While the services and benefits provided by Laurel Ridge’s Student Life & Engagement Office can’t be quantified through grades and exam scores, they play an integral – and growing – role in student success and wellbeing.
The goals of his office are manifold, explained Chris Lambert, coordinator of Student Life & Engagement. One aim is to provide students with activities that promote more engagement on campus and with each other. That’s where the mystery bus, student picnics, welcome back tables and the like come in.
Student Life also has a co-curricular side, partnering with faculty on events, such as bringing guest speakers to campus, taking students on trips to Washington, D.C. for museum tours, visits to the Kennedy Center, and other culturally-rich experiences.
“Many of our students, even though we’re close to D.C., have never been there, they’ve never been past Fairfax,” said Lambert. “They also get to have the experience of eating at a food truck in the city.”
Lambert brought the Student Ambassador program to the Fauquier Campus when he was hired in 2013. There was a need for ambassadors to lead campus tours and help with outreach around the campus’s 25th anniversary.
“And, it kind of built from there,” he said.
There are ambassadors at both campuses and at the Luray-Page County Center. The program helps to build leadership and public speaking skills among the students.
“They have the opportunity to meet with a lot of leaders in the community and in the college,” Lambert said. “They go to the Hotel Roanoke every fall for the Virginia Community College System Student Leadership Conference.”
The Student Government Association also falls under the Office of Student Life.
“They’re the voice of the students – that’s their main job here at Laurel Ridge,” Lambert said.
The SGA meets monthly with clubs, students and organizations to see what the association should bring up to the college administration.
Student Life also provides students opportunities to meet representatives from colleges where they might decide to transfer. There is an annual College Night at the Fauquier Campus that draws 400-500 people to meet representatives from about 75 colleges and universities.
A robust student life program serves to give students some of the experiences they could get at a four-year school right here at the community college, according to Lambert.
“We’re a college,” he explained. “It’s the same thing. We have the same classes. We have the same faculty teaching at the same level. We’re here to give them that full university experience.”
Many students who don’t drive themselves are dropped off at Laurel Ridge for a full day. When they’re not attending classes, they can meet with a student club, or go to the Student Union Building to work out, play pool or ping pong, or play video games at the esports arena.
“Having the Student Union gives them something to do while they’re on campus and builds their leadership skills,” said Lambert. “I always have an ulterior motive with my students – it’s to get them networking. Students also love the board games and puzzles we have. This is their hangout; they’re here every day. We have students who come in even on the days they don’t have classes because it’s comforting. They come here because their friends are here.
“They’re comfortable here. They feel safe here. This is their space. If that’s what we can provide for them, that’s what we should keep doing.”
Student Life also strives to keep up student morale and improve mental health in other ways.
“We have a mental health series at both campuses now to get people to talk about it,” said Lambert. “Even if you don’t want to talk to anybody, you should see there are resources available to you. I think what we all needed after the pandemic was some extra mental health support.”
He has seen students’ spirits lift when therapy dogs arrive on campus. The Fauquier Campus even has a miniature therapy horse visitor. And Lambert is working on getting therapy animals to the LPCC.
“You can just see students are having the worst day and then come out of their shell because a dog is in front of them,” he said.
The dogs even get Laurel Ridge employees out of their offices.
“You can see immediately when a dog walks in the front door, staff at the front desk, police officers, perk up, people in the Financial Aid Office come out,” said Lambert, who has even arranged to have petting zoos brought to both campuses for mental health fairs this fall.
To learn more about what the Office of Student Life & Engagement can offer you, visit laurelridge.edu/studentlife.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.