LCCC responds to an August 3, 2026, letter from the Secretary of Education, Linda E. McMahon, regarding “A National Call to Action of University Presidents and Governing Boards.”

Designed for all college employees, the event will begin with morning refreshments, followed by an introduction and overview of Middle States Education, a guest speaker presentation, and interactive Spirit Committee activities.

In-person attendance is required for all faculty and staff during Development Day, as the college will be closed for the morning session, and a Zoom option will not be available. Main campus will be opening at 11:30 a.m. at the conclusion of the event and other sites will be opening at 12:30 p.m. There are no daytime or evening classes scheduled this day.

Employees unable to attend during the morning session must submit a leave request (to use accrued personal/vacation time) to their supervisor or dean.

• Date & Time: October 13, 2026
  • Morning Refreshments: 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
  • Main Program: 8:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Location: CSC Ballroom

For any dietary restrictions, please send a message to events@lccc.edu with your restrictions and refer to “Development Day October 13, 2026.”

Join us for a morning dedicated to learning, collaboration, and celebrating our LCCC community! A full schedule and additional details will be shared as the date approaches.

Do you know the Seven Standards of Excellence at LCCC? Every week, check out College Voice to learn a new Standard and stay In the Know!

Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience
Overview: Covers co-curricular services and support systems designed to facilitate student success from recruitment through graduation. This includes comprehensive admissions processes, academic advising, financial aid, counseling, career services, and extra-curricular programming tailored to a diverse student body.

Every week, you will be given a question related to LCCC’s Mission, Vision, and/or Value statements to prepare you for our upcoming Middle States visit. Answer at least one question correctly, and you will be entered into a drawing for a gift card prize! Winners will be randomly selected at Development Day on 10/13.

Note: You must be present at Development Day to receive a prize.

To answer this week’s question, please see the following Google Form.

The course schedules for Spring 2027 & Summer 2027 have been posted to the College website, and can be viewed here.

Registration for Spring 2027 & Summer 2027 will open on Friday, October 2, for military and veteran students and on Monday, October 5, for all students.

Thank you to our entire LCCC community for being such generous donors for our first ever Student Swap Shop!

We had rave reviews from our students and are looking forward to holding another pop-up event soon. Thank you again for all that you do for our students!

Looking for grant funding? The Grants Office now maintains a Grants Blast section on College Voice, featuring current funding opportunities for LCCC faculty and staff from government agencies, corporate funders, and private foundations.

Stay up to date, take a look at the Grants Blast section on College Voice today!

We look forward to hosting SBA Deputy Administrator William Briggs on September 21!

Lehigh Carbon Community College’s $1.43 million grant award—part of the SBA’s broader $50 million Empower to Grow initiative—is a fantastic milestone for workforce development across Lehigh, Carbon, and Schuylkill counties.

The grant will serve to bring hands-on instruction in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics, and smart manufacturing directly to local job sites.  This will make a tremendous difference for small and mid-sized manufacturers in our region.

LCCC is one of 11 technical schools across the country to receive the award.

Please join us to welcome SBA Deputy Administrator William Briggs for the formal check presentation on Monday, September 21, 12:15 p.m. at the Nevin Earl Remaley Technology Center Lobby.

Please RSVP by Sept. 17 to tbean@lccc.edu.

A presentation by Penn State Center for Nanotechnology, on Monday, October 5th at 2:30 pm, Technology Center, Room TC 102. All welcome. For more information, please contact nveskovic@lccc.edu.

We are actively recruiting volunteer members for the LCCC Hearing Panel (judicial hearing panel/conduct board), the designated body responsible for reviewing student conduct appeals, including student disciplinary and academic dishonesty matters at the College. Our Panel is composed of students, faculty, and staff who attend 9 hours of training each year on the LCCC Code of Student Conduct, campus policies and procedures, and the judicial process. We are fortunate that there are not too many hearings per year, but we must be ready and able to ensure due process rights for our students.

Are you interested, or are you interested but have questions? Please contact Brian DeLong, Associate Dean of Student Development at bdelong2@lccc.edu or by calling 610 799-1179.

Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS) Program

The KEYS program is a grant-funded program meant to assist students in continuing to pursue their education by breaking down barriers. Referrals to the program are accepted on a rolling basis for students meeting the following criteria:

• Current LCCC students registered or indicating an intention to register for courses.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA (exceptions for incoming freshman who have not yet earned a GPA)
• SNAP, TANF, or Family Works recipients

The KEYS program offers assistance through a variety of means, including but not limited to:

• Walmart, Target, WEPA printing, and LCCC Bookstore gift cards
• Transportation funding, such as mileage reimbursement, Speedway Gas gift cards, and bus passes
• Referrals for clothing for educational and employment purposes (including LCCC scrubs)
• Loaner laptops and graphing calculators
• Funding for required educational fees such as clearances, CastleBranch, NCLEX/TEAS testing, CPR training, etc.
• Tuition assistance (TANF only)
• Assistance with LCCC and external referrals and resources

Students interested in learning more about the program or interested in applying can visit the KEYS page. Students can also email the general KEYS email at keys@lccc.edu or contact Rachel Casanova, the KEYS Administrator/Student Facilitator, at rcasanova@lccc.edu, 610-799-1744, or by stopping by SSC 121.

World Mental Health Day is coming up on Saturday, October 10. To commemorate this important day, the Counseling Center has partnered with the Spirit Committee to provide green ribbon pins to all Faculty, Staff, and Students.

Please stop by the Counseling Center in SSC 126 to pick up your pin to wear all week, and please wear green on Friday, October 9, to honor this meaningful day.

Join us on Monday, October 12th, at 2:30 p.m. in AC 107/108 as we welcome Freddie Nole, star of the multiple-award-winning documentary “The Second Life of Freddie Nole.” Freddie spent nearly 50 years in prison, and since his release, “meets newly released men at the prison gates—offering transportation, support, and a path toward a second chance.” Freddie does this incredible work right here in Pennsylvania!

RSVP here for an afternoon of great conversation and insights from an advocate who is being the change he wants to see in the world. Light refreshments will be served.

We are starting this term’s lessons by highlighting the ongoing impact of the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) project. Recent analysis shows a strong, consistent connection between LASSI participation and higher student GPAs across multiple semesters:

* Spring 2025 (141 students): Students who completed the LASSI achieved a statistically significant higher average GPA (3.07) compared to those who did not (2.50).

* Fall 2025 (356 students): This positive pattern continued, with LASSI completers earning an average GPA of 3.20 versus 2.78 for non-completers.

While completing assignments naturally correlates with academic success, our data analysis also revealed that higher overall LASSI assessment scores directly align with higher GPAs.

Stay tuned next week, when we look deeper into how specific LASSI subscores correlated with student performance. In the meantime, if you have questions

If you are aware of an incident that concerns you, such as student behavior issues, violations of the LCCC Code of Student Conduct or Academic Honesty policy, or emotional concerns, the college offers an online reporting tool called StART, which allows you to submit an official report. You can access this online form by clicking “StART” in the LCCC portal under Faculty/Staff Resources and then following the prompts. Associate Dean DeLong responds to all submitted reports.

In addition to filing this report, if the circumstances include a threat of violence or harm to a member of the college community, you should report that immediately to Public Safety by calling 610-799-1169. If you have questions regarding StART or would like to schedule a StART training, please email Associate Dean of Student Development Brian DeLong at bdelong2@lccc.edu.

The Office of Career Development is thrilled to celebrate both Luca Carlino and Sydney Raguckas as our Student Employees of the Month! Together, this extraordinary pair forms what the Science Division affectionately calls our “Dream Team”—keeping our busy laboratories running smoothly, safely, and efficiently every single day.

Luca Carlino has been a Lab Tech in the Science Labs for nearly a year, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him! From preparing physical labs to classroom cleaning, restocking, and arranging supplies for chemistry, biology, physics, anatomy, microbiology, genetics, and ecology. In troubleshooting equipment and handling hazardous wastes, Luca takes every challenge in stride. Whether he’s making thousands of sterile microbiology media, preparing precise solutions, maintaining safety protocols, or caring for our live organisms, his enthusiasm, upbeat attitude, and sharp attention to detail make him a true linchpin in our department.

Sydney Raguckas works side-by-side with Luca to complete this dynamic duo. Sydney brings the same dedication, reliability, and precision to the division, ensuring that complex lab setups are executed flawlessly and that faculty have everything they need for successful classes. Her strong work ethic, positive energy, and commitment to student success make her an indispensable part of our daily operations.

Working in the science labs can be demanding and unpredictable, but faculty and staff know they can rely on Sydney and Luca in any situation. Thank you, Sydney and Luca, for your hard work, care, and outstanding support!

Nominate a Student Employee!

Do you know a student worker who goes above and beyond? Whether they work directly in your department or are simply someone you’ve noticed working hard around campus, we want to hear about them! Help us recognize their dedication by submitting a nomination here: Nominate a Student Employee of the Month.