Message from the President

Fellow Saints,

Our institute has many things to be proud of as we continue to defy national enrollment trends. We are extremely proud of all the students who have chosen LBW to further their education. Our enrollment numbers are increasing, and that is a testament to the entire Saints Family!

LBW is a special place to work and study. Our students are surrounded by faculty who go above and beyond to assist them in defining pathways to success. In May, we celebrated commencement ceremonies and graduated students who will hopefully be lifelong LBW ambassadors no matter where their path leads. Notably, our Physical Therapist Assistant Program graduated the first cohort in May and received full accreditation in June of this year.

Community Engagement is at an all-time high as we developed partnerships with local municipalities and hosted public events to build relationships with the citizens in the communities we serve. These events were well-attended and greeted with much appreciation from community leaders. Our increased presence in the community also brought about recognition for the College. LBW won Large Business of the Year from the Andalusia Chamber of Commerce as well Business of the Year from the Elba Chamber of Commerce. LBW was recently mentioned in a Forbes.com article, “What Alabama Can Teach Us About the Future of VR Training”, which highlighted our success with the Alabama RISE Program developed and founded here at LBW in the Spring of 2021.

Our Workforce Development initiatives continue to draw the attention of statewide stakeholders. Initiatives have been designed to create awareness of career and technical education at the elementary and middle school level and to increase student engagement through comprehensive learning strategies. During Spring 2022, the College conducted a non-credit construction course in conjunction with the Alabama Homebuilders Association with over 50 applicants. The course centered around basic skills in construction and connected local construction companies with individuals looking for a career.

The College was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Women’s Foundation of Alabama. This grant will allow LBW to remove barriers such as travel, financial aid, and childcare to allow students to participate in a 12-week welding course. Within two days of advertising, we received over 250 inquiries and 45 applications for the program.

A few employees have asked to sit on SACSCOC committees, and one instructor has been asked to train as a Chair. These opportunities will increase our institutional knowledge and give us a first-hand account of best practices around the country.

During the past month, the College has installed new ViewSonic boards which will revolutionize our classrooms and allow innovative teaching strategies. In addition, we are in the process of overhauling our phone system and increasing our internet speed with upgrades to the switches and servers throughout the College. We hope to begin capital projects in the next few months which will also enhance the feel of our campuses.

The College has increased our scholarship dollars in multiple areas to align and compete with other institutions. We have also reallocated scholarship dollars for non-traditional students who make up a majority of our service area’s population.

As we move forward, I challenge everyone to work together to help LBW reach new heights for the communities we serve. We are in a great position to become the best avenue for individuals to reach their educational goals, but it will take us all. I believe in LBW and our mission. I believe in you and our community. I’ve never been prouder to be an alumnus of LBW than right now. We have the hardest working faculty and staff, and I’m proud to serve every day beside you. Together, we can truly become our community’s College.