President, Lone Star College University Park

In September 2012, Shah Ardalan became the first president of the Lone Star College System's newest campus, Lone Star College–University Park. In less than one year, Ardalan has watched his campus grow from a two-year community college to a full-service institution that partners with major businesses and universities throughout the country to bring together a number of educational opportunities.

Prior to becoming president of LSC–UP, Ardalan served as vice chancellor and chief information officer of the LSC System and CEO of LSC–UP. Since earning his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of North Carolina and his master's in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University, Ardalan moved up the educational ladder before coming to LSC in 2008, serving as a research associate, director of business development, assistant to the president and associate vice president among other positions. Ardalan began his more than 20 years of experience in education as an instructor with the Upward Bound Program at North Carolina A&T State University in 1989, teaching mathematics, algebra and trigonometry. Ardalan and his staff now operate a growing 1.2 million-square-foot college that features a comprehensive catalogue of courses and workforce training,

a corporate college, four partner universities, a charter school and several global businesses on-site.

What are some of the ways higher education has changed over the years?

The introduction, acceptance and growth of online education has been a game changer that keeps evolving on many fronts. However, I believe one of the most critically important and positive changes has been the demonstrated value of community colleges in support of the ever-changing needs of our country by offering affordable access to quality education and relevant workforce training.

What are you most proud of at University Park?

I am most proud of the team that I have the honor of serving and leading. They have embraced a culture of change and innovation to focus on helping students achieve their goals. I am also proud that we exceeded the community's expectations by building not just a center, but a fully accredited college that has earned the community's support in such a short time. I am equally proud of the partnerships we have developed with universities, high schools, industries, nonprofit organizations and community leaders.

How has University Park been able to succeed?

Many stars had to be aligned for LSC-UP to shine: a great board of trustees that empowered a visionary chancellor to listen to the needs of the community and respond in such a grand way; local community leaders who never stopped supporting their college; an exemplary and magnificent college system that has 40 years of quality service to its community; and my colleagues with a proven track record of leadership and experience from all aspects of administration and leadership to support and mentor me. In short, LSC-UP has been a great success because it is a part of Lone Star College System. It was designed and serves as a hub for collaborations between all our campuses. It is not to compete with any of our campuses in any sort or fashion.

In which areas of University Park do you see significant growth happening?

As one of the fastest growing colleges in the country, our transfer and dual credit have been and will continue to grow. Next year, with the opening of the Energy and Manufacturing Institute, I anticipate significant growth in our workforce development and more technical areas, too.

Can you describe what sets University Park apart?

What sets LSC-UP apart from about 1,200 community colleges in America is its approach to providing access to affordable quality education and training. We have turned these corporate buildings into a college that attracts and prepares today's students, but a campus that is not intimidating to students that are the first in their family to attend college. With the opening of the YMCA Children Academy, we will have six-months-old babies on campus. This also helps increase access for many single parents who want to further their education. The iSchool High is housed here that accepts students from ninth grade. These students can also take up to two years of college credits while they are getting their diploma. We also host four great universities that offer bachelor's and master's degrees right here. We have industry partners that are leasing space and offer several career opportunities for our students. Together with our partners, we offer more than 80 certificates, associates, bachelor's and master's degrees. This is a very unique education ecosystem that is not offered anywhere else within one campus. We are a community college that responds to the needs of community and industry by offering degrees and trainings that position students to successful careers, and a corporate college facility that prepares the students for the environment and settings once they enter the world of work. Our library and resource center is fully digital and offers students access to more than 3 million eBooks, articles, videos and any other resources that our students need. We are a college with focus on student success but with a business model that helps us keep the cost down for our students.

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

I see them as "opportunities," and that's what attracted me to this position. The vision is to build it like no other in the world. The bad news is there are no roadmaps, and the good news is there are no roadmaps—the perfect opportunity for innovation and for thinking outside of the box.

What advice can you give students getting ready for college?

I encourage them to dream big and be prepared to work relentlessly to follow their dreams. Today's community colleges are not the old junior colleges that were never fully understood. Students can save time and money by taking classes here.