Comprehensive Standard 3.1.1
The mission statement is current and
comprehensive, accurately guides the institution’s operations, is periodically
reviewed and updated, is approved by the governing board, and is communicated
to the institution’s constituencies. (Mission)
aCompliance___Partial Compliance___Non-Compliance
Narrative:
Lawson State Community
College has a clear and comprehensive mission statement as follows:
Mission Statement
Lawson State Community
College is a comprehensive, public, two-year, multi-campus college, which seeks
to provide accessible quality educational opportunities, promote economic
growth and enhance the quality of life for people in its service area. The College is dedicated to providing
affordable and accessible lifelong learning opportunities in order to prepare
students for employment, career advancement, or to enable students to transfer
to senior colleges and universities, and provide customized training needs for
business and industry.
Lawson Statement
Community College provides certificates and degrees (associate) acquisition,
workforce development training, preparation for college through developmental
education, a high school or GED diploma through adult basic education, and customized training. Furthermore, the College makes available a
number of lifelong learning opportunities.
The slogan, “It’s All Here,” for the College is true in all aspects and
is embraced through a comprehensive student support services unit that ensures
accessibility to all students.
Additionally, the College reaches a number of persons through its
distance learning and cultural and personal enrichment programs, activities and
events.
The Mission Statement is accompanied by a Vision
Statement and Institution-wide Student Learner Outcomes all of which are
central to the institution’s strategic planning and assessment processes. The Mission statement is supported and
enhanced by its continuous, cyclical strategic goals and indicators
development. This Planning Cycle Model
illustrates how activities promote and help fulfill the College mission. Institutional effectiveness activities at the
College center on the Mission and Vision Statements, the Institution-wide
Student Learner outcomes, program and course learning outcomes and
administrative outcomes.
The Mission Statement
was developed for the merged college in 2005.
It was approved by the Alabama State Board of Education on June 23, 2005
as a part of the final approval of the merger of T. A. Lawson State Community
College and Bessemer State Technical College.
Minor revisions occurred in 2007 when the Mission was revisited during
the 2007 and 2008 Administrative Retreat (2008 Retreat Minutes). Those revisions were shared with various
stakeholders (Faculty Meeting
Minutes-Mission) including faculty, disseminated campus-wide, and
ultimately approved by the Alabama State Board of Education on August 28, 2008 (Board Minutes 8-28-08).
Lawson State Community
College’s Mission guides the activities and decisions of the College. The Mission guided the development and review
of the strategic plan. The goals and
strategic initiatives of the College are linked to the Mission. Budget decisions are based on the needs and
goals of the various units which in turn are tied to the institution-wide goals
and strategic initiatives. Budget decisions
are also tied to the sustainment of current programs or services and/or a need
based on an analysis conducted during Budget Hearings (See Budget Hearings Information
and budget schedule).
Lawson State Community
College’s Mission Statement aligns with the purposes and commitments of the
Alabama Community College System (About ACCS) and its specific
mission (Policy 108.01). The College’s Mission also follows the System
mandate to “provide accessible,
quality educational opportunities; promote economic growth; and enhance the
quality of life for the people of Alabama.”
The Mission of Lawson
State Community College is widely communicated and is accessible to
constituents via the College website.
The Mission is published in the Student Catalog and Handbook on page 7 and on the college website. To continuously assess and strengthen the
Lawson State Community College’s Mission, a Mission Review Policy was approved by the
Administrative Cabinet (Administrative Cabinet
Minutes, April 7) and
requires the College to review the Mission Statement annually as a part of the
institutional effectiveness process and formally review the Mission Statement
every five years for approval by appropriate personnel (Minutes-1, Mission).
Documentation:
|
Documentation |
Location |
|
LSCC Mission, Vision, Student Learner Outcomes |
LSCC Mission, Vision,
Student Learner Outcomes |
|
Alabama Community College System |
|
|
State Board Policy 108.01 |
|
|
LSCC Retreat Minutes 2008 |
|
|
LSCC Mission Review Policy approved April 7,
2008 |
|
|
LSCC Administrative Cabinet minutes approving
Mission Review Policy |
|
|
Alabama State Board of Education Minutes from
August 28, 2008 |
|
|
LSCC Faculty Meeting Minutes approving Mission
Statement |
|
|
LSCC Strategic Planning Model |
|
|
LSCC Budget Hearing Information |
|
|
LSCC Mission in Student Catalog and Handbook,
page 7 |
|
|
LSCC Mission on LSCC website |