised the rubric outcomes for precollege English. They have also developed the mastery outcomes grade book in CANVAS, which is now online for use by all of the precollege English instructors. Mark Gaither is publishing Alex Emerson s two Spanish grammar books. Alex Emerson spent time in California walking Olvera Street, renewing her relationship with the Spanishspeaking culture. Transitional Studies: 24 of 32 Transitional Studies Department faculty members attended one of two fall faculty meetings on September 21st. Activities included using the WABERS+ data base to better serve students, reviewing updated student and faculty handbooks, and a contextualized lesson plan training facilitated by Department Chair, Michal Ann Watts. Topics of Interest Recognition / Personnel Trey Batey has been hired as our new Anthropologist. Courtney Shah s has published a new book titled Sex Ed Segregated. Dawn Draus and Terri Skeie finished their MS degrees from Utah State University in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences. Jason Malozzi and Shari Samuels started their new tenure track positions in the Math department. Nicole DiGerlando completed a certificate in elearning design & development through Renton. Katrina Fuller completed her Certificate in elearning Design and Development for Community College Educators (18 CEU). The Transitional Studies Department welcomed seven new employees this month including adjunct faculty members April Lacoursiere, Jin Sun-Sung, James Hamill, Dr. Amy Schendel, Daryl Pipkin and Lance Randall as well as our new Road Tester, Julia Graves. With the help of volunteers from LCC staff, Axiall, Weyerhaeuser, Longview Police, Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue, Hannah Burrelson and her R.A. Long High School Science Club, and WSU Cowlitz County Master Gardeners Family STEM night had over 300 community participants. Financial support was given by Northwest Motor Service and the LCC Foundation. Upcoming Events October 1 October 15, Art Gallery presents works by artists David Cordes and Sam Morroquin; held in Rose Center Art Gallery; 10 am 6 pm Mondays and Tuesdays; 10 am 4 pm Wednesdays and Thursdays (closed Fridays) October 13, 5:30 pm 7 pm, Financial Planning Seminar: Should You Still Trust: Are Trusts Still Useful in Your Estate Plan? held in the Health and Science Building, Room 123 October 14, 2:30 pm 4 pm, Money $mart 3 Check it Out held in Admissions, Room 120 October 15, 8:30 am 12:30 pm, Grant Writing and Fundraising Series held in the Administration Building, Heritage Room October 16, Biology, Chemistry, and Math faculty attending Systems Biology Workshop with the goal of integrating Big Data into STEM curriculum October 19, 1 pm 2 pm, Career Workshop: Networking! held in Admissions, Room 120 October 21, 2:30 pm 4 pm, Money $mart 4 Money Matters held in Admissions, Room 120 October 24, 9 am 1 pm, Grant Writing and Fundraising Series held in the Administration Building, Heritage Room October 26, 1 pm 2 pm, Career Workshop: Be Your Own Boss, part 1, held in Admissions, Room 120 October 28, 2:30 pm 4 pm, Money $mart 5 To your Credit! Charge it Right! held in Admissions, Room 120 October 30, 1 pm 2pm, Career Workshop: Volunteer! held in Admissions, Room 120

15 Auxiliary Program Head Start Head Start/Early Head Start Federal Audit: October 20 th and 21 st is the next Federal Audit of the program reviewing the Health/Safety regulations of classrooms, facilities and playgrounds. There will be two reviewers coming on October 20 th and will be touring all 8 facilities, completing bus inspections and interviewing the Director, Health Specialist and Transportation Manager. SLC Facility: We are in negotiations with the Longview School District regarding the Structured Learning Center as an additional location for our program to serve West Longview. This facility will give us three classrooms, a parent room, needed office space, food service kitchen and grounds to provide a playground. If all goes well, we would like to have the renovations completed by July Staff Moving On: Dianne Bagby, our Early Head Start Supervisory, has submitted her letter of resignation effective December 31, Dianne has been with our program for 25 years and has done an amazing job for us. She is planning to enjoy retirement with her husband. Carey Thies (Moe), our Administrative Services Manager, has also submitted her resignation effected February 5 th, Carey is planning to be a stay at home mother with her new blended family. New Hires: Kate Gehring has accepted the position as lead teacher, and Rebecca Boultinghouse has accepted the Classified Teacher Assistant position. This classroom is held at our LCC East Center and will begin October 5 th. Sue Ellen Heath has also accepted the 2 nd Classified Teacher Assistant position in Castle Rock, which leaves us with an opening for a P/T hourly Teacher Assistant. Head Start/EHS/ECEAP Fully Enrolled: We are currently fully enrolled throughout the program. We are expecting a large waitlist of children. Staff are continuing to be trained for positions as they are hired. Infant-Kindergarten Conference: November 14, 2015 is the 4 th Annual Early Learning Conference being held at Lower Columbia College and put on by a committee of community members. We have a strong lineup of workshop presenters with an array of different workshops that will interest early learning professionals, parents, elementary staff and community members. Registration is now open through Lower Columbia College Community Ed.