Invest in Our Future: Why Labette Community College Matters to Parsons and Southeast Kansas
By Robert Spinks, MA, MS - Chief of Police, Parsons, Kansas
It's not too late to register for college classes!
If you are a high school graduate, a parent helping your son or daughter plan for the future, an adult considering a career change, or someone who simply wants to continue learning, I encourage you to take a look at our very own Labette Community College (LCC).
For more than a century, LCC has been helping people in our region build better lives through education, career training and opportunity. Established in 1923, the college has become an important part of the educational, workforce and economic foundation of Southeast Kansas.
As Police Chief, I see every day how education, opportunity and community stability are connected. A strong community needs good schools, good jobs, safe neighborhoods and pathways for young people and adults to build productive futures. Labette Community College is an important part of that equation.
Why Choose LCC?
One of LCC's greatest strengths is accessibility.
Labette Community College is an open-enrollment institution. As long as a student has successfully completed high school or obtained the equivalent of a high school diploma, they can be accepted as a student. That matters.
Not everyone needs to-or wants to-leave Southeast Kansas to pursue higher education. LCC provides an opportunity to begin a college education close to home, at a community college that understands the people, families and employers of our region.
LCC offers:
- 25 Academic Programs
- 6 Technical Certificate Programs
- 14:1 Student-to-Faculty Ratio
- A 3-Day Weekend Every Week
That combination can make higher education more accessible and manageable for students who are balancing school with work, family and other responsibilities.
Programs for Many Different Career Goals
Whether your goal is to transfer to a four-year university, enter the workforce, advance in your current career or develop a specialized technical skill, LCC offers a wide variety of educational opportunities.Degree programs include:
Accounting
Art
Associate Degree Nursing
Biology
Business Administration
Chemistry
Communication
Criminal Justice
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Education
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
English
Exercise Science
General Studies
Graphic Design Technology
Health Science
History
Pre-Pharmacy
Psychology
Radiologic Technology
Respiratory Care
Social Work
Sociology
Secondary Education
Welding Technology
LCC also provides certificate opportunities in fields including Diagnostic Medical Sonography, General Sonography, Vascular Sonography, Graphic Design Technology and Welding Technology.
For students interested in public safety and criminal justice, I am particularly proud that our community has access to a local Criminal Justice program. As someone who has taught at LCC for more than three decades, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand how community college education can help prepare students for careers in law enforcement and other public-service professions.
LCC and Our Local Workforce
The value of LCC extends far beyond the classroom.
Our local businesses, hospitals, schools, public safety agencies, manufacturers and other employers need qualified employees. Those employers are competing for a workforce that possesses the education, technical skills and professional abilities necessary to succeed in today's economy.
Community colleges are uniquely positioned to help meet that need. LCC helps connect education with employment.
A student who earns a technical certificate or associate degree isn't simply earning a credential. They are developing skills that can lead directly to a career and contribute to the workforce of Southeast Kansas.That benefits the student. It benefits the employer. And it benefits our entire region.
Keeping Young People and Talent in Southeast Kansas
Economic development isn't only about attracting new businesses. It's also about developing and retaining the people who will build the future of our communities. When students can obtain an affordable education close to home, they have an opportunity to remain connected to their families and communities while preparing for their careers. Some will transfer to four-year universities. Others will enter the workforce immediately. Some will return later in life for additional education or a career change.
Whatever their path, education creates opportunity. And opportunity strengthens communities.
A College With a Century of Community Impact
Since 1923, Labette Community College has been part of the educational fabric of Southeast Kansas. That is more than 100 years of students walking through its doors, faculty teaching and mentoring, graduates entering the workforce, and alumni contributing to the communities where they live. LCC represents something that is increasingly important in today's world: an opportunity to improve your future without necessarily having to leave your community to do it. For Parsons and the surrounding region, having a community college within our area is an asset that we should recognize, support and promote.
Parents: Take a Look at LCC
Parents, if your son or daughter is trying to decide what comes next after high school, don't assume the only path to success requires immediately leaving home for a four-year university. There are many paths to a successful career. For some students, starting at LCC can provide an affordable opportunity to complete foundational coursework before transferring to a four-year institution.
For others, an LCC technical or career program can provide the education and training needed to enter the workforce. And for still others, LCC may be the opportunity to discover what they want to do next.
The important thing is to take the first step. It Is Not Too Late - If you have been thinking about college but haven't registered yet, it is not too late to explore your options. Visit Labette Community College and learn what programs, classes and opportunities are available.
Visit Labette Community College
Talk with an admissions counselor. Explore the academic and technical programs. Ask about financial aid. Find out what classes are available and determine whether LCC is the right fit for you. You may be surprised by how many opportunities are available right here in our own region.
Supporting LCC Means Supporting Our Community
As Parsons Police Chief, I believe strongly that public safety is about more than responding to crime. A safe and successful community is built through education, opportunity, employment, strong families, responsible citizenship and community engagement. Labette Community College contributes to all of those things. When our residents succeed, our community becomes stronger. When our employers have access to a skilled workforce, our economy becomes stronger.
When young people see a pathway toward a meaningful career, they have another reason to invest in themselves and their community. And when Southeast Kansas develops its own educated and skilled workforce, the entire region benefits. That's why I encourage our community to support Labette Community College-and, if you are considering college, to take a serious look at LCC. It has been serving our region since 1923.
It is here for our community today. And it can help prepare our community for tomorrow.
Don't Take LCC for Granted
There is another important message I want to share with our community: we cannot afford to take Labette Community College for granted.
Having a community college of this quality in our own backyard is a tremendous resource, but resources like this are not guaranteed forever. In an era of shrinking state support and increasing financial pressures on higher education, colleges must continually demonstrate that they are valued and supported by the communities they serve. If we don't use LCC, support LCC and encourage our students, families and employees to take advantage of what LCC offers, we risk losing an institution that has been serving Southeast Kansas since 1923. Supporting LCC isn't simply about supporting a college-it is about protecting an educational resource, workforce-development partner and economic asset that belongs to our entire region.
Use it. Support it. Promote it. And don't take it for granted.
It's not too late. Start your next chapter at Labette Community College.
Check out our very own LCC-today!
