GradUP is our commitment to the success of every Lone Star College-University Park student from the time they apply to the time they graduate. We invest in student success by continuously improving our student services, launching innovative, student-focused initiatives, and prioritizing professional development and training opportunities for our faculty and staff. Our message to students is: “You commit, We commit, You graduate”. LSC-University Park is empowered to accomplish our GradUP goals; our faculty, staff and administration are committed to advancing graduation rates to 50% for our first-time in college (FTIC), full time students. It’s our culture to provide all students with access to support and resources to help them overcome barriers and achieve success and completion. By focusing and measuring results on smaller groups, the college can ensure that its plans and actions will lead to growth and success for all students.GradUP promotes the value of earning an associate degree or certificate, including a shorter and less expensive academic journey, and seamless transfer of credits to four-year institutions. In addition, the program communicates the value of alternative academic schedules – like the 3x20 degree plan, which allows students to take 20 hours annually for three years to earn their associate degree. GradUP has become a guidepost for the college’s dedicated administration, faculty, staff and, most important, students. Ingrained in the very culture of LSC-University Park, GradUP continues to grow and push the needle on student success.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 500

HOW TO ENROLL: Participants are automatically enrolled in this program if they meet eligibility requirements

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally and externally collected

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Lone Star College-University Park college-wide program

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Keri Porter at Keri.M.Porter@lonestar.edu or 281-401-5364

At LSC-Houston North, we put students first. Each first-time college student enrolled in EDUC 1300 Learning Frameworks course receives a faculty mentor to help guide them through their first semester. Upon completing EDUC 1300, students can opt in to an America Mentor program and be assigned a faculty or staff mentor. Our mentors are devoted to guiding our students and steering them in the right direction.

Each mentor will provide the following benefits:
Practical advice, encouragement, and academic support
Learn from faculty experience
Increase your social and academic confidence
Become more empowered to make decisions
Develop communication, personal, and study skills
Develop strategies for dealing with both personal and academic issues
Identify goals and establish a sense of direction
Increase awareness on campus resources and wraparound services
Increase engagement in campus activities and student organizations

Students and mentors review the program expectations.

Goal: To increase first-time in college students course completion and persistence.
Goal: To increase faculty engagement towards student success.
Target population: First-time in college students and at-risk students.
Objective: To match a student with a mentor each semester.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format or has both online and in-person components.

PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Office of Strategic Planning and Innovation Excellence

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Barry Horn at Barry.L.Horn@LoneStar.edu or 281-260-3561

Initially funded by a Title V grant for Hispanic-Serving Institutions from the US Department of Education, CASA is Connecting students to the campus community, Acclimating them to the rigors of academic life, helping them Succeed academically, and preparing them to Achieve and compete in college and beyond. The program guides students through the four CASA phases through three initiatives. Information Technology Enhanced Multidisciplinary Academic Learning Lounges (iMALLS) and the Center for Academic Advising and Transition (CAST) are designed to connect students to resources and opportunities to improve academic preparedness while Meaningfully Aligned Targeted Curriculum for Hispanic Students (MATCH) ensures students are receiving best-fit instruction based on proven methods. These three initiatives encompass twelve activities to engage students in research-based programs that facilitate in students a sense of belonging, influence, competence and efficacy. MATCH activities have assisted in increasing the number of students graduating with a degree or certificate within three years from a baseline of 14% to 26%. Hispanic completion was 25%. CAST tutoring and advising activities assisted in increasing the three-year transfer rate of students from a baseline of 6% to 12%. Hispanic transfer was 11%. iMALL activities have assisted in increasing the fall-to-fall persistence of FTIC fulltime students by 7% over the 2014 baseline of 50%. Hispanic student persistence was 61%.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 2,400 as of May 2022

HOW TO ENROLL: All stakeholders have access to most of the activities in this program with the exception of Puente (MI Casa) and the English/Spanish Interpreter Program.

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally collected

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Lone Star College-North Harris Office of Academic Affairs

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Anne Albarelli at Anne.T.Albarelli@lonestar.edu or 281-618-5784

The Global GRIT Experience (GGE) has a mission to infuse the principles of grit mindset and behaviors into local and global communities. As a diverse campus, Lone Star College-Tomball seeks to be recognized as a leader in utilizing grit mindset to develop human potential. Some of the goals related to GGE are: make a difference in shifting negative experiences to positives experiences for students, create a Grit focused community that centers on redefining student abilities, support student success beyond college completion, make connection between policies and procedures and student needs in order to inform better practices, work with community partners to promote Grit within our students both on and off campus, create Grit mindset awareness and be a resource for other higher education institutions, increase student persistence, retention, and completion by 2% each academic year, and develop a Grit certification program for the LSC-Tomball community. The target population for GGE is all students enrolled at Lone Star College-Tomball. Additionally, we are seeking ways to increase participation with African American and Hispanic male students.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.

PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)

HOW TO ENROLL: All stakeholders have access to this program. As such, there is no enrollment process

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes have been internally collected in the past

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Office of Academic Affairs

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Katerina Wingfield at katerina.r.wingfield@lonestar.edu or 281-655-3618

lifePATH is a post-secondary program for college-aged students who have neurodevelopmental disorders. The lifePATH Occupational and Life Skills Associate Degree seeking students have IQ's of at least 70 or above in:
*Full Scale IQ
*Reading Comprehension IQ achievement score
*Written Expression or Fluency IQ achievement score
*Math Problem Solving or Reasoning IQ achievement score

lifePATH’s vision is to foster belonging and a diverse community where neurodiverse students have equitable opportunities for academic, social, and career growth.

Students in lifePATH develop independence, exercise self-determination, increase knowledge of college-level academic expectations, practice the social expectations necessary for success in the adult world, and engage in opportunities for career exploration.

lifePATH students are selected as part of a cohort model. Students enter the program together as a peer group and remain together for at least two years. The cohort provides students with the structure and support needed to increase independence and social interactions. The cohort model also promotes community and a sense of belonging.

Students in lifePATH participate in Campus RAMP and community internships, where they bring skills learned in the classroom into the work environment. Beginning in year 2, Campus RAMP focuses on mentoring and job shadowing activities. In year 4, the community internship provides community-based work experience that allows students to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the lifePATH courses and the Campus RAMP to the business environment. Mentors for Campus RAMP and sites for the community internship are selected through a collaborative process and are meant to help students establish transferable skills that can be applied to their career goals.

DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.

PROGRAM SCALE: Yes, we do have plans to change the program within the next two years.

APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 178

HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program

WEBSITE TO APPLY: lonestar.edu/lifePATH

EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally collected

PRELIMINARY OUTCOMES DATA: The average lifePATH Occupational and Life Skills Associates (OLSA) course completion rate ranges from 88-92%.

DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: First Year Foundations Division, lifePATH Department

CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Anne Ginnett at anne.m.ginnett@lonestar.edu or 281-655-3607