This month, President Tim Perrin, along with other university presidents, signed a new agreement for the <link http: www.texaslearningconsortium.org>Texas Learning Consortium (TLC), an inter-institutional project to allow students access to a wider variety of foreign language courses.
Established in 2012, the TLC provides the opportunity for universities to collaborate through distance learning and online tools to offer students a means to learn languages that may not be offered at their university.
Six private universities participate in the consortium:
- Lubbock Christian University
- Concordia University-Austin
- Schreiner University
- Texas Lutheran University
- Texas Wesleyan University
- St. Edwards University (joining in 2016)
“The biggest and best thing about the Texas Learning Consortium is that it allows us to offer a large number of classes and languages that we would not get to offer otherwise,” said LCU provost Rod Blackwood. “That makes it a big advantage to our students.”
Blackwood explains that the TLC is unique in that it’s made up of faith-based institutions who share a common educational goal, which includes keeping the consortium a team effort with no extra cost to students or the universities.
Dean Susan Blassingame serves as the liaison from LCU to TLC, and Bill Kopf, director of distance learning, works as a representative to balance the online aspects of the program.
Dr. Abraham Mata teaches Spanish and Portuguese in the TLC, and oversees courses in German, Chinese, and French.
LCU continually seeks valuable learning opportunities, like the TLC, for students to grow academically and spiritually.