Lane Community College Board Approves New Contract for President Bulger

Lane Community College’s Board of Education approved a new three-year employment agreement for President Stephanie Bulger, solidifying her role while the college navigates labor negotiations and a budget shortfall. Five board members voted for the contract at a meeting on Wednesday, according to KLCC.

The contract is written as a three-year term that, according to the college’s public materials, “automatically rolls over every year.” Media reporting indicates the new deal boosts Bulger’s pay by about 10 percent. The public excerpts of the employment agreement filed in BoardDocs identify the parties and lay out core duties and benefits. The agreement states that “The President shall act as chief administrator of the College and clerk of the Board of Education.”

BoardDocs excerpts include benefit provisions that could affect district finances. The college will provide disability income insurance in addition to managerial coverage through Cigna or a subsequent carrier. The agreement also specifies that the college will pay for “reasonable and customary health, dental and vision insurance coverage consistent with what other officers of the College receive, covering the President, her spouse and her family.” Travel language in the excerpts says the president will be reimbursed for business travel outside the district at the then-current Internal Revenue Service mileage rate, and an excerpt includes the phrase “shall begin on July 1, 2025” in the travel reimbursement clause.

The contract was benchmarked against peer institutions in Oregon. A correction in reporting clarifies those comparators were Chemeketa, Clackamas, Linn-Benton and Mount Hood community colleges. The college’s personnel and compensation decisions come as the board also approved steps to address an $800,000 budget gap, and while campus labor talks remain unresolved.

Labor relations are an immediate part of the context. Classified staff reached a tentative agreement described as occurring “on Wednesday,” but that deal still requires ratification by union membership and final board approval. Faculty negotiations are described as tense, with the faculty union preparing for a possible strike and mediation sessions scheduled for Feb. 12 and Feb. 19. KLCC reported that union leaders have previously criticized Bulger’s leadership; Bulger told the board she found it “hard to believe she had been in her position for nearly four years.” Bulger became LCC’s eighth president on July 1, 2022.

The vote and the limited public excerpts leave several follow-up questions for the community. The full salary figure and the mechanics of the reported 10 percent increase are not disclosed in the excerpts, the identities of the five board members who voted in favor were not listed, and the complete signed agreement and board minutes have not been posted in the materials provided here.

For Lane County residents, the decision matters because it touches budgeting priorities, executive compensation and the climate of contract talks that affect classroom operations. Watch for the board’s full meeting minutes and the signed employment agreement to appear in BoardDocs, and for outcomes from the scheduled faculty mediations and any union ratification votes that will determine whether the campus remains in session uninterrupted.