Lamar Community College is beginning the process of creating a new Student Success Center on campus after being granted funding from the Colorado Community College System’s (CCCS) Innovation Challenge Awards earlier this month.
The Innovation Challenge Awards, first announced in May by CCCS President Dr. Nancy McCallin, encourage the CCCS colleges to submit proposals that focus on enhancing student success through creative solutions. The awarded proposals were selected based on their creative solutions, best practices, performance measures, collaborative efforts and innovative advancements in transforming the student experience.
The Student Success Center is one of two LCC proposals funded in this cycle of the Innovation Challenge Awards. LCC will receive $100,000 in funding toward the project.
The project, officially named the Student Success Center – Navigating College and Career Pathways, will work to remove barriers throughout the college experience from admission to graduation. This project will involve relocating LCC’s Testing Center from the Bowman Building to the Betz Technology Center as well as restructuring the current academic advising model at Lamar Community College.
Teale Hemphill, project leader and LCC Director of Financial Aid, explains that the project will create a one-stop shop for LCC students.
“What we’ve noticed is that, even on our relatively small campus, processes for students can be challenging when they must go from building to building and appointment to appointment,” said Hemphill. “By relocating some key services and bringing on a Student Success Coordinator, students will now have access to almost all the services they need in one location and when they need it.”
“I am most excited about the hiring of a Student Success Coordinator,” said Jenna Davis, LCC Director of Admissions. “The additional advising support will add to the personalized service students receive at LCC.”
Davis continues, “according to Dr. Stephen Covey, ‘beginning with the end in mind’ has a direct correlation with the ultimate success of a student. The Student Success Coordinator will help guide students from admission to graduation by helping students set clear career goals and academic plans to help students achieve their goals.”
Ultimately, the goal of this project is to raise retention and completion rates college-wide.
This is the second of three award cycles, each with up to $1 million in total funding. Only seven proposals were selected for funding in this cycle, including the two LCC projects: Innovate & Make Space and Student Success Center – Navigating College and Career Pathways.
For more information regarding the LCC Student Success Center project, contact Teale Hemphill at 719.336.1591 or teale.hemphill@lamarcc.edu.