Keep Your Head in the Clouds

“I have been over to the future and it works.”
Lincoln Steffens, 20th century journalist and political activist

In 1919, an American went to Russia and returned home with one of the most famous lines of the century. Not to debate his penchant for communism or his reputation as an infamous muckraker, I can relate to Steffen’s sentiment…. Every time I pick up a tech magazine, read a newspaper, or go online, it seems I too am hit with the future all over again.

Exxon, for example, just entered a $600 million joint venture to research how to convert algae into biofuels. With that kind of money on the table, they must have some pretty solid projections on how algae's going to impact our ability to remain mobil in the future. I would dare say that about the time that the rest of us get our heads wrapped around the idea of spinning muck into gold, Exxon will already be negotiating another high-tech, who-would-have-ever-thunk-it deal.

Recently while reading an article about something called cloud computing and how it’s changing the face of technology, I thought back to Steffens’ proclamation and wondered what he would think about the state of affairs today... When it comes to the topic of cloud computing, there are many who espouse that companies will face an increased time of churn and upheaval as low level tech jobs are automated or eliminated altogether. As I read these predictions, I wonder how many have already come true, how many are still to come, and whether or not that will be a good thing.

Techies throw around a lot of terms and assume that people outside the field understand what they are saying, but for the rest of us… What is cloud computing anyway?

Cloud computing is a computing model that lets you access software, as well as serve and store resources over the internet. Rather than having to buy, install, maintain and manage these resources on your own computer, you can just access them through a web browser. Software-as-a-service (Saas) and on-demand business applications such as Quickbooks Online, and GoToMeetings.com are cloud applications. So are free web services- such as Microsoft Hotmail, or FaceBook and Twitter. Amazon.com is too, for that matter. It's called “cloud computing” because techies have long used cloud icons to represent the infrastructure that is the internet. It’s the “stuff” that’s seemingly out there in the air.

Cloud computing makes things easier for the end user, but behind the scenes vendors have a lot of work in managing the infrastructure, technology and labor that allows them to provide services easily and profitably to millions of users. They must invest heavily in hardware, virtualization technologies, networking infrastructure and automation capabilities.

For the workforce, this means technology skills in network administration, security, electrical engineering, and information management, but it also means understanding the way business works. Employers are going to need people who understand pricing models, contracts, strategic planning, and marketing.

I’m not a pundit, but I agree with those who are… Some tech jobs are going to go away, just as they have since the beginning of the information revolution. But for those who are prepared to step into the future, there’s going to be a fair amount of interesting opportunity out there in its place. The future is coming and it's going to be up to you to make it work.

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For information about Computer/ Information Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Field of Computer Science

Information Technology

Measuring the World Around Us

Texas hero Stephen F. Austin is widely known as the leader of the "Old 300," the Anglo settlers whose desire for an independent nation led to the colonists’ struggle against Mexico for what would become the Republic of Texas, and eventually the 28th of the united states . This was a journey over which people lived and died and which pushed expansion westward, eventually culminating at water’s edge in what is now California.

Before Stephen there was his father, Moses. Although he died before making the trip, it is Moses who historians will remember as the surveyor from the east who received permission to bring a group of Anglo Americans to settle in Spanish Texas.

And long before before the Austin clan and dating back to ancient Egypt, land has been divided, traded, taken and won. War, fires, floods, earthquakes and other disasters destroy buildings, monuments and infrastructure, but for the most part, the land remains.

So whether it's the Texas-Mexico border, the Mason-Dixon Line, or the property line that separates you from your neighbor, someone has to determine how land is divided and where… In the beginning and still today, we call that person a Land Surveyor.

Mt. Rushmore: Three Surveyors and Another Guy

A few years ago, the college began offering non-credit courses in surveying. Today, due to industry demand, we offer enough credit courses for students to achieve a marketable skills award in as little as a semester, a Certificate in only one year, and a two year Associate of Applied Science Degree. Courses in this program will transfer into select four year programs as well, although you probably want to speak with a counselor to find out which classes will transfer and where.

When most people think of surveyors, the first thing that comes to mind is that guy standing on the side of the road wearing an orange vest and holding a pole. Having read a little about this profession, it’s pretty obvious that there’s a whole lot more to it than that. It’s a high tech field, with GIS and GPS starting to play more and more of a role. You need to know a little about the law, some history, a bit of geography, and geometry too.

Mostly though, you need to have a little bit of respect for the profession, for the job you are going to do and for those proud and dedicated men (and women) who have come before you. Because working as a land surveyor isn't just any job for any old joe…and there are three guys whose faces are carved on the side of a cliff whose accomplishments can attest to that!



(George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were all professional land surveyors)

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For information about programs offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Land Surveying and Mapping Technology

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Texas High School Educators Retreat (Land Surveying)

High school math, science, geography, history teachers and career/tech counselors save the date for the 3rd annual retreat co-hosted by Texas Society of Professional Surveyors. This year's event will take place at LSC-Montgomery from August 16-18, 2009. There is limited enrollment so complete your application early at http://www.tsps.org/.

The Company Town Goes Global

Commonly referred to as a Baby Boomer, my father was born in rural East Texas and was groomed to become as William Whyte noted in his 1956 classic, an "Organization Man." Back then and through the 1980’s, towns and the people who lived in them were made and broken by the companies they worked for.

Though rare today for a single company to maintain such overwhelming influence over a community, we see remnants of that era in places like Alcoa, Tennessee, where corporate founder Alcoa remains dominant. Back in East Texas, the town of Lone Star - my dad's old stomping grounds - leaned heavily on Lone Star Steel for its existence. In 2006, LSS was sold to US Steel. Under new management, the area's steel industry continues to serve as one of the area's most important employers, though not as grand as in its heyday.

Long before Alcoa and Lone Star Steel, the Pullman Palace Car Company created the little town of Pullman, just south of Chicago. That was in the late 1880’s. Towns such as Durango, Colorado and Gary, Indiana soon followed and it seemed that eventually half of the United States was comprised of towns run by one corporate entity or another. Through the years, other companies, such as Walt Disney (Orlando, Florida), Hershey Chocolate Corporation (Hershey, PA) and Imperial Sugar (Sugarland, Texas) adopted the template for their own use. And for a very long time, they garnered quite a bit of success in doing so. Then along came computers and globalization, airplanes, telephones and the internet… and things began to change. As competition and technology bore down upon them, individual companies lost their hold and whole industries began to influence where people chose to work and the economic development term “clustering,” was born.

Clusters arose in unlikely places. Silicon Valley arose from the need for IT folks to cluster and eventually, they clustered in Austin, Texas too. Elkhart County, Indiana...with its long Amish heritage and its background producing musical instruments, it transitioned into the automotive industry and became known as the RV Capital of the World with 50% of the world's production taking place there.

All ideas have their time in the sun and even the best have a downside, as Austin discovered and the citizens of Elkhart are learning first hand today. A lack of diversity can kill a community. Just ask Indiana, which is experiencing an unemployment rate so high that then-candidate Barak Obama felt a need to schedule a campaign stop there last year.

The Rise of the Creative Class

A few years ago, Richard Florida wrote a book called “The Rise of the Creative Class.” By the time the book hit the shelves, we had already experienced Austin's dot.com bubble… and watched it burst. If you looked around closely enough, you didn’t need anyone to tell you that people who create for a living were going to change the world, although it was kind of nice to have someone summarize what the rest of us knew was happening, but just didn’t know what to call it. Currently, there are more than 40 million Americans – over a third of our national workforce – who create for a living.

Today, the “creative class” is influencing how the workplace is organized, what companies will prosper, or cease to exist, and even which cities will grow, wither and die. This “creative class” comprises a variety of fields, from engineering to biotechnology to theater to computer science, to education and architecture. The creative class works in small towns and big towns, in big cities, on farmland and near pastures. Mostly they work where they want to live, not the other way around. Book-ending the Baby Boomers and born between 1982-2000, the new millennials embody the essence of the “creative class.”

Tech-savvy and independent… this new worker is about as far away from being an “organization man” as East Texas is from Asia. Limited only by technology, academic attainment and their own imaginations, they aren't waiting around for someone else to tell them where to live and work. They are making the world their “company town”

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For information about Information Technology or Business Management courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division: E-Business Web Developer Certificate Network Administrator Certificate Network Engineer CertificateMarketing Certificate

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Upcoming Events & Other Resources

Entrepreneurships Institute
Inaugural High Tech Conference and Career Fair at LSC-Montgomery September 24, 2009, 2pm-7:30pm http://lsc-montgomeryhightechconference.wikispaces.com/

SCI-TECH Education for Tomorrow Alliance EfTA needs you to make SCI://TECH, one of the largest regional science fairs in the nation, possible! Hundreds of judges meet one-on-one with students to evaluate their projects, and you don't have to be a scientist to encourage these aspiring young people...although we always welcome those too!

South by Southwest (MUSIC & TECH FEST) http://sxsw.com/home
Austin’s hey day as king of the dot.coms may be long gone, but she is still queen when it comes to cool. Nothing is more about what is happening right now than South by Southwest. "In its 22 years, SXSW has grown from a tiny music festival in the Texas capital into a massive, unavoidable media beast that reflects, discusses and showcases trends in culture and media but also often creates them." Event is held annually each March.

The Future Has Arrived...

As a kid, while most of my friends dreamt of Walt Disney World… the rides, the characters, Cinderella’s castle… I secretly harbored an irrepressible desire to run wild through the mysterious world of the future: Epcot Center.

In fact, our senior class was slated to visit, briefly, that destination underdog during our graduation trip to the East Coast. Life intervened, I missed the trip and I have wondered ever since what secrets the future held that I may have missed.

But as conservative commentator George Will observed, the future has a way of arriving unannounced and during a recent visit to Rice University, I was finally given a chance to experience the awe of discovery held captive by my imagination these many years.

I can attest, the future is here, but it’s not locked away in a silver ball in the middle of Florida. Sorry, Orlando.

The purpose of my visit to the University was to attend the 8th annual Nanotechnology and Sustainability Forum hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. While there, I was fascinated to learn how scientists across the world are developing new technologies that are or will soon impact our lives in ways that even Walt Disney could never have imagined.

Mid-century activist Simone Weil got it mostly right when she said that the future is made of the same stuff as the present… Yes, the same stuff, but smaller, much smaller...and that makes all the difference.

We hear about it all of the time… computers programs that once took up an entire floor of an office building are now discretely tucked away in a desktop PC. Phones are no longer phones… they are miniature entertainment consoles, emergency response systems and portable production studios.

Technology is indeed getting smaller, more portable and more efficient, but nanotechnology is redefining small and taking it to a whole new level.

Specialists in the fields of nanotechnology, information technology and biotechnology are working in concert to create the perfect storm of innovation.

By manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale, scientists are using nanotechnology to create anti-collision automobile sensors; nanocarbon fibers are being woven into reinforced body armor; and nanoparticles are being studied to see how they can absorb solar energy, purify water, and even create mildew resistant tile.

Concurrently, computer scientists and information technologists are serving as major players in the field by designing programs to help with the collection and analysis of key data leading to these phenomenal breakthroughs.

It's a Revolution
A broad, multidisciplinary technology revolution is far outpacing the agricultural and industrial revolutions of years past. Nanotechnology is at the forefront and it is bringing with it a host of career opportunities for students wishing to enter the fields of medicine, electronics and energy, all industries that are particularly strong within our region.

That’s very good news for Texans and it ensures that the future, just as I always imagined, is a most exciting place to be!

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For information about Computer/ Information Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Field of Computer Science

Information Technology

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For information about the Sematech Nanoelectronic Workforce Development Initiative Nanoscholar Internship - Open to students enrolled in ANY institution of higher education in Texas (including LSC)

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For information about the Governor's Office of Economic Development:

Nanotechnology Report 2008

Nanotechnology Companies in Texas 2008

Biotechnology Report 2008

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For information about the Disney College Internship Program

National Counselors Week

In addition to keeping an eye on the labor needs of local business and industry, my job includes talking to high school counselors to let them know about the programs and courses offered through our Division.

During my visits with these highly trained professionals, we work to identify ways the Division can help newly minted graduates ease the transition from high school to college. In spite of their very busy schedules, I am always welcomed with enthusiasm and excitement about the possibilities our partnership might bring to their students.

While we talk, the counselors discuss their students - their successes and their challenges. They express concern and hope and they elaborate on the creative ways they are working to help students resolve academic and personal problems as they move down the road of becoming successful adults.

As I listen to these multi-tasking masterminds with the hearts of gold and nerves of steel, I am reminded of the unique contributions of professional school counselors within the U.S. school system.

Recently, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed resolutions (S. Res. 16 and H. Res. 56) proclaiming the week of Feb. 2–6, 2009 as National Counselors Week. Based on what I know, I think that Counselors should be celebrated all year long!

BASS Division Counselors
Here at the college, we are extremely lucky to have not one, but two counselors assigned to our division.

As licensed professionals, our counselors are trained to provide personalized guidance in the areas of academic counseling, career and educational counseling, personal-social counseling. They can tell you which courses will transfer into a four year degree and which courses will lead to a workforce certificate. They can help you figure out what kind of courses to take if you want a job that lets you spend all of your time outside, managing people, or crunching numbers.

College, like much of the rest of the world, has changed a lot in recent years. There are so many choices for students that the maze of academic options available can be immensely confusing for someone who has never been to college and would be almost unrecognizable to someone who graduated only a few years ago. It’s nice to know then that there's someone right there around the corner...someone in your corner...who's ready to light the way.
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For information about about programs and courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division, contact a Division Counselor:

Matthew Samford

Erma Walker

A Gopher by Any Other Name...

As a former destination marketing exec, I can't help but applaud the Chamber of Commerce and their affiliates over in Punxutawney, Pennsylvania for pulling off another successful Groundhog Day celebration. The event took place earlier this week when hundreds of people gathered to watch Punxutawney Phil announce his verdict regarding the season's end.

Six more weeks of winter, so say his handlers who proclaim that the immortal gopher- he's been prognosticating for well over 120 years- saw his shadow, and therefore the rest of us are doomed to suffer a month and more of cloudy skies. That is really unfortunate since the landscape, both economic and atmospheric, isn't looking so great right now and it would have been nice to hear some good news.

The upside...athough we may have to wait for blue skies, they are right around the corner. I'm hoping that with the help of an $825 million stimulus package, that's true of our economy too.

Another Famous Gopher
This morning, I ran across an article by USA Today describing how and in what capacity different generations use online technology. I can't speak for everyone else, but based on my own experience, I thought the writer was spot on.

As a Generation X'er, I remember when my peers were afraid to do anything online. That was before we all got hooked on Ebay and threw caution to the wind. Now, I have to instill a fair amount of discipline to stop myself from checking email at red lights. Talking on the phone, texting and driving... It's a bit much, don't you think?

Reading the article was a stark reminder of how far we've come and how fast. It brought to mind another Gopher, a search and retrieval protocol created in the early 1990's by my alma mater, the University of Minnesota. This was before a lot of our students were even born so I realize that was a long, long time ago.

To summarize, it's possible that Gopher could have given the World Wide Web a run for its money, but in 1993 administrators began charging for its services, thus stopping its expansion cold. I was hoping they would hang in there for a time. I was hoping for something more... interesting. Perhaps something akin to the VHS-BetaMax wars of the 80's, or the more current DVD -vs- Blue Ray, Mac vs PC saga... Now from a marketer's perspective, that would have been a battle that fun to watch!

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For information about Information Technology or Business Management courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

E-Business Web Developer Certificate

Network Administrator Certificate

Network Engineer Certificate

Marketing Certificate

Jobs...In THIS Economy?

It seems like the news just keeps getting worse, but I'm an optimist so I'm going to find that silver lining, even if I have to sew it myself.

From November 2007 to November 2008, roughly 70% of new jobs in the U.S. were created in Texas, many right here in our region. As a result, Texas has been relatively unscathed by the job losses and foreclosures that have rocked the rest of the country. Until now, that is.

Last week, our state comptroller announced that she expects job loss in the state to move into the tens of thousands within the next six months. So bad news is being projected, but...our state still leads the nation in exports, job creation and Fortune 500 companies. And, from what I can tell, unless you are a healthcare provider, technology is the place to be.

Higher Average Salaries
Search Technology, a Houston-based tech recruitment firm and TechFest sponsor, projects that the hiring of computer science/ information technology professionals will continue to gain momentum, especially in the Energy Sector. Houston salaries have traditionally been 5-10% above national average and I am sure that the energy/oil and gas industry has been a big part of that.

You might not remember this, but the 1980's weren't all that great for Texans... the textile industry, oil & gas, real estate... the bottom just fell out for a while.

But it seems we learned our lesson and so thanks to the state's commitment to economic development and the emphasis local leaders have placed on technology (nanotechnology, biotechnology, energy), it is possible that this time, the recession won't hurt Texans quite as much.

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For information about Computer/ Information Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Field of Computer Science

Information Technology

The Little Things Count

"In the years to come, the Obama political campaign will be reviewed and scrutinized to determine how/what/when/ why... fill in the blank." OK. Not a strikingly original observation, but at least it's factually correct.

In the years to come, this campaign will indeed be scrutinized from stem to stern, with every elusive ingredient teased out and turned over as historians, sociologists, economists and pop-culture enthusiasts search earnestly to identify the tipping point that brought this candidate from "also ran" status to history maker.

Whether one is facinated by the candidate's unprecedented ability to raise funds... more than one-half billion dollars almost equally split from both small and large donors; or is awed by his success at crossing racial and cultural lines; or is enamored of his innovative use of technology... which led to the largest grassroots movement in U.S. history, with more than 13 million active email addresses now archived in the campaign database... certainly, there will be very little disagreement among scholars that the Obama presidential campaign took place amid a perfect storm that yielded an historic outcome the likes of which we may not see again in our lives.

In the years to come...there will be a lot of hard-hitting strategic analysis over the breadth of choices made all along the campaign trail.

That's good... that's great even! That means that I can leave the heavy lifting to those guys and focus my interest on a not-so-big thing that might seem a bit insignificant in retrospect, but probably isn't. What I'm talking about is the Barack Obama campaign logo.

A campaign logo may not seem like much, but remember, this was a campaign that was fed on $10 donations, so it's been proven... the little things DO count! Immensely.

Coca-Cola knows this... Nike gets it... so does McDonalds... and I'm sure that given time, the historians will get it too.

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For information about Visual Communications courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

ARTC 1302: Digital Imaging I

ARTC 1313: Digital Publishing I

ARTC 2305: Digital Imaging II

IMED 1301: Introduction to Multimedia

IMED 1316: Web Page Design I

Best Jobs in a Sluggish Economy

Top Businesses to Start in a Down Economy

Legal Zoom.com recently identified Automotive Repair Shops as one of the "top businesses to start in a down economy."

The BIG 3 may be in trouble, but if you are a hands-on person and like to know how things work, you're in luck. It appears that service technician jobs in the automotive field are plentiful and growing. While new car purchases may be down, automotive repair businesses thrive during economic downswings. For many big-ticket items, repair is far more cost-effective than buying new.

Previously known simply as car mechanics, today's automotive technicians are tasked with a wide range of increasingly sophisticated responsibilities, from handling mechanical repairs to understanding complex electrical components. Automotive repair and diagnostics require advanced knowledge and well-honed problem-solving skills. As a result, many employers are looking for trained and certified staff to keep up with the demand for new, technology-based skill sets.

The good news is that BASS is now serving up courses designed to prepare students to sit for the General Services Technician ASE Certification exam. The 19 credit hour General Service Technician Certificate program can be completed in as few as two semesters and can lead to an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Automotive Technology at our sister campus, Lone Star College-North Harris.

Even if you aren't in the mode of starting your own business, career opportunities in the automotive industry are wide open. According to the America's Career InfoNet Occupation Report, the automotive technician field expected to grow by 18 percent- or by 10,250 jobs -in Texas alone by the year 2012. Sounds like a lot of opportunity to me!

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For information about Automotive Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

AUMT 1405: Intro to Automotive Technology

AUMT 1407: Automotive Electrical Systems

AUMT 1410: Automotive Brake Systems

AUMT 1416: Suspension and Steering

AUMT 2380: Cooperative Education OR

AUMT 2328: Automotive Service

Houston Tech Fest 2009

I've been looking forward to this weekend for a while and so far it's been everything that I hoped for... I've met some really cool people and feel a little smarter today than yesterday. That's not a bad accomplishment for a Saturday and it beats doing laundry, which is what I would have done today had I stayed home.

Instead, I got up with the sun and hauled myself into downtown Houston to participate in Tech Fest 2009, where I've spent the last couple of hours knocking around between workshops and talking with vendors about the latest testing tools and accessibility guidelines.

If this doesn't mean anything to you, I can relate. I'm not a techie either, at least not in the sense of being a software developer or a systems administrator. But, I'm starting to make it a point to attend more technologyconferences and workshops because I've finally admitted that when it comes to today's high tech, high touch workplace, you can't run and you can't hide, so you might as well learn to speak the language!

I think my efforts are paying off... and in some surprising ways. This afternoon, I sat in on a workshop called "Virtual World Evangalism" where I learned how people are holding real world business meetings in virtual worlds like Second-Life.

Retreats, trade shows, on-line chats, web conferences and even ropes course team-building exercises have filled my days and nights, but this was the first time I was asked to gather around a virtual bonfire near a treehouse on an island while an avatar dressed as an elf led my colleagues through a brainstorming session!

Now, I don't live under a rock, virtual or otherwise. I email, live chat, Twitter and Facebook. I'm Linked-In and I have MySpace. Although I don't own property there, I've even visited Second Life, which was created way back in 2003, a long time ago by today's tech standards.

In short, I've spent a lifetime communicating and have even been paid to do so, but frankly I was blown away at the creative ways the business community is now embracing technology as a way of bringing real people together in a real-time setting to engage in important conversations that end up having a major impact on the real world.

When wrapped in whimsical clothing, it can be easy to dismiss such cutting edge efforts as fun and games, but what early adapters advocate often morphs rather quickly into a useable product to become widely embraced by the mainstream.

In this case, our presenter ended the session with a story about how physicians are working with virtual world technology to create on-line patient consults with people who are unable to leave their homes, thereby creating an effcient and cost-effective way to bring healthcare to the home-bound.

Now, how cool is that?

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For information about Computer/ Information Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Field of Computer Science

Information Technology

Standing in the (40 year) Gap

Like most of the rest of the world, my day came to a halt at 11am this morning as Barack Obama was sworn in as our country's first African American President. Regardless of which side of the political aisle they sit, I don't know of anyone who let today's historic event pass them by without some amount of inner reflection.

A hush fell across the campus as students, staff and faculty gathered aound televisions and computers and I-Phones and Blackberries to bear witness to the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States.

In 1968, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated for daring to articulate a dream. Today, as President Barack Obama crossed the threshhold into history, Dr. King's dream of a united nation echoed across space and time, throughout the land, beyond the reflecting pool and into the eyes and ears and hearts of millions of onlookers. Today, with the world watching and with the wind at his back, Barack Obama proved that hope can overcome fear and unity of purpose can overcome conflict and discord.

A little more than 40 years ago, a man with a vision lost his life articulating a dream that so many of us today take for granted... the right to an education, the right to career advancement, the right to associate freely with others of your choosing.

A mere 8 years old when Dr. King lost his life, Barack Obama having been elected to the highest office in our land, is Dr. King's dream brought to life. Today was a day that many thought would never happen. Today was a day that was a lifetime in the making.

President Obama's inauguration speech was short, a mere 21 minutes, but it was the speech of a lifetime. And in 21 minutes, he closed the gap and opened a new chapter in history.

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For information about programs offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Geography

Government

History

A Road Guard Greeting

I had an early morning meeting today and when I arrived on campus at around 9am, I was greeted by a team of road guards and a mile long line of cars. School is definitely back in session!

It was pretty cold out too and for a moment, I was reminded of my own college days back at the University of Minnesota. With 40,000+ students squeezed into downtown Minneapolis, you couldn't buy a parking place. It was the bus for most of us or the transit lot for those few willing to brave the frigid, wind strewn walk across the Washington Street Bridge. Whew! I really had a great time in school, but the rigor of just trying to get to class was enough to drive me toward graduating as fast I as I could.

New Parking Facility
We have a lovely campus here in The Woodlands and parking is generally not a problem as the semester goes on. But those first few days back are another story. Of course, the Lone Star College System is growing like crazy... we're the 3rd largest college system in Texas and the 20th in the country... so I'm glad to report that the college is planning a new parking facility, with the goal of having it operational some time next year.

Activities Mart
It's hard to imagine that a college system as large as ours could offer such a warm and friendly experience, but we somehow manage. That's one of the hallmarks, I think, of a community college. The classes are small so you get to know your professors and make friends, but there's enough variety that you can find just about anything you need right here on campus.

Take a look at our catalog and website and I'll bet you'll be surprised at how many courses and programs we offer. I know a lot of students have a hard time getting to campus so the school makes a real effort to offer on-line and hybrid courses, as well as night classes for those who work during the day. The BASS Divsion is now offering quite a few courses on-line.

The college also has a lot going on outside of the classroom. For people who want to get involved here on campus, but aren't sure where to start, stop by the Commons and stroll through Activities Mart, scheduled for January 27 & 28 from 11am to 2pm.

More than 30 clubs and organizations will have booths there, including those whose advisors are faculty in our Division, such as the 2nd Amendment Academy, the Computer Science Club, the Lone Star College Geomatics Society, the Veterans Student Association, and the Accounting Club. If you can't make it that day, you can always check out our activities page online. If you are a non-traditional student and are not sure that you will "fit in" to the college scene, don't let that stop you. Go ahead and give us a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

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To learn about programs offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

It's a New Year and a New Semester!

The classrooms are quiet. It's cold and rainy out, overcast and ugly, quite frankly. It's the first day of the new semester here at Lone Star College-Montgomery and it's an absolutely perfect day to start the Business and Social Sciences Division's blog... What better excuse to spend the morning inside a warm office, just letting random thoughts fly across the keyboard? Soon our students will be jamming the hallways and I'll be lucky to find the time to Twitter, so yes, this is as good a time as any to start blogging, and it's probably better than most.

The Holidays
One of the benefits of working for a community college is that you get plenty of down time during the holiday season. A few days off for Thanksgiving and then two weeks at Christmas. That's a real help to those hosting family and friends for the holidays. I spent three weeks just planning holiday menus and then another two nights shopping. If you went to mom's house for the holidays, count your blessings and enjoy it while you can. Your turn to cook and clean will get here soon enough!

One of the other benefits of working for a community college is the different people you get to know...from all walks of life! Today, the Division hosted its welcome back lunch which was attended mostly by full-time staff and faculty. It was a lot of fun catching up with people you don't get to see very often and then sharing stories about what everyone did over the holidays...

The Marfa Lights
I told a few co-workers about a holiday trip to West Texas to see the "Marfa lights." If you haven't heard about them, they are really something! They only show up about 20-30 times a year and no one really knows what causes them. Anyway, they were on fire this past weekend and my fiance captured them on film. They are pretty cool to see and, I think, bode well for a great new year!

Adjunct Night and The Economy
Later this week, the Division will host Adjunct night and that's another favorite activity hosted by the college. Most of our adjuncts are employed in the industry that is related to their field of study. With such a variety of subject matter experts to choose from as potential dinner companions, it's hard to figure out where to sit.

This year, with so much going on with the economy, maybe one of our adjuncts will be able to shed some light on the subject. Give a new perspect...Provide some insight on the road ahead... Perhaps somebody from government, or economics, or maybe even an historian... It will be enlightening to hear a grassroots analysis from someone with boots on the ground.

Civil War Trip
Then again, we have a couple of people here, myself included, who are former military, so a war story or two usually pops up some time during the evening. That brings to mind the trip that our history professor, Dr. Craig Livingston, has scheduled for spring break. Sign up and you'll be able to March to the Sound of the Guns during a tour of the Civil War's Western Theater. The trip runs from March 9-12, 2009. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.

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For information about programs offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

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