Articles
Message from Trustee Sean Cheben
Oct 2, 2024
Dear Neighbors,
Welcome to a new academic year at Houston Community College. As your District V Trustee, I am fully committed to making sure HCC is prepared to embrace the rapidly changing landscape of higher education and will continue to provide the very best in education and workforce training. As the Fall 2024 semester begins, I encourage you to look towards HCC to enhance and complete your credentials. The energy is vibrant on our campuses and no matter where you are in Houston or even around the world with our Online College, HCC offers a great setting to continue your academic and professional journey.
TSI Prep Boot Camp
If you are looking to improve your score on the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSI), I encourage you to connect with HCC and take advantage of our TSI Prep Boot Camps. These intensive courses will help you understand the various objectives that will be asked on the exam and how to successfully answer the questions.
HCC is currently working with our ISD partners across the HCC service area to finalize dates for TSI Bootcamps tailored to their specific school district for the upcoming school year. High schools or middle schools interested in organizing a TSI Bootcamp should contact Ms. Casey Chavez, Dean of Dual Credit Partnerships, and Initiatives at casey.chavez@hccs.edu or (713) 718-7698.
The TSI is a standardized test used by colleges and universities in Texas to determine whether students are ready for college-level work in reading, writing, and mathematics. It plays a crucial role in identifying whether students may need additional support before they can successfully engage in college coursework. For middle and high school students, particularly those interested in dual credit opportunities, the TSI is especially important. Dual credit courses allow students to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously, giving them a head start on their college education. However, to enroll in these courses, students often need to demonstrate their readiness through the TSI.
Meeting TSI College Readiness benchmarks opens a variety of academic opportunities for students. By demonstrating their readiness for college-level coursework, students gain the ability to enroll in college-level classes at HCC for enrichment, and without the need for prerequisites, broadening their academic experience and deepening their knowledge in areas of interest.
Please connect with your local HCC College to find more information on the session in your area or you can begin your search via the HCC website: https://www.hccs.edu/programs/adult-education/tsi-prep-boot-camp/.
Cyber Security at West Loop
The Cyber Security program at HCC is nationally recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. These classes can be taken as either an associate degree track or as a certificate program offering options that best fit the students’ current needs as they look to enter the workforce or enhance their current skills. If you are looking for an academically intensive program with great career opportunities, I encourage you to consider connecting with Houston Community College.
Cyber Security graduates from HCC are well trained to land a job in Entry-Level and Mid-Level jobs as well as general Help Desk and Computer Support Specialist entry-level jobs (the range for those are $40-60K). Also, the median salary for Information Security Analysts in the Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land area, is $114,358. Penetration Testers have a median salary of $79,418. Computer User Support Specialists have a median salary of
$48,996. You can learn more about salary ranges of these positions and more at https://hccs.lightcastcc.com/?radius=®ion=Houston-The%20Woodlands-Sugar%20Land%2C%20TX
Please see the Cyber Center webpage for more information: https://www.hccs.edu/programs/areas-of-study/science-technology-engineering--math/cyber-center/.
I along with my colleagues on the Board of Trustees hope that you will take the next steps to connect with Houston Community College and remember you can enroll at any time. Please visit our website at hccs.edu, if you ever need direct assistance contact me via email at sean.cheben@hccs.edu or leave a message at my direct number 713.718.7435. We are dedicated to the success of all students at HCC and our faculty and staff are here to help you along the way.
We look forward to seeing you on campus at Houston Community College!
Respectfully,
Sean Cheben
HCC Board of Trustees District V