College will be safe, on campus, and active for summer, fall  – Lamar Ledger

Lamar Community College and I have exciting news for summer and fall 2021: our entire campus, including all programs and services, will be open, in-person and active.

With infection rates dropping and the increased rate of immunization and vaccine availability, the administration at LCC is confident we can provide a safe in-person summer and fall learning and living experience for all of our students.

Safety and providing the best possible education for our students remain our top priorities. We will continue to monitor and follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and both state and Prowers County health department guidelines to ensure the ongoing health and safety of the college community. As summer and fall semester start dates approach, we update students and employees with detailed guidance on any safety requirements necessary. I am so proud of how well students and employees have worked to keep LCC safe and open.

We have learned some important lessons over the course of the pandemic. LCC never closed and quickly moved to serve students through remote services and classes. In the coming year, we expect to continue some remote appointments and services as a convenience to students. To keep learning flexible for LCC students, we will offer some online or synchronous remote classes, so students will have choices that work for them.

Many have asked me if LCC will require the COVID-19 vaccine for students, faculty and staff. We are monitoring requirements and changes in policies but, at this time, we do not have plans for mandatory vaccines. As vaccine access continues to improve, I strongly encourage students, faculty, and staff who are eligible and able to receive the vaccine to do so. The more people who are vaccinated, the safer our college community will be moving into the future.

LCC has many different options to make college affordable for our students. This summer, LCC will again offer the popular “3 for 2”, three in-person classes for the price of two. For those who prefer online classes, the College will continue to offer an online scholarship, which covers the difference between standard and online tuition during the entire 2021-22 academic year.

Registration starts April 1, so this is an excellent time for current and prospective students to explore financial aid options by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on the federal financial aid website at fafsa.ed.gov.

Our college has many grants and scholarship opportunities, as well. Check out the LCC Foundation scholarship page at lamarcc.edu/scholarship for a complete list of available scholarships, deadlines and online applications. Don’t wait — the Presidential and Kane Family Foundation scholarships have an April 9 deadline.

Be sure to check the page frequently as more scholarships may be added and other scholarship deadlines are spaced out through midsummer. There are merit and need-based scholarships for all types of students including more than $115,000 in funding from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative for qualifying Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Prowers County students.

Finally, I am very excited to tell you we will have new and updated spaces and services for students and employees to enjoy including:

— The Student Union
— The MAP to Success Center
— The “Home on the Range” addition to the Learning Garden
— Updated campus walkway lighting
— Various technological improvements
— Elevator additions to Bowman East and Bowman West (Administration)
— A new Southeast Colorado Virtual Anatomy Lab
— The brand new Career & Technical Education (CTE) Building, which will house our Precision Agriculture, Construction Trades and Renewable Energy programs.
As the semester begins, we are planning to reinstall the beautiful Wings of Knowledge sculpture as part of a grand re-opening event. We are looking forward to sharing all these changes and improvements with students and our communities.

LCC is ready to be safe, on-campus, and active – actively engaged and moving forward in beautiful Southeast Colorado. I encourage students to apply now by emailing Admissions@lamarcc.edu, calling 719-336-1590 or using our website at www.lamarcc.edu/admission. We can hardly wait to welcome students to Lamar Community College – Go Lopes!

Linda Lujan, Ph.D., is the president of Lamar Community College.