Campus Life
UCC Welcomes Second Lady Jill Biden
Jill Biden, second lady of the United States and wife of Vice-President Joe Biden, calls herself a lady who doesn’t do lunch, but she did lunch today with the UCC community.
“What an honor it is to have her here,” UCC President Rita Cavin said. Biden’s campus visit came after the Vice President’s office asked UCC what they could do to help regarding Oct.1.
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Natural Resources program offered
A new natural resources program is offering UCC students a chance to learn hands-on from local experts in fields such as environmental monitoring, ecology and conservation science.
The UCC Associate of Science program is titled Natural Resources: Landscape Monitoring. It is designed as the first two years of a four year OSU degree. Students can transfer all of their program classes to the OSU Natural Resources bachelor’s degree. The bachelor’s degree can then be completed through OSU’s online Ecampus; students will not have to relocate to Corvallis.
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New on-campus security measures
A retired deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office started providing security on the UCC campus Nov. 9, 2015 as the first of a series of security changes being sought.
Deputy Scott Batsch will provide security 35 hours a week and remain on staff until June of next year. Batsch was with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years before retiring, according to KEZI News. The college is contracting with the sheriff’s office approximately $30,000 for their services, and the sheriff’s department chooses the officer.
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Cafeteria prices have students confused
The cafeteria has become quieter lately and lines are shorter than last year. Prices may have something to do with that.
Loggers has a two year contract with UCC to run the cafeteria which has several best-selling items: the pizza & pinwheels, breakfast burrito, bacon cheeseburger, rice bowls, breakfast sandwich, the salad bar and boneless wings.
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Campus clubs offer students connections
On-campus clubs are beginning to gather again, providing an environment for students with common interests to connect, share, and support one another. The focus is on having fun, meeting new friends and getting involved in the local community. According to Amy Baker, a therapist and head of the Trauma Support center at UCC, bringing people together through shared interests can help improve personal well-being.
“I think one of the things that people often under-anticipate is how social we are as beings,” Baker said, “One of the best ways, I think, to improve your mental wellness, is your relationships with other people and a club is a very good way to do that.”
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Snyder Memorial options being considered
The community is beginning to feel the need for a physical space to honor those who suffered through Oct.1. Students are starting to form visions of a UCC memorial while discussing the future of Snyder Hall and what it represents. There are no easy answers. The road to healing is a different one for each individual.
Evan Burns, a UCC history student, sees a memorial as a positive way to transform the campus. He envisions a tribute which would be integrated into the day-to-day life of the college, something more than just a place of remembrance.
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Oregon Promise Bill is now a reality
Oregon students will now be eligible to attend community college for $50 per term, a significant discount from the $1,500 cost of attending full-time currently.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the Promise Bill and other higher education pending funding should improve college affordability for families, according to her press release. Oregonians can now afford to dream big,” Brown said, “Today, we fling wide open the doors of opportunity by expanding access to post-secondary education, the precursor to a better life.”
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Writing trauma is its own trauma
The public’s perception is that reporters are unfazed by the words they write. Truthfully, nothing is as hard as giving bad news, as journalists almost universally agree.
The UCC tragedy was one such event where information needed to be readily available for the public. However, the college’s community relations team, whose office had been in Snyder Hall, were locked down at the fairgrounds while over one million hits per second bombarded and shut down the college’s website.
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Volunteers wanted for photography project
Adjunct Speech Communication faculty Dustin Cosby is creating a series of portraits to be shown beginning Nov. 16 in Whipple Fine Arts. The finished project will be displayed over a three screen process in the gallery. The photographs will feature students, staff and faculty members wearing their I Am UCC and UCCStrong apparel in a setting of the subjects choosing. He is looking for volunteers to be photographed showing, or to offer anonymous statements about, where they are at in the grieving and healing process after Oct. 1.
In light of the recent tragedy on campus, various individuals and businesses have reached out, trying to do something to help those affected acknowledge and move forward in their healing process. Cosby is no exception.
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"Things Observed" faculty art show at UCC
“Things Observed” is the theme of this years’ art department faculty exhibit now in the Whipple Fine Art Gallery. Faculty members Renee Couture, Ted Isto, Greg Rice and Susan Rochester are displaying their respective talents in a presentation of photography, pottery, clay works and modern art.
“The faculty in our department all have active art professions. This exhibit helps students get a feel of where the faculty is coming from before and while they take art classes from us,” said Rochester, associate professor of art and department chair. She noted it was interesting how the observation of the world in different ways came out in each professor’s various works. One of the more unique pieces is the modern art exhibit by Couture featuring light, linens and laundry.
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UCC honors its 2014-2015 graduates with a commencement ceremony at the Swanson Memorial Amphitheater Friday June 12, at 6:00 p.m.
2015-2016 nursing class takes its shape
Ask any prospective nursing student and they just might tell you that opening up a piece of mail is sometimes the hardest thing to do. For UCC sophomore Alison Kugler that was the case. Kugler found herself stalking the mailbox these past few weeks anticipating news of her acceptance into the 2015-16 nursing program. Kugler, and dozens of nursing students just like her, opened their letters searching for one word to validate years of hard work; “congratulations.”
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Budget concerns arise as new biennium looms
Reports about the budget for the upcoming school year are starting to circulate with messages of both optimism and concern. The school, its staff and its programs are facing hurdles.
Recent concerns have crafted rumors of program cuts and faculty termination. As well, anxiety over whether federal issued grants will be renewed and the school’s current debt have raised eyebrows over the newly proposed budget.
2014-15 Outstanding Student Award Recipients
Robin Quinanola
Adult High School Diploma
Teresa Turley
English as a Second Language
Lacey Whited
Learning Skills
Rebecca Foster
Supplemental Instruction
Isaac Brickner
Tutoring
Christian Rodriguez
First Year Automotive
Letters to the Editor
As part of our BA223 marketing course we were required to select a product, or service and promote it to the class in a five minute presentation. We wanted to choose something that was fun for us to do, and dynamically stimulating so that it would draw the rest of the class into our world. The world of skydiving!
We contacted Urban Moore at Eugene Skydivers and asked if we could come to Creswell to shoot our video, and make a couple of skydives. He agreed and at 9am on Sunday, May 17, 2015 our team of six arrived at the drop zone to make our jumps. Urban gave us our training, and then we had to wait until 11am for the clouds to clear before we could suit up and make the flight up to altitude. Aysha and Georgie were on the first load, they were both surprising calm, especially since this was Aysha’s first skydive. Georgie has jumped several times before, so she would be shooting our still pictures and video.
Honoring the 14 staff leaving UCC
As of June, 14 staff members with over 190 years of combined experienced and in at least seven different departments will be leaving UCC through retirement or resignation. We provided these employees with a chance to reminisce as well as share what the future holds for them.
Startup Weekend transcending our community
On the weekend of April 24-26, a network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs gathered at UCC for the opportunity to create and pitch their own business plans in hopes of enhancing their community and the world.
Startup Weekend is a 54-hour assembly of people who have interests in developing, designing, and marketing their own business ideas. These entrepreneurs get together over a weekend, create teams, pitch ideas, work on building products and compete for the grand prize of having their idea come to fruition. Startup Weekend is a global network powered by Google for Entrepreneurs with headquarters in Seattle. Over 1500 events have been held in 726 cities with over 13,000 business startups created, according to the Startup Weekend homepage.
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Merry Lives rocked it
William Shakespeare’s works have been adapted for the stage and screen for countless ages and in numerous ways. However, when the comedy work “The Merry Wives of Windsor High” is turned into a rock musical and set in the halls of today’s high schools, where drama, intrigue, romance, deception, and revenge play out, people tend to take notice. Combine witty comedy with a live band and you have a new Shakespearian adaptation that rocks-literally.
Da Vinci’s egg drop challenge at UCC
This year, the 3-dimensional art class is tackling not only one of the most well-known individuals in history but also the godfather of inventors as well, Leonardo Da Vinci.
“The art class will recreate a Da Vinci device that will safely transport a raw egg from the drop of a second story building,” said Gregg Price, an adjunct professor of art at UCC.
Clothing drive helps students dress for success
Free career clothing is available for all UCC students on a first come basis on June 3 thanks to UCC students Tyler Digby, Amber McMurtrey, Davon Wood and Melanie Bryson who created a clothing drive as their final project for the course HD107, Practicing Success: Emotional Intelligence.
The clothing drive in the main lobby of the student center from 2:30 to 5 p.m. will provide students with clean, professional, gently used clothing such as dresses, slacks, suits, button-up shirts, ties, polos and maybe even shoes.
WE GOT SHOT UP, SHOT AT AND SHOT DOWN
To honor the 70th anniversary of Germany’s surrender in World War II, over 50 students and community members gathered on May 8 in the Whipple Fine Arts Center to remember the world’s last great war. WWII veteran Leo Kraft spoke to the crowd about his time in the Marine Corp as a gunner aboard a dive bomber off the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Kraft, 91, recalled a timeline that led from his time in boot camp as a grunt, to some of the most dangerous battles of the Pacific theater.
ASUCC student senator Joshua Freidlin with the help of UCC professor Charles Young, organized the afternoon’s festivities. Before introducing Kraft, Young provided a sobering reminder to the crowd about how perilously close the world came to having a different outcome in the war.
Haitian infant mortality rates lead to student fundraiser
A group of UCC students have begun raising funds in order to help send local midwife and fellow student Ali Lape to Haiti. Brianna Belcher, Patrick Schneider, Megan Trapp, Cassie Welding, and Karen Wickman wanted to send Lape to the region with clean supplies to help Haitians with prenatal, birth and postpartum care.
The goal is to assist in creating safer births and birthing conditions. “This is a great project to help bring attention to mortality rates in Haiti; a lot of those deaths can be prevented,” said Wickman.
Umpqua Unites examines inequalities
Preliminary results from the Umpqua Unites “Got Respect” surveys on campus discrimination are out. Umpqua Unites is a campus initiative with six focus groups advocating for diversity, equality and inclusion with the guiding principle to lead by example.
Over 150 students were questioned about discrimination. The results of that data showed the following information:
• 46% of these female students think they are not taken seriously compared to 19% male.
• 26% of these female students think gender determines how they are treated compared to 14% male.
• 24% of female students fear some areas of the campus compared to 0% male.
• 14% of female students feel unsafe compared to 0% male.
• 23% of these female students reported feeling uncomfortable on campus compared to 7% of males.
Sustaining UCC’s financial budget plan
Douglas County alone lost about 6,000 jobs since the 2007 recession, and the district has been clawing its way back, gaining only a little over 1,000 of those lost jobs in 2014, according to the State of Oregon Employment Department. Those unemployment rates can directly relate to college funding.
Because of fewer jobs in Douglas County, younger families have moved out of the area. “The decline in enrollment is the biggest issue UCC has,” Rebecca Redell, UCC’s chief financial advisor, said; “unfortunately middle age folks with students are moving out and retirees are moving in. So we’ve lost some student population because of that.”
Training with tires for Mount Denali climb
Students at the Technical Center on the west side of campus have been noticing an unusual sight most afternoons.
A man with a large pack on his back repeatedly drags a heavy tire up and down the hill from the gym to the childcare center. The tire is connected to him by a long rope attached to his back as if he were the legendary Sisyphus himself.
David Rickman, an emergency room doctor at Mercy Hospital in Roseburg, Oregon, is training to climb the tallest mountain in North America. A seasoned climber, Rickman is taking on Mount McKinley in Alaska, also known as Mount Denali. Denali stands 20,320 feet high at its peak, ranking as the third highest of the Seven Summits, the seven highest mountains on the earth’s seven continents. The only two higher of the seven summits are Everest in Nepal at 29,029 feet and Argentina’s Aconcagua at 22,841 feet.
Phi Theta Kappa president honored for leadership at national NerdNation conference in San Antonio
Phi Theta Kappa and its local chapter Alpha Sigma Upsilon have recognized and encouraged UCC students to achieve academic integrity since 1991. Being a member of the PTK allows “students to learn the importance of belonging. This is not just a campus club. This is an international honor society, and students have the opportunity to network with regional or international members at conferences and other PTK events,” KC Perley a peer mentor and Phi Theta Kappa president, said.
Students who are a part of the PTK have the ability to expand their knowledge in many areas. Students can participate in programs like the Honors in Action Program and the Five Star Competitive Edge, which promote and expand students’ leadership skills: “more specifically, members expand their knowledge on honors, leadership, service, and fellowship,” Perley said.
Casino Night at Danny Lang
Vegas style gambling’ rolls into the Danny Lang Event Center at 5:30 p.m. May 9, in support of Umpqua Community College athletics.
With all the evening’s proceeds going to the athletic department, it stands as the largest fundraising event of the year for UCC athletics.
The evening will consist of dinner provided by Umpqua’s culinary department, an auction and casino style gambling. A variety of items ranging from golf packages, hotel stays, to free tax consulting will be auctioned to the highest bidder.
Task forces analyze student barriers
As young adult novelist Katherine Paterson once famously wrote “a dream without a plan is just a wish.” However, community college students who plan to fulfill their dreams of graduation frequently struggle to successfully navigate through UCC’s educational process. The struggle is especially difficult for non-traditional and at risk students who often make up the majority of UCC’s campus community.
This is why more than 50 faculty, administrators and students are working together on 26 new student success task forces as part of UCC’s involvement in the national Achieving the Dream program. The national program works to “close achievement gaps and accelerate success among diverse student populations,” according to the program’s website. At UCC, ATD is just one of eight recent guiding initiatives that the college developed to boost the number of students coming in and graduating. Over 200 community colleges nationwide are involved in the program, which reaches out to over 3.8 million students, and cost each college $10,000 annually. ATD coaches and advisers travel throughout 34 states, providing college administrators with resources to help at risk students.
UCC wine program a boost for community
Southern Oregon is becoming more renowned for wine production and viticulture, and UCC has recently – literally – been put on the map in the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers’ wine passport program.
The passport program provides a map and passport for wine enthusiasts to navigate self-led wine tours of the Umpqua Valley. Each winery then stamps the visitor’s passport; after five stamps, a small gift is earned and the traveler is entered into a drawing for local wine.
The Southern Oregon Wine Institute, or SOWI, was established in 2008 and boasts its own Viticulture & Enology program, the first of its kind outside of the Willamette Valley.
Academic probation and suspension
In the realm of academics, GPA matters for more than simply passing or failing classes. In fact, many different aspects of a student’s college career can be affected by suffering grades, including various forms of financial aid, academic probation, and even the eligibility to attend classes.
For communications student Theresa Barry, the shadow of educational history loomed over her for many years, and made for a difficult time when she decided to return to school. “I was placed on academic suspension in 1980 because I didn’t receive a GPA of at least 2.0,” Barry said.
Students at UCC are required to meet an accumulated GPA of 2.00, or a C average, in order to continue attending classes at the college. The accumulated GPA is calculated by taking the average of all credit hours for which a student has been graded, rather than by a single term. A student’s GPA is affected by both high and low scores, and too many failed classes can result in an overall drop in the score.
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What is The Mainstream?
I have been a part of many great teams throughout my life -- the U.S. Army, UCC Women’s 2013-14 Basketball team and various academic excellence teams. However, none compare to The Mainstream.
The Mainstream is not your typical newspaper. Not even close. Many local newspapers have pages upon pages of content regarding news, sports, entertainment, current events, features, profiles and more. The Mainstream may not rival these other newspapers in any sense but it offers a different incentive: family.
Here in The Mainstream lab, the staff is more than just a group collaborating to make a newspaper, we are a community within UCC.
Proposed smoking policy includes e-cigarette
UCC Vice President of Student Services Joyce Coleman is creating a new policy for e-cigarette use on campus.
“The e-cigarette code of conduct update will be done by the first of June,” Coleman said. Coleman explained that the policy will formally address that the e-cigarette is to be smoked only in designated areas.
UCC students who have switched to the e-cigarette to help quit smoking are positive about their switch. “Many physicians are suggesting the e-cigarette and vapor pen as a cessation device to help those smokers who cannot quit by using specialized gum or patches,” student Ursula Angel said.
$1.2 million deficit no cause for concern?
For a community college, budgeting can be a slippery slope that involves a good amount of brainstorming, planning, and waiting for state approval. When rumors of a deficit circulate during this budget process, students worry about the impact, especially when those rumors refer to a UCC budget deficit of $1.2 million.
Mike N., a UCC student, voiced one of the greatest concerns: “I’m afraid we’re going to have to pay more for tuition.” UCC’s Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Redell, however, wants to reassure students.
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The Twelfth Night, or what you will, or whatever
The theatre arts department put on it’s own version of the classic Shakespeare tale of “The Twelfth Night”. It was not the typical, classical play that comes to mind when most people think of Shakespeare.
Director Stephanie Newman made her own version of The Twelfth Night. Instead of setting the play in the traditional Victorian times, it was featured in a Steampunk genre. All of the clothes and the scenes as well as the language were bright, colorful and pleasantly different.
Students rally for secure tuition rates
Over 500 students from Oregon community colleges and universities rallied in Salem on Feb. 12 in front of the State Capitol building to request tuition caps. The students’ goal was a stronger investment in higher learning. Although nothing was finalized at the rally, come spring, representatives will vote on reducing the cost of tuition.
Although tuition isn’t free at the moment, in the future it possibly could be, if Obama’s proposal for free college tuition nationally is approved.
New wrestling club enters arena
UCC recently started a wrestling club with the intent of someday creating men’s and women’s collegiate teams. This club, which meets Fridays at 4 p.m. in PE 14, is looking for more college students to join.
Mick Davis, associate science professor, advises the club. Davis has participated in various avenues of wrestling over the last 20 years. He wrestled throughout high school in Bethel, Alaska and at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. He has helped coach wrestling camps and clubs.
Lecture series brings class to community
The Whipple Fine Arts Center will open its doors again this month to invite students and the community to class with the 2014-15 Faculty Lecture Series. A handful of UCC faculty members will participate in the series in hopes of sharing some of their knowledge and sparking interest.
The next lectures will run Feb. 18 starting at 12:00 p.m. in the Whipple Fine Arts Center. Sandra Angeli-Gade, associate professor of human services will be the first to take the with a 20 minute presentation, entitled “Sex, Chocolate, and Drugs: The Brain’s Pathway.”
Putting a “spin” on sexual superstitions
As a special Valentine’s Day precursor activity, ASUCC is giving students a chance to educate themselves on the subject of sexual health. The activity will take place Friday, Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center.
Students can spin a wheel marked with categories pertaining to sexual health. ASUCC officers will then ask the contestants a true/false question from the specific category they land on. If the student answers the question correctly, the prize will be a “condom rose” which includes two free condoms. Students can drop by to spin the wheel any time during the two hour session.
Self-starter classes
Online classes are a useful tool for many college students; however, for some they can be a very daunting venture. Many of UCC’s classes are offered completely online or with online supplementation, straying from the traditional face to face format of the classroom.
The burden of time management is something to which most college students can relate, and the flexibility of online classes can be a huge deciding factor when it comes to enrolling. “It means [a student] must be a self-starter,” Ginger Johnson, a Visual Communications student, said regarding the flexible time schedule of her online math class. Due dates must be met without in-class reminders from instructors, requiring students to remember for themselves.
New Chief of Security has FBI, pirate nabbing history
When a person hears the words, FBI, NCIS, or pirate nabbing, a popular T.V. series or national news comes to mind, not a UCC security officer. However, UCC’s new Chief of Security is a retired Navy federal special agent with that background.
Nursing Program: healing our community
Although hard to believe, many different fields of study at UCC and many people unassociated with UCC benefit from the campus nursing program. The largest connection stringing successful nursing students and faculty together is community involvement.
“I see students that are eager to give back to our community and bridge connections to those around them,” Tamra Samson, UCC’s department chair and associate professor in nursing, said.
Canvas painted with mixed opinions
Moving an entire database of course material is a massive undertaking, but UCC is undertaking an undaunted effort to transition from Angel to Canvas.
Canvas, an eLearning tool designed from the student perspective, is highly regarded by most UCC students, but feedback regarding the transition has been mixed.
UCC took on the task of selecting a new online education system after learning that Angel was purchased by Blackboard and would not be supported after 2016.
Eliminating discrimination on campus
UCC recently went through a civil rights audit that investigated how the school deals with diversity.
The audits are done under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and Section 504, a federal civil rights law which prohibits disability discrimination by any program with federal funding, including public schools. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 also regulate school civil rights.
Health and Science building nearly funded
Starting July 1, an additional $7 per credit fee will be added on to the current student fees to pay for the balance still needed for the new Health/Nursing and Science building.
“At this time we have $5.2 million dollars from donations,” Rebecca Redell, chief financial officer at UCC, said. According to Redell, UCC has received bonds totaling $8.5 million but must show the ability to match the bonds by receiving more donations.
New hardware brings promise of smoother Wi-Fi networks across campus
If you’re a UCC student, you use the Internet practically every day you come to campus. To help you out, something new is being developed on campus to increase student accessibility to UCC’s Internet system.
As many students and faculty are aware, many computer workstations on campus are six to seven years old. These computers have either out of date software, obsolete hardware or both.
UCC links to North Korea rescue team
Imagine a world where your freedoms are restricted and your voice goes unheard. A place where there is no freedom of information, speech, religion, or international movement. A place where the United Nations documents human rights violations. For many in North Korea this is the reality.
Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is an organization that aims to do something about the struggle of the North Korean people.
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Online science course culminates with a trip to Baja
If someone said that you could go to Baja over spring break and earn four science credits while doing so, you just might think they were crazy. Well, they’re not. For nearly a half a decade science Professor Ken Carloni has been taking UCC students on adventures throughout the many ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. This spring Carloni is leaving the friendly confines of the northwest and will lead a trip to the shores of Baja.
Handling student stress
with food
Stress is often misinterpreted as being “all in your head”; the truth is that it’s more than a mental game.
“Mentally we say, ‘Oh, I’m feeling stressed.’ But it is very much linked to the physical,” Georgann Willis UCC psychology professor, says.
“When you start to feel stressed, your body goes into this mode where it thinks it’s being attacked, and that’s going to release norepinephrine.” This in turn, will cause fast-shallow breathing, elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate.
Free Thanksgiving Lunch in Cafeteria
The first free holiday focused meal put on by UCC students and faculty will be Tuesday, Nov. 25. The culinary students are preparing a Thanksgiving lunch for students and the community. This will be the first time the culinary program has combined their efforts with the campus to put forth a free lunch.
The food was donated by Fred Myers, Cosco, Sysco and others.
Noises Off is a door slamming good time
The splendid beauty of detail in UCC’s rendition of award-winning play Noises Off was seen in the doors. Not the overall designs, which are simple in the most drawn-on of ways, but the interaction of doors closing and shutting, timed to the rhythm of the script and the interaction of the actors and actresses. These doors become cogs of a meticulous clock, showing how time in the play moves.
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Sewing support with Quilts of Valor
The Umpqua Valley Quilters Guild is a local non-profit organization who work to “promote the joy of quilting as a creative expression and an art form,” according to their website. For this project they partnered with Quilts of Valor, a national organization which has presented 108,398 quilts to veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan theatres. The UV Quilters Guild plans to add 92 to that list by presenting their quilts to Charlie Company in June; one quilt for each soldier deployed from Douglas County.
Campus energy audit encourages changes
Two major areas of the campus’s energy conservation practices are recycling and making energy conscious decisions geared towards efficiency, with the students also participating through the cultivation of a campus garden. According to Jess Miller, director of Facilities and Maintenance, the campus does a decent job recycling where they are able to. For example, the cafeteria recycles their oil for the use of a biodiesel company, SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel, in addition to any paper products, plastics and glass that are eligible for recycling. The paper, plastic and glass are picked up by Sunrise Enterprises, according to Miller. Any metal is taken to a local scrapyard and sold for a minimal amount of money.
2014 Open World Delegation
Eating with someone is a great way to get to know a person, especially with someone from another country. I’ve spent a lot of time this week eating with the team of Ukrainian delegates. From casseroles at Roxanne’s, to turkey dinners in the bistro, to pizza and popcorn in the leadership office, I’ve enjoyed every second of it.
If you want to know a little history about the delegation, every year for the last eight years, there has been a group of five delegates who visit from Ukraine to explore UCC. Each delegate is an instructor from either Kremenchuk or Uzhhorod Universities.
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French students planning trip to Paris
Have you heard of the Flea Market that was held at UCC? Recently a school organized fund raiser called the Student Flea Market was held at the Student Campus Center Nov. 6 to Nov. 7. The purpose of this fundraising event is to raise money for a trip to Paris spring term from Mar. 18 to Mar. 30 organized by World Languages professor, Honora Ní Aódagaín and students from her French classes.
According to Haley Stammen, ASUCC Activities Officer, $1,011.67 was raised over the course of two days. Several items were even purchased while the event was being set up.
Armed Guard At UCC?
A very timely discussion of having an armed security is moving through campus right now. With the accidental shooting in Myrtle Creek hitting very close the home, the discussion is more important than ever before. Should UCC have an armed security guard?
Got Respect!
Respect is sweeping the nation! Campus is making a stand on the got respect campaign that is sweeping the nation UCC has started its own campaign against discrimination called Umpqua Unites, following the spirit of many colleges, athletes and musicians who are pushing for more inclusive communities. Read More
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Dinner and show: The start of a bright future for UCC’s theatre and culinary arts students
The Comedy "Noises OFF!," will soon be released for public viewing, starting Friday, Nov. 7 through Nov. 16 at UCC's Centerstage. A special part of the opening night includes a dinner made possible by the UCC Foundation and UCC's Theatre, Culinary Arts and Wine Institute programs. Read More
Master plan: UCC's Future
The future of UCC is in the process of changing. Last June the college's Master Plan was updated from the 2008 version to reflect a change in UCC's future development goals. The master plan reflects possible future changes in campus development, facilities and academic goals. UCC's updated plan focuses mainly on optimizing the spaces already available on campus. Read More
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no shave november
As November dawns and American minds turn towards Thanksgiving and football, the month also brings awareness to a serious threat. The best means of acknowledging a dire subject without making it seem so somber is through humor. Men's cancers, specifically prostate and testicular, are addressed by an initiative known as No Shave November, or Movember. Read More
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Dental Van Returns to UCC
Instead of turning to the emergency room for urgent dental treatment, students will be able to obtain dental aid on campus for free this term. The mobile dental van will be set up near Jacoby Auditorium Monday Nov. 10. The van is a no-cost service to students who can show a dire need for dental assistance. Northwest Medical Team, a group of volunteer licensed dentists, hygienists and dental assistants, will perform the basic operations to aid students in fixing minor dental problems. Read More
Winning at Life and Basketball
“My mom is my everything. She is my teacher, my shoulder, my strength, my smile and my frown. Even when my mom passes on, my wings are still going to be flying for her.” —Breannie Robinson
None of us have choice over our childhood. So much of our life’s foundation is based upon our parent’s decisions, good or bad. A tumultuous childhood handed 19–year-old UCC athlete Breannie Robinson plenty of opportunity and excuse to give up. But she didn’t. Read More
UCC Legacy Fee Approved for the Construction of the Allied Health and Science Building
A new student fee of $7 per credit has been approved by the UCC school board as of Oct. 8, at this month’s board meeting. This fee will start next summer term and continue for the next two years. Based on information from a student open forum at UCC’s library Oct. 3, this fee will be raised to $8 per credit for the next three years. After a total of five years, the legacy fee will be reevaluated and will either remain the same, be raised or lowered. Read More
Rock Wall Faces Climb to Completion
Did the Chinese have funding issues with the Great Wall of China?
Well, if they did, UCC’s student government could commiserate with all their struggles to fund a campus climbing rock wall.
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Fall Club Fair Invaded Student Center
An uproar filled the usually quiet student center where two students dressed up in cow and pig costume jumped around, disco lights illuminated the space on the overcast day and fog machines created an eerie glow. The ASUCC Student Leadership Team hosted the quarterly club fair Oct. 15.
Students Seeking Out Thrills This Halloween
“Hold on, man. We don’t go anywhere with ‘scary’, ‘spooky’, ‘haunted’, or ‘forbidden’, in the title” is something Shaggy would proclaim from the well-known television cartoon Scooby Doo.
However, this seems to be a great difference in opinion from what some of the student body at UCC plans to do in terms of festivities this season. Many students are really drawn to the creepy and thrilling this Halloween season.
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Flea Market to Help Students Travel
For most, a trip to France is just a dream, but ASUCC officer Haley Stammen and TOP director Caroline Hopkins have set out to make those dreams a reality for the French 200 level students.
Stammen and Hopkins are organizing a fund raiser in the form of a flea market to support a spring break educational trip to France in the student lounge on Nov. 6 and 7 running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Riverhawks Look to Spread Wings Internationally
An international program was proposed to College Council by Jason Aase, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Oct. 14. The proposal was well-received with the biggest concerns were initial cost and housing, Aase said.
“The idea of an international program has been a bee buzzing around in Jason’s bonnet for a while,” Nick Tratz, World Languages instructor, said.
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Graduating Mainstream staff will be missed
As graduation nears, The Mainstream must say goodbye to some of its best.
With nearly seven years of combined experience, Susie Day, Don Gilman, Jared Hegg, Alex Ivey and Summer Hall will move on in their story of life, leaving a sizable void in The Mainstream and its family. Read More
Campus housing in discussion between board of trustees and foundation
UCC has never had a form of on campus housing for students for the last fifty years. The Foundation has issued a request “to select and contract with a real estate broker to provide real estate services for the organization,” according to the May board report. UCC Foundation was looking into purchasing “multi-family complexes” in hopes of providing housing opportunities for UCC students in Douglas County. Read More
Jacoby award nominee beats odds to graduate
Commencement will be a pinnacle in many students’ lives, but few have faced as many challenges as Human Services student Ursula Angel. For Angel, UCC has been a journey from homelessness to a life of helping others. Read More
Indoor rock wall coming to campus
When the current ASUCC student government approved a large spending package, one of the items was $8000 for a rock climbing wall to be built in the racquetball court. However, almost immediately afterwards several current and former students raised their voices in protest, stating the rock wall a waste of money and resources. Read More
SOWI chosen for $180,000 grant
SOWI will receive payments in aggregate of $180,000 over the course of three years to spend on their Grow Our Own job readiness project. This project will work to recruit viticulture and enology students, help train current SOWI students and assist SOWI graduates find jobs. Wal-Mart Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges provided the grant through the two organizations’ Job Ready, Willing, and Able initiative. Read More
Skills USA students dominate competition
Students from UCC’s automotive service technology, welding, commercial baking, technical math and technical drafting departments recently competed in the SkillsUSA Oregon competition. The SkillsUSA group is a collaboration of students, teachers and members of industry working to ensure that the United States continues to have a workforce with the requisite skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. UCC did well in each of the events. Read More
Staff work on accreditation process now underway
While pupils here at UCC are writing papers and factoring polynomial equations, a handful of faculty members are prepping for a test of major importance that takes place next year: the accreditation of Umpqua Community College. Accreditation is a required periodic school evaluation that occurs in seven year cycles. It ensures a certain level of competency and quality is being met. Read More
E-cigarettes spark UCC smoking policy reform
The beginning stages of revising the UCC smoking and tobacco policies are currently underway.
The College Council will be updating the campus smoking policy to include e-cigarettes. Inconsistencies within the tobacco free campus administrative procedure and UCC’s smoke- free campus board policies will be addressed as well. Read More
7 Questions For 7 Candidates
With the May 20 and 21 ASUCC elections right around the corner, we sat down with seven student candidates in hopes to get to know them a bit. Read More
College to link tuition increases to U.S. consumer price index
Tuition increases may become more predictable as financial experts on campus decide on a new way to calculate costs per credit. UCC plans to approve a new policy for determining tuition increases by linking a consumer price index, also known as CPI or the index, to the college’s financial needs. Read More
Auto shop gets $20,000 donation from Toyota
As a reward for meeting the certifications of Toyota’s affiliated T-TEN program, UCC’s automotive department received an initial $20,000 donation this year from Toyota. The donation is devoted to auto shop renovation, to improve working conditions for the automotive students. Read More
Students pay as college balances budget
The 2014-15 academic year will begin with a larger financial burden for students as per credit and term fees are increased.
The board of trustees voted April 9 to raise the registration, technology, online course and hybrid course fees. Read More
ASUCC leaders spend as elections near
The ASUCC Student Leadership team, in an attempt to spend down approximately $60,000 in student activity fees saved over the last few years, has finished voting to spend over $18,000 in student projects and is now beginning the process of putting together the student government election for 2014- 2015. Read More
Achieve the Dream committee wants to help every student graduate
Graduating from college is an important milestone. Many would say it is achieving a dream.
Advising Specialist Caroline Hopkins and a team of UCC staff members are looking to break down the barriers that stand in the way of that dream by implementing new ideas and using data collected from those changes to implement college improvements that will help more students graduate. This work is part of the Achieving the Dream program, funded partially through the Lumina Foundation. Read More
UCC budget overcomes deficit
Running an institute of higher learning isn’t an easy thing, but it is especially difficult when enrollment is down, costs are skyrocketing and funding is scarce. For the last several years UCC has been dealing with not only a difficult economy but a stifling deficit as well. Read More
Students and faculty reflect on memories of John Vannice
UCC instructor John Vannice passed away after a short battle with cancer March 6, 2014. Vannice retired in spring 2004 after teaching a variety of courses on campus for many years. His retirement was short lived, as he returned fall 2004 to teach online sociology and psychology courses. Read More
Casino night fundraiser proceeds to benefit UCC athletics
A little bit of Vegas style gambling rolls into the Danny Lang Event Center 5 p.m. April 26, in support of the Umpqua Community College’s athletic programs.
The event will consist of dinner, a silent auction and casino gambling. A variety of items such as a wine and oak table along with a Sun River House and Golf package will be auctioned. Read More
Mainstream Editor Hannah Hawkins reflects as she moves on
Now that basketball is finished and my education at UCC will be done at the end of this term, my time at UCC will also come to an end. I am in the Army National Guard and will be going to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma in April for Basic Training.
I have enjoyed many different experiences at Umpqua Community College: Participating in new courses of study, meeting new people (both faculty and students), playing basketball and more. However, nothing can compare to working on The Mainstream. Read More
Campus infused with Northwest art culture
Campus has a bit more Northwest flavor as 37 new pieces of art by 24 artists have been added to UCC’s permanent art collection for display in public locations throughout the college.
The art pieces, most from Oregon artists, were selected by a blind jury led by Susan Rochester, chair of the Fine and Performing Arts department. Read More
Five new clubs connect students
Student success is an equation with many factors: studying, networking and participation, to name a few. To help students access some of those benefits, UCC now offers five new official student clubs: drama, nursing, science and technology, veterans and environmental. These new clubs are looking for members. Read More
Celebrating half a decade of UCC
To some people, the age of 50 means enrolling in AARP or a discount at Mainstay Suites, but for the people of UCC, 50 means half a decade of accomplishment. This year, the college is celebrating fifty years of success with students, employees and the community. Read More
UCC Scholars to offer free tuition for fall 2014
The UCC Scholars program, coming next fall, will grant free tuition to top local in-district students graduating from high school who attend UCC. These students must have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher as of the first semester of their final year of high school. Read More
Donors assist with opening of new Veterans Center
Veterans at UCC can find a place to study, unwind, and get assistance in the new Veterans Center. The Center, located in the Education Skills Building, opened up on Jan. 27.
The Veterans Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Any student who is a veteran, who has previously served or is currently serving in the armed forces, can use the Center to socialize. Read More
Preparing for the virtual future
Managing software installations and computer lab updates on campus may get faster and cheaper soon if a concept to virtualize labs works out.
The idea is called “thin-client architecture” and will treat PCs in labs more like terminals. The “thin” means that the lab computer itself runs only a few applications; software and data is stored instead on a central server and executed over an intranet or the Internet. Read More
Administration building now Welcome Center
Those needing help with registration, admissions or cashiering should go to the Welcome Center (the old Administration building), and students needing assistance in counseling, financial aid or student life should revert to Campus Center. Read More
A New Book, a New Chapter, a New Life
When spring term comes to a close, just about when students start to plan their summer vacations, the UCC library will be making some new arrangements of their own.
David Hutchison, who has been the library director for close to 20 years, will retire and end a chapter in the book of his life. Read More
Bilan fills vacancy on ASUCC student leadership team
This term, the ASUCC Student Leadership Team has recruited Violeta Bilan as Activities Officer for the remainder of the year. The position was vacant since fall term after the previous officer was removed.
Bilan was born in Ukraine. She has also lived in Russia, the country Georgia, Massachusetts and Michigan before moving to Portland and finally Roseburg. She moved frequently because of her husband’s job. Read More
General Education degree unlocks doors for students
The reasons for dropping out of high school are many and varied, but without a GED or diploma, jobs are fewer, and with less pay. Little chance often comes later to finish that education.
“You have a much more difficult life without a GED,” Sociology teacher Emery Smith said. Smith, who holds a PhD in sociology from the University of Oregon, knows firsthand how important getting that diploma is. After dropping out of high school at a young age, Smith later took the courses necessary to receive his General Education Diploma. Read More
Filing early for graduation, an effort to help students proceed
Attention students who will be graduating this spring: the deadline for filing for graduation was Jan. 31. Do not freak out if you missed the deadline, there is still hope of graduating on time, but you must hurry.
Students filing for graduation should either go to the Admissions Office in Campus Center or fill out the graduation evaluation online through the self-service Banner. Read More
ASUCC helps boost club enrollment
The ASUCC Student Leadership Team held a club fair for campus clubs to recruit new members and increase involvement on campus. “The club fair was a great success,” President Sarah Gordon said. “We pushed for clubs to have interaction with students at the fair, and they brought it.”
More than eight clubs had tables at the fair on Jan. 29, including the Veterans Club and the National Student Nursing Association which formed Jan. 27. Read More
Campus Bistro now offering daily specials
Many people enjoy a quality meal with excellent customer service, but those dinners are not always feasible within the college student’s budget. Recently, the UCC River Rush Bistro began dishing up not only higher-end food, but also exemplary customer service at an affordable price.
The Bistro, located in Campus Center next to the dining room, is just as affordable as the cafeteria where many students often purchase French fries or other quick foods. Read More
Engineering and CIS open house teaches technology degree importance
Prospective high school and college students learned about local and statewide engineering, surveying and computer information technology opportunities at an open house event hosted last week in the Danny Lang Center. About 200 guests attended. Read More
Struggle between students and financial aid
Although financial aid has already been dispersed, students complain about the process. If there is one thing the people working in the financial aid office would like students to know, it is this: they are there for you. “At the end of the day the reason we’re here is to help you get your aid and understand. We are here to serve you, sometimes it doesn’t seem that way, but ultimately that is what the goal is,” Michelle Bergmann, head of UCC’s financial aid department said. Read More
Resources for students
Many students can barely find funds for their tuition and fees; how are they supposed to pay for meals and transportation as well, especially at the beginning of the term before financial aid checks arrive? For students signed up for financial aid, UCC has options. Read More
Website reinvented to better serve students
The new Umpqua Community College website is now available on campus computers which hopes to go live by the end of January. The site, which uses a Joomla content management system, features a cleaner, more modern look, easier navigation, a working search bar and updated information. Read More
Students warned about GoPrint practices
The GoPrint system in the campus library, which is supposed to help reduce printing costs, has led to an unforeseen issue of student privacy. Students are unknowingly exposing their Social Security numbers, tax and FAFSA information while printing documents containing this information. Read More
Video: UCC Pool Repair
The UCC pool, which has been in a state of disrepair for several years, is soon going to get a badly-needed overhaul and should be up and running by the spring term. Mainstream Senior Reporter Don Gilman interviews Jess Miller and Cheryl Yoder. Watch Video
Professor hopes literature class will encourage study of female writers
The gender stereotype is that women dominate the English classrooms of American, but in real life, male authors dominate literature courses’ reading lists.
Literature instructor Jill Michell hopes to change that imbalance with her Introduction to Women’s Literature class, to be offered winter term. This four credit course focuses only on writings by women. Read More
Lewis, Carroll finish their first term
If you were new to campus this fall, you are not the only one. While you were swimming through financial aid forms, working to make your term schedule fit together and finding your way through the bookstore for books, a host of new faculty also had to work through their own first-time on-campus challenges. Over 20 instructors began their first year as new hires. Two of these shared their first-time experiences in email interviews. Read More
Reifsneider “threads” her non-traditional art into gallery
Spending a few minutes in the Whipple Fine Arts gallery can be mesmerizing and mind-blowing. It can also be a place of overwhelming calmness and ease. Taking the time to look at the art may make a person take a couple deep breaths and think . . . or not think for that matter.
The art that currently inhabits the gallery is ethereal, a showcase of patience, perseverance and reverence of time. The show, titled “Groundspace,” exhibits work from artist Jennifer Reifsneider. Read More
How to handle on-campus theft
Oh no! You left your brand-new laptop on a table and turned your back for just a few minutes, and now it’s gone. What do you do? You report your loss to security.
To begin the process of recovering stolen property, students need to call security. They will then be asked to fill out an incident report, which can be found at most of the offices on campus, or a security officer will bring students one once they’ve reported the theft. Read More
Welcome center prepares for grand opening
Registration will be easier for students soon, due to a streamlined system that will begin in January. This system involves a Welcome Center which will be inside the current administration building.
Vice President for Student Services Rick Aman says the Welcome Center will be a more efficient way for students to utilize services. “Students can apply for admission, register for classes, review grades, accept financial aid awards, view and pay bills and much more, all at one convenient location,” Aman said. Read More
Campus clubs, organizations increase employability
All clubs invite anyone interested in gaining skills to attend a meeting and explore opportunities from becoming involved. Read More
Campus career and technical programs impress Ukrainian visitors
UCC faculty and staff hosted five delegates from two major universities in Ukraine when they visited Oregon Nov. 8 to 17 as part of an Open World Program. The purpose was to exchange ideas regarding higher education and learn about the American culture.
The delegates explored the automotive, nursing and the wine programs to gain insight on the way career training is financed and administered in America, said delegate Alexandr Dubiv, the head of information technology at Uzhhord Technical University. Read More
Should UCC be a smoke-free campus?
Of the 17 community colleges in the state of Oregon, only five are 100 percent smoke and tobacco-free. The other 12 have less restrictive smoking policies, such as allowing smoking only in the parking lots. Of that 12, one other campus shares UCC’s policy of perimeter smoking—no smoking permitted in the core of the campus, only on the outer edge. Read More
Disability Service department assists students
Serving more than 100 students singlehandedly, Danielle Haskett, the Disability Services Coordinator, needed help.
Recently, the Disability Services department added a new employee to their small staff.
Dianne Carter started work Nov. 4 and is currently working part-time Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Academic Advising and Career Service Center. Read More
Wine sales started to support S.O.W.I. programs
Southern Oregon Wine Institute began selling its wine for the first time to faculty and staff of UCC two weeks ago on Oct. 25 and 26, and on Friday Nov. 1 they began selling their wine to students and the general public. Read More
ASUCC Leadership Team looking to increase student involvement
The lack of senators and an activity officer means a heavier workload on the current officers and less staff to assist with events. For example, senators are required to maintain seven hours per week, which includes the two meetings, and the budget allows for the funding of six senators per quarter. That would equal 30 hours per week of assistance which is now unavailable. Read More
$445,821 grant to impact students
Students will benefit in many ways this year thanks to the $2 million U.S. Department of Education grant that was awarded to UCC. More than $445,000 will be utilized during the first year to go towards seven different areas of interest: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, supplies, equipment, contracts and endowment. Read More
Welding program looks to expand its horizons
The welding program has been on campus for nearly 50 years. The Lockwood building, where the class takes place, was one of the first structures built. “It looks just the same as it did in 1975,” said Duane Thompson, part-time welding instructor at UCC.
The welding program is currently a one year experience (a single nine month term), though Fisher and Thompson strongly feel that students need more time to learn. “Welding is just one skill set,” Thompson said. The jobs that involve welding also require math, writing, how to work the machines and how to read blueprints. Read More
Security guards take precautionary action after Winchester shooting
Campus security worked closely with the Douglas County sheriff’s department and initiated procedures for lock down and student escorting the night of Oct 22. when a shooting incident near the college led to two deaths.
Police and sheriff officers looked for the shooter in the Hwy 99, Page Road area across the river from the college around 9:30 p.m., a time after evening classes had ended and most students were off campus. Read More
GoPrint or Go Home
Printing procedures are beginning to change on campus as the new GoPrint software continues to roll out.
Students are now required to log-in to GoPrint with their student I.D and pin number in order to print any materials off library lab computers and some lab computers, a big change from the touch screen release stations used previously. Read More
New Success Center: Listening to students’ needs
Finding help with the stresses and problems of student life just got a little easier because of changes recently made to UCC’s former tutoring lab. The name change reflects the center’s new, broader scope.
The Director of Learning Skills, Terrance Bradford, said the changes came as a direct result of “simply listening to students.” The Success Center now offers help with everything from time management skills to academic success plan development and help with online classes. It still offers individual tutoring. In addition, financial aid and baby sitting issues are addressed. Read More
Facilities crew bring life to theater broadcasts
Bringing London’s National Theatre Live broadcasts to UCC required a complex coordination between faculty, administrators and the UCC facilities crew. Stephanie Newman, Theatre Studies director pitched the idea for the live broadcasts to Jason Aase, dean of Arts & Sciences. Aase then brought the plan to Vice President of Instruction, Roxanne Kelly. Read More
Foundation kicks off annual fundraising campaign
The Foundation kicked off their “Hats off to the 50th” campaign Oct. 22, a fundraiser for Foundation grants and scholarships. The college celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014.
“We have seen a tremendous spirit of giving since the campus’s inception and are confident that the campus will continue to make a difference in the community for years to come,” said Krista Johnson, Scholarship and Donor Relations Coordinator. Read More
Hard work pays off with $2 million UCC grant
After more than 100 pages of text and approximately 50 revisions over a four year process, UCC received a $2 million grant from the US Department of Education. This grant, is part of the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program. SIP is money that goes toward low income students to help complete college. Read More
Transfer students benefit from TOP
The Transfer Opportunity Program is a TRiO Student Support Services Program that supports community college students as they complete their two year transfer degree and move on to a University.
TOP provides services such as academic advising, transfer planning, book loans, financial aid and scholarship assistance, peer tutoring, university campus visits, free one-credit classes, cohort opportunities and career advising. Read More