Standard 5: Student Support and Development
LPC is committed to providing integrated, effective and accessible student support services. Traditional services such as counseling, assessment and job postings are available to all students, while some services such as Financial Aid, Extended Opportunities Programs and Services, and Disabled Students Programs and Services, have special eligibility criteria. Several new programs have begun on campus since the last accreditation, including the Student Health Center, CalWORKS, and the International Student Program. Some programs have expanded over the years, in scope, staffing and availability to better meet student needs and growing demand.
LPC provides a variety of informative publications detailing its policies and practices, such as those regarding admissions. College publications such as the LPC Catalog, Class Schedule and Student Handbook are well written and readily available to current and prospective students.
Many service areas offer program information and services online. Students may apply to the College online, and may register for courses online or by phone using the CLASS system. Students can view grades and unofficial transcripts online. Books can be purchased through the bookstore's website. A pilot program is currently in place for online tutoring and technology support to enable students to utilize computers better for web-based courses, classroom work, and research. An online LPC orientation is in development.
The College is responsive to the education support needs of its students. The broad category of educational support includes academic and student services. In both areas, LPC does an excellent job in surveying its students to identify their characteristics, their learning and counseling needs and their assessment of available LPC services. Ongoing identification of educational support takes place through the Computerized Assessment and Placement Programs for new students. All matriculating students are required to participate in assessment, and orientation is recommended.
Resulting partly from ongoing recruiting efforts and partly from changing student profiles, the LPC student body has become slightly more diverse in the last few years. The College exceeds the diversity of the community as reflected in census data. LPC supports a welcoming atmosphere for an increasingly diverse student population by providing a variety of programs designed to meet the needs of special populations.
Faculty encourage student participation in college life and co-curricular programs by sponsoring student clubs, encouraging student participation in college-life activities, and awarding extra credit for basing assignments on college activities. During the last five years, the increasing number and types of student clubs has strengthened the climate of inclusiveness and diversity on campus. The ASLPC provides an opportunity for students to participate in student government both at a local and statewide level.
LPC values student input in its decision-making process. This is reflected by student participation in student government, student-led organizations, and cultural events that reflect student interest and educational goals. The shared governance process at LPC includes representation from all constituent members, including students
The Student Services program review process has been in place since 1995. Each program in Student Services undergoes review annually and a comprehensive review every three years. Student services satisfaction surveys are part of the annual planning process and institutional effectiveness in terms of measurable outcomes has been integrated into the program review and planning processes.
