Announcements
Scholarship Information Session
Bus Trip to Kutztown University
On Friday, November 13, 2026, Kutztown University will host a bus trip for LCCC students, transporting them from the main campus to Kutztown University. The event will include an information session for prospective transfer students and a campus tour. Students will be picked up at 10:15 a.m., and the event will run until 2:30 p.m.
Interested students should register via this link.
Click on Transfer Preview Day
Please complete an LCCC waiver form, which will be emailed to you after registration.
Pick-up location:
Parking lot: F (In front of Community Services Center)
Lehigh Carbon Community College
4525 Education Park Drive
Schnecksville, PA 18078
Participate in a 20-Minute Study on AI & Critical Thinking!
Invitation to October 20 MSCHE Preliminary Visit Open Session
Pizza with the President
“Processing Grief: A Space to Care for Ourselves and Each Other”
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Think Before You Click — Spotting Dangerous Attachments
Opening an unsafe email attachment can install malware or other harmful software on your device and potentially put our entire campus network at risk.
Before you open or download any file, pause and inspect it: Were you expecting an attachment from this sender? Does the file type look unusual (like .exe, .zip, or double extensions like .pdf.exe)? Never enable macros or content on unexpected files. If something looks off, trust your instincts and report the email!
Give us Your Feedback!
If you attended Development Day on October 13, please provide your feedback by filling out this survey! If you complete the survey by October 19, you will be randomly selected to win a free Chik-Fil-A chicken sandwich or chicken nugget.
LASSI Lesson: Incoming Students, Motivation Insights
During Fall 2025, students enrolled in these courses (BUS 109, CIS 119, EDU 114, EGR 102, PSY 105, RSS 102, and SDS 106) who completed the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) reported low scores on the LASSI Motivation measure (46.01 vs. the nationally normed dataset). As we noted before, students who persisted last year scored significantly higher in Motivation (M = 52.5) compared to those who did not (M = 44.1), so helping students be motivated is key to helping them persist.
Some LASSI responses offer insight. These students reported worrying they would flunk out of school (Q37) and noted that they did not put much effort into their courses (Q45). However, they also reported, “Even if I am having difficulty in a course, I can motivate myself to complete the work” (Q24). Fear of failure may not be encouraging students to put in more effort in their studies, and students might be overestimating their internal motivation; therefore, encouraging students to strive for more might help them shift from passive learners to more active learners. The bottom line is that motivation and encouragement matter.
If you have questions, contact Michael Spinks and Katy DeLong at thelassi@lccc.edu and check back next week for more insights!
Meeting Request Updates
Mondays are Hard, but FREE Pizza is Easy!
Support the LCCC Foundation with a Donation in 2027
The LCCC Foundation’s mission is to generate and manage philanthropic resources to support the college, which will then turn student aspirations into reality through education. One way in which we fulfill this mission is through our annual employee giving appeal. Starting this month and running through the end of the calendar year, we are asking all employees to consider making a one-time (or recurring) donation. Your donation will begin in January 2027. Donations can be directed to our unrestricted Cougar Fund, Scholarships, and many other important priorities. Please click the link below to consider your donation.
We appreciate all levels of support.
Thank You.
Student Employee of the Month for October 2026: Barbara Ahenkorah
The Career Development Center is thrilled to recognize Barbara Ahenkorah as our Student Employee of the Month for October!
Barbara is an integral part of our team’s daily operations and success. From coordinating event tables to supporting students and employers, she approaches every task with exceptional organization, dedication, and care. Working closely with the Director of Career Development, Barbara consistently goes above and beyond to keep our programs running smoothly.
She is the definition of reliability. She is always on time, consistently present, proactive in asking the right questions, and eager to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
Beyond her outstanding work in the office, Barbara is navigating college as a first-generation college student, making her hard work, resilience, and loyalty even more inspiring. A huge shout-out to Barbara from the entire Career Development team for everything you do!
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.
Volunteers Needed: Phlebotomy Practice Day!
Winter is Coming: Guess the First Snow Day Off!
Join in the fun and enter for your chance to win this year’s Snow Day Contest!
Please use the link below to submit your guess for the first day that LCCC will be closed due to inclement weather. The closure must affect all campuses.
Enter here: LET IT SNOW!
The lucky winner will receive a $25 gift card.
The deadline to enter the contest is Friday, October 23, at 5 p.m.
Spirit & Wellness
Spirit Committee Upcoming Events
Reminders
Fall 2026 AI Learning Series
LCCC Policies and Regulations Update
Stay “In the Know” about Middle States!
Do you know the Seven Standards of Excellence at LCCC?
Standard I: Mission and Goals
The institution’s mission clearly defines its overarching purpose, the student population it serves, and its primary educational goals within the context of higher education. It ensures that all academic programs, services, and strategic initiatives align with and advance this core mission.
Standard II: Ethics and Integrity
Overview: Demonstrates the institution’s commitment to ethical conduct, transparency, operational integrity, and fair treatment across all aspects of governance and academic affairs. It encompasses compliance with legal regulations, academic freedom, non-discrimination policies, and clear, honest communication with all constituents.
Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
Overview: Focuses on providing coherent, rigorous, and high-quality academic curricula across all degree levels and delivery formats. It ensures that learning experiences are facilitated by qualified faculty, supported by adequate instructional resources, and designed to foster meaningful educational outcomes.
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.
Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Overview: Requires systematic and continuous evaluation of student learning outcomes at both institutional and program levels. Assessment data must be consistently analyzed and leveraged to drive continuous improvement in curriculum, pedagogy, and educational quality.
Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
Evaluates whether institutional planning, financial resources, administrative infrastructure, and budgeting are closely integrated with strategic priorities. It ensures the institution maintains long-term financial stability, allocates resources effectively, and uses comprehensive data to drive institutional growth.
Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Examines the governance structure, executive leadership, and administrative organization that oversee institutional operations. It ensures clear role definitions, effective decision-making, ethical leadership, and sufficient administrative capacity to fulfill the institution’s mission.
Middle States August/September Update
The Middle States Planning Committee met throughout the months of July, August, and September to prepare and facilitate an impactful month of October featuring Development Day and the Middle States Team Chair Visit.
Composed of Steering Committee members, College Relations, the Spirit Committee, and Executive Assistant to the President Tracy Bean, the Planning Committee will be overseeing logistics for Middle States events through the 2026-2027 school year. Development Day on October 13 features speaker Dana Evans Amberge, Senior Consultant, Enrollment and Marketing at Paskill, and the October 20 Middle States Team Chair visit brings Dr. Brenden Rickards from Rowan College of South Jersey to LCCC.
During the meetings, Tri-Chair Betsy Swope reviewed the agendas for both Development Day and the Team Chair Visit. College Relations and the Spirit Committee reserved the necessary rooms, arranged the seating, and organized the catering for these events. To keep the campus community informed and engaged, the Communications Team created a plan for publicizing Development Day and the Team Chair Visit through LCCC portal announcements, as well as save-the-date reminders and “Stay in the Know” posts in the College Voice. Committee members discussed the tone of these events, aimed at boosting morale and inspiring participation from every college location.
Looking ahead, members of the Communications Team and the Leadership Team collaborated to prepare a stakeholder support plan for the Peer Review Team visit in March while creating a communications roadmap to keep everyone informed in the months to come.
Questions may be directed to MSCHE@lccc.edu.
Welcome New Controller- Beth Mickelson
The Finance Office is pleased to welcome Beth Mickelson as the new Controller!
Beth brings 30 years of accounting and financial management experience across non-profit, professional services, healthcare, manufacturing, and hospitality sectors. Throughout her career, she has held key positions, including AVP of Accounting & Tax Services at KDG, Accounting Manager at Bet-El Counseling Services, and Director of Accounting at Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania.
Beth earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from DeSales University and an Associate Specialized Business Degree in Accounting from Allentown Business School. Her extensive expertise covers financial reporting, audit preparation, budgeting, process improvement, internal controls, and team leadership.
Outside of her professional work, Beth has dedicated time to volunteering with Easterseals fundraising events and periodically helping small businesses with bookkeeping and accounting. In her free time, she enjoys collecting pencils and watching NFL football.
Please join us in giving Beth a warm welcome to the team.
Sweet Inclusions Smoothies on Campus!
Join us in the ARC Cafeteria on Monday, October 19, to sip with purpose! Sweet Inclusions will be serving up $7 smoothies from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Flavors include: Apple Cider, Peach & Mango Tea, and Chocolate Banana.
Payment: Cash or Venmo.
Sweet Inclusions is a local, woman-owned non-profit that creates job opportunities for individuals of all abilities. Stop by the ARC Cafeteria to grab a treat and make a difference in our community!
LASSI Lesson: UAR is a Bigger Concern for Incoming Students
As we explore the LASSI data in different ways, looking only at courses described as first-term success courses reinforces a previous lesson challenge: students enrolled in these courses (BUS 109, CIS 119, EDU 114, EGR 102, PSY 105, RSS 102, and SDS 106) were less likely to use academic resources (UAR) than all students who took the LASSI.
UAR is a LASSI measure that reflects students’ self-reported knowledge of and willingness to use academic support services. In this Fall 2025 dataset of 7 courses, 13 sections, and 284 administrations, we see an even lower score in Using Academic Resources (30.63), with the lowest individual course score at 21.86. As noted earlier, UAR is traditionally the lowest-scoring LASSI measure for our students overall (35.35).
Our incoming students are a key at-risk population that needs our support. Referring them to academic support services takes care and intention, and using the Early Alert System can help.
Contact Michael Spinks and Katy DeLong at thelassi@lccc.edu if you have questions, and check back next week for more insights!
Give us Your Feedback!
If you attended and received a complimentary beverage from Hope & Coffee in recognition of National Coffee Day, please provide your feedback by filling out this survey!
If you complete the survey by October 12th, you will be randomly selected to win a free Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich or chicken nuggets.
Partnering for Student Success: Guidance, Registration, and Retention
Cybersecurity Awareness Month – Don’t Believe Your Eyes (or Ears): Spotting AI Scams
Free Food!
New Resource: The AI Student Study Center
We know our students learn in diverse ways—some visually, others through self-testing. To support student success while promoting responsible technology use, we are excited to introduce the AI Student Study Center!
This center works hand in hand with our campus education center and tutoring services to give students a well-rounded, ethical, and effective study strategy.
What the AI Student Study Center Offers:
- Introductory Micro-trainings about AI Safety, Academic Ethics, and Study Techniques: Bite-sized videos teaching prompt engineering, spotting AI “hallucinations,” and techniques for studying. Students can earn badges to demonstrate their awareness of these skills.
- A Digital Library of 270+ Vetted AI Study Guides, reviewed by content experts for accuracy, covering a variety of English, Math, Chemistry, and Anatomy topics.
- Students can access the center via their portal under Student Resources or directly on the AI Student Study Center Website.
Feel free to share this resource with your students alongside our Education and Tutoring Center!
