Education
BY EMILY LINCKE CONTRIBUTIONS BY HANNAH BROL
Matthew Dempsey to lead Lone Star College’s University Park campus
In December, Lone Star College o cials named Matthew Dempsey as the new president of LSCUni- versity Park. He has 25 years of experience in higher education, including work as a part-time biology instructor, administrative and instructional positions at Dallas College, vice president of instruction at LSCCyFair, and interim president of LSCUP following the departure of Virginia Fraire in June. What made you interested in serving as president of LSC UP? I’m a community college gradu- ate, so I’ve seen the value of being a community college student. ... So I know it’s a great place to learn. It’s a great place to teach, and my employment history has always been with community colleges. So I learned a lot. ... I think I was just ready for that next level, that next challenge—to become a president. ... I have to tell you, from day one, this campus, this community, everything from the support sta to the faculty, it [has] felt like a very natural and good t. What are your short- and long- term priorities for LSC UP? There’s amazing work being done here at University Park. So there’s a phrase that I’ve heard a lot since I got here—is that “Lone Star College-University Park is not a problem in need of a solution.” So I think it really establishes the fact that I need to be a steward of the good work that’s already being done here. ... I really want to align Univer- sity Park’s campus with some of
Building homes and relationships.
COURTESY LONE STAR COLLEGE
the eorts that are being done at the state level to prioritize employment. So ... if our true mission at the community college level is to enhance lives, and we know that one of the ways that we can do that [is] through gainful employment, then I think it’s my responsibility as the president to make sure that I connect those two entities—local business and industry—with the output. ... Your next employee is walking across my stage in May. Do you plan to bring additional degree pathways to LSC UP? University Park is known as the campus of innovation, and so I would expect to see some more innovative degree plans. Right now, we know that the state of Texas is prioritizing credentials of value, so I think we have to do a deeper analysis of what those credentials of value are. The other thing is to align those with what our community needs.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .
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