Compact with Texans

Pursuant to the Agency Strategic Plan for the Fiscal Years 2001-2005, issued jointly by the Governor's Office of Budget and Planning and the Legislative Budget Board, Lamar State College Port Arthur has developed the following "Compact with Texans." The Compact addresses services provided to students, businesses and organizations that are part of the Lamar State College Port Arthur community. The goals of the State of Texas include quality services to the customers of state colleges. LSCPA heartily supports this goal and commit to the following guidelines for quality of instruction and services.

Agency Name

Lamar State College Port Arthur

Services Provided

Lamar State College Port Arthur provides accessible postsecondary education and training opportunities for a diverse population of Southeast Texas including students pursing a degree for the first time, those students returning for personal or professional enhancement, those students seeking career changes or promotion, and to those organizations seeking to upgrade the skills of their workforce.

Service Principles, Goals

Lamar State College Port Arthur pledges to provide quality instruction and services in a professional, honest, timely, impartial, accurate, courteous, and efficient way. Our instruction and related services are offered with flexibility in scheduling, locations, delivery methods, and content to those students pursuing postsecondary education. Our students have the right to expect quality services in a safe environment while seeking enrollment, advisement, financial assistance, special services, instruction, or other instructional related services. We are committed to providing the best possible services and quality instruction through:

Access and Retention:

Flexible services
Financial affordability
Adaptable delivery systems
A student body representative of demographic patterns of the service community
Safe and aesthetically pleasing environment

Focus on Learning:

First two years of traditional college education
Courses with multiple perspectives about the individual and world
Improve potential for employment
Support regional employers

Core Values:

Foster the understanding that education, as distinct from training, demands knowledge of various contrasting views of human experience in the world.
All students require personal attention during enrollment and pledge to meet their individual needs for personal and educational services, financial aid, and instruction.
Assure access to students by providing a qualified, on-campus staff, automated methods of registration and advisement that can be available to students at remote sites, and information provided through a variety of traditional and electronic media.
Assert that the foundations for student success include successful completion of courses and programs of study, academic performance at the university following transfer, the attainment of individual goals, acquisition of skills and demeanor necessary for employment, and the development of values and concepts that allow the student to make a meaningful contribution immediately upon employment.

Community Connections:

We will embrace the belief that a curriculum should contain courses that (1) provide multiple perspectives about the individual and the world in which he or she lives, (2) stimulate a capacity to discuss and reflect upon individual, political, and social aspects of life, (3) accentuate the students exploration and understanding of ways in which to exercise responsible citizenship, and (4) facilitate the integration of knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships of the disciplines.

A Partnership in Continuous Improvement

Lamar State College Port Arthur works in partnership with citizens, regional businesses, industries, schools, service sector organizations and other community organizations, to provide quality, ongoing services. We seek continuous improvement through the ongoing assessment of our services through customer satisfaction surveys, student services surveys, faculty evaluations, business and industry needs assessments, focus groups and advisory councils.

Standards For Maximum Wait Times

Every effort is made to provide services in a professional, honest, timely, impartial, accurate, courteous, efficient manner. We strive to meet a minimum standard of wait time on all occasions, realizing that in periods of high quantity of demand that the times may exceed our goals. However, our goal is to eliminate any excess wait time and plan appropriately for overload times to allow minimization of waiting periods. Approximate wait times for the following services are:

Determine financial aid awards within three weeks of receiving completed file
Initial on-site assessment to begin registration process - 15-20 minutes
Receipt of payments with completed file - within 15 minutes
Results of credit by exam - 5 working days
Receipt of transcript evaluation - completed by end of first semester after receiving official completed file
Process admission applications with completed and official file - 3 working days
Process transcript requests - 3 working days

Students are encouraged to contact the Special Populations and Handicapped Services Office at least two weeks prior to class to arrange for specialized services. In a situation where special materials or equipment must be purchased, allowance for sufficient time to order, receive, and install the equipment will be necessary. Specific information on students with special needs is available in the College Catalog.

Students administered the ASSET will be tested and have results reported within 1-2 working days (the section of the writing sample graded off-site will take approximately five days)

Complaints, Grievances and Appeals

The goal is to provide equitable, timely, fair and accurate resolutions to problems and complaints. Initial complaints or problems should be brought to the attention of the relevant department for resolution. If an acceptable resolution is not reached within five working days, the student can then file a formal written complaint. In the event that a student desires to file a formal complaint, the process and procedures for filing a written a complaint, grievance, or appeal is available in the Texas State University System Rules and Regulations, the LSCPA Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook, the College Catalog, and the LSCPA website.

Student Relations Representative:

Dr. Tessie Bradford, Dean of Student Services
Lamar State College Port Arthur
P.O. Box 310
Port Arthur, Texas 77641
(409) 984-6156
(409) 984-6025 - fax
bradfordts@lamarpa.edu

Lamar State College Port Arthur Administration, additional contact for student relations:
Dr. Betty Reynard, President, (409) 984-6100
Dr. Pamela Millsap, Vice President Academic Affairs, (409) 984-6211
Mary Wickland, Executive Vice President for Finance & Operations, (409) 984-6125
Bruce Hodge, Interim Director of Dual Credit Programs, (409) 984-6102
Wayne Wells, Director of Correctional Education, (409) 984-6229