STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
Laredo Community College strives to empower students to fulfill their educational goals through the learning process.

VISION STATEMENT:

INSTITUTIONAL GOALS:

1. Mission - To state clearly and review periodically the mission and goals of the College.
2. Planning and Evaluation - To provide and document comprehensive research, planning, and information services that support continuous evaluation and revision of every facet of college operations.
3. Educational Programs - To provide an open door admission policy with a comprehensive curriculum made up of a broad range of certificate and degree programs based on the occupational and educational needs of the residents of the service area of the LCC District.
4. Educational Support Services - To provide comprehensive student support services to facilitate student growth and to enhance student success in the academic, social, and economic community.
5. Faculty and College Community - To hire, through fair employment practices, a qualified faculty and staff to accomplish the mission of the institution.
6. Administrative Processes - To practice effective decision-making, encourage broad participation in campus governance in an environment of mutual trust and respect, and provide timely internal and external communication of these processes.
7. Financial Resources - To provide effective and efficient administrative management of fiscal resources while maintaining full fiscal accountability and keeping expenditures within available resources.
8. Physical Resources - To build and maintain facilities and grounds that functionally and aesthetically meet institutional needs and create a physical environment conducive to learning.
9. Student Development - To provide the resources by which students can acquire basic knowledge and skills necessary to be self-learners and effective problem-solvers.
10. Community and Culture - To enrich the lives of students and community residents by offering cultural programs, short courses, workshops, literacy education and other educational events of interest to them.
11. Technology – To further incorporate technology into instructional, student support, and operational processes and activities throughout the College.
12. Resource Development – To coordinate the exploration of additional resources from federal, state, private, and corporate entities to promote the College’s mission.

To develop and implement over the next three years the instructional strategies required to address the following:

a. Establishing a college transition program,
b. Implementing a standardized system of examination to evaluate student college readiness,
c. Improving student retention within instructional units,
d. Implementing a biennial curriculum development cycle incorporating standardized curricula aligned horizontally with        related college programs and aligned vertically with secondary to post-secondary educational requirements.
e. Increasing student accountability through the use of student support services and revision of attendance/punctuality policies, and,
f. Increasing course offerings each year in accordance with student demand.

2. Advisement

To implement a comprehensive advisement program by Fall 2009 that incorporates the following:

a. Establishing an Advisement Center for incoming students,
b. Implementing a student orientation program,
c. Providing advisement cross-training for faculty and staff, and,
d. Increasing program completion, job placement, and student transfer rates.

3. Recruitment

To implement a student recruitment strategy that includes the following elements:

a. Establishing a Recruitment Department by Spring 2009,
b. Providing the department adequate resources to implement the required activities, and,
c. Identifying the appropriate target populations through demographic research and analysis.

4. Marketing

To implement an institutional marketing plan to promote the College's image and enrollment increases by incorporating the following elements:

a. Providing adequate resources to implement the required activities,
b. Implementing a new marketing slogan by Fall 2008, and,
c. Implementing a uniform marketing strategy by Spring 2009.

5. Facilities

To develop and implement an institutional facilities master plan by Spring 2009 that addresses the following:

a. Refurbishing buildings and facilities to offer a safe & comfortable environment conducive to student learning,
b. Scheduling the replacement of furniture and equipment for current and future functional needs,
c. Improving the College's infrastructure to provide a secure and aesthetical environment,
d. Employing trained employees, as required, to adequately maintain the facilities and infrastructure, and,
e. Renovating historical facilities to promote the College’s and Fort McIntosh’s role in the community’s development.

6. Technology

To implement comprehensive technology strategies which include the following activities:

a. Improving the quality of campus voice communications by Fall 2008,
b. Providing faculty and students with upgraded computer access by Spring 2009,
c. Establishing wireless Internet access at both campuses by Fall 2010,
d. Upgrading computer and media resources at both campuses using systematic processes by Fall 2010, and,
e. Providing the Information Technology staffing levels needed to maintain the required services.

7. Student Services

To develop and implement strategies to address the following student services:

a. Improving bookstore services and the affordability of textbooks,
b. Improving cafeteria services, prices, and hours of operation, and,
c. Establishing a shuttle service between the Ft. McIntosh and South campuses.

8. Professional Development

To promote professional development opportunities for all LCC employees by implementing the following:

a. Providing continuous technical training to all designated employees beginning in Fall 2008,
b. Developing/acquiring a faculty evaluation process acceptable to faculty and administration by Summer 2009, and,
c. Implementing a comprehensive employee professional development program by Summer 2009.

9. Administrative Processes

To implement administrative procedures and processes that address the following:

a. Circulating a bi-weekly employee newsletter by April 2008,
b. Developing a standardized decision-making model by Fall 2008,
c. Creating a mutual teamwork environment by Spring 2009,
d. Improving internal communication by Spring 2009,
e. Revising Human Resources procedures by Spring 2009, and,
f. Implementing an administrative structure to streamline all College processes by Spring 2009.

10. Resource Development

To implement strategies for the development of additional fiscal resources over the next three years as follows:

a. Expanding the College's grant development activities throughout the institution,
b. Increasing the level of funding from grants/scholarships/private donations, and,
c. Pursuing the expansion of the College's district.

11. Economic and Community Development

To establish over the next three years community and regional relationships that promote the following:

a. Educational collaborations with school districts,
b. Economic initiatives with business and industry, and,
c. Collaborative programs with local, state, and federal agencies.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

In compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Laredo Community College is open to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, or national origin who are otherwise eligible for admission as students. Furthermore, Laredo Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and no applicant or employee will be discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability or national origin. This institution will not enter knowingly into any contractual agreement for services or supplies with any firm failing to follow fair employment practices.