LSC-University Park will welcome students back for the 10th anniversary fall semester on August 29

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As the campus prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary in December, LSC-University Park President Shah Ardalan said campus priorities are the same this semester as in previous years: “access, success and culture”.

To access

The college’s goal is to provide access to affordable, quality education, Ardalan said.

“Which means the more our enrollment grows, the closer we are to our goal, and enrollment is one of our top priorities,” he said, pointing to the 7.9% growth in on-campus enrollment. during the summer semester.

LSC-University Park plans to begin the fall semester with 12,000 students. Campus officials are working toward an enrollment goal of 15,000 students by 2025.

The Lone Star College website provides a table estimating tuition and fees at $96 per credit hour for in-district students, $214 for out-of-district Texas residents, and $269 for international and out-of-district residents. the state.

While these costs may be lower than some other higher education institutions, Ardalan recognizes that affordability is a relative term. Resources are available to help struggling students with costs, including federal stimulus funds, financial aid, and payment plan options.

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“Regular financial aid and everything else is there, but for those who don’t qualify, we have many, many other ways – all they have to do is ask,” Ardalan said.

Technology resources, such as laptops and software, are available free of charge to qualified students taking courses at LSC-University Park.

The campus also has a food pantry available for food insecure students.

Hit

Ardalan believes access to affordable education must go hand in hand with success.

“Access without success means nothing, which means that we want our students to graduate, to transfer to get jobs,” Ardalan said.

According to Ardalan, LSC-University Park got the most students in the school’s 10-year history in the last graduation round.

“We believe this year we will also break that record and increase the number of graduates,” he said.

LSC-University Park is expanding and creating new programs, Ardalan said, such as programs related to artificial intelligence.

Construction is also underway on a new 30,000 square foot visual and performing arts center. Ardalan believes that the arts play a vital role in preparing students for successful careers.

The $21.7 million facility is expected to be completed by December 2023 and open in the spring of 2024. It will be the third center on campus, joining the Energy & Manufacturing Institute and the Center for Science & Innovation.

Culture

Ardalan recalled meeting a new student signing up to explore potential talent outside of the industry he had retired from.

“He was very impressed with the people and the culture,” Ardalan said. “He said he’s worked all these years in many places, he’s never seen anything like it – how many people have gone out of their way to make sure he’s comfortable and that he gets everything he came here to do.”

Safety is another priority for the campus and the college system as a whole. Ardalan explained that certain system-wide security information is not made public because it can pose security risks. At the campus level, Ardalan said they educate staff and students on how to prepare for and respond to emergency situations.

“We increased the number of trainings, the number of exercises, the number of open conversations during our forums,” Ardalan said. “Most importantly, we are focused on educating our employees – how to prevent it, how to say something if they see something, and also how to protect themselves.”

As preparations are underway for the start of the fall semester, Ardalan said he felt energized seeing more people in the halls of LSC-University Park.

“Online is fine, online works for a lot of people, but when it comes to culture – which is essential for our campus – I’m thrilled that face-to-face we can once again inspire and excite people. people,” Ardalan said.

The semester will end the same way it should begin – with a celebration. LSC-University Park will celebrate its 10th anniversary in December, which will also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Lone Star College System.

mfeuk@hcnonline.com