Lane Community College’s Board of Education has approved a new contract for the school’s president Dr. Stephanie Bulger.
Five board members voted for the new contract at a meeting on Wednesday. Bulger is serving a three-year term which, according to the contract, automatically rolls over every year.
Bulger told the board it was hard to believe she had been in her position for nearly four years.
She said she was excited to begin work on the college's next strategic plan ahead of 2028. LCC is currently operating within its 2022-2027 plan, which was approved before Bulger arrived.
“It's really, really exciting work and something that the entire college and community will be involved with," said Bulger. "So this is one of those gifts that a president just really, really looks forward to."
Zach Mulholland and board chair Austin Fölnagy abstained from Wednesday's vote. Both were part of a group of board members who apologized to Bulger over their treatment of her during past meetings, with Mulholland facing censure over his conduct.
"I'm taking this step to exercise prudent oversight, to mitigate even the slightest perception of institutional risk or potential liabilities," said Fölnagy at Tuesday's meeting. "By removing myself from the final decision making process, I ensure the board's actions is beyond reproach and protect any claims of irregularity."
The agreement comes as LCC faculty have started preparing for a potential strike over contract negotiations. Union leaders have previously criticized Bulger's leadership.
The college reached a tentative deal with its classified staff on Wednesday.
Lane Community College holds the license for KLCC, but does not review its content before publishing.
