Chabad of Salem: Local efforts to aid rescue In Nepal

Photo courtesy of Chabad.org

The world was struck with the news of one of the most catastrophic earthquakes in the last century, rocking the Richter scale with a 7.8 magnitude shake. While rescue attempts are still underway, over 7,000 lives have been claimed, many more still missing, and over 14,000 injured.

With a population of 27 million, Nepal has more displaced people than the means to take care of after the quake on April 25. An estimated 8 million have been affected, according to the United Nations, and over 70,000 houses destroyed. In a 2014 report published by the UN Development Program, the Nepalese economy was ranked 145 on a list of 187 countries. 

Despite its poor economy, it is rich in culture and has a thriving tourist industry. Home to the Himalayas and Mount Everest, Nepal has more than 240 peaks over 20,000 feet high. Accompanied by vast countryside and sprawling lakes, hikers and climbers from all over the world seek adventure in its lands. Many of those tourists are still missing, making this tragedy a worldwide affair.

Chabad Jewish Center of Salem is part of the international organization known as Chabad Lubavitch. With branches in 65 different countries, they head relief efforts for victims of disaster. They have been helping to send support and donations to their sister-location, Chabad of Nepal.

“It’s pretty amazing, the work they’re doing,” said Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Perlstein, co-director of Chabad of Salem. 

Just three weeks ago Rabbi Perlstein’s brother was in Nepal with Rabbi Chezky Lifshitz, co-director of Chabad of Nepal with wife Chani Lifshitz, celebrating the Jewish holiday Passover. The news of the quake has hit close to home, motivating Rabbi Perlstein to start a social media campaign collecting money to help the Lifshitz’s efforts. 

On April 29, Rabbi Lifshitz took a helicopter loaned by local authorities on a rescue mission to 50 Israelis stranded in a remote village with no food, water, or electricity. He was successfully able to airlift 25 survivors to Kathmandu and 25 others to intact villages in the Dhunche region.

“Because he has backing from communities all over the world, he has been able to pull resources even the government hasn’t been able to do,” said Rabbi Perlstein.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Lifshitz has been feeding an average of 2,000 displaced persons a day at the Chabad House in Kathmandu. Many of them are sleeping in their facilities until they can locate family members. 

With phone lines still unstable, Mrs. Lifshitz’s Facebook page has become a bulletin for survivors. Some are posting their whereabouts announcing their safety, and others are posting pictures of their missing loved ones in hopes that someone has seen them. Daily updates to survivor lists are being made as new rescues are made.

“We’re trying in every way to reach people, to bring them to safety; in the air, at sea, on land, on motorcycles,” Mrs. Lifshitz wrote on her page.

With the threat of aftershocks still a possibility, the Lifshitz’s have stayed in the danger zone to help as many people as they can. Their three children have temporarily been taken in by Reuven Rivlin, president of Israel, while they continue working to make a bad situation better.

“Dear Chezky and Chani Lifshitz, thank you for your unbelievable and shining service. You are an example to all of us and an inspiration to humanity,” wrote Avraham Berkowitz on her Facebook page.

Donations can be made to both Chabad.org and the Red Cross.

LBCC Taking Care of Students and Redefining New Visual Communication Program

President Greg Hamann attended a meeting with the American Association of Community Colleges last week, with an emphasis on conversations about the Graphic Arts catalog error.

"I start with a sincere apology to all who have been negatively impacted by a series of otherwise well-intended actions that together led to this very regrettable and unacceptable outcome," he wrote to staff upon his return on Friday, April 24.

After conversation with the AACC, Hamann has reported back to the faculty and staff that the time frame to honor a degree in Visual Communication has been extended.

"The LBCC catalog is a kind of contract between us and our students and so, even when it's contents are in error, we have a responsibility to live up to what we promised," he wrote.

Earlier in the week, the school announced that they would honor the Visual Communication degree if students could get their credits completed by spring of 2016. It now appears all students enrolled since the 2013 program suspension will get what they came to LBCC to earn.

Last week advisors spoke with each of the 22 students currently enrolled in the program to go over their individual options.

Lynn Tackett, a second-year student who originally spoke to The Commuter the day after the news broke, has since been reassured that her 12 hour days, four days a week on campus have not been wasted. She will earn her degree this June.

"I got a phone call [on April 23] and my advisor said everything looks good, I'm good to go," said Tackett.

Taylor Seidlitz is in his third-year of the program. He spoke with his advisor and will also be graduating this June.

"I don't have much to worry about, I'll be getting the degree I want," said Seidlitz. "I kind of wanted my degree to say Graphic Arts on my resume because that's my emphasis, but Visual Communication is the broader spectrum."

Lewis Franklin, Graphic Arts department chair, will be working with the college to redefine a similar program in the future.

"Are we going to go through the process of a new AAS? Yes. What form it will take we don't know yet," said Franklin.

During the process to re-accredit a Visual Communication program, the school will need to prove viability as if the program never existed and create it from scratch, according to Franklin. The process could take several years.

"If everything goes as it's supposed to, it will probably be spring of 2017. That's my hope."

In the mean time, the catalog error has been fixed and no new students are able enroll. The redefined program will have to be approved by both the state and the Board of Education before new students will be accepted.

Franklin doesn't know how the mistake happened, but did have knowledge that the program had been suspended but didn't know it was discontinued. He even submitted paperwork to administration he thought was helping to release the suspension.

"I did all that I was under the impression I was supposed to do. It went beyond my step because I don't deal with accreditation."

Despite all the confusion, Franklin's first priority was his students.

"I'm just glad all the students are getting taken care of," he continued, "As long as [their degree] has something that says Visual Communication/Graphic Arts they're kind of synonymous, at least in the industry."

He is confident that the staff and faculty of the department will still have jobs and that classes will continue for the Digital Imaging certificate in the interim.

LBCC: Damage Control in Full Effect After Terminated Program Discovery

LBCC Graphic Arts students have had a lot to digest since April 15, when they were told the degree program they were enrolled in technically didn't exist.

In 2013, a budget cut of $3 million resulted in the program, and several others, being suspended or scaled back. Stemming from an error in the school's catalog, in which the AAS degree in Graphic Arts still appeared, students have continued enrolling in the program.

President Greg Hamann ultimately made the decision to suspend the program, and when doing so, he believed that the process to discontinue all promotional materials had taken place.

"Somehow it ended up back in the catalog," said Hamann. "Obviously it's an error on the part of the college and I don't know how it was made yet."

Since last week when Dave Becker, dean of Business, Applied Technology and Industry, broke news to the students of the college's discovery, administrators have been scrambling to figure out how to take care of the 22 students currently enrolled in the program.

"I think we did the right thing in telling students as soon as we knew. I think the weakness to that was that we told them before we had solutions," said Dale Stowell, executive director of Institutional Advancement.

At first it seemed that the students would get either a Visual Communication degree or an Associate of General Studies. The determining factor was if the students were enrolled before or after the 2013 suspension.

Students reacted in anger and insult.

Some questioned whether they wanted the new degree at all. Others worried if their credits would be honored if they transferred to another college offering the degree they wanted. Many were concerned about the money they had spent, or had been loaned, to pay for classes.

The school now has solutions.

"Any student who had the graphic design major and received federal financial aid, they will have no obligation to pay that," said Stowell. "Certainly anything that will not serve their future we will refund."

For students who decide that they would rather not continue their education, Stowell confirmed that all courses will be refunded. For those that want to transfer to a school offering their major, they will be refunded for the non-transferable credits. Cost of fees, tuition, and materials will all be included.

"We've got advisers that will be reaching out to students this week and individually evaluating their options," said Stowell.

There are two reasons the classes were still being offered on campus. The first is that the one-year certificate program for Digital Imaging is still accredited. The second is due to a mandatory "teach-out" period of three years after the Graphic Arts program suspension, ensuring enrolled students were given opportunity to complete the degree.

Where the ball was dropped no one knows for sure.

"We had some turnover and transition in structure and leadership when this catalog was getting put together," said Stowell.

At the time of the suspension the dean of instruction and the dean of the Graphic Arts program both left. Fingers are pointed at their departure leaving the program in limbo and resulting in the process to re-accredit it not taking place.

"I know it's a cliche but it really was a perfect storm of changes, which again, is not an excuse for what happened," said Stowell.

In July of 2014 Sally Moore took over the position of dean of instruction and is essentially the dean of deans. In her new role she has been looking over processes at LBCC. She feels they have already identified what the school can do in the future to avoid such a situation again.

The 2015-16 catalog will now be checked by several departments within LBCC and the Board of Education, according to Moore. Until now, the process that allowed the IT department to make boxes available for students to "check" when declaring a major was verified only by what was in the catalog. Moore assures this process has now been adjusted.

At this point it seems the Visual Communication program will not be offered in next year's catalog either. Students currently enrolled will be allowed to complete the degree, if they can complete needed credits by spring of 2016.

Planning is underway as to what the future of a similar degree program at LBCC may be.

The school is reassuring students that despite the misrepresentation in the catalog regarding the degree itself, all courses they have taken are accredited. It was simply the package of classes bundled into a degree that was not accredited.

Moore also noted that even though students are upset that their degree will not physically say "graphic arts," employers should not hold it against them. In fact, the current industry term has shifted from graphic arts to visual communication.

"What the employer looks at is your portfolio and your transcript, so the evidence is abundant beyond that," said Moore.

Oversight at LBCC Leaves Terminated Graphic Arts Program Active for Two Years

Lewis Franklin - Photo by Chris Trotchie 

On Wednesday, April 15, the graphic arts students arrived to their classes for what they thought would be just another day. What they were told changed everything they thought they were working to accomplish at LBCC.

There was apparently an error - the AAS Graphic Arts degree doesn't exist.

Dave Becker, dean of business, applied technology and industry, spoke to the students enrolled in the Associates of Applied Science Graphic Arts program and broke the bad news. None of them will get the degree that they came to LBCC to earn.

In 2013 the program was officially terminated for financial reasons, according to President Greg Hamann. Since then the program has not been accredited at LBCC.

Just before spring break someone noticed the mistake. An apparent oversight and lack of communication between administration, admissions, and financial aid resulted in the program not stopping.

Since the 2013 termination, new students have been enrolling for the degree, financial aid has been received, and instructors have been teaching the curriculum. All printed and online materials still listed it as active.

There are 10 graphic arts students scheduled to graduate this term. Of them, seven will get a Visual Communication degree and three will receive an Associate of General Studies.

Katie Turner is in her second-year of the program, but in her third year at LBCC. Two years ago she switched her major from fine arts to graphic design. After three years on campus she is now getting neither of the degrees she studied for. Instead she will get a Visual Communication degree.

"I'm pretty pissed off about it. I feel really lied to. It's two years down the drain they can't give me back," said Turner.

Lynn Tackett, also a second-year student, lives 60 miles from LBCC and commutes four days a week to be in the labs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"I'm getting Visual Communication, not the graphic arts degree that I thought. I don't know how something like this can fall through the cracks," said Tackett.

Doug Hibbert, scheduled to graduate this term, lives four miles from Chemeketa Community College. He chose to commute to LBCC because he felt it was the better program. He has since taken out school loans and financial aid to pay for it.

"They sold me a program they can't honor," said Hibbert. "I've got money tied up in this."

After hearing the news of the program's apparent termination, he scrambled to see if he could salvage his investment and transfer to Chemeketa. He was told that only 25 percent of his credits are transferable. Six weeks before graduation, LBCC can only offer him an Associate of General Sciences.

"I'm waiting to see what the campus is going to do and I told Dave I will look into a class action lawsuit to represent the 30 of us," said Hibbert.

The damage this will cause the college is unknown.

Lewis Franklin, graphic arts department chair, found out about this dilemma two days before spring break. He frantically worked with Becker and Frossene King, graphic arts instructor, to try and find a favorable resolution. Unable to do so, it left them no choice but to tell the students.

"I'm a little bit lost," said Franklin. "The details that went on above my pay grade I don't know. I don't understand it."

Franklin and King have formed a family bond with their students. They are struggling with having to tell them that despite all their specific training that qualifies them for specific jobs, they won't have a degree to prove it.

"It's very disappointing. I think that the students put their trust in us and we let them down in a big way," said King. "Now they're being told the degree never existed and they get a sub-par degree. It's unconscionable."

LBCC: Students Selected for All-Oregon Academic Team

Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Community College Association will honor two LBCC honor roll students at the Capitol on April 30.

The OCCA, in partnership with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, selects outstanding students from the 17 Oregon community colleges each year for the All-Oregon Academic Team. Those selected receive a $1,000 scholarship and are invited to a luncheon with the governor.

This year two LBCC students, Ilex Karstens and Rebekah Pennington, received the honor.

Karstens is a dental hygiene student with a 4.0 GPA. She attends LBCC as part of the fifth year high school program through Lebanon High and is the executive assistant for the Student Leadership Council. She plans on completing her AAOT, and although she has not yet chosen where to complete her bachelor's, she hopes to do mission work for her church after school.

"I like the idea of going overseas and doing dental work for people in third world countries," said Karstens.

Pennington is a nursing student with a 4.0 GPA in her pre-reqs. She serves as the chapter president for PTK and is on the judiciary board for SLC. After graduation this fall, Pennington plans to use her scholarship to transfer to Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

"Ultimately I want to continue through to a master's level to be a practitioner," said Pennington.

Selection for the All-Oregon Academic Team considers applicants based on their community and school involvement first, and their academics second. Former PTK advisor Chris Riseley was responsible for choosing nominees this year. Each community college was allowed to nominate two students.

"Their applications were the most dynamic, professional, and enthusiastic of all the applications submitted. They are great students with amazing potential," said Riseley.

Although no school's nominees are guaranteed to win, LBCC proudly had both of theirs selected.

"We've had at least one selected every year for the last five or six years," said Ginger Petersen, current PTK advisor.

On April 30, formal recognition of their accomplishment will take place at the Salem Conference Center. Both will be invited along with a guest and will meet the other 32 recipients awarded in the state. Each recipient will receive a medal from the State of Oregon and a photo with the governor.

"The governor meets them and they're introduced to the Legislator and taken onto the floor," said Dave Becker, PTK co-advisor.

This term, the application process is open again. If awarded next fall, students will receive a scholarship to be used for continued attendance to a community college. For more information contact Ginger Petersen at petersg@linnbenton.edu.

LBCC: Active Learning Classrooms Proposed

Photo courtesy of Steelcase

Imagine a classroom with wheeled desks and chairs, rolling whiteboards, personal tablets, and multiple projection points for instructor presentations. This month, LBCC will find out if requests for Active Learning Center Grants will be approved.

Gone are the days of row seating facing an instructor podium - at least in the six active learning classrooms proposed. Designed with "U" shape seating and moveable instructor stations, the classrooms will encourage communication and group work. 

Liz Pearce, department chair for education/child family studies, has the support of administration and 31 fellow faculty to develop these interactive and collaborative environments. Instructors will soon have the choice of a classroom without rows. 

"When you walk into a room and you see the setup it tells you how to behave. It has to do with setting a tone when people sit in the room," said Pearce.

The idea behind the structuring of these classrooms is to encourage greater effort from students and better learning outcomes. Some instructors design their classes to involve discussion among students, and active learning classes are arranged to support that teaching style. With moveable white boards, podiums and desks, instructors can choose the setup best suited for their curriculum. 

For over a year, Pearce has been working to get funds for these enhanced classrooms. On April 15, LBCC will find out if a $50,000 grant from Steelcase will fund transformation of three classrooms. A second $50,000 grant requested from Strategic Initiative, a department inside of LBCC, will determine if additional classrooms will follow.

Fifteen schools will be selected to receive the Steelcase grant. LBCC was one of 548 to apply. If granted, it will pay for the movable furniture needed to get classrooms ready for use by fall of 2016. The Strategic Initiative grant will be decided this term, and if approved, will pay for 30 tablets for each of the six proposed classrooms.

LBCC currently has 56 general purpose classrooms for arts, humanities, communication and social sciences. Many of them have evolved little to none in the last few decades. Lecture classroom IA-231, for example, had out-dated aesthetics and chunky furniture making rearrangement and group discussion difficult. 

This term IA-231 got it's debut as the prototype for the first collaborative learning environment on campus. Mark Urista, communication department chair, has already noticed change using the classroom for his Interpersonal Communication class. Not only does he observe more talking among students before class begins, he also notices a change in discussion dynamics.

"Overall, students appear engaged during lecture, small group discussions and our large class discussions," said Urista. 

If approved, the grants will give LBCC the means to update floors, paint, and lightening in proposed classrooms to compliment the modern makeover. Digital tools help minimize student cost with personal tablets giving them access to online textbooks.

"Our tablet and device use in the classroom puts us in real-time connection with every article in every journal our library subscribes to," Pearce wrote in the grant proposal. "We plan to use the flexible environment to support the creation of socially and intellectually interactive community."

Multiple projection points in the classrooms will assure that no matter where a student sits they can see the instructor's presentation. An instructor tablet controls the presentation allowing teachers to walk around the classroom during lecture. 

"Some students may be in seats that make it difficult for them to see the whiteboard I’m writing on. However, this challenge has been addressed by adding multiple whiteboards that can be moved around the classroom," said Urista.

Pearce is hopeful that requests for financial support will help LBCC create tailored learning spaces.

"I really think LBCC can be a cutting-edge college this way, we just don't have the finances to support us."