LSC-Montgomery Student Success Newsletter

485. In the last 485 work days, the Student Success Area has seen monumental changes. From developing and implementing a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan that has supported continued enrollment growth each semester, relocating the staff and services from Building E to a renovated Building C, developing an Outreach and Orientation department, refining areas to process admissions applications within 48 hours, aligning all student and academic support areas to focus on student success points, managing change during a massive ERP migration project from Datatel to iStar, reorganizing the Student Services division to a student success model, implementing the area's first Unit Effectiveness Plans and integrating this plan into the institution's effectiveness cycle, redefining tutoring services, expanding seating spaces in the library and integrating student services into the academic mission and plans. Yet, all of the accomplishments would not have happened without two things-a good plan and great people. This publication highlights some of the people and plans that have contributed to some of the early successes. By highlighting some of the strategic achievements and human stories associated with the successes that helped pave the way, this publication will help us raise the bar for developing pathways for the future success of our students. We welcome you to come to our area and meet with our staff to find out how you can join us in providing high quality services and programs.

Our mission is to assist students in achieving success by providing high quality academic support programs and services. We are focused on completing our mission by targeting 7 Critical Points:

Building a College Going Culture
Easing Barriers at the Point of Entry
Engaging Students during the 1st Six Weeks
Recruiting Back Students before final exams
Following up with Students before the end of 1st Year
Transitioning students to employment or transfer
Involving Alumni in the success of our students

Welcome to Student Success.

Learning Center

Learning Center Overview

Located on the second floor of Building C at the heart of campus, the ELC occupies 18,200 square feet of an open floor plan design, with two major wings physically differentiating the three program categories: Business/Technology and Math and Science. Each area is equipped with computers loaded with software pertinent to the disciplines supported. A variety of study tables and study rooms are available for individual or group use. There are two rooms dedicated solely to Anatomy and Physiology tutoring. There are also two computers loaded with assistive software. The Write Place and Language Lab are located in the neighboring Academic Classroom building, G, on the ground floor. They occupy three neighboring classrooms, two of which are interconnected. There are 120 computers dedicated solely to student use among the tutoring areas, including 4 ADA compliant systems. All computers come with MS Office, internet browsers and necessary plug-ins. Each semester the Director and Specialist communicate with the Academic Chairs to update and add to resources as needed. To keep track of resources, the Learning Center has installed Horizon.

Mission

The mission of the Learning Center is to assist students in achieving academic success, through persistence and retention, by promoting understanding of course concepts, reinforcing essential study skills and habits, and encouraging independent learning to help them reach their educational goals to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

Strategic Goals and Outcomes for 2010/2011

Goal: Establish and strengthen a collaborative relationship with chairs and lead faculty to identify and bridge gaps in academic services outside of the classroom.

Outcome: Prior to the start of each semester the Learning Center Director and Specialist, meet with the Academic Chairs and Deans to determine how many hours of tutoring to assign per subject or course. To assist with this decision, the group reviews statistics and data for visits per student per course/subject, daily and weekly traffic patterns, and the success rates of these students. Chairs and Deans also share anecdotal feedback from the students and faculty regarding tutors, facilities and resources. Once the service focus has been determined, the number of tutoring hours is determined for each course, subject or series. Allocations part time tutors for Math, Science, Business and Technology for 2011/2012:

Goal: Diversify the roles and responsibilities of tutors based on level of CRLA certification and expertise.

Outcome: During the 2011/2012 Academic year the Learning Center has been working with Chairs and Program Directors to pair tutors with specific student populations. Tutors collaborate with faculty, counselors and other Learning Center staff to develop and provide services for students. Tutors may work with students individually or in small groups throughout the semester. Tutors are responsible for monitoring the progress of each student and reporting trends and issues in the tutoring environment. Tutors with Level III CRLA Certification produce materials for students and provide workshops on Test Prep, Microsoft Office, and topics on learning and study skills.

Goal: Utilize tracking statistics of ELC services to effectively plan and deliver future services and report back to stakeholders criteria.

Outcome: The Learning Center uses a variety of tools and technology to gain knowledge and understanding about the students using our services and facilities. Students are asked to sign-in to the AccuTrack system at the Courtesy Counter each time they visit. AccuTrack lives up to its name for accuracy in reporting. Each semester enrollment files are loaded into the system. Data includes student names, ID numbers, and their enrollment in courses and sections. AccuTrack records the date, time and reason for each visit. Students may also request a report showing how much time they spent in the Learning Center or with a specific tutor. Instructors may request a list of students who have visited the Learning Center as well.

Another tool utilized in the Learning Center is the Check-in Kiosk. At first glance you might think it duplicates the AccuTrack system, but it serves a different purpose. One of the issues that we have long strived to overcome in Math tutoring is making sure students are served in the order in which they arrive. Students enter their name and then select a math subject for which they need assistance. Tutors monitor the list on their iPads and are better able to respond to the needs of the students in a timelier manner. In some cases tutors may divide subjects among themselves and group students accordingly. The kiosk data has also informed our decisions for scheduling. Because it monitors how much time a tutor spends with each student we can more accurately predict wait-times throughout the semester and provide additional staff during peak times.

Tutoring Outcomes for 2010/2011

The Learning Center serves roughly 11% of the total college enrollment each Fall and Spring semester. In general, students who take advantage of tutoring at the Learning Center, whether it is one visit or more, receive an A, B, or C in their courses. Peak hours for tutoring are Monday thru Thursday between 10:00am and 4:00pm.

As this is the first full year of statistics that can be tied directly to specific student performance, 2010/2011 will serve as base year data.

Preliminary Numbers for Fall 2011

1958 unique students visited the Learning Center, Language Lab, and The Write Place during Fall 2011

1.005540166204986

Instructional Support Services at LSC-Conroe Center

Soon students at LSC-Conroe Center will have access to a variety of instructional support services. Currently students and faculty have access to services from the Library, Testing Center, The Writer's Corner, and Math tutoring provided by instructors. During February, support staff from LSC-Montgomery will facilitate faculty and staff focus sessions at LSC-Conroe Center to identify and further develop instructional support services for students enrolled in credit and CE courses. LSC-Montgomery faculty and staff interested in participating in the focus sessions or providing feedback on services should contact Rhonda Spearman or Janice Peyton for details.

Peer Tutoring Program

Do you have some outstanding students in your classes or programs? The Learning Center is recruiting students to participate in its Peer Tutoring Program for Spring/Summer 2012. What are we looking for? A student who has an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, a B or better in the course they intend to tutor, at least 12 hours of college course work completed, ability to commit to one full semester/term of tutoring, and a faculty recommendation. Students referred by their faculty members will be contacted by Dr. Lori Hughes, Peer Tutoring Program Facilitator. Students participating in this program will receive the student worker pay rate for tutoring and at the end of their first semester will hold Level 1 CRLA Tutoring Certification through completion of program requirements and activities. Please forward the names and contact information of your students to Rhonda Spearman or Lori Hughes and we will take care of the rest!

Test Reviews for Math, Science, Business and Technology

Would you like to schedule a test review for your students? Contact Trudy Burke at the Learning Center to arrange a group test review for your students. Groups of students may also request review sessions. Review sessions require a minimum of five students and information about material to be covered on the test or quiz. Instructors requesting reviews are encouraged to provide specific instructions for tutors to ensure a successful session. After the review and the test, tell us how we are doing by completing a post-review survey.

Testing Center Fall 2011 Stats:

7,861 Tests Administered
Average of 75 tests per day
3,296 of those tests were for Distance Learning
1770 Make-up tests
1636 Placement tests
368 Nursing and Radiology Exams
791 Other and Correspondence

Testing Center Services include:

Placement Testing
Testing for Distance Learning Courses
Correspondence Testing
Nursing/Radiology Exams
Make-up tests for F2F courses
Special Needs Testing (scribing, reading, extra time, private rooms)

Submit a Testing Service Request Online

Whether you are teaching an online course or need to administer a make-up test for a student, you can submit your request through iStar. To access, login to myLonestar > Go to Main Menu > LSCS > Custom > Testing Center Requests > Request Form. For step-by-step instructions, review the Testing Center Request Form Help at Faculty Testing Resources .

Test Prep Program

In Summer 2011 the Learning Center launched a formal Placement Test Prep program aimed at helping incoming students test more accurately on COMPASS and THEA-IBT. The 2-hour workshop has three sections:

Part I: What to Expect

Placement Test Overview
Types of Tests Available
Tips for Computer-Based-Testing

Part II: Sample Problems

Reading, Writing and Essay
Developmental math (up to college algebra)

Part III: Preparing for the Test

5-Day Study Plan
Day of the Test

Based on survey results and feedback from non-student participants the following actions will be taken:

Focus group with previous participants to examine what they found helpful and/or lacking.
Enhance current material to include more practice with basic information in reading, writing and mathematics.
Include a brief pre-test to help participants identify areas for review and practice.
Improve promotional materials and outreach to encourage participation in the Test Prep program.

Changes will be implemented during Summer/Fall 2012. If you are interested in sharing your experiences or expertise in Placement Test Preparation, please contact Rhonda Spearman or 936-273-7303.

Student Technology Workshops

Do you have some students who need a refresher on Microsoft Word or PowerPoint? The Learning Center is offering two levels of these popular tools to help students improve their documents and presentations. Tech Tools explores some technologies available to help students improve time-management, note-taking, and study time. We will explore some older tools and some newer tools and participants are encouraged to share what they use too!

Word I

Level one explains the ribbon and tabs, the groups contained within the ribbon and the basic formatting skills needed to create a document. Topics discussed will include font and paragraph formatting such as line spacing, page layout options including margins and header/footers and how to save a document to a specific location (flash drive or USB). This is a hands-on exercise for beginners.

Word II

Level two will explore more options available to enhance your documents including columns, inserting and formatting of tables, page breaks vs section breaks and footnotes/endnotes. Exercises are intended for the user who would like to know of more advanced features available within MS Word and will provide sufficient time to display these features.

PowerPoint I

Level one will introduce the user to the uses and basic features of presentation software. The ribbon and tabs along with the groups contained within will be explained along with a few tips for an effective presentation. Formatting of text and bullets, animations and slide transitions will be covered to enhance the effects.

PowerPoint II

Level two is intended for the user who has basic knowledge of the software, but would like to enhance the presentation to include sound, video and or timings. This will be hands on training with an existing file to ensure the understanding of the features and will also include sufficient time to ensure understanding of the features.

Tech Tools for Students

Explore ways to use digital pens, iPads, and online sites to maximize your learning style, improve study skills and habits, and improve note taking during lectures. Be prepared, parts of this workshop are hands-on and interactive! Got some cool tools that you use to make college life easier? Bring them along and share!

International Student Services

Enrollment Trends

It's been a great year for International Student Services. During the summer we saw a marked increase in the number of student inquiries and applications, which led us to welcome 78 new International students (including transfers and change of status) for Fall 2011.

Almost all new International students (78 out of 88) applicants entered the U.S. on their LSC-Montgomery visa. This is in contrast to many other schools, where the majority of documents issued are unused by the students who either remain at home or attend another school. Our students have a true enthusiasm for LSC-Montgomery and the community.

Did you know?

41 new International students enrolled for Spring 2012.
We now have 198 students representing 40 countries.
Our strongest international student populations are from Mexico, Venezuela, and South Korea.

International Student Orientation and Events

International Student Orientations were held during both Spring and Fall semesters. These sessions provided incoming and returning students with information on academic and cultural expectations, while also providing uniqure opportunities to meet fellow International students. The Texas theme taught them everything from bluebonnets to BBQ to how to say "Howdy Y'all"!

During April we joined together to celebrate the International Student Organization's Global Awareness Day with food, cultural booths from the campus and community, as well as stellar music and dance. We look forward to another fun, exciting event this year.

Outreach

The Outreach and Orientation department has evolved into a team of 4 full-time, 3 part-time, and 4 student employees. We serve the entire Montgomery county community as well as Conroe, Montgomery, Willis, New Waverly, and Huntsville ISD's.

Dual Credit

Last November we implemented a new and improved Dual Credit registration process and registered over 950 students at their respective high school campuses (serving 7 high schools). We will continue our Dual Credit registration, in conjunction with the Business Office, on the high school campuses in April for Summer and Fall 2012.

Fast Facts:

During the summer and fall semesters, we attended over 20 events and have hosted over 10 groups on campus.
Our team has touched over 4400 students during tours, FAFSA events, Dual Credit registrations, college fairs, college nights, and leadership academies.
We represented LSC-Montgomery at The Woodlands Mall kiosk during the Christmas holidays.

High School Outreach

During February, the Outreach department will launch a poster series highlighting specific LSCS programs (both credit and CE) at Junior High schools throughout Conroe ISD. Among the programs to be featured first are Biotechnology, Informational Systems, and the new Live Entertainment Technology program (formerly known as AVSS).

Campus Visits

The Outreach staff is currently scheduling campus visits for area schools and student groups. Campus visits provide prospective students with personal, in-depth college experience and allows them to preview the multitude of programs and resources available. If your department or program area would like to become a "stop" on the tour, please contact Deanna Chapman for further information.

Open House

We will once again open our doors to the community at the annual LSC-Montgomery Open House event. Last year we provided informational sessions, tours, food, department and club/organization booths, and various giveaways. Open House is slated for Tuesday, March 27 from 5 - 7:30 PM and we look forward to showcasing our programs, faculty and staff. Additional event information will be available soon.

Library

MIssion

The mission of the

LSC-Montgomery Library is to support a successful

educational experience, nurture

the intellectual and cultural life of the community, encourage critical thought, promote information literacy, and provide innovative and high-quality services and programs.

The Library's Role in Student Success

The current library opened in Building F, February 2003. That building was recently renamed The Library Building. The library became an integral part of the area of Student Success Fall, 2010, and since that time, has engaged in continuous improvement initiatives planned, introduced, implemented, assesed and improved upon through the Strategic Enrollment Plan and the Unit Effectiveness Plan.

In order to identify appropriate activities focused on first six-week milestones, the library collaborated with all student success service areas. The resulting activities were designed to promote student learning and enhance student development. The library issued 408 library cards during Fall 2011 through the end of registration process, affording access to an array of appropriate collections, resources and services on and off campus. Additionally, the library advertised and promoted "Avoid the Stampede" activities by providing incentives for paying library fines and clearing library holds.

The library is currently negotiating with the local public library to maximize resources and talents. Based on research and input from public library staff, 7th and 8th graders are most receptive to nontraditional activities such as dance, writing and art. The library is working with the Montgomery County Public Library youth services librarian to create engaging summer activities. Another initiative designed to reach "tweens" enrolled in Discovery College include plans for promoting library services through their STEM initiatives.

During the fall semester, eight groups of public school students were taken on general library tours. These tours were designed to introduce students to the college environment, including appropriate career resources.

Collections and Resources

The librarians engaged in a marathon collection development initiative in order to meet shortened budget deadlines. Librarians collaborate with faculty to ensure that educational, research and public service programs are appropriately supported through the acquisition of sufficient learning resources in a variety of formats.

In order to assure access equity per section and to represent the per capita investment for students, the LSC-M Library prepares sub budget accounts tied directly to each section assigned to the campus. The library establishes a formula comprised of average cost of books per classification and aligns those cost with the specific courses taught at Montgomery (book cost is documented annually in Bowker Annual). Included as "courses" is a category called "New Programs" which addresses new or enhanced collections for the next academic year, and heighten support for programs seeking external accreditation. It should be noted that time invested in developing precision collections has repeatedly resulted in library commendations for the nursing and allied health programs.

The "Library Excellence" category is developed to include administrative requests or recognized titles for academic professional development, including selected titles listed in professional journals such as The Chronicle of Higher Education. Fifty-two sub categories are coded as the books are ordered. Complementary categories are included for non-print resources in each respective subject area. The Office Coordinator, using the Horizon acquisitions module, ensures that data are current and monitors the purchasing process. The collection development process is time-consuming, but fiscally responsible. The process not only affords access to materials across the teaching fields. It also provides a systematic way for librarians to identify areas where faculty has not been contacted or faculty might not be aware of the opportunities to participate in collection development.

Additionally, while the orders are batched and continuously transmitted to the contracted vendor, fill rate is contingent upon publishers' supplies and distribution warehouses. We often request titles that are out of stock or not yet published (NYP). This information is often not available to the library immediately. One hundred and four (104) accounts are checked as appropriate and monitored to ensure equity and fiscal responsibility.

Towards the end of the budget cycle, the profile dates are reduced from normal delivery parameter of 90 days to 30 days. Ninety days is generally enough time for an 80% fill rate. We have "OVER ordered" by approximately 20%. The library orders on blanket contracts, allowing additional fill time while the contracts remain open. If blankets contracts are closed before receipt of books, vendors cancel the orders.

Based on growing demand for eResources and further validation in the Association of College and Research Libraries' report 2010 Top 10 Trends in Academic Libraries, LSC-Montgomery invested an additional $15000 in electronic resources. The Library Chart 1. eBook Comparisonis taken from the NCES statistics reported by LSCS.

Note that when comparing LSCS Libraries with the national and state averages, LSCS ebook collection shows holdings that are significantly below numbers reported to the most recent NCES database. As a result of the growing demand for alternative formats, validation in research-based findings, and objective reports, LSC-Montgomery recently secured access for 3 simultaneous users to a rich collection of eResources to support instruction.

Circulation of Resources
Library Chart 2. Circulation Statistics: Conroe Center; Montgomery

LSC-Montgomery circulated 5860 items during the month of January, 2012. Conroe Center circulated 1556 items during January. An overview of items in general circulation during the fall semesters for 2010 and 2011 is reflected in Library Chart 2. Circulation Statistics : Conroe Center; Montgomery

Digitization

During the 2009-10 academic year, the library received a rich collection of art photographs in slide format from Debbie Ellington, then Dean, LSC-M. The collection of more than 8000 slides represents over thirty years of travel photography. When the library's outdated scanner became inoperative, the library purchased a new high quality scanner appropriate for the job. Most of the collection has been digitized. However, again, based on research, one of the trends cited by ACRL in the report 2010 Top 10 Trends in Academic Libraries is "Digitization of unique library collections will increase and require a larger share of resources." LSC-M Library is positioned to respond to that trend.

Instruction

When analyzing how the library compares with peer institutions, national data were reviewed. During the Fall 2011 semester, librarian conducted 105 instructional sessions, resulting in face to face class instruction to approximately 2400 students. While LSCS' entry in Library Chart 3. Number of Presentations represents system-wide data, it depicts the overall commitment to instruction and literacy. LSCS, including LSC- Montgomery supports a robust instruction program. It should be noted that the Fall, 2011, LSC-Montgomery's 105 instructional sessions represent more than 20% increase over the 2010 Fall semester.

One of the library's major accomplishments was the development of learning outcomes for all instructional sessions. Librarians play an important role in developing the information-literate student. Library instructional sessions at LSC-Montgomery are specifically developed to cover several key information literacy elements listed above. Librarians identified goals and learning outcomes that reflect the unique material covered during these instructional sessions. While the learning outcomes for BI sessions differ from the course learning outcomes, each library instructional session is customized to support the student in meeting the outcomes of the course. These sessions also aid future academic success because students are able to take the skills they learn in a BI session for one course and apply them to another course.

The goal of Bibliographic Instruction at LSC-Montgomery is to teach the skills needed to support the development of information literacy in each student. According to ACRL an information-literate student is able to:

Determine the extent of information needed
Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
Evaluate information and its sources critically
Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally. [1]

Included in instruction is the commitment to respond to emerging trends. Listed by ACRL as one of the top 10 trends is "Explosive growth of mobile devices and applications will drive new services." In response to this trend, iPads were/are being issued to all faculty. In the meantime, the library secured iPads and provided training on the effective use of the mobile devices, including the iPads for library applications. Three sessions were provided when the faculty returned for the fall session. Faculty have request additional session on library applications.

During the 2010-11 academic year the library provided a total of 8 instructional sessions for EDUC 1300 classes. During the month of January 2012, sixteen sessions were offered by the library.

Facilities

As reflected in Library Chart 4. Library Facility Use, use of the library is up more than 200% since the library opened in 2003 and up 10% during the fall 2011 semester over fall 2010. Statistics by term indicate a continuous increase in use.

The facilities support teaching, research and service. On January 17th, the library officially took occupancy of F-160. This space includes seventeen networked workstations and eight soft seats, significantly increasing access to collections and resources. Upon opening, students immediately occupied the space, quickly utilizing every computer. The timing of this project was perfect! F-114, once reserved for library instruction, is opened early during the day when library instruction classes are not being conducted. During peak hours of the day, all workstations are occupied.

The inclusion of eight new soft seats in the entrance of the library, afforded an opportunity to transform the area into a more comfortable environment. Since the library often is occupied at 80%, the variety of areas makes the library a destination for an array of learning styles. The group study rooms are heavily used and granular data are available on the use of each room. Based on one of the ACRL top 10 trends, "The definition of the library will change as physical space is repurposed and virtual space expands."

In repurposing the space, the library is responding to trends in a timely fashion.

Since the Conroe Centers Grand Opening, 12,197 people used the library between February and December 2011. The facility is staffed by librarians and support staff. Effective February 13, the library extended the hours to open at 8:00 AM.

Staff/ New Faces

Four full time librarians with rich educational backgrounds and experience are available whenever the library is open to provide access to regular and timely instruction in the use of library and other learning/information resources. Sarah Palacios-Wilhelm accepted a position vacated as a result of Cheryl Mansfield-Egans' retirement, Summer 2011. Sarah arrived with significant library experience, having worked at George Washington University, and more recently, Rice University. She will be the primary contact for EDUC 1300, and will rely heavily on her background in human development

College/Community Service

Staff participated in retention and student success conversations and other college / system-wide initiatives (SACS, QEO, FOE, and Faculty senate).

Notes:

[1]Association of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency

Disability Services

LSC-Montgomery Disability Services is committed to ensuring that equal access to its educational programs, activities, and facilities occurs for students with disabilities. Disability Services assists current and future students by determining and recommending appropriate academic support services. We focus on helping students with disabilities make a successful transition to the college and act as a referral source for services both on campus and within the community.

Mission

Disability Services believes in equal access to educational opportunities for all individuals. Therefore, we endeavor to create, promote, and maintain an environment where all individuals with disabilities have access to educational opportunities with minimal adaptations.

Students Served

We know that as the student enrollment numbers increase, so do the number of students seeking services. During 2010/2011, Disability Services System wide assisted approximately 1,540 students each Fall and Spring semester, and 715 in the summer.

LSC-Montgomery worked with 352 students in the Fall (the largest number out of all five campuses), 305 in the Spring and 155 in the Summer (again the largest number out of all five campuses). Due to unforeseen difficulties with iStar, we do not yet have accurate numbers for 2011/12 but hope to provide those soon.

Types of Disabilities

Disability Services works with students with a variety of disabilities. Approximately 50% of the students seeking assistance have a learning disability or have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. However we also work with student with Autism, Hearing Impairments, Physical and Psychiatric Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Visual Impairments, and other special needs. Classroom accommodations are made on an individualized basis and students must bring in updated medical or diagnostic records substantiating the need for assistance in order for classroom accommodations to be provided.

Assistive Technology Lab

While student accomodations vary, some may involve alternative formatting of text books or the use of specialized software and equipment. At LSC-Montgomery, students will find these available technologies in the Assistive Technology (AT) Lab located in the Library Building, F-152.

Along with an increase in the number of students receiving accommodations we are also seeing an increase in the number of students choosing to utilize the assistive technology that we have available on our campus. Due in large part to the increased demand for service requests, we were able to double the size of the existing AT Lab. During the 2011 calendar year, the A.T. Lab received 1,177 duplicate student visits. Each student visit may last from one to five hours. We have also just received funding for the purchase of 4 additional computers to be added to the lab for student use.

Assistive Technology Lab
Expanded Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday,

8 AM to 7 PM

Saturday,

9 AM to 4 PM

Assistive Technology Lab Tours

We are hosting and promoting the A.T. Lab to raise awareness of the services offered to our students with special needs. We have hosted 3 tours of the lab thus far this semester with approximately 65 attendees. Disability Services would like to extend an invitation to all staff and faculty to come and tour the lab this coming Wednesday, February 22, 2012 from 8:30 to 9:30 AM. Please take the time to stop by if you are interested in learning more about specialized software and some of the adaptive equipment that we have available to our students. We will be serving coffee and pastries!

Remote Interpreting/Captioning

During 2010, the Director of Disability Services selected LSC-Montgomery Disability Services to pilot a new program called "Remote Interpreting/Captioning". The pilot focused on providing students with remote services in the event that an interpreter was not available. Working in conjunction with the Director of Interpreter/Captioning Services for LSCS, OTS and LSC-Montgomery Disability Services, the team tested and eliminated any technical problems that a student might encounter when utilizing the remote interpreting/captioning program. This system is now in place and is being utilized throughout the LSC campuses. We are excited that we could help pilot this new innovative system!

Maverick Connections Partnership

Lone Star College-Montgomery Student Services implemented a mandatory New Student Orientation program referred to as Maverick Connections in the Fall of 2011. The Maverick Connection sessions have enabled staff within Student Success to provide students with the tools to successfully navigate the college environment and registration process. During the Maverick Connections, students are supplied with information about Disability Services available to them.

Beginning with the Spring 2012 semester, students pre-registering for Maverick Connection sessions are asked whether they would like to request classroom accommodations. If a student answers yes to this question, they receive an e-mail notifying them of the application process to receive Disability Services.

We are very thankful for all the support and assistance from faculty and administration. We encourage all faculty to continue to place a statement in their syllabus informing students of their civil rights with regards to disability. LSC-Montgomery continues to strive to assist students with disabilities to reach their potential!

Financial Aid

Change

Financial Aid is going through a reorganization which will allow us to become more of a "Customer Service Center". We are systemizing some of our processes which will allow us more opportunities to advise our financial aid students and to provide students with more one-on-one assistance. We are also currently working towards a System-wide Financial Aid Call Center. The Call Center would provide students with one number for direct financial assistance. Finally, we are working towards hiring three additional Financial Aid staff members at our campus. With the additional staffing, we will be able to support the Conroe Center with their financial aid needs.

Financial Aid Fast Facts

Between 01/01/11 to 12/31/11, we served almost 35,000 students; these students signed in at the KIOSK requesting Financial Aid/Admissions assistance.

Almost 60% of the students signed in for Financial Aid assistance, with the remaining 40% signing in to Admissions.

Financial Aid saw an average of 142 students each day

Peak days and times are Monday through Wednesday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM; we typically see 70% of students during this time.

During the first month of the iStar implementation (01/01/11 - 02/13/11), we assisted 5752 students; an average of 185 students daily.

From 01/01/12 - 02/13/12, we served 3736 students; an average of 120 students per day.

As our services continue to improve, we will have a decline in students coming in for last minute assistance. We want to encourage students to visit our offices before the peak times, so that they are better financially prepared.

Financial Aid Requirements

In order for a student to receive Financial Aid, they must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Federal regulations require all financial aid recipients to maintain SAP in a course of study leading toward a college degree, certificate, or educational objective. Prior years SAP was run once a year at the end of Spring term. On July 1, 2011 this regulation changed and we are now going to run Satisfactory Academic Progress every semester once grades are posted. It is important that students check their portals after grades are posted to see if it has affected their financial aid eligibility status.

Satisfactory Academic Progress consists of three components: 1.) Keep at least a 2.0 GPA; 2.) Maintain a completion rate of 70% of classes attempted; and 3.) Complete a program of study within a maximum time frame (usually 150% of their program length). If a student does not meet one of these components, they may be placed on Financial Aid "Warning" the first semester. A student may be placed on "Suspension" the second semester if they are not meeting one of the components. When the student is placed on "Suspension", the student will need to go thru an appeal process.

For the first time, LSCS ran a mid-year SAP and at the end of the Fall semester, we implemented an electronic appeal process to assist each of the colleges and to manage this process. This process made it accessible for students to submit their appeal electronically through their myLonestar Portal. The electronic version provided us with easy access to evaluate the appeals during the days we were out for the Holiday break and we were able to communicate back with students via the myLonestar Portal. While this was a team effort, Kara Hipchen proved to be instrumental in documenting all of our appeals in the iStar system and correcting student awards.

To date, LSC-Montgomery Financial Aid staff has reviewed 1044 appeals electronically. Of those appeals, 784 were processed between12/22/2011 to 01/14/12. This allowed students who had pre-registered for Spring 2012 to keep their class schedule.

Book Advances

Financial Aid understands the importance of students purchasing their books for class. We promote an option for students who have been awarded grants and loans in excess of tuition and fees. We give students the ability to receive a book advance so they can purchase their books every semester. Students are given the opportunity to use a book advance beginning two weeks prior to the semester until the second week of classes to purchase their books at the campus bookstore or at offsite bookstores. This information is available to all students in our website. Lone Star College System distributed book advances to 14,012 students for $5,569,405. Of those Financial Aid students, 90% purchased books through Follett and 10% chose an independent retailer.

Scholarships and Hazelwood Waivers

On May 16, 2011, we were fortunate to hire Kristi Wharton as our new Financial Aid Specialist. Kristi has been instrumental in processing our scholarships and Hazelwood waivers. During the academic year, she processed 217 Hazelwood waivers, 295 outside scholarships for Spring totaling $298,070, and 122 internal scholarships through the Foundation worth $122,190.

February is Financial Aid Awareness Month

This is a busy month for your Financial Aid office. We are ready to assist our students to start the application process for the next academic year 2012/2013. Students can begin to apply for Scholarships and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) priority date for submission is April 1st.

FAFSA Fridays

LSC-Montgomery Financial Aid Specialists will be available to assist students and parents in filling out their online FAFSA. This service will be located in the Financial Aid office in Bldg C. These services are available on: February 24, March 9, March 23, April 13, and April 27. Please come and see us!

Welcome Latasha!

If you have recently visited Student Services, you may have seen a new, although familiar face in Financial Aid. Latasha Reese joined our team on November 1st, after having previously worked in the LSC-Montgomery Call Center. We are excited to have her on board!

Visiting Financial Aid

Our staff is available to assist students with their Financial Aid applications, scholarship opportunities and much more. Please encourage your students to visit the Financial Aid office in the Student Service Center, Building C.

Maverick Connection Orientation

New Student Orientation (NSO) was mandated for all first time LSCS students beginning Fall 2011. In anticipation of the NSO mandate, a new process was implemented in our Outreach/Orientation and Admissions offices last summer. This includes assigning Admissions Specialists to all prospective students, sending acceptance letters to all applicants within 48 hours and assisting all students with the transition into college.

Fast Facts:

Over 3700 acceptance letters were sent out during Fall 2011.
2234 of those applicants attended the mandatory New Student Orientation (Maverick Connection).
446 students attended Maverick Connection between November 2011 and January 2012.

November (129), December (157), and January (160)

80% of the students who attended Maverick Connections registered for LSCS classes.
Maverick Connection sessions are also offered on Thursdays at the Conroe Center. Visit LSC-Montgomery Maverick Connection for more information.

Maverick Connections

When students come to Maverick Connections they have been cleared by an admission specialist as registration ready. The student receives a brief overview of the college and then groups are escorted to Counselor led advising sessions in their specific division. The goal for students that have completed Maverick Connections is to have an educational plan, gain support through counselors and advisors, and then begin their journey as a Maverick! This spring we will begin offering the identical Maverick Connections opportunity at the Conroe Center. During select sessions, Parent's Orientations are also offered for family members.

Student Life

Vision

The Office of Student Life (OSL) will enhance the college experience of LSC-Montgomery students by working to develop them both personally and professionally. We will do this through providing opportunities from the time students step on campus during orientation through the time they cross the stage to receive their diploma. The Office of Student Life will impact each student by providing a variety of events, educational programming and student organizations to meet the needs of our diverse student body.

0.9774011299435028

Highlights

Engaged LSC-M students over 14,000 times during the Fall 2011 semester through our various events, club and intramural sports and student organizations.
OSL currently has 32 active clubs and organizations.
8 new clubs have formed, including the first student club at Conroe Center.
Collaborated with various campus departments on the Avoid the Stampede registration events and the Relaxation Stations during finals week.
Maverick Golf and Racquetball students qualified for their respective national tournaments.
Tennis and Flag Football teams qualified for their regional tournaments.

Upcoming Events

Leadership Luncheon Series

2/17, 3/30, 4/27

Join OSL during their monthly Leadership Lunch Series featuring topics such as Goal Setting, Mentoring, Business Etiquette and Planning beyond Lone Star. The lunch series is co-sponsored in part by LSC-Montgomery faculty and Career Services staff.

History in the Making: Across the Cultures

2/20 - 2/24

Celebrate Black History month and Mardi Gras during a week of events including a dynamic presentation featuring Dr. Craig Livingston and the Tuskegee Airman, a movie day. More information will be available soon.

Lone Star's Got Talent
3/1

Auditions are currently underway for the annual Lone Star's Got Talent event. This event provides students, faculty and staff with an opportunity to showcase their talents with the campus community. Interested in participating? Contact the Office of Student Life for more information.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration (Co-sponsored with Club de Español)
5/4

With a combination of history, culture and celebration we will be having an event that educates and celebrates the Latino culture for our students. In the past our office had done a separate event from Club de Español but this year we have decided to collaborate to have an even better event!

This year we also plan to continue the Recognition and Awards Banquet and will be accepting nominations for those awards. If you would like to participate on the selection and planning committee, please contact Aaron Salas, Program Manager for Student Life.

areer Services

Career Services Vision

Career Services offers free comprehensive career development services to students at
LSC-Montgomery. Career Services is dedicated to helping students make informed decisions about their exploration process and career choices.

Career Services assists students with:

Career planning and exploration
College major and certificate program selection
Job search, resume writing and interview preparation

New Addition to Career Services

Career Services recently hired a full-time Advisor II. We are pleased to introduce Ms. Laurie Boyd. She comes to us from LSC-North Harris with over 20 years of service dedicated to working with students. Laurie will be working directly with undecided students.

Fall 2011 Highlights:

Career Services consulted with 126 students. Students served included:

Current (63%) - those who have completed 2 or more semesters.

FTIC (29%) - those who are working on their first semester.

Transfer (8%) - those taking classes to transfer to another institution, but not seeking a degree with LSC-M.

Assisted 131 undecided/exploring students who participated in Maverick Connections (New Student Orientation) during Fall 2011.
Undecided students are being tracked to validate and confirm the academic program/major.
Over 350 students and community members attended the annual Community Job Fair on October 20, 2011.
Over 300 students attended the Majors Fair on November 5 & 6, 2011. This event provided students with the opportunity to meet with faculty and counselors to learn more about different academic majors and workforce programs.
Presented on career planning and job readiness on-demand presentations for faculty to over 180 students for various academic and workforce classes such as EDUC 1300: Learning Frameworks and Medical Radiologic Technology.
Over 400 students attended College Transfer Day events during Fall 2012.
Hosted 3 College Transfer Day events during Fall semester; Participating universities included Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M, University of Houston, Texas State University, Our Lady of the Lake University, Texas Tech University and many more.
Over 380 resumes were posted on LSCS College Central Network by LSC-Montgomery students. Resumes were reviewed/approved by Career Services staff for students and alumni seeking job opportunities.
Over 500 jobs were posted on LSCS (system-wide) College Central Network during Fall 2011 by local employers for students, alumni and community members.

Career Services Provided

New Student Orientation

Career Services is working directly with undecided/exploring students who participate in the Maverick Connections. Career Services assist students with declaring an academic plan, major selection and career planning.

Career Exploration Workshops

Career Services offers career planning assistance for students who are undecided. Students can take a free online career personality inventory, "Do What You Are" to help them with their career exploration process. Students must register to attend a Career Exploration Workshop to receive their "Do What You Are" results. Weekly workshops are available.

Career Success Workshops

Career counselors present a variety of career workshops each semester. Presentation topics include career exploration, major selection, resume writing, interview techniques, job search strategies, and more. Faculty may also request career presentations on demand for their classes. Career Services has presented to students in workforce programs such as nursing, radiologic technology, physical therapy assistant, human services, and biotechnology. Contact Michelle Haynes or 936-271-6163 for more information.

Career Coach

Career Services is offering a new career web program called "Career Coach." Career Coach is designed to help students find a career by providing the most current data on wages, employment, job postings, and associated education and training by region. Career Coach also connects career information with educational programs offered at LSC-Montgomery. This exciting new tool is available as a free service to all of our students and community members.

Job Search Assistance

Career Services provides assistance to students seeking employment. College Central is an electronic job bulletin board with campus, local and national job postings. Employers can look at resumes posted on to the job board and job seekers can view employers and apply to their job postings. Students can go to College Central to register and upload their resume to view job postings. Resume are approved by a career counselor.

Interview Preparation

Interview preparation is offered through classroom presentation and/or individual sessions in Career Services by appointment. Mock interviews can be scheduled in person or using a software program. Perfect Interview is an online mock interview software program to help students practice interviewing. Over 1000 prerecorded interview questions are available to assist with interview preparation.

Upcoming Events

Career Succes Worshops

Resume Workshop
March 22, 2:00 to 3:00 PM
G 123

Interviewing Workshop
April 4, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
C 104

Job Search Workshops
April 24, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
C 104

Leadership Luncheon (Student Life)

Professional Etiquette/Dress for Success
March 30, Noon to 1:00 PM
G 102

Beyond Lone Star College
April, Noon to 1:00 PM
G 102

Community Fairs

JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts Job Fair
February 28 & 29, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Health Science Center, Atrium

Healthier U: Wellness Expo and Job Fair
April 12, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Health Science Center, Atrium

3rd Annual LSC-University Park Career and Community Job Fair
April 25, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
University Park campus

Admissions

0.7647058823529411 The Admissions process is more than completing an application. In the last year,

we have divided all students alphabetically

by last name. They are then assigned an Admissions Specialist that will follow that student all the way from application to graduation!

Sounds like a simple process . . . and it

should be for the student. The work behind

the scenes is quite detailed, and structured communication is designed to inform students of next steps. Connecting students to important resources and teaching them how to navigate educational processes are the goals:

All new applicants will receive an email to his or her new Lone Star email account within 48 hours of application. The email comes from the assigned Admission Specialist providing direct contact information, next steps in the process and how to sign up for Maverick Connections.
New students are mailed an acceptance letter from Dr. Lane welcoming them as new Mavericks, providing information on the assigned specialist, and directing them to acccess the LSCS student email.
New students are then emailed information on Financial Aid.
Communications direct students to sign up for Maverick Connections with the goal to have all placement scores completed and entered, transcripts evaluated, and Financial Aid applications completed prior to attending the orientation session.
Disability Services, Veterans Services, and Financial Aid begin communications to all students self-reporting service needs on the Maverick Connections sign-up.
- Special information sessions and open labs are scheduled in conjunction with Maverick Connections days to assist these students.
Students have the opportunity to register for classes during Maverick Connection through small group, discipline specific sessions with academic counselors and advisors.

Students will continue to use their Admissions Specialist as a resource for residency issues, schedule changes, program plan changes, Service Indicators (holds), and any records related issues on through the graduation process.

Do you need to refer a student? Use the first letter of the last name and direct them accordingly.

A-F Cheri-tee Ben

G-L Marie "Lupe" Flores

M-R Carmelle White

S-V Cleme Houston

W-Z Michele Shaw

Student impacted by the new student process to date:

Summer 2011 - 2628
Fall 2011 - 6104
Spring 2012 - 2742 (as of Feb 15, 2012)

Conroe Center

The past 14 days at the Conroe Center have been full of excitement and change. The Stategic Enrollment Management plan is being fully implemented at the Conroe Center campus and the staff have had the opportunity for more training and mentorship at the LSC-Montgomery campus.

Some of the services and events that will be implemented during the Spring 2012 semester at Conroe Center include the following:

Immediate follow-up of students that apply for admission.
Opportunity for identical Maverick Connections sessions to be offered on Thursday morning and afternoon.
The Grand Opening of the Write Place at the CC.
Increased Tutoring, Library and Testing hours
Increased staff for the front counter, Financial Aid, Outreach, and Advising areas.
Avoid the Stampede dates for Summer and Fall registration have been set.
Community Service and Community Business's Focus Groups have been established and have already met during the month of January.
Career Expo for Conroe, Montgomery, and Willis ISD Seniors will be held on Saturday, February 18th.
Coat of Many Colors first community event was held on February 9th and a partnership with this organization was established.
FAFSA Saturdays are being planned for the month of March and April.

Feel free to stop by the Conroe Center.....we would love to give you a tour and show you our facilities and students!

Counseling

Our counseling team has undergone some exciting changes beginning with our reporting structure. While we remain embedded in the academic divisions, we now report to Vice President of Student Success, Wendell Williams. This allows us to stay connected to our division Dean and faculty, while building a strong counselor led advising team which now encompasses both counselors and advisors. Our partnerships with the advisors that are imbedded in the divisions, allow us to assist more students with immediate needs or crisis situations.

Advising

How advising has changed for LSC-Montgomery students! The impact of Best Start, Completion by Design, Foundations of Excellence, Visioning and the Strategic Enrollment Management plan is developing to ensure the our students received the advising they need to be successful.

LSC-Montgomery has always performed as a Maverick. The model of imbedded counselors has served us well and we have moved to an imbedded advising model for all full time advisors as well. Spring 2012 begins with two new advisor positions being filled to complete our advising staff. The advising efforts are being led by our counselors. Did you know that students are assigned to divisions based on their career interests and program of major? Here are the advisors working in your division:

BASS: Janice Bloecher - Janice started comes to us from LSC-Tomball with many years of experience and an iStar expertise that only comes from have served on an implementation team. She began in the BASS division in January 2012.

BELS: Magali Reyes & Tanya Taylor - Magali and Tanya have both worked in the LSCS System for many years. They came to the BELS through the DEDP grant project. They began in the BELS division in January 2011.

NASH: Terry Rich - Terry has been advising for many years in Student Services. She moved into the BASS division in September 2011.

TEAM: Karen Palmer & Tadji Wickham - Karen and Magali have both worked in the LSCS System for in a variety of capacities. They were hired through the DEDP grant project. They began advising in the TEAM division in February 2011.

Student Services: Laurie Boyd - Laurie came to us from LSC-North Harris with many years of experience. She is charged with advising our deferred choice (also known as undeclared) and getting them on a career path which will then transition them into an academic division.

We are excited that Barbara Eckenfels has taken on the additional challenge of developing a comprehensive advisor training program that will retrain all current advisors and train all new and future advisors to ensure consistency in the Maverick experience.

Avoid the Stampede and Lasso Your Classes

0.7614035087719299 Thanks to support from division faculty and College Relations, we had a very successful

recruit back effort in the form of Avoid the Stampede events.

At least 1066 students registered during those events. We hope you will join us for

our Fall events on April 16, 17 and 18. We are also

duplicating Avoid the

Stampede at our Conroe

Center on April 23 and 24.

To help students prepare for registration, we are promoting a degree planning campaign from March 19 - April 13. Please watch for details and send students our way so they can be prepared to register. To keep our Maverick theme going, Professor Mike Devoley suggested this be called "Lasso Your Classes". Pretty clever!

Degree Planning Project

To help streamline a student's entire education planning process, Juan Lebron and Barbara Eckenfels are heading up a "Degree Planning Project" to standardize and simplify degree plans for our major transfer institutions. This provides students with fast and easy access to hundreds of degree plans to help them choose the major and transfer institutions that fit their individual needs.

Probation and Suspension

We have changed how we work with students who are on probation and suspension Many of you have served on our suspension appeals committees which reviewed approximately 160 appeals for the spring semester. These committees consist of counselors, faculty and staff who review students' appeals and make academic intervention recommendations. We have also implemented group probation workshops which have proven to be quite effective. For the spring semester we have planned a total of 34 probation workshops. To promote retention we are also in the process of following up with these groups of students.

We have also shifted our advising focus to teaching. We are now doing a lot of group advising/scheduling. In these sessions we are able to assist several students simultaneously while teaching them to locate degree plans and register themselves. Students are thrilled to discover what they can accomplish on their own and are better prepared for future semesters.

Heavy Registration

Heavy Registration went more smoothly than ever this semester. Because we registered 1066 students during Avoid the Stampede and almost 500 during Maverick Connections our heavy registration period was not as hectic as usual. Our group scheduling model was especially efficient during this time.

Continuing with the focus on serving students in groups, we have collaborated with the Write Place to develop and provide time appropriate workshops fors tudents. Some of these are Transitioning to College, Learning Styles, Textbook Reading, Balancing College and Life, and Test Anxiety. More are being developed for the Fall semester. Some of you may have met our Counseling Intern, Erin Anderholm. Erin is assisting our Counseling team this semester with many student success initiatives. She is doing mock interviews with our Biotech students, and is working one-on-one with several of our Nursing students. Erin will also be helping with Maverick Connections and Probation workshops.

Counseling News

We are very pleased that Barbara Eckenfels is making several conference presentations this semester:

League of Innovation Conferene in Philadelphia, PA"Student Success Course Boosts Retention and Success for Developmental Students"

First Year Experience Conference in San Antonio
"Burger Flipping or Brain Surgery: The Role of Career Development in a College Success Course"

TCCTA Conference in Frisco, TX
"Burger Flipping of Brain Surgery? Career Indecision and Today's College Student"

Both Rachel Phelps Trackey and Erma Wlaker attended the National Academic Advising Association conferences, and Matthew Samford attended a conference sponsored by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students.

Graduation

Graduation is a successful completion of the Maverick Experience. Our students finish this process with the same admissions specialist that admitted them. Our focus this spring is to streamline the process and take a more proactive approach to pulling the students into this process. We have recently completed a Kaizen assessment of our process, identified the gaps and inefficiencies, and are now recreating the process in a way that reflects the Strategic Enrollment Management plan and the iStar system. This focus is in line with the Completion by Design initiative.

Our goals for this process:

All students within 18 hours of graduation will be contacted prior to registration tvvo ensure that they are prepared to complete the final requirements of the degree plan.
Review of all graduation applications will be reviewed prior to official day of record for the final semester.
Participation of graduates in the commencement ceremony will increase by 10%.
Update the checklist and all standardized communications to students regarding graduation status.
Students transferring prior to degree completion will be tagged for reverse transfer to complete requirements.

Please mark your calendars:

April 26, 2012 Graduate Orientation and Reception

May 11, 2012 Commencement Ceremony

Student Services

The transformation of Student Services involves far more than a physical move to Buidling C. We have restructured and assigned staff to develop new areas such as Outreach and Orienation, we have redesigned all processes in the development of the Strategic Enrollment Management plan, and we have retrained our entire staff in the new functions and processes of iStar. Although plans began developing 2 years ago, much of the actual implementation began only a year ago.

In the midst of monumental change and record enrollments, our staff has perservered! Full time staffing was limited by iStar responsibilities and chilled positions, but our staff stepped up to the task. We moved our Assistant Director to an iStar leadership position in August of 2009. She was later offered a promotion in the system and our position remained open. The full time staff has taken on additional responsibilties to fill the gaps; our part time staff has worked maximum hours to manage the student traffic and maintain student accounts. As you read about the progress that has occurred in Admissions, Transcripts and Graduation; realize this progress happened in the absence of direct leadership. This is a testament to the dedication and high quaility employees we have. We have been approved to fill the position this spring and we are looking forward to fulfilling that leadership role, providing some relief to our current staff, and continuing the cycle of evaluation and improvement to best serve our students.

We are very proud of the Student Services training program that has been coordinated by Kathryn Lee. Training is an ongoing challenge for our area as new staff comes on board and training needs often relect and address changes made at the campus, system, and state levels.

Training Timeline and Figures

September through December, 2012

37 training sessions offered for both full and part-time Student Sucess staff.
Total Participants by Month (FT and PT):

September: 64
October: 98
November: approx. 100 Student Success staff
December: 54

Our transformation is clear, but certainly not complete. We continue our diligent pursuit of teaching and serving while evaluatiing for continous improvement.

Fast Facts:

Kiosks data for Admissions, Advising, Career Services, Disability Services, Financial Aid, International Student Services and Veteran's Services:

January 1, 2011 to present

66,944 students have signed into the kiosks in Building C
246 visits on an average day
Tuesday was the highest traffic day of the week

Spring 2011

18,886 students signed into the kiosks in Building C
214 visits on an average day

Summer 2011

19,766 students signed into the kiosks in Building C
282 visits on an average day

Fall 2011

18,528 students signed into the kiosks in Building C
231 visits on an average day

Spring 2012

Since January 4, 2012 10,172 students have signed into Building C.
The average wait time for a student in February is approximately 7 minutes.

Mark your calendars:

Registration for summer 2012 begins March 7, 2012. Encourage students to register early!
Last Day to Drop with a "W" for regular 16 week classes is April 10, 2012.
Registration for fall 2012 begins April 10, 2012. Encourage students to register before finals week!
Commencement is May 11, 2012 at 6:00 pm. It will be held at The Woodlands Church-Fellowship Campus.

Did you know . . .

Business Office, Financial Aid and Student Services served more than 900 students during the two week holiday break?
New students are assigned an Admissions specialist within 48 hours of submitting an application and that specialist follows that student all the way through to graduation.
432 students have applied for Spring 2012 admission since January 17, 2012.
53 students utilize our Child Care Center located in Building A providing us with 55 mini Mavericks.
At least one Advisor II embedded in every academic division to best serve students.
LSC-Montgomery met all growth projections for Spring 2012.
Students need to apply for May & August graduation before Spring Break to guarantee that their names are printed in the commencement program.

Veteran's Services

Lone Star College-Montgomery welcomed more than 100 new student veterans to campus this spring. This puts our current total of student veterans utilizing benefits to 384 for the semester. This past fall we have completly restructured the way we communicate with student veterans in an effort to better address their needs.

Veterans Connections

We will be hosting a Veterans Connections for VA students on Tuesday, February 28 to ensure that our students are connected to the campus resources that will support their academic success.

We are pleased to welcome two student veterans, Terrance Hudson and Aaron Barringer, to our staff. Both of these students served in the Marine Corp prior to becoming LSC-Montgomery Mavericks. They are successful students with us and will provide great assistance to both new and returning student veterans. They will help with the VA application process and answer question related to VA rules and regulations. These student veterans are approved and paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs and are required to work with veteran students exclusively. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides funding to hire 2 student veterans each semester to help with school related issues.

Orientation Sessions

We will host new student veteran orientations starting again on Wednesdays in March at 11 AM in the Maverick Room. A goal for this semester is to develop an online version of the veterans' orientation for implementation for Fall 2012.

Student traffic in the Veterans Services area:

Summer 2011 - 1019 visits
Fall 20112 - 828 visits
Spring 2012 - 464 visits (to date 2/15/2012)

Transcripts

Incoming Transcripts

Transcripts have really been a challenge this last year. We have gone through several changes with both incoming transcripts and outgoing transcripts. In preparation for the iStar conversion, all incoming transcript evaluation was stopped for several months. We went from a backlog of zero transcripts to 1179 needing to be evaluated. As if the backlog, wasn't daunting enough, we also had the challenge of mastering the new evaluation process within iStar.

Many changes and adjustments were made throughout the Spring semester. The iStar process for evaluation is improving substantially and the team at System Office is working to automate many processes that are currently manual and time intensive. Despite the challenges, since September 2011, we have reduced that backlog to 263 and should have those tackled soon. This success is due to the efforts of Ken Law and a team of staff that he has led through this process. He stepped in and took on the challenge of becoming our campus expert when we lost our two evaluators last summer. He has also coordinated the training of our staff to expand the individuals eligible to evaluate.

In addition to the backlog, we receive new transcripts every day. More than 750 transcripts have been received for the start of Spring 2012. Our admissions specialists process those by alphabet. As you can tell, they stay busy. Our goal is to have all incoming transcripts evaluated within two weeks. We are not there yet, but getting closer to our goal of having it mastered by the end of Spring.

Outgoing Transcripts

As for outgoing transcripts, this process was centralized last May. All transcript requests must be made online and processed through the System Office. The new structure is working well and transcripts are processed within 72 hours. Student that are having difficulties with requesting transcripts are assisted by Michele Shaw and Barbara Thomas. We do not have the ability to print an official transcript on campus, but a system has been put into place where system office can print to one of our printers to resolve an emergency situation. Although this process was a tough adjustment for our students that were in the habit of walking in the office and requesting an on-demand transcript, students have adjusted and are doing a better job of planning ahead.

Data Conversion

On a final note, all data conversion from Colleague to iStar should be completed by end of February. This conversion will complete student academic records, eliminate the need to re-evaluate transcripts from the old system, and eliminate the need for us to work out of both systems. We are excited to see how iStar is improving our processes and helping us to better serve our students and our community.