Growing up in rural Arkansas, far from any city, Dr. Justin Lonon’s family had built a nice life there for generations. They worked hard to work their way up and were all about community. Lonon wanted to make a difference, perhaps in politics or public policy. He earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Texas, and a doctorate in management from the University of Maryland – Global Campus. When he came to Dallas 25 years ago and landed an internship in the mayor’s office, he hadn’t intended on staying. But he did, and was hired to work as Mayor Ron Kirk’s press secretary and campaign spokesman. 

At city hall, he learned more about building community. The street-level problem solving that was part of his job turned out to be his sweet spot. “I like the ability to help people,” Lonon said. When his outreach involved Dallas College, he fell in love with its mission—To transform lives and communities through higher education—and its impact.

“There was no other institution that has this impact, a public institution to do the public good.” In 2005, Lonon joined Dallas College as the executive director of public and governmental affairs. His experience in building local connections and relationships with community and civic leaders at Dallas City Hall proved helpful. 

He took over the role of executive vice chancellor in 2015. In 2022, he became Chancellor of Dallas College and his vision to build up community and break down barriers took on a new life.

Seven Campuses, One College, Many Barriers

For 55 years, the Dallas County Community College District had seven campuses. It had high quality, affordable and flexible courses, but there were still issues and barriers. The pandemic magnified the barriers that included hunger, transportation costs, access to mental health and health services, childcare, and more.  

Lonon saw students go to several campuses to either find the class they needed, or for a convenient location near work or home. But there came a sticky issue with accreditation rules for graduation: “25% of your courses need to be at one campus,” he explained. Students would be shocked to see that all the work they put in at several campuses wasn’t transferring. Lonon observed that this could have been detrimental to their educational efforts and future hope.

Lonon honed in on the root of the problem: “our own structure was a barrier.”

For example, if they had three different nursing programs at three different campuses, how could they take the best of all three and offer that program on all three campuses?

They needed a solution. His team did the research. Lonon served as a driving force in the consolidation of the seven campuses into one: Dallas College. In 2020, the prospectus to consolidate all those campuses and offer students a more streamlined, more convenient, and equitable experience and opportunity came at the right time, just before the pandemic. “We began to build a brand-new college from an established 55-year-old foundation. It’s unlike any other place in the country.”

They went into high gear to develop everything on the seven campuses with a Dallas College brand and vision, leveraging “such pockets of greatness,” he said. “We consolidated programs and created a new culture. Dallas College is now in the barrier-busting business.”

Busting Barriers

Lessons learned during the pandemic were eye-opening, and a sense of urgency prevailed. “We wanted to be responsive to what our students needed.”

Assessments were made to bust barriers in order to provide students optimal learning opportunities. They knew that with an adult, working-age student population, needs were different and specific. Childcare facilities had closed, night, weekend and online programs were needed, and transportation issues had to be addressed to help them get to campus.

For more than 20 years, in pre-pandemic times, Dallas College always had a robust online course offering. When asked if they wanted more online or more in-person classes, the answer was “yes” to both, said Lonon. Offering the best quality, online experience was necessary. “Students learn in different ways. We offered complete online programs instead of just a collection of courses.” This would help them stay on track in an efficient way.

Free passes for public transportation were arranged. Improved childcare was offered. They reinvested in the school and students by hiring 300 success coaches, which helped take advisor ratios from 350 to 1, providing more direct interaction with each student. They addressed wrap-around issues like legal aid and housing.

The barriers for students transitioning from high school to college were about improving that pipeline. 30,000 students participated in early college/dual credit with high schools, a 33% growth since 2015, said Lonon. As they waived the cost of dual credit, students graduated high school with an associate degree. The connections to more than 100 industry partners exceeded expectations, and options opened up. American Airlines, for example, hired the first cohort of high school graduates. The average family income for these students was $28,000, said Lonon. “Now they can make $50,000 out of high school with an AA job. They battle generational poverty this way and build wealth creation.”

One of Lonon’s proudest accomplishments as executive vice chancellor was crafting legislation for Dallas College’s first bachelor’s degrees. The Early Childhood Development Program was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and Teaching was rolled out. “We grew our own type of program. We estimated 125 enrollments—and we got more than 400 students. Through our program, teachers will go right back out to their communities and make a difference there. That is success.”

Building Community

The creation of the College's inaugural Office of Social Responsibility and Inclusion was championed by Lonon, helping them focus on their students and faculty. “We intentionally serve the community we represent and are proud of who we serve.” In a previous issue of Hispanic Outlook on Education, Dallas College was #2 on the Top 100 List of Colleges with the highest Hispanic/Latinx enrollments. According to the college’s 2019-2020 enrollment growth rounded-up statistics, 44% of students are Latino, 20% are African American, 9% are Asian, and 20% are white.

The Dallas County Promise covers the cost of tuition at any of the seven campuses of Dallas College for up to three years, or the completion of an associate degree (whichever comes first) for high school seniors in a “promise school.” Of those enrolled in the promise program, 87% are students of color, said Lonon.

Future Building

“It’s too early in the game to assess the data of success,” says Lonon about the progress of all the barrier-busting that is currently in motion. Yet they are looking forward with new expectations. “We’re launching a framework for Dallas College 2030 of where we are going, what we want to accomplish, metrics, data, KPIs, developing a cutting-edge response to industry needs.”

They are off to a good start. According to the Dallascollege.edu site, there are more than 100,000 total credit and continuing education students, and more than 3,200 full time and adjunct faculty. The college offers more than 300 academic and technical degrees and certificates, and more than 100 high-demand career programs and training. The continuing relationships with business, community and industry leaders can expand on initiatives that provide access and opportunity.

The vision is fueled by their success to date. The new culture of busting barriers while building community can help guide students far beyond the classrooms. As Lonon states, “opportunity does exist by coming to Dallas College. When students enroll at Dallas College, they enroll in a career. They enroll in a future.”