LCC Has Active Spring Semester Planned

Linda Lujan, Ph.D., President of Lamar Community College, provided the Prowers County Commissioners with an update on spring semester college and campus activities recently. “Our current enrollment is growing and the head count is up 11% over this same time last year,” she remarked adding that the FTE, full time enrollment has grown 5.46% over the same period.  “We’re pretty excited about these numbers and we think we’ve turned a corner on our enrollment.”

Commissioners: Buxton-Andrade, Cook and Grasmick

Looking at some future activities at the college, she anticipated a good turnout for the SCALE expo, set for February 3^rd at the LCC Wellness Center.  “We’ll have registration begin at 8am with exhibitors located indoors or outside depending on the size of the equipment on display,” she explained, adding that this is a partnership between the college, CSU and KVAY Radio.  Nolan Doeskin, from the National Weather Service will be the featured speaker and topics will include market outlooks, livestock news, loan programs from the FSA and management strategies.  One highlight will be the growing application of drones in the farming and ranching industry.

The topics moved on to grants. Lujan explained, “We’re working on innovation grants which are available through the Colorado Community College system which has $100,000 in funding to work with.  We were third in the second round of applications and received two, which will help our Student Success Center.  We’ll be able to move its location closer to Student Services on campus.  The program is designed to help students stay on track with their courses and we have plans to have an additional hire for that program.”

Lujan said she’s making plans at the college with word that Colorado Governor Hickenlooper and members of his cabinet will be at LCC on Thursday, March 2^nd at about 6pm.  “We’re staging a town hall meeting in the Wellness Center and after some discussion on relevant topics; the governor will be open to questions from the audience.”  She said some topics expected to be discussed include:  growing rural opioid use, rural economy development, general economic development, agriculture, water availability and water rights, education through K-12 and higher and taxes as a means to backfill state funding to schools.  The president said the commissioners need to set aside September 29^th for the bi-annual historical and living history encampment held at the college, “We’ve been seeing more and more people attend this event and they’re coming to town from a regional, not just local area for the two day event.”

President Lujan attended the recent Chamber of Commerce annual banquet and business meeting. Members of the college student council were in attendance as her guests for the event, enabling them to take part in some local community activities.

By Russ Baldwin