2000s
In November 2000, voters passed a $19.1 million bond measure that replaced a 1994 expiring bond for $11 million. With this, LBCC was able to build the East Linn Workforce Development Center, move the Sweet Home Center into the new Sweet Home High School building, renovate the Benton Center and build a $3 million multipurpose building on the main campus. Bond funds also made possible the purchase of the seven-acre Lucky 7 Stables located at 2958 53rd Ave. S.W., in Albany, only a short distance from the college. The facility is now home to the horse management program.Three new programs were added in 2000 - medical unit secretary, pharmacy technician and wine and food technology.
In 2001, the construction and forestry equipment technology, animal technology/dairy management, employment skills and medical receptionist programs were begun.
The instructional assistant and 911/emergency dispatch programs began in 2002, and CNC certification within the machine tool technology program began in 2003.
Samaritan Health Services had long been a strong supporter of LBCC's Nursing Program, but the health care crisis of the early 2000s led to creation of a new partnership. Aided by a grant from the Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation, a new regional health career training center was established in Lebanon. The center offers training programs in pharmacy technology, phlebotomy, radiology, certified nursing assistant and related fields. Classes are taught at the LBCC East Linn Workforce Development Center and in the new and remodeled space at Lebanon Community Hospital, which includes mock patient units. The hospital provides equipment and professional mentoring and LBCC provides instructors and programs. Phlebotomy and nursing assistant courses began there in January 2003; pharmacy technician classes began in August. The next phase involved new construction at the hospital to provide clinical training space for radiology; this was completed in 2003.
Between 1998 and 2003 the number of full-time students at LBCC increased nearly 43 percent. At a time when its services were in peak demand, however, LBCC faced the most severe economic challenge in its history. To address the escalating revenue shortfalls of 2002, the college budget for 2002-03 had to be reduced by $1.3 million. To do this 178 class sections were eliminated, 11 full-time staff positions were eliminated and tuition was raised $4 per credit. In September 2002, during an unprecedented fifth Special Legislative Session, community college funding for self-improvement classes such as non-credit art, music and local history was eliminated, resulting in another $325,000 loss to LBCC. Early December marked an additional $126 million shortfall for Oregon, prompting Governor Kitzhaber to call for additional across-the-board cuts to public services - including community colleges - in order to balance the state budget.
In December 2002, the LBCC Board of Education approved $2.8 million in program and service reductions for FY 2003-04. Cuts included elimination of another 201 classes and reduction of the summer school program from 10 weeks to eight. The college's extended learning centers in Albany, Corvallis and East Linn experienced reduced programming and offered fewer self-improvement courses. Cuts included elimination of 30 staff positions, including managers, faculty and classified employees. Faculty development and inservice programs were limited as were access to career planning, counseling and remedial services for students. Instructional equipment replacement and instructional technology budgets were reduced to their basic minimums. Custodial, food and maintenance services were also seriously impacted.
Between 1994-95 and 2002-03, LBCC tuition increased 59.4 percent, compared with an increase of 90.8 percent over all community colleges in Oregon during that same time period. In 2000-01, tuition at LBCC was $38 per credit; by fall term 2003, it had reached $50 per credit. An increase of $7 per credit during 2003 represented the largest dollar increase in the history of LBCC.
Student reliance on federal aid increased during these years as well. Students received $7,166,685 in 2000-01 - an average of $3,358 for each of 2,134 students. In 2001-02, the number increased to 2,466 students receiving an average of $3,237, for a total of $7,982,565. The financial figures rose sharply in 2002-03, with $10,511,884 in federal student aid going to 2,766 students at a per-student average of $3,800.
Responding to state and federal budget cuts, the LBCC Family Resource Center switched to a fee-based support system in summer 2003 and opened to the public. Services were expanded to include full-time programs for children ages 18 months through kindergarten and care for children ages 5 to 10 on public school inservice days. The LBCC Foundation provided childcare access grants to student parents.
During this time, proposed changes to the retirement system motivated an unusually large number of retirements among the contracted faculty and staff. In 2002-03, 33 employees retired, more than the number who retired in the three preceding years combined. At the end of the year, LBCC had 39 fewer contracted employees and 42 fewer part-time non-contracted employees.
In September 2003 Dr. Rita Cavin was hired as president of LBCC. The first woman to head the college, Dr. Cavin came to LBCC from Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif., where she was vice president of instruction.
Also in September 2003, the LBCC Foundation announced the kick-off of a $10 million Comprehensive Gifts Campaign. Goals for the campaign included support for short-term needs, endowments and capital projects. Donations had been credited to the campaign as early as 1999, and by the time of the campaign's public kick-off more than $7 million had been raised. A $500,000 donation was earmarked for renovation of Takena Theater, which was renamed the Russell Tripp Performance Center in honor of the donor. The Foundation also raised funds for scholarships, student emergency funds and teaching excellence awards.
A fire broke out at the Workforce Education Building just before 1 a.m. on December 4, 2003, causing damages totaling $1 million. No one was injured in the fire, which was set in a trash receptacle outside the building and spread into the building via the attic. Eventually 37 firefighters from Albany, Tangent, Scio and Lebanon responded to the blaze. Two 19-year-old LBCC students were arrested in connection with the fire. College officials decided that retrofitting the building would be less costly than demolishing it and starting over, so only the damaged north wing was rebuilt. The rest of the building's interior received extensive restoration work due to water and smoke damage. The 20 or so displaced staff and the 50 to 60 students who used the building on a daily basis were shuffled to temporary locations around campus. The Fireside Room was converted to temporary office space for the employees, and the Adult Basic Skills and English as a Second Language departments operated out of the Multicultural Center. During reconstruction, bond funds were used to expand the building to house Printing Services. The building reopened in January 2005 with a new name-Luckiamute Center.
Construction began on North Santiam Hall in December 2004 and was finished in time for winter term classes in January 2006. The 22,000 square-foot building houses the Arts and Communications Division with 10 multipurpose classrooms and 14 staff offices. Display cases and wall space are used to showcase student art work and outside exhibits. The modern building has skybridges connecting the second floor to the main building and high-tech wireless connections for student use.
In the summer of 2005, the Activities Center was remodeled, adding approximately 5,000 square for a weight room and a multipurpose classroom. The womens locker room was also remodeled, adding an additional 250 square feet and individual shower stalls. A new aerobics and workout room was added using existing space. The center was opened in time for fall classes.
Several building on the Albany campus were also renamed in the summer of 2005. The former Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) building was renamed to South Santiam Hall and the Learning Resource Center to Willamette Hall.
In the summer of 2006, the bookstore and Training and Business Development Center (TBDC) were remodeled, adding an additional 1,800 square feet to each. During construction, the bookstore temporarily moved to IB-120 and TBDC moved to the Fireside Room. The atrium outside the bookstore was removed and is now an enclosed patio, providing student gathering space. The bookstore also added a convience store inside, and is now ADA compliant. TBDC's remodel included individual staff offices and a new conference room.
The second floor of Takena Hall was also remodeled in the summer of 2006 and now houses the Nursing Department, which moved from the Health Occupations (HO) building. A new nursing and computer lab, simulated training room, classrooms and nursing faculty offices were completed in time for fall classes. Educational Partnerships also moved from the College Center to the second floor of Takena Hall.
Also in the summer of 2006, the first floor of HO was remodeled and now houses Campus Security, TRIO Student Support Services, Student Assessment and the Office of Disability Services.
