By Keenan A. Mount
At April’s Board of Trustees meeting, board members and the College President Ken Trzaska thanked retiring Trustee Brenda Walker-McCain for her service as it was her last meeting.
“Your wisdom, energy, and commitment to this college is remarkable,” Trzaska said.
Lewis and Clark Faculty Association President Debbie Witsken gifted Walker-McCain with flowers on behalf of the LCFA.
“She has been a constant through a lot of change,” Witsken said. “We appreciate you and are grateful for your service. You have made L&C a better place. On behalf of the faculty, thank you for your voice, vision and unwavering support.”
Walker served on the board for 24 years.
“I’ve certainly enjoyed serving the students and the community. It pleases my heart to see the direction in which we will be going. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” McCain said.
The meeting also gave recognition to Student Trustee Joel Barker for his service of his term.
“You are a remarkable young man, and I know it’s just getting started for you,” Trzaska said.
During this meeting, Representative Chris Chivetta and Project Manager Carl Drafall, from Hastings + Chivetta, the firm contracted for the renovation project, updated the board on the continued work to renovate Lewis and Clark’s main complex.
The firm began in January with some preliminary meetings with campus representatives, where they examined and took into account the complex’s mechanical systems, potential hazardous material concerns, and the want to preserve the historical aspects of the complex.
An idea of the new organization of the building post renovation was conceived at these meetings as well. These meetings highlighted some key things the renovation values the most in approaching the renovation, those being signage/wayfinding, postponed maintenance, and ADA accessibility.
The board and the firm acknowledged that among surveyed students, wayfinding ranked as the most pressing issue with the campus physically.
The firm is planning around classes and scheduling to ensure minimal disruption when the project allows for the moved students and faculty/staff to return to the complex.
Brad Raish, director of Campus Safety, presented the officers that make up the college’s new bike patrol fleet.
“Not only will this expedite our response time and help us be more responsive, it’s also going to give back to the community,” he said.
Vice President of Student Affairs Cherise Jackson spoke about enrollment.
“We’re super excited to announce that the Spring 2023 report came from ICCB, and their state average enrollment increase was 7.2%, compared to Lewis and Clark’s increase at 9.2%,” she said. “We want to make sure L&C is the first choice, not just a backup for our students.”
