Lone Star College Joins Aspen Institute Network Focused on Improving Degree and Job Outcomes for Community College Students
Lone Star College System (LSCS) has been named one of 55 community colleges nationwide joining the Aspen Institute’s Unlocking Opportunity network, a multi-year initiative aimed at rethinking how two-year colleges prepare students for employment and further education.
As one of the largest public college systems in Texas, LSCS will participate in a three-year process with the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program to examine and reform how academic and workforce programs are designed and aligned with the labor market. The program also emphasizes improving transfer outcomes for students aiming to complete a bachelor’s degree.
The Aspen Institute, founded in 1949 and based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit organization focused on leadership, dialogue, and policy solutions for major societal challenges. Its College Excellence Program supports higher education leaders working to improve student outcomes, particularly in terms of economic mobility and access.
According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, more than 60% of jobs in the U.S. require education beyond high school, but not necessarily a four-year degree. Yet, many students attending community colleges face unclear pathways to those opportunities. A separate 2023 report from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) found that while nearly 80% of community college students intend to earn a bachelor’s degree, only about 16% do so within six years.
“The college system's strategic goals align very well with the goal of the Aspen Unlocking Opportunity network, which is to substantially increase the number of community college students entering and completing programs that lead directly to jobs that pay a sustaining wage or to completion of a bachelor’s degree,” said Christina Hagerty, Ed.D., LSCS interim chief academic officer. “Lone Star College System will have the opportunity to work with other community colleges to develop strategies to increase the number of students enrolled in academic programs that lead directly to well-paid jobs or to transfer to earn a bachelor's degree.”
Mobile Sidebar Ad
Lone Star College currently serves more than 90,000 students across eight campuses in Greater Houston. The system offers over 200 academic and workforce programs, including four bachelor’s degrees. According to internal data from LSCS, its student body reflects a wide range of backgrounds and career goals, with many balancing work and family responsibilities while pursuing education.
Through Unlocking Opportunity, Lone Star College will collaborate with peer institutions in a series of virtual and in-person engagements designed to scale reforms. These reforms may include shifting resources toward programs shown to lead to strong employment outcomes, reducing enrollment in programs with limited market value, and improving student advising. LSCS is among the 55 colleges selected to join 10 prior pilot institutions that have already started implementing such changes.
“Every year, millions of students rely on community colleges for a low-cost pathway to what they assume will be a high-value credential,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “They rightly assume that the degree and certificate programs their colleges offer will deliver a good job and fulfilling career either directly after community college or after transferring and earning a bachelor’s degree. The leaders at each of the 55 colleges that have signed up for Unlocking Opportunity have made clear that they will spend the next three years working towards the kinds of reforms needed to make that assumption a reality for thousands more students.”
The initiative builds on the experience of the 10 pilot institutions, which are projected to collectively shift more than 20,000 students into what Aspen describes as “high-value programs of study.” Lone Star College and the other new participants will receive support and guidance throughout the process, and Aspen will track institutional progress as part of a broader research and policy effort.
For more details about the Unlocking Opportunity initiative or to view the full list of participating colleges, visit the Aspen Institute’s Higher Education page: HigherEd.AspenInstitute.org/Programs/Unlocking-Opportunity.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
