College adopts diversity mandate
LaNE COmmuNITY COLLEGE’S
I N D E P E N D E N T, S T U D E N T- R U N N E W S P A P E R
2 .6 .14
V O L . 5 0 , n O. 1 3
Taya Alami Reporter
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Ty Voltage (left) parries an attack from Carl Knoch, the Titan Fencing Club Coach, as part of a demonstration for students attending the 2014 Lane Community College Club Fair in the Center Building Feb. 4.
Club fair attracts new students, interests
From left to right: Lane Student Veteran Club volunteer Rhys Wilcox-Emery and club officers danielle shanno, Ricky Mcnulty and Kelly silveria staffed their table to help raise awareness of their club at the Lane Club Fair on Feb. 4.
Right: Lane student Hannah Offutt (left) talks with Green Chemistry Club member Elaine Leibert at the club fair on Feb. 4.
Proposed legislation would change financial aid disbursement practices Oregon H.B. 4102 gets hearing, student support
Taya Alami Reporter Lane student leaders are lobbying the state legislature to pass a bill preventing companies that handle financial aid payments from deducting disciplinary charges and fees from student accounts. The House Consumer Protection and Efficiency Committee held a hearing about Oregon H.B. 4102 Feb. 4. In its introductory form, the bill would alter the business model for financiers
like Higher One, the finance company that acts as a middle-man between the federal lenders and Lane’s student borrowers. The bill would also forbid colleges and universities from entering into contracts with firms that fail to meet new standards. Higher One has been criticized by Lane students for charging debit-card fees for non-credit transactions, ATM fees and overdrafts. Students with Higher One debit-cards are charged 50 cents per debit
transaction, while credit transactions that require a signature are fee-free. ASLCC legislative director Sara Shepherd attended the Feb. 4 hearing. She said the individuals testifying against the bill were pressed hard by members of the committee, whom she said seemed to be more sympathetic to the students paying the administrative fees. “(The committee members) were really bringing out the student perspective, and standing up for students — so
that was nice to hear.” OSA Lane campus organizer Brittany MacPherson said it feels like Higher One doesn’t care about students as much as it should. Current OSA legislative director Mario ParkerMilligan sat on Lane’s selection committee in 2012 that recommended the college select a contract with Higher One in lieu of Sallie Mae, when Parker-Milligan was serving his second year as ASLCC president. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
At its Feb. 5 meeting, Lane’s Board of Education unanimously decided to require its employees to participate in a diversitytraining program. The college’s governance system must draw up the details outlining how much training staff will be required to complete, which staff members will receive the training, how often individuals would be required to train and how the college will fund the policy. “We’ve got faculty and staff who are skilled in professional development, and I think we’re going have to ask them help us come up with a comprehensive program,” Spilde said. Board of Education member Robert Ackerman said he was concerned that the drafting process for the upcoming procedures could be delayed by due-process hearings. The initiative to pass a policy that would implement a diversity-education program has spanned a number of years — maybe even decades — but gained considerable steam during the past year. Four proposals were brought before the College Council for approval in May 2013, but all four were tabled after council members failed to reach a consensus. Some members of the faculty and classified unions publicly disagreed with their leaders over the need for the policy. In broadly circulated emails and public testimony, some employees and students described instances in which they experienced discrimination. Other employees questioned whether Lane could craft an effective policy. Spilde said the college plans to implement some diversity education and training options this spring, with a full launch slated for Fall 2014. Classified employees, staff and students will begin discussing potential procedures by Feb. 20, Spilde said. “I can’t say there won’t be tussles, people who aren’t happy with the speed or content — or direction,” Spilde said. “But we’re going to try and make it as inclusive as we can and develop something we can all be proud of.” Associated Students of Lane Community College Gender and Sexual Diversity Advocate Max Jensen said he’s optimistic. “Hopefully there will be a good amount of collaboration on the procedures, on how the policy is enacted and how it will actually work,” Jensen said.