Dive Brief:
- A focus on industry and community partnerships and encouraging entrepreneurship are central to Lone Star College-University Park's "Mall of America" approach to higher education, which embraces the idea of providing affordable education to students at whatever level or type they require.
- In an interview with Campus Technology, chief strategist for innovation and research Christina Robinson said the institution includes a preschool, an on-site high school and a corporate training facility, in addition to baccalaureate programs and advanced degree programs that extend through the doctoral level.
- An innovation room open for all students to use includes augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printers and other cutting-edge technology equipment to encourage innovation among students.
Dive Insight:
Lone Star College-University Park may have found the model which will be essential to universities' sustainability as the 21st century persists. By offering all levels of education in a community college setting, the institution is better providing for the needs of non-traditional students who may need childcare or who may need additional skills to remain competitive in their current jobs, but who do not wish to leave their jobs while they re-skill. Not only that, but having the younger students on campus allows them to benefit from the resources the institution has to offer and begin to instill college-going aspirations, while offering behavioral role models to help them achieve this goal.
By serving the needs of the entire community and including industry as a key stakeholder in the education enterprise, this model also helps boost the institutional value proposition, which is critical in the current budget environment.
