Board Meeting
Press Release Date:
01/07/2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Blue Mountain Community College Board of Education met Wednesday evening in at BMCC Pendleton.
College president John Turner displayed a plaque from Pacific Power recognizing the college’s membership in the Blue Sky renewable energy program. The college has committed to purchasing 301 one-hundred kilowatt hour blocks of renewable energy each month, which over a year’s time will offset 361.2 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, providing annual environmental benefit equivalent to not driving a car nearly 780,000 miles or planting over 142 acres of trees.
Winter term enrollments are up, following a seven term trend.
The president expressed concern over Oregon Opportunity Grant’s fiscal inability to add eligible students to their program and reported that OOG will likely cut funds to students currently receiving assistance. This could adversely affect about 150 degree-seeking students at BMCC.
The president held a town hall meeting with employees last week to discuss the governor’s budget that cut funding for community colleges by three percent.
The Board of Education can expect to see a revised BMCC Strategic Plan at their February meeting. Goals will remain the same, but objectives and activities will meet more measurable standards. The new plan will assist departments to plan for the next budget cycle.
The Board appointed three members to the BMCC Budget Committee to fill vacancies: Andrew Bryan, Baker City; Rex Baker, Pendleton; and Mark Lemmon, Heppner. Hulette Johnson, Pendleton, was re-appointed for a second term.
The Board approved a one-dollar-a-year lease of property, known as the triangle, to the City of Pendleton. Since the opening of the skate board park in Pendleton, vehicles have been parking on the property, trash has been accumulating and people consistently jaywalk across Highway 37. The lease to the city will relieve the college of liability. The city has also agreed to maintain the property and make it available to Round-Up campers.
