CYPRESS, Texas — You don’t need to know sign language to see that a group of Lone Star College students are upset.
They told us recent changes to their American Sign Language, or ASL, program at Lone Star's Cy-Fair campus puts them in jeopardy.
“I was supposed to graduate May 2020," student Sierra Garrison said. "That’s now no longer an option.”
Garrison and a small group of other students said the internship portion of their degree program was canceled without warning.
And that it’s a crucial component of their education during which they get to apply a lot of what they’ve learned.
"They say that our professors are getting too many hours," Garrison said. "But, if that’s the case, then why can’t they just hire more professors that are qualified to teach us these classes?”
Student Jamie Mayberry, an Army veteran, said scheduling changes will impact the VA benefits she uses to pay for classes.
"If I do not graduate on time, I will have to pay that money back,” Mayberry said.
We're told some students were given the option to transfer to another Lone Star campus.
However, the class there was too full to accommodate everyone.
"We may be a small program, but we’re big lives that are being affected," Mayberry said. "Not just us or students, but the interpreting community and the deaf community. They’re all being impacted by this.”
They fear changes to the program could impact future ASL students as well.
They added there’s already a nationwide shortage of qualified interpreters.
"For a campus that posts constantly about student success, and has a student success center," Garrison said. "Sure doesn’t feel like they care about their students.”
The coordinator who informed the students of the cancellation wrote that it was something he wished he did not have to share.
Lone Star College issued the following statement on Tuesday, the day after the story aired:
"Our students and their success are a top priority at Lone Star College. This internship class was canceled due to a personnel issue that is being addressed separately.
"We want to see these students graduate as planned. LSC-CyFair staff will be meeting with the students to answer any questions/concerns they may have and get them on track to graduate."