Student Success Center
The Student Success Center provides services in the areas of academic advising, career exploration, and guidance counseling. The mission of the Student Success Center is to provide comprehensive services that will support student persistence and attainment of academic and career goals. To fulfill this mission, a team of academic advisors and counselors coordinate and facilitate all services and efforts at both college campuses.
Academic Advising Services
Academic Advising is the process of providing and exchanging
academic information between an advisor, who represents the institution, and a
student, who attends the institution. All students are required to meet with an
academic or faculty advisor at least once a semester prior to the registration
of their courses. Academic & Career Advisors provide students with guidance
in assessment score interpretation, course placement, course recommendations,
degree evaluations, review of institutional policies, and review of the
transfer process.
The Student Success Center offers academic advising in
person and online. Students who prefer to seek advising services in person are
welcome to visit the Student Success Center at either college campus on a
walk-in basis. Students who are unable to visit with an academic
advisor on campus may opt to seek online advising, which is facilitated via email and
virtual chat room.
Career Exploration Services
Academic & Career Advisors at the Student Success Center
will help students develop an effective plan of action to accomplish academic
and career goals and guide students through the career exploration process. Career
advising services are facilitated using computer-based interest, skills and
career exploration inventories, and a variety of internet-based resource
libraries that will help students identify careers and/or occupations that best
suit them.
Guidance Counseling Services
Student Success Counselors help students adjust to the
higher education environment while fostering and promoting the intellectual,
emotional, social and cultural development and well-being of individual
students. By employing a variety of campus services, community services, and
online resources, counselors can coordinate referrals to appropriate sources
that will provide individual students with the support and guidance needed to
ensure a healthy and enriching college experience.
Texas Success Initiative
The Texas Success Initiative requires all students enrolling
at Texas public institutions to demonstrate college readiness in reading,
writing, and math prior to enrolling in college-level coursework. Students
can demonstrate college readiness by taking the TSI-Assessment and meeting
established college readiness standards or by qualifying
for a State approved exemption/waiver. Students who do
not demonstrate college readiness must meet with an Academic Advisor to
develop a plan leading to college readiness, which may include developmental
course placement.
The following table lists all State
approved assessments with qualifying scores for full or
partial TSI exemption:
|
Assessment
Instrument
|
Reading
& Writing Exemption
|
Math
Exemption
|
|
ACT
|
Composite score ≥ 23
and
English score ≥ 19
|
Composite score ≥
23 and
Math score ≥ 19
|
|
SAT*
|
Total score ≥ 1070
and
Reading score ≥
500
|
Total score ≥ 1070
and
Math score ≥ 500
|
|
New SAT**
|
Evidenced Based
Reading & Writing Score ≥ 480
|
Math score ≥ 530
|
|
TAKS
|
English/Language
Arts score ≥ 2200 and Written
Composition score ≥ 3
|
Math score ≥ 2200
|
|
STAAR
EOC
|
English III Level
II score ≥ 4000
|
Algebra II Level
II score ≥ 4000
|
* administered prior to March 1,
2016
**administered on or after March 1,
2016
The following are other conditions or criteria used
to determine a full or partial TSI exemption:
- completion of a College Prep Course (offered at select
high schools) with a grade of 75 or higher and meet minimum TSIA-Math
& TSIA-Reading scores as specified by Laredo College (see advisor for
more info)
- completion of college-level coursework as determined by
LCC
- Students who have attended any institution of higher
learning and have been determined to have met "college-level"
readiness
- Students who are enrolled in a certificate program of
one year or less (Level – One Certificates, 42 or fewer credit hours or
the equivalent) at a public junior college, a public technical institute,
or a public state college
- Students serving or have served in the armed forces of
the United States or the Texas National Guard. Specifically:
- A student who is serving on active duty as a member
of:
- the armed forces of the United States; or
- the Texas National Guard
- A student who is currently serving as and, for at
least the three-year period preceding enrollment, has served as member of
a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States; or
- A student who on or after August 1, 1990, was
honorably discharged, retired or released from active duty as a member of
the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard.
- Service as a member of a reserve component of the
armed forces of the United States.
For more information regarding the Texas Success Initiative
Program, you may call the Student Success Center at (956) 721-5135 or (956)
794-4135. Testing dates and registration information are available in the
Assessment Center.