In-Service

January 6, 2025 In Service - President's Opening Address

Dear Laredo College Family,

It was wonderful to see so many of you this morning and looking excited for the start of the new semester. For those of you who were working in your offices, thank you. I did want you all to have a copy of what I read this morning as I believe it is important to share with you what transpired today. The presentations of both of our speakers will be uploaded to the President's website later today along with this letter.

I hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating holiday season. As we welcome back the spring semester, I want to take a moment to reflect on the tremendous success of the last couple of years and acknowledge the challenges we’ve faced and overcome together. Our growth and resilience as a college have been driven by your dedication and hard work, and for that, I thank each one of you.

We are embarking on a pivotal year as we implement our new strategic plan, which is designed to focus on our students and uphold our core values: Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, Service, and Wellness. This plan will guide us through both opportunities and challenges, and we will need to remain united and focused on our mission.

I’d like to highlight some key accomplishments and important areas of opportunity for our future.

The national discussions about the "value of a college degree" continue to be a grave concern and should be for all of us in higher education. But for our community, one of paramount concern; is because education is not just a pathway to success-it is the lifeblood that supports our people and the economy of our community and the great State of Texas. Data shows that over 85% of our students qualify for the Pell Grant, and for those who do not, our Palomino Pledge ensures that we cover the last dollar they owe to the college. This promise helps alleviate financial burdens and makes higher education accessible and affordable to those who need it most. The only requirements are that students be enrolled full-time and maintain good academic standing.

As our community continues to grow, especially as the nation's number one port of entry for goods, the demand for skilled and licensed employees is greater than ever. Laredo College is committed to being the provider of these essential skills, training, and certifications. Meeting this demand requires innovative thinking and careful planning, - something that we can only achieve through collaboration and open-mindedness.

While the road ahead will require significant investment, I am proud to share that in the last 10 years, Laredo College has not raised tuition. In fact, thanks to the continued support of community donors, and the recent passage of HB 8, we have managed to maintain our programming, add new programs, and reduce tax rates. For 2024, we lowered tax rates by two cents, and for 2025, we will lower them by an additional two-and-a-half cents. This commitment to fiscal responsibility comes at a time when the state’s budgetary decisions will significantly impact higher education, particularly community colleges like ours.

With the passage of HB8 during the 88th Legislative session, our focus shifted to outcomes-based funding. The data clearly shows that our enrollment is increasing, retention rates are improving, and graduation rates are at an all-time high. This success has directly contributed to an increase in state funding, and every single one of you has played a role in this achievement. Your efforts, whether in supporting the implementation of 8-week or 4-week semesters, offering Open Educational Resources (OERs), providing free meal plans to full-time students, or increasing on-campus activities, are the driving forces behind our success. Thank you for making this happen!

As we continue to improve, it’s important to recognize that our students’ success is directly tied to the connections they make on campus. You are the change agents, you are the difference-makers and the heart of Laredo College. Your in-person engagement and interaction with our students make a world of difference in their academic journey.

Cognizant of everyone’s strong commitment to growth, retention, and completion, our Board of Trustees committed to employee salary increases which over the last two years, enhanced employee salaries, by a total of 6%. For that, we are truly grateful to our Board of Trustees for their support and commitment to academic and workforce excellence.

In addition, our facilities are being upgraded to meet our growing needs. I am pleased to say that the Raquel Gonzalez Transportation Center at the South Campus will be completed this spring, and the Police Academy facility is expected to reopen within the next 60 days. Roof repairs and water leak fixes in several buildings, including the Zaffirini Library, have been completed. The Camilo Prada daycare also received much-needed renovations.

At the Fort McIntosh Campus, we’ve replaced roofs on multiple buildings, and we expect the Moore Building renovations to be completed this spring, along with work on the LBV Environmental Center and Arechiga Building. Roof replacements are also planned for LEAC, Lerma-Pena, Kazen, and the Maravillo Gym.
Construction on the Veterans Center will begin this spring as well. As you can see, there’s a lot happening on the construction front, which is critical to supporting the growth of our programs and maintenance of our facilities.

On the academic front, we are excited to announce the approval of two new bachelor’s degrees and four new Workforce programs by our Board of Trustees: a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Data Analytics (BAT-DA) and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health, Exercise, and Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy (BAS-Heart). The goal is to receive final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board this spring and begin offering classes fall of 2025. We also received $600,000 from the Matias De Llano Charitable Trust to support the start-up of a Construction Management program, and we are seeking funding for programs in Forensic & Investigative Technology, Court Reporting, Plumbing, and Powerline Technician training, with a start-up cost of approximately $1.7 million.

On the operational front, we are in the midst of our SACS-COC Fifth-Year Review, an important process that ensures we maintain the high standards of quality and accountability required for continued accreditation. This review is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence by every one of you, and I want to thank you for your ongoing efforts in this important process.

Additionally, I am excited to announce that we have successfully completed the rollover to the Ellucian Banner SAAS-Cloud based information system, a significant upgrade that modernizes and streamlines our technological operations. This transition enhances our ability to serve students, faculty, and staff more efficiently and will provide the tools needed to support our expanding needs in the future. These advancements in technology are key to our success as we move forward with our strategic goals. Know that as this continues to roll out, you will have to update your bookmarks and log into your systems to assure the latest version of SaaS. (More information to come).

Our success extends beyond the classroom. Many of our faculty and staff have received recognition at state, national, and international levels. Our students continue to excel, with many admitted to top-tier four-year institutions, many choosing to stay for bachelor’s degrees graduating with high success rates and completing their associates and certificates culminating in exciting careers. One recent highlight is our Esports Call of Duty team, which won the National Championship—a testament to the diverse talents of our students! Congratulations to all of you for your successes!

Looking forward, we must remain committed to innovation, excellence, and the well-being of our students. We are at a critical moment, with the upcoming 89th Texas State Legislative session beginning on January 14th. This session will have a significant impact on the future of higher education, especially for community colleges like ours. We must continue to advocate for policies that support our students and our mission.

As we move through this year, I ask that you continue to be innovative, provide excellent service to our students, work with integrity, and prioritize wellness—for both our students and yourselves. Together, we will navigate the challenges ahead and continue to make Laredo College a place of opportunity, growth, and success for our community.

Thank you for all that you do. Let’s make this another successful spring semester Committed to Excellence!

Congratulations and Blessings,

Minita Ramirez, PhD. President
Elpha Lee West Bldg. Suite 130
Fort McIntosh Campus
West End Washington Street | Laredo, Texas 78040-4395 Office: 956.721.5101 | Fax: 956.721.5381
Email: president@laredo.edu | www.laredo.edu

Presentation Files