Las Positas College: A Partnership for Excellence

Yesterday & Today

Las Positas College CampusLas Positas College is an indisputable Tri-Valley asset. It has provided an exceptional academic environment for its students for over 30 years. The College grew from an extension campus in the early 1970’s to a fully accredited institution of higher learning in 1991.

The College is located on a beautiful 148-acre campus in the hills of Livermore, California. It currently employs over 100 full-time faculty and some 250 adjunct faculty; it offers nearly 40 degree and over 35 technical and vocational / certificate programs to approximately 8,000 students.

LPC is in the middle of a carefully planned expansion that will accommodate 12,000 to 14,000 students by the end of the decade ahead. This development was made possible in 2004 by voter approval of a nearly $½ billion bond to renovate Chabot College and build-out Las Positas. Unfortunately, the bond money can only be used for facilities, not for programs or student support.

As part of the planning for the College’s expansion, LPC administrators, faculty, and staff have committed themselves to maintaining the same high standards and dedication to student success established when the College first opened its doors over three decades ago. This requires community financial support for the many non-construction related expenses that range from furniture, to athletic uniforms and supplies to expanded student services and staff development.

Academic Excellence

Las Positas College has a proven reputation of providing a personalized educational experience for its students. That experience has created a long-standing tradition of award-winning faculty and highly competitive and successful students. The College’s transfer students have regularly outperformed students from other transfer institutions at the best universities.

For the past several years, LPC students have taken the top awards from California’s Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society. They also consistently have been selected for the highly competitive All-California Academic Teams, and the All-USA Academic Teams. The College’s Forensic Team has taken honors in national and international competitions against both two- and four-year institutions.

LPC maintains one of the State’s highest retention rates for transfer and certificate completion programs. Most notable is the fact that the Las Positas College transfer rate to 4-year institutions out-paces the average of other community colleges by nearly 50%.

The College’s vocational programs incorporate the needs of business and industry with the ultimate goal of empowering an educated work force. The College became a clear leader in vocational education when it was competitively selected for the home of the General Motors Training Program, the Isuzu Training Program and the State of California Smog Referee Program.

Through cooperative educational relationships with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories and Sandia National Laboratories, the College has created several unique and dynamic science programs. Its growing Viticulture and Winery Management Program is becoming remarkably well regarded and has been embraced by local and statewide winegrowers alike.

Economic Impact

Beyond its educational proficiency, Las Positas College’s annual operational budget, in excess of $22 million, greatly contributes to the local economy as one of the Tri-Valley’s largest businesses. College alumni embody the increased earning power of college graduates and 85% of them remain in the Tri-Valley region after completing their studies – even if they have transferred to four-year institutions. Add to this the infusion of $225 million in construction projects over the next decade, and clearly the College represents a driving force in the local, regional and statewide economies.

Vision

The Las Positas College community is committed to building on its past successes by continuing to create a learning environment that meets the unique needs of the students and the community. The award-winning faculty is dedicated to developing and using the special tools and resources necessary to guide LPC students and programs to a world-class status in community college education.

As the University of California, the California State University and private institutions continue to become overcrowded with the swelling numbers of college-bound students, Las Positas College has become an important option and educational resource for people both in the Tri-Valley and beyond.

Unfortunately, LPC can no longer rely on state funding for many of the programs that ensure a vibrant and challenging collegiate experience. As a result, the region’s exceptional community asset, LPC, requires significant and reliable financial investments from businesses and individuals in the Tri-Valley. As the College builds out the remaining sixty percent of its vibrant campus, the acquisition of complimentary resources to support academic excellence is a challenging but achievable goal.

Summary

Las Positas College has a proven record of academic excellence and adds to the local and statewide economic environment. The College has set standards for student success that exceed the norm. It is a true Tri-Valley community asset.

LPC has reached a watershed moment: Building an expanded campus with new and updated buildings, increased student services and enthusiastic community involvement have reinvigorated a climate of enthusiasm and optimism. As the College prepares for its new look and enriched programs and services, the time is right for expanded partnerships with community leaders and organizations. These partnerships will provide valuable resources and ensure that Las Positas College remains on the cutting edge of community-focused collegiate education.

To learn more about Las Positas College, its history, unique programs and remarkable campus community, we invite you to visit the Las Positas College website.