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Earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services published the National Registry Pass Rates for the state's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) programs from December 2011 through November 2012. The report documents the number of students who attempt the exam, the first attempt pass rate, and the final attempt pass rate. Not surprisingly, LSC-Montgomery's program shines bright!
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) level: When comparing community colleges, LSC-Montgomery, at 87 percent, has the second highest EMT pass rate in Texas.
This positions LSC-Montgomery above the National Pass percentage of 84 percent and well above the Texas average of 69 percent. Just as important, we increased our pass rate from the previous year (our first year of the program) by almost 20 percent! This demonstrates the hard work and dedication of program faculty and staff, as well as our EMT students.
Great job!
EMT-Intermediate level: LSC-Montgomery had a pass rate of 78 percent for its 9 students. This was our first class of students and does not include those who just completed the Webex program as data only includes up to November 2012. For a first-time program, this is a very encouraging data. Even though our group was very small, our students passed at roughly the same rate as other colleges in the area.
A special note of congratulations to Kelly Weller, EMS program director; Justin Chance, EMS faculty; and everyone else associated with this exciting new - and growing - program at LSC-Montgomery!
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 Emergency Preparedness
 It is important to know some basic things to do if an emergency situation arises at LSC-Montgomery or LSC-Conroe Center. While each emergency is different, below are some basic
steps to take, especially if it were to involve a campus shooting incident. (Please remember that the LSC-North Harris incident was NOT an active shooter incident.) While classrooms should already have emergency procedures guidelines posted, we are working to make sure that every office area and classroom is outfitted with one. Additionally, the LSCS Office of Emergency Management (OEM) website lists what to do for a variety of emergency scenarios.
Finally, in cooperation with the LSCS Police Department and our campus Health & Safety Committee, our college will conduct several safety open forums and trainings throughout this semester to keep us prepared for these kinds of situations. The first, which was already planned by our Health & Safety Committee, will be on Thursday, February 7, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in room B102 of the Health Science Center (bldg. B). Captain Phillips will lead this session. I encourage you to attend. We will release a schedule of subsequent trainings/forums very soon. At these events, we will discuss situational procedures and communication/alert systems, including a campus wide public address system that was recently installed and is undergoing testing. I am also asking each dean and director to meet this week or as soon as possible with their division/department to cover and reinforce the information in this e-mail.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
(taken from the OEM emergency procedure guidelines)
First option: Shelter in place (unless otherwise instructed)
- Shut the door (classroom doors automatically lock); block entry to your area
- Turn out the light
- Get under desk or table; silence cell phones
Second option: Evacuate
(if in an open area, office suite, Commons area, or area without locking doors)
- Have an escape route in place
- Leave belongings and run to nearest area of shelter
- Keep hands visible
Last resort - Take action! (Only if your life is in imminent danger; attempt to incapacitate the person.)
Here are the primary ways we will communicate to you during an emergency:
- E-mail (Lone Star Alerts will provide updates on the situation.)
- Website (Check LoneStar.edu for updates.)
- Deans will provide instructions for academic divisions; directors will provide information for their departments
- Listen to TV, radio and other web-based news sources
Again, please know that the safety of our students, faculty, staff and community guests is first and foremost. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me, send me an e-mail or come by my office. |
Know Your Floor Captains!
In case of emergency, you should be familiar with your floor captain - the person who is assigned to alert you of any emergency and help lead you to safety.
Here is the list of floor captains:
Building A
1st floor: Tabitha Yargo (back-up: Aaron Salas)
Wellness Center: Kevin McKinney (back-up: Jackie Cooper)
2nd floor (west): Kara Chapman (back-up: Craig Livingston) 2nd floor (east): Debra Thompson (back-up: Linda Corbin)
ChildCare: Chris Moore (back-up: Christina Thibodaux)
Bookstore: Mona Hawkins
"Classic" Building B
1st floor: Louise Casey-Clukey (back-up: Katie Halbert/Joan Sloan)
2nd floor: Betsy Stern (back-up: Kathy Johanson)
"New" Building B
1st floor: Katie Halbert (back-up: Joan Sloan)
2nd floor: Mary Kay Holbeck (back-up: Nancy Prejean)
Building C
1st floor: Barbara Thomas (back-up: Cleme Houston)
2nd floor: Pam Zeberg (back-up: Shari Tracey)
Building D
Ross Brighton (back-up: Chase Waites)
Building E
1st floor: DeAlva Engelhardt (back-up: Judy Granata)
2nd floor: Debbie Hernandez (back-up: Christina Dixon)
Building F
1st floor: Suzie Solomon (back-up: Janice Peyton)
2nd floor: June Welch (back-up: Denise Meyer)
3rd floor: Angela Kane-Pigg (back-up: Patty O'Neal)
Building G
1st floor: Marilyn Speight (back-up: David Lee)
2nd floor: Cynthia MacLin (back-up: David Lee)
Building H
Fong Chau (back-up: Earl Holt)
University Center
Debra Britton and Maria Valenzuela (back-ups: Kurt Czupryn and Veronica Rivas-Ortiz)
Conroe Center
Liliana Barrera (back-up: Doris Odell)
T112
Rob Kreps (back-up: Phil McCue)
Police Station
Captain Phillips (back-up: Dan Barge)
Finally, if you are interested in being more involved in emergency planning at LSC-Montgomery, please ask your supervisor about being a member of the college's Health & Safety Committee, which meets monthly. The lead contact for this committee is Jim Taylor, vice president of administration, and Linda Corbin, director of facilities.
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Maverick Appreciation Day (and Spirit Fridays)
 Make sure you save your lunch hour TODAY, Friday, Jan. 25, for the semesterly Maverick Appreciation Day. Outside Building A, college administrators will serve up hamburgers and hot dogs for students, faculty and staff. The cookout starts at 11:30 and runs until 1 p.m. or the last hamburger/hot dog is served! Also, please remember to show your Maverick pride EVERY Friday for "Spirit Fridays." Wear an LSC-Montgomery or Maverick logo shirt. Show your Maverick pride for all to see! |
Enrollment Update
After three consecutive years of enrollment growth and a sluggish economy, we anticipated that this trend would change when the economy showed signs of recovery. Those students who came to us during this growth period have either graduated or found new career and jobs with their well earned certificates that they acquired during this time. Most colleges in the state are experiencing flat or decreasing enrollments. Despite our flat/decreased enrollment, we have a healthy budget and staff ready to serve those 12,500 students. LSC-Conroe Center continues to grow at a steady clip (more than 30 percent growth over last spring), as more and more residents of north Montgomery County recognize the convenience and quality that our new center brings to that area. Multiple late start offerings should bring us closer to our record spring enrollment from last year.
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Chilled Positions Update
Most of you are well aware that the Lone Star College System has been under a hiring "chill" for all non-faculty positions. Each time a position becomes vacant, it is placed on immediate chill and subsequently reviewed and prioritized for hiring purposes. This strategy has saved the college hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past two years. While we currently have more than 20 positions on chill, we have filled 12 positions since the beginning of the fall semester, and we have several more that are currently posted or soon to post. The role that our staff and administrators play in serving students is critical to our success, so we will continue to review and prioritize using student success as the primary criteria. I appreciate everyone's patience and understanding with the hiring chill. |
Master Plan UpdateLate last fall, a group of local community leaders and business persons came together to discuss the future growth needs for LSC-Montgomery. Armed with information from our visioning sessions in 2011, as well as the college's master planning document and other student and community demographics, this Citizen's Advisory Committee helped to prioritize our future needs. This information, along with similar reports from the other Lone Star College campuses, will be shared with the LSCS board of trustees for future consideration. I will be able to share more information about the committee's final report with the entire campus at my February open forum. This is an exciting time for our entire college system as we continue to prepare for our future! A special thanks goes to those who served on the Citizen's Advisory Committee: Chris Grice (Amegy Bank); David Gottlieb (Woodforest Bank); Scott Harper (Greater Conroe Lake Conroe Area Chamber); Gerald Irons, Sr. (Colliers International); Bret Jimerson (Willis ISD); Julie Martineau (United Way of Montgomery County); Roy Morton (Conroe Welding); Don Norrell (The Woodlands Township); Mary Matteson-Parrish (retired; former LSCS board member; Rotary Club president); Mario Rosales (TechLifeBalance.net); Denese & Dick Schmelzkopf (Academy for Lifelong Learning board); Ann Snyder (Interfaith of The Woodlands); Don Stockton (Conroe ISD); and Lloyd Tisdale (Tisdale Company).
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Heights of Excellence Nomination Process Coming Up
May will be here before we know it, which means it is time to start thinking about nominations for the Shining and Rising Star awards at the Heights of Excellence ceremony. That ceremony will take place on Friday, May 3, beginning with a reception at 1:30 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 2 p.m. Do you know someone who has done great work on a project or initiative related to one or more of our 10 strategic goals? Do you know of a new employee (2 years or less of employment) who is doing great things! This is the opportunity to recognize them! Click here to submit as many nominations as you like! The deadline to nominate is Friday, March 28.
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Mid-year UEP Update/Retreat
Next week, the LSC-Montgomery administrative team will retreat (to the Conroe Center) for a series of Unit Effectiveness Process (UEP) presentations. This is the mid-year update, which gives us a closer look at how many of our student success and other initiatives are doing. It also gives us the opportunity to put some initiatives on hold if they don't appear to be working. Then, after the spring semester is over, we will get back together to close the loop on our 2012-13 UEP cycle - and begin planning for the next one. This is the third full year of our UEP process, and I am encouraged by the intentional way in which we are planning for the success of our students and this campus.
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LSC-Montgomery Hosts . . .
What makes our college a community college? It's our engagement with the community we serve. To that end, I'm excited about some of the ways in which we partner with (and host) local organizations that add value to our community. A few events coming up that LSC-Montgomery is hosting include the Montgomery County Book Fest (Saturday, Feb. 2); Education for Tomorrow's Sci://Tech competitions (several dates over the next two weeks); the National History Day student competition (Saturday, Feb. 9); and the Texas Wildlife & Woodlands Expo / Spring Fling (Saturday, March 23), in which we partner with the Texas Forest Service, among others. All of these events share the core mission of the college - to educate our community!
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LSC-Montgomery Sponsors . . .
Not only does LSC-Montgomery host many community events,
it also sponsors a variety of events in our area. Recently,
the college sponsored the
t-shirts for the children's choir at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration in The Woodlands.
It also served as a sponsor at several chamber of commerce events for both Conroe and South County/The Woodlands. We also sponsored the N.E.A.T. (Never Ever Absent or Tardy) program in Conroe ISD, which encourages attendance at the elementary school level. Last night, the college co-sponsored a job fair with the Greater Conroe Lake Conroe Area Chamber at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe, with more than 500 registered attendees (and 200 in the first hour alone)! While not a sponsorship, our college's volunteer involvement in the community is outstanding. So many of you give back in so many way. That was especially evident during the recent holiday season. I can tell you that my administrative team thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent sorting food at the Montgomery County Food Bank just before the winter break. These are just some of the ways we support our community, giving back in ways that make sense and, just as important, promote the college.
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Norseman Hernandez
Wins Award
 I'm very proud to announce that our very own Norseman Hernandez, assistant professor of Spanish, was named as a 2013 Distinguished Faculty Award recipient by the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE). Norseman, along with two other faculty from El Paso Community College and Texas A&M University - Commerce, was cited for his online teaching in the Spanish department, as well as his overall leadership of our Spanish program. I know that our students give Norseman extremely high praise for his teaching skills. Well deserved, Norseman! |
- Fall to spring retention rate for LSC-Montgomery = 70%
- 62.8% of the students who enrolled before December 8 were currently enrolled students - due in large part to Avoid the Stampede.
- 42.5% of first-time-in-college (FTIC) students attended the Maverick Connections orientation.
- 62% of FTIC students attended and enrolled this spring semester.
- There was a 60.2% increase in the number of sections offered at LSC-Conroe Center (from 93 to 149).
- There was a 41% increase in contact hours generated by LSC-Conroe Center.
- 23 of 28 students in the college's pilot Math 3-in-1 class this past fall completed at least two of the three developmental courses that are rolled into the single semester.
- 15 of 28 students completed all three courses and are now college-ready in math this spring.
- The ELC has served 241 students this spring, compared to 207 the same time last year. 74 students have been served by Math tutors.
- All 38 sections of HUMD 0330 have assigned advisors.
- The Testing Center is actively working with Admissions, Records, and Financial Aid to increase the yield by 25%.
- 38 students have completed test prep from November 15, 2012 through Jan. 11, 2013.
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Please mark your calendar for the first of two open forums that I will host this semester. On Thursday, February 21, from 3-4:30 p.m. in G102, come prepared to hear some brief college highlights and news, followed by an open-ended question-and-answer session with you. Snacks will be served. The second open forum will be held on Thursday, April 11, same time and location.
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Faculty & Staff Spotlight
Staff Spotlight:
Martha Neely
Program Coordinator, Continuing Education
 Splitting time between the Montgomery and Conroe Center campuses, Martha Neely, program coordinator for continuing education, manages a number of programs from entry-level ESOL and GED to workforce certificates in health occupations orwelding.
"I enjoy the variety of programs and all the different people I interact with daily," said Neely. "Being able to help people make a positive change in their lives through education is what motivates me every day."
When Neely came to the U.S. from Mexico City in 2004, she looked to LSC-Montgomery for guidance on how to enhance her skills and effectively use her two bachelor's degrees to start a new career. However, she realized there wasn't much help for someone like her, unfamiliar with the educational system in the U.S.
"This actually motivated me to work in the institution," she said. "I've since realized that not just foreign people appreciate the good service, but goodcustomer service is appreciated by all."
Neely serves as a spokesperson through the System's partnership with Univision and "Es el Momento". She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Spanish at Sam Houston State University, with plans to graduate this fall.
Faculty Spotlight:
Dr. Brandy Harvey
Associate Professor of English
 Dr. Brandy Harvey has been teaching courses ranging from developmental English to advanced literature since she joined LSC-Montgomery in 2009.
"My experiences teaching developmental English have been an enriching challenge," said Harvey. "I learn much from my students' determination and find great satisfaction in facilitating their growth."
Harvey, who's from Mississippi, is involved with campus and System-wide committees and organizations, with emphasis on degree plan development, curriculum innovation, and professional development.
"There is value in observing and discussing the ways in which we teach, assess, and achieve core course objectives," said Harvey. "I love the opportunity to exchange ideas with my colleagues, and thanks to their innovative approaches, I've grown as an instructor and as a professional."
Outside the classroom, Harvey enjoys time with her husband and two daughters, as well as college football and baseball and traveling. She and her husband just began running.
"We enjoy new adventures!" Harvey added.
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