March 1, 2004

LFCC Visits General Assembly

On Tuesday, February 24, and Thursday, February 26, fifteen students, three LFCC employees (Meredith Funkhouser, Liz Brashear, “KW” Wotring), a College Board member (Aline Johnson) and the Fauquier Public School Chairwoman (Broni Lambelet), spent three hours with me each day visiting with our legislators. We focused on issues facing higher education, community college programs and, most importantly, those facing LFCC (i.e. growing student body, lack of space, need for pay raises for all employees, need for additional resources, etc.).

We visited several committee rooms and spent time with Lt. Governor Tim Kaine, the President of the VA Manufacturers Association, Brett Vassey, Chief Lobbyist for Governor Warner, Suzette Denslow, and Deputy Secretary of Commerce, John Sternlicht. Senator Mark Obenshain introduced us on the Senate floor. Delegate Clay Athey (who fondly remembered Bill Brabson, Anne Legge, Nancy Penney, Walt Malinowski and Dick Dovell) introduced us on the House floor.

The top left picture includes (from left): Nicole, Katy, Alice, Morgan, Delegate Athey, Marla, J.J., Jennifer. The top right picture includes from left in the back row: John Ski, Broni Lambelet, Aline Johnson, Katy, J.J., Marla, Chancellor DuBois, and Jennifer. From left in the front row: Meredith, Alice, Nicole, Morgan. Future LFCC legislators (who visited the General Assembly on Tuesday) are seated in Senate Room C.

General Assembly Update

The 2004 session of the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn March 13, 2004. If available, a summary of final legislative actions impacting the Virginia Community College System will be a handout document at the March 18, 2004 meeting of the State Board for Community Colleges. As of February 27, 2004, the House and Senate are working to finalize the 2004-2006 biennial budget as they enter the conferees session. If a budget compromise can be reached, the VCCS stands to gain funding that will for the first time in many years add to the bottom line on a per student basis, allowing the VCCS to make meaningful progress on Dateline 2009. Under the best case scenario below, the proposed amendments would provide an average increase of approximately 5% per year, not taking into account any enrollment growth. The General Funds are outlined in the applicable excerpts from the following competing budgets:

* includes $5.9 million proposed by the Senate in FY06 for enrollment growth

Funding for faculty and staff salary increases of 3% are provided in the Senate budget in FY05, but similar increases are not included in the budget of the Governor and House until FY06.

Funding levels, including tuition and fees, are intended to move the VCCS to full funding of the higher education guidelines over 4-6 years.

Tuition Authority:

All of the General Funds proposed above (except financial aid) have a non-general fund matching requirement for tuition, returning higher education funding policy to a “shared cost” concept that was used over a decade ago. Essentially, if a service costs $1.00, students pay one-third, or $.33, and Commonwealth provides $.67, or two-thirds of the cost.

Language in the Governor, House, and Senate budgets allow the Board of Visitors to set proper tuition and fee charges within appropriated dollar limits. Within the three proposals, the non-general fund expectation to match the general fund dollars allows tuition increases in the proposed budgets of up to approximately 4-10% in each year, depending on the resulting adopted budget.

Strategic Planning Process Nearing Completion

Over the next two weeks, the Strategic Planning Team will conclude their activities and prepare to present the plan to the entire college community in early April. The teams meet next Friday at the Middletown Campus and then at Belle Grove the following Friday for a final review. During spring break, next year’s budget will be developed to support the plan and its four key goals: (1) teaching and learning, (2) student success, (3) community outreach and partnerships, and (4) resource development.

New Board Member Named

Mr. John H. Borg has been appointed to the College Board from the City of Winchester to fill the unexpired two-year term of Jimmy Stewart. A native of Minnesota, Mr. Borg received his bachelor and master degrees at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Borg has held senior leadership nursing positions at hospitals in Virginia and Illinois. An active volunteer on numerous local boards, he is published several times and has received numerous awards. We welcome his involvement and expertise.
Shenandoah County Representatives to Visit LFCC
On Wednesday, March 10, 2004, from 1:30 pm until 3 pm, Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors and Economic Development Committee members will visit our campus for a tour and briefing. If you live in Shenandoah County, please come to my office at 1:30 pm to meet them.

Chancellor Visits LFCC- Fauquier

On Monday, February 23, 2004, Chancellor Glenn Dubois visited our Fauquier Campus. He shared lunch with several Fauquier employees and Joe Whitehorne (representing faculty), George Hoffman (representing classified staff), and two students. After a few questions, the entire Fauquier community convened in the distance education classroom to hear his remarks regarding Dateline 2009. Unfortunately, the Middletown community was unable to participate because of technical issues. Therefore, the Chancellor promised to visit the Middletown campus soon to speak with us in person. In the meantime, you may view his presentation on videotape. George Hoffman provided copies at both libraries' front desks.

Actual VCCS FTES Fall Semester

Interested in Riding, Biking AND Raising Money for LFCC?

We are exploring a unique, fun, and healthy way to raise money for student scholarships, faculty and staff development opportunities, and foundation operating funds (perhaps in cooperation with another charity?). If you, your family members, friends, and students want to develop a nationally recognized LFCC sponsored 5K running, 1K walking event, and a century (100 mile) bike ride, come March 25 at 8am to my office at the Middletown Campus. Alternatively, meet March 23 at 2 pm in the Board Room on the Fauquier Campus. RSVP to Christine Marion at 868-7268 or lfmaric@lf.vccs.edu) by March 20.

Select Recent Celebrations:

AWARDS: Congratulations to Nancy Penney, Bill Brabson, Joe Callahan, Evan Humbert (PT-MC-Math) for being selected by Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. This honor is exceptionally gratifying since nominations come from successful former students who recommended them.

HONOR: Brent Kendrick will be judging the PTK Hallmark Awards for the states of Arizona and South Carolina. Jim Brumbaugh is assisting Brent.

INDUCTION: Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society at the Fauquier campus recently inducted almost thirty justifiably proud LFCC students. Congratulations to all of you! Special recognition goes to Nicole Martin for providing leadership to this group of students and to Cindy Bambara (co-facilitator), Liz Brashear, Carolyn Garrison, Grace Carson, Kay Dunkley, Lucy Weber, Jacqueline Menger, and John Updike for assisting and attending this important event.

LICENSE PLATES: Are you interested in celebrating LFCC by having our own license plates made available through DMV? If so, please join me in signing the proposal outside the Middletown cafeteria on the PTK bulletin board or see Brent Kendrick.

OTHER: REGRETS: Mrs. Burdick, mother of College Board Member, Glenn Burdick, passed away on February 21, 2004. Please keep the Burdick family in your warmest thoughts. Fauquier campus bookstore manager, Sandi Pope, lost her father last week. IMPROVING: John Beavers’ mom is recovering well after a short hospital stay. Betty Wards’ mom continues to recover at Winchester Medical Center after recent knee surgery. Judy Green continues to recover from shingles. Nancy Lloyd continues to recover from leg surgery.

Bragging Rights:
I received the following LETTERS OR EMAILS regarding our LFCC peers:
Andrea Ludwick: “We had a student come by at 4:15 today looking for a faculty member to complete a recommendation form for him. It had to be there tomorrow. I suggested that he go see if Andrea was in her office as she was one of his professors. I thought she would be here since she had just sent out the email. His mother had called to say he was on his way and hoped he could get the form completed as it would save him thousands of dollars. Thank you, Andrea, for being willing to help him at the 11th hour. He was very happy and thankful when he returned to our office.”-Sue Cooley
“I would like to pass on a great compliment to the Technical Support crew. Jim Husband, Susan, and (from Virginia Western) Bob Cleary assisted the dental hygiene students with data sharing during our Special Needs Presentations. Because of their help, we completed our projects in the needed timeframe and used our new audiovisual equipment without complication. This was another great learning experience at Lord Fairfax Community College.” Joyce Kwiatkowski-Spieler (dental hygiene student)

Select Meetings I’ve Attended/Facilitated

As I continue to understand and learn more about our internal and external culture, I have scheduled numerous meetings. The goal is to learn more about LFCC culture and how we can assist each other, our students, and external communities more effectively. If you would like me to meet someone to help me learn more about our college and service region, please email me their name(s).

Select Meetings/Events: As expected and appreciated, full- and part-time LFCC faculty, staff, and students (and related committees) continue to be my first priority. However, I’ve met (or continue to meet) with many internal and external groups. I attended the PTK induction reception and Presidents’ meetings in Richmond.

Internal groups/individuals included: LFCC Strategic Planning teams; LFCC Foundation and College Board meetings; LFCC First Impressions planning committee; Cabinet meetings; meetings with faculty over a variety of instructional issues; meetings with John Morrison (College Foundation Chair); Glenn DuBois (Chancellor); and Ron Kraft, Foundation Board Consultant and former community college business faculty member and current international business consultant, author, and President of his local community college board. Ron is currently finishing his dissertation for a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership focusing on key issues facing community colleges. Ron serves as a Special Assistant to the President, providing the college foundation and college with additional resources - until our leadership vacancies are filled - without incurring the expenses associated with a full-time position. His role is innovative because work occurs through distance administration, emails, teleconferencing and regular on-site visits throughout the semester in conjunction with his doctoral attainment process. He is actively pursuing activities that benefit our capital campaign and strategic planning efforts.

External groups/individuals included: AACC (Washington, DC) as one of 15 community college Presidents in the nation to meet and discuss community college issues with the Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education and the Special Assistant to Secretary of Education; met with Joan Athen, Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Education for Community College issues; met with Nancy Rudolph (ODU) and Kay Dunkley to discuss ODU space issues at Fauquier Campus; visited/met with LFCC Legislators; attended Black History Month celebrations; was a luncheon panelist at Society for Human Resource Management event; presented LFCC master site plan to Middletown Planning District; met at Tot Spot to determine how to partner for day care; taught a graduate education leadership class at UVA for three days; facilitated a discussion at Grafton with representatives from Latino interests; met with Foundation Board members to discuss charrette activities; presented once at the League of Innovation (with two more presentations scheduled in the next two days).

Select Individuals by County/City:
City of Winchester: Jim Brinkmeier (Shockey Companies) Andrew Martel (Winchester Star); Pat Rice (LFCC Taijiquan instructor); Jimmy Wilkens (Wilkens Shoe Center); Tracy Fitzsimmons (SU).
Clarke County: John Milleson (Bank of Clarke Conty), George Ohrstrom (Ohrstrom Family Foundation); Jack and Johnny Hardesty (Bank of Clarke County and VA Milk Board).
Fauquier County: Broni Lambelet (FCPS Board Chairwoman); Bob Lee (County Administrator); Chris Johnson, Patty White and Owen Bludau (Vint Hill Economic Development Authority to discuss providing classes during the fall semester at Vint Hill. A focus group is forming with representatives from the college and the current Vint Hill business community to determine programming needs).
Frederick County: Mr. McLauren (Adams Nelson Real Estate to discuss possible vacant building sites for classroom/storage usage), Werner Crocker (Wayside Theatre), Patrick Barker (Winchester-Frederick Economic Development Association); Dave Ziegler (Director, Our Health); Russ Potts (Senator); Joe Sthulman (Director, United Way – I now serve on the board of United Way); Rev. Ann Hough (Pastor, Middletown Grace United Methodist Church to discuss classroom space usage); John Copeland (Mayor of Middletown).
Page County: Gail Price (discussed our college catalog, summer schedule, new website, new logo, short- and long-term PR planning, etc.)
Rappahannock County: Aline Johnson (College Board member).
Shenandoah County: Sam Beudon and Willy Pirtle (Shentel Communications); Harry Smith (CEO, First Bank); Susie Hill (Director, Economic Development Association).
Warren County: Mrs. Shirley Corron (Largest contributor to the Community Cultural Center); Helen Cockrell (Director of the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging);James and Betty Kilby; Pam Riffle (Warren County Chamber - I have been nominated to the board of Warren County Chamber of Commerce).

Upcoming Part-time Faculty Activities/Meetings: Meetings at the Middletown and Fauquier campuses are scheduled in March to continue our discussions begun in August.
(I am at Fauquier Campus Tuesday and Friday (351-1516) and Middletown Campus Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (868-7101).

EVALUATION OPPORTUNITIES

Please let me know if this communication tool is helpful and how it can be enhanced. Write me at johnski@lf.vccs.edu. If you know of someone who would benefit from this information, please pass it on to them or have them contact me directly. Thank you!
This edition was written and edited by John Ski on February 29, 2004.