After passing a bond referendum in November 2014, residents in Lone Star College System’s boundaries have seen significant progress on new construction and developing workforce programs to accommodate enrollment growth.
Bond projects currently under construction at the system’s six campuses, including at LSC- CyFair and LSC-University Park, are designed to train students to address existing workforce needs, said Amos McDonald, vice chancellor of external affairs for LSCS. Bond projects at LSC-CyFair are slated to be finished by June 2018, and projects at the University Park campus will be done by the end of 2019.
“Our new technology centers are the focus of the construction,” he said. “These centers will allow Lone Star College to continue to provide students with the career and technical skills that are needed by today’s employers.”
Since 2007, the college system's enrollment has grown by more than 52,000 students, McDonald said. Because 91 percent of students stay in their communities after earning their degrees from LSCS, he said it is critical they have access to high-quality training.
“LSC is nearly at capacity with its current enrollment, and the regional population is expected to continue to grow, which equates to more LSC students,” McDonald said. “As LSC expands, it is done in partnership with local business and industry leaders, which helps LSC provide the training that is most needed in the regional marketplace.”
Following graduation from Cy-Fair ISD high schools, 20 percent of students go on to attend classes in the Lone Star College System, he said. Although many students choose LSCS because of the relatively low cost of tuition and being able to stay close to home, an increasing number are taking advantage of workforce programs, McDonald said.
“Students are discovering that LSC offers options to obtaining a four-year degree with workforce programs that can help them get a good-paying job in high-demand industries,” he said
LSC-University Park
Construction will soon be wrapping up on the LSC-University Park campus’s new Center for Science and Innovation, which is set to open this fall. The 50,000-square-foot, three-story facility will cater to students training for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics industries, McDonald said.
Twelve science labs for chemistry and biology, a geology rock wall, an observation deck for astronomy students and a tutoring center are planned for the site.
The campus also opened its Innovation Room in February, presenting students with a space in which they can explore art, science and the areas in which the two fields overlap, Assistant Professor of Business Misty Sabol said.
In its first year, the room—which cost about $100,000 to equip—was fitted with 3-D scanning and printing technology, virtual reality equipment and other tools to facilitate experimentation in both technical and artistic fields.
Demand for higher education instruction in STEM may be surging because of the earning potential of those professions, but resources are also being devoted to arts programs that encourage creative innovation.
Construction will begin this summer on an arts building at LSC-University Park with an auditorium to seat 400. Curriculum taught there will include drama, music and visual art when the facility opens in early 2019.
LSC-University Park President Shah Ardalan said arts programs at the campus will expand dramatically when the $23.7 million, 40,000-square-foot instructional arts building opens.
The campus’s art department has grown each year since opening in 2012, including expanding offerings in studio- and performance-based classes and introducing a piano lab that uses Apple software, Arts Department Chairwoman Kari Breitigam said.
“We’re working to create paths that allow a student to smoothly transition from the [arts programs] here into a four-year university,” she said.
LSC-CyFair
At LSC-CyFair, the new off-campus Westway Park Technology Center is scheduled to open in spring 2018 near Beltway 8 and Clay Road. McDonald said the 130,000-square-foot center will support the visual communications department along with computer information technology programs like the Cisco Networking Academy, computer programming, cybersecurity and forensics.
LSC-CyFair President Seelpa Keshvala said cutting edge IT and visual communications designs were incorporated into the building.
Because of high demand, the LSCS board of trustees approved proposals in March to add an Associate of Applied Science degree in cybersecurity and an Associate of Applied Science degree in mobile/web application development. The technology center will also support these programs, officials said.
Additionally, a 75,000-square-foot instructional building is nearing completion. Slated to open this spring, the facility houses new instructional and student spaces, new faculty and dean suites and increased parking capacity.
The new space is critical when considering enrollment growth projections in Cy-Fair, McDonald said.
“The Cypress-Fairbanks area is experiencing exponential population growth, and since nearly 23,000 of LSC students reside in the Cy-Fair area and 1 in 5 Cy-Fair ISD high school seniors attend Lone Star College when they graduate, we anticipate our student growth to continue in this geographic region,” he said.
McDonald said in the past, community colleges were considered a second choice for students. However, not only do many CFISD graduates choose LSCS postgraduation, but many start taking classes there while still in high school.
More than 13,000 high school students in fall 2016 took classes to earn credits that would transfer to public colleges and universities in Texas. Last fall, 3,112 CFISD students were enrolled in 5,662 classes, according to Linda Macias, CFISD associate superintendent of curriculum, instruction and accountability.
“Increased college awareness and access are natural results of students engaging in dual credit courses,” she said. “Exposure to rigorous college curriculum of dual credit courses while still in high school increases college retention rates. Economically, dual credit courses save families a considerable amount of tuition dollars.”
Workforce programs develop
In addition to the new facilities under construction and renovation, LSCS is also growing its workforce programs.
LSCS offers 99 certificate and degree workforce programs in areas, such as health care, technology, energy, manufacturing, welding and IT. Although they do not all require four-year degrees, workers in these industries keep the economy strong, McDonald said.
In addition to the cybersecurity and the mobile/web application development programs the board approved in March, LSCS recently implemented a fast-track pipefitting program in response to demand in the industry.
McDonald said The National Center for Construction Education and Research developed the new curriculum, and students who complete the training are eligible for the NCCER Registry System, which allows for easy verification of training for potential employers.
“Lone Star College carefully looks at labor market analytics, including working with employers to confirm the technical and behavioral skills required to ensure programs stay current and up to date,” he said. “Many Lone Star College faculty come directly from industry and are expected to keep up their own competence by completing certification training related to the associate degree or certificate offered.”
Nursing is among the most popular educational programs at LSCS, and McDonald said the college system produces more nurses than any college in the Greater Houston area. Efforts are being made to expand health care offerings.
LSCS is advocating for legislation that would authorize the system to offer four-year Bachelor of Science in nursing and Bachelor of Applied Technology degrees to address needs for trained workers.
More than a dozen bills have been filed this session that would allow community colleges across the state to offer more four-year degrees.
“Current higher education pathways cannot effectively meet the industry demand, and Lone Star College is well-positioned to bridge the gap,” McDonald said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VANESSA HOLT
