I.B. THE COLLEGE’S FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
I.B.1.01. Purpose
The College is a publicly supported, two-year, comprehensive community college offering post-secondary educational opportunities in Harris, Montgomery, and San Jacinto Counties.
Consistent with Texas law, the College shall offer vocational, technical, and academic courses for certificates or associate degrees. Continuing education, remedial and compensatory education consistent with open-admission policies, and programs of counseling and guidance shall also be provided. The College may also offer baccalaureate degree programs as authorized by Texas law and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The College shall insist on excellence in all academic areas-instruction, research, and public service. Faculty research, using the facilities provided for and consistent with the primary function of each institution, is encouraged.
I.B.1.02. Vision Statement
Lone Star College will be a model college globally recognized for achieving exceptional levels of success in student learning, student completion, gainful employment, parity, and affordability.
I.B.1.03. Mission Statement
Lone Star College provides comprehensive educational opportunities and programs to enrich lives.
I.B.1.04. One LSC Philosophy
Lone Star College delivers excellent and uniform customer service, providing consistent information, and uniformly helping every student regardless of physical location, modality, college, campus, center, or medium.
I.B.1.05. Value Statements
(a) Affordable Access means the College provides an affordable and accessible educational experience meeting the distinct needs of the community.
(b) Building Communities and Partnerships means the College promotes a seamless educational journey and nurtures the community’s intellectual and cultural life.
(c) Commitment to International Education means the College embraces multiple perspectives, promotes understanding, and educates students to become contributing members of a global society and community.
(d) Communication means that the College recognizes that achieving its mission requires effective communication between internal and external constituencies.
(e) The College strives to provide an inclusive learning and working environment for its diverse students, faculty, administrators, and staff. The College is committed to offering programs, services, and personnel reflecting the communities it serves.
(f) Economic and Workforce Development means the College serves as the critical link for economic and workforce development providing prosperity through partnerships with business, government, and community organizations.
(g) Environment means the College fosters dynamic learning, distinguished by academic freedom and excellence in teaching, allows citizens to develop to the full extent of their ability, to succeed in a competitive workforce, and to be effective lifelong learners.
(h) Ethics and Integrity means it is essential that College Trustees, students, and employees adhere to the highest standards of honesty and fair dealing in all College matters.
(i) Evaluation and Accountability means it is essential the College employs data-supported decision-making and regularly assesses the impact and outcomes of its efforts for continuous improvement.
(j) Human Resources means the College’s most important resources are the individual faculty and staff members, who are entitled to a supportive collegial work environment which rewards excellence and innovation, creates opportunities for professional development, fosters meaningful involvement in shared governance, and provides excellent compensation.
(k) Leadership means the College, building on a solid foundation of growth and service, is a recognized leader in the community college movement, making important contributions to the profession through partnership, innovation, scholarship, creative services, and integrated technologies.
(l) Stewardship means the College is committed to rigorous oversight of the resources entrusted to its care and in ensuring the community’s maximum benefit.
(m) Technology means the College believes technology is a critical resource in supporting and achieving the College’s instructional, operational, and strategic goals.
I.B.1.06. Biennial Review
Every two years, the College’s Board of Trustees shall review and, if necessary, revise the Vision Statement, Mission Statement, and Value Statements to ensure that they accurately represent the role and scope of a comprehensive public community college district and respond to the changing needs of the College’s constituencies.
I.B.1.07. Multicultural Education
To encourage full implementation of the College's Value Statements, the College recognizes the increasingly multicultural nature of a democratic society which reflects the College's student population's values, cultures, and beliefs. To encourage full implementation of the College’s Value Statements, which support dynamic, diverse learning communities and accessible, quality educational programs, the Board declares the following guiding principles for the College:
(a) The College fully recognizes individual persons’ rights to learn within frameworks of multicultural experiences to maximize the development of their human potential.
(b) The College will promote and support each college’s efforts to design and implement instructional experiences and support services to cultivate a more humane, democratic, and multicultural society.
(c) The College will foster instructional and student-life environments which give students a basis to understand and appreciate all individuals’ contributions to our society.
I.B.1.08. Operational Philosophy
The College and its colleges seek to serve students’ best interests. The College’s system offices are established to help colleges provide student and community services and programs. Matters of curriculum, financial planning, capital investments, and binding financial agreements—including contractual appointments—are coordinated College-wide. Colleges operate within Board Policy and the Chancellor’s Procedures to meet the College’s mission and goals. Presidents participate fully in establishing College-wide priorities. Presidents are line officers responsible and accountable to the Chancellor for performance of their duties. The College is a single entity for accreditation and legal purposes. Decisions are made as close as possible to the point where they are carried out. College employees have the responsibility and authority necessary to fulfill their duties as contained in their job descriptions or contracts. Colleges and system offices establish goals and objectives consistent with, and supportive of, College-wide values and goals, as well as action plans to accomplish those goals and objectives. Colleges are responsible for establishing and cultivating positive community relations within their service areas. Resources are allocated to achieve optimal quality levels for all College programs.
I.B.1.09. Institutional Effectiveness Plan
The College provides quality education throughout its programs and services. The College’s Board of Trustees ensures institutional effectiveness by measuring goal attainment under the College’s Value Statements.
This process is integral to the College’s administration and receives the support and consideration it demands. Each College program and administrative area maintains ongoing short- and long-range planning processes which include environmental scanning and input for effective decision making and planning. Each College department’s planning processes develop necessary goals and instructions to identify criteria for measuring success. Each College department continuously monitors and evaluates its performance and achievements. This evaluation process improves the function and the planning process itself.
The College is committed to, and complies with, the Criteria of the College Delegate Assembly, either current or as hereafter modified, consistent with policies and procedures of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College.
The College understands and agrees that the Commission on Colleges may, at its discretion, make known to any agency or member of the public the nature of any action, positive or negative, regarding status with the Commission. The College agrees to disclose to the Commission on Colleges any and all such information as this Commission may require to carry out its evaluating and accrediting function.
I.B.1.10. Program Offerings
The College provides: (1) technical programs up to two years in length leading to associate degrees or certificates; (2) vocational programs leading directly to employment in skilled and semi-skilled occupations; (3) freshman and sophomore courses in arts and sciences; (4) continuing adult education programs for occupational or cultural upgrading; (5) compensatory education programs designed to fulfill the commitment of an admissions policy allowing disadvantaged students to enroll; (6) a continuing program of counseling and guidance designed to assist students in achieving their individual educational goals; (7) workforce development programs designed to meet local and statewide needs; (8) adult literacy and other basic skills programs for adults; (9) educational programs empowering individuals to work wherever opportunities arise; and (10) such other programs as may be prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in the best interest of Texas post-secondary education.
LSCS Policy Manual Section adopted by the Board of Trustees on December 1, 2016