By Ashley Rico, Reporter
Lone Star College-Kingwood President Katherine Persson speaks to a crowd of faculty members in her informational meeting “What’s Up Doc?”, Thursday, Jan. 26, Student Conference Center auditorium. Persson closes the meeting with final thoughts on concerned issues of the campus. Photo by Ashley Rico.
President Katherine Persson recently addressed the concern of faculty members about parking permits and parking space.
In this past Thursday’s monthly informational meeting, “What’s Up Doc?,” some faculty members expressed their concern about students using faculty/staff parking permits and parking in faculty/staff parking spots.
Persson was unable to provide a concrete reason as to how and why some students might have acquired faculty/staff parking permits. In response to the campus’s current issue with parking space, she said, “I, myself, do not have a designated parking spot.”
One particular factor of the parking space issue could be the increase of enrollment each year at LSC-Kingwood. Persson announced in this informational meeting that since last spring semester, enrollment has gone up by three percent.
There were several other concerns and announcements presented in the meeting. A faculty member suggested that a stoplight be placed at the four-way intersection of Kingwood Place Drive and Kingwood Drive to help better control the traffic.
Intersection of Kingwood Place Drive and Kingwood Drive. During the What’s Up Doc? Informational meeting on Feb. 2, a faculty member gave President Katherine Persson the suggestion to put a stoplight in this intersection. Photo by Michelle Lecumberry.
Persson noted the next phase for LSC-Kingwood of the 2014 Bond Referendum, a Lone Star College system-wide improvement plan. Phase two of this major project (which spans from July 2016 and June 2018) includes the construction of a new Healthcare Instructional Building that is to be 60,000 square feet (along with the expansion of healthcare programs) and the increase in parking space by 550 spaces. To learn more about the 2014 Bond Referendum and of the projects and progress specific to LSC-Kingwood, please visit this website, http://www.lonestar.edu/2014-bond-referendum.htm.
Persson also announced that LSC-Kingwood has recently hired a new Veterans Advisor, Rogelio Espinoza, who is an Army veteran himself.
Espinoza has helped develop a new Veterans Club and also wants to host a panel of speakers, projected to be in March, on how to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts.
Administration has also hired new Police Captain Edwin Gomez, who also serves as the LSC System trainer for handling active shooters.