Lane Community College is considering program cuts and a tuition increase to help cope with a more than 10 million dollar budget deficit. There’s a special board meeting Wednesday to hear from students, faculty and staff.
Robert Kirkpatrick is student body president at Lane Community College. He’s dismayed that the college is considering cutting entire programs, including Early Childhood Education, Respiratory Therapy, Religion and Philosophy and the Watershed Technician program.
“These are all things that they say are due to low enrollment," Kirkpatrick says, "But when I started going to Lane, half the people I knew in town were all telling me they were going to Lane for Watershed Technician and I find it really hard to believe they’re closing it for low enrollment.”
Kirkpatrick says as a student, he faces 2 challenges, the rising cost of tuition and transportation. He suggests the college might be able to increase enrollment by moving more classes to the downtown campus, which is easier to get to for many students.
Enrollment at LCC has decreased by about 40 percent since it hit its peak in 2011.
The Board Meeting is Wednesday afternoon from 4:30 to 8:30 in Building 19 at the LCC main campus.
Click here to view LCC's proposed budget.
KLCC is licensed by Lane Community College. Rachael McDonald and other staff are college employees.
