LSSU has earned the prestigious 2024 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges ranking for Regional Colleges in the U.S. This top honor recognizes LSSU as the #1 Top Public School in the Regional Colleges Midwest category, solidifying our position as a leading institution of higher education. This ranking is based upon factors that include graduation and retention rates, social mobility, reputation, faculty resources, financial resources per student, and graduate indebtedness, and clearly reflects and recognizes LSSU’s strong commitment to quality teaching and hands-on learning experiences that prepare students for rewarding careers. We have earned this #1 distinction for two consecutive years.
As we continue working to offer high quality programs to ensure our students are career-ready, we recently applied to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for approval of a fully-online MBA program. An HLC review team came to campus in October to evaluate the proposed program, and has recommended approval for a start date of fall 2024. Pending the official vote for approval from HLC’s Institutional Actions Council, expected in January or February, we hope to start advertising and recruiting for the MBA program by March 2024.
I also want to share the great news about a new collaborative grant award for CFRE. LSSU has been awarded substantial funding (CA$3.87million) from the Government of Canada, supporting the International Consortium on Oil Research for Our Waters of the North (ICOR-OWN). This collaboration unites 12 organizations and 24 scientists from both the United States and Canada, with LSSU’s own Richard and Theresa Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education and Algoma University as lead partners. CA$1,466,695 have been earmarked for Oil Spill Detection and Monitoring Technologies, with LSSU working alongside Algoma University, University of Windsor, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Limnotech, and the University of Michigan’s Cooperative Institute of Great Lakes Research on technologies for oil spill detection and monitoring in freshwater and ice environments. This includes an innovative integrated drone and long-range autonomous underwater vehicle system, as well as low-cost in-situ oil detection systems for rapid response efforts. The collaboration highlights our new College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education and LSSU’s reputation as a growing leader in freshwater science, and will create many opportunities for our students to engage in real-world science on a multinational issue that will contribute directly to Great Lakes conservation.
On October 13, 2023, LSSU held its first press conference in many years to welcome our new Athletic Director, Mr. Tory Lindley. It was a well-attended event that created quite a buzz of excitement across the campus and community. A native of Suttons Bay, Michigan, Tory took over the job on November 1, bringing 16 years of administrative experience at the Division I level to the job. He most recently served as the Deputy Athletic Director at Youngstown State University. Tory brings so much to LSSU and to this position, most notably his expertise, his strong work ethic, his passion for athletics, and an infectious enthusiasm we already enjoy and appreciate on campus!
Just a few weeks ago LSSU celebrated one of the most successful and well-attended Great Lake State Weekend events in quite some time. We launched the first of many more-to-come tailgate parties for the LSSU community, and had a fantastic time reminiscing about past successes and sharing our bright, enthusiastic hopes for the future. A major highlight of the weekend festivities was the annual Alumni Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Reception, paying tribute to five highly accomplished alumni and celebrating their personal and career achievements.
Just one week prior to Great Lake State Weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the pre-game alumni event in East Lansing on October 7, where I thoroughly enjoyed talking, sharing, and reminiscing with so many enthusiastic LSSU alums. Whenever I attend these events, I am truly amazed and gratified by the commitment and resolve of our alums to give back to the university and to their communities.
On campus events continue to draw crowds as well, including several high profile events hosted by the Native American Center in LSSU’s library. LSSU has a longstanding strategic plan commitment to provide cultural programs on campus that promote the Native American historical and contemporary narrative. In keeping with that commitment, LSSU alum Austin Lowes was the guest speaker on October 11, 2023, as we celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day throughout the week of October 9-13. Mr. Lowes spoke to a large audience to explain the history of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and to discuss the many challenges that are currently impacting Native American communities. He also shared and described an extensive range of community initiatives and programs now being led by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
To launch our celebration of Native American Heritage Month, LSSU welcomed New York Times best-selling author Angeline Boulley back to campus on October 30, 2023, to talk about her second New York Best Seller novel, Warrior Girl Unearthed. Ms. Boulley’s novels are set against the backdrop of the city of Sault Ste. Marie and Sugar Island, and weave together themes of identity, repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural objects, jurisdiction, and missing and murdered Indigenous women, helping to bring these important issues to light. Ms. Boulley read selections from her book and shared her own valuable insights into the writing process, including connections to the local area.
Early in this academic year, we held an event that spotlights who we are at Lake State. We held a very moving and well-attended memorial event to honor those who served or were lost on 9/11, and the campus community really came together to make that tribute something special. Abbie Laajala worked with student-athletes and coaches from Women’s Basketball (Coach Allison Todd), Men’s and Women’s Tennis (Coach Leonard Erickson), and Men’s and Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country (Coaches Tony and Dani Filipek), to place over 6,000 U.S. flags across campus. Our Facilities team created a beautiful display of lawn letters to spell out “Never Forget,” and the event emphasized LSSU’s resolve to educate our students (most of whom were not yet born in 2001) about the courage of those who ran directly into danger to help others, and to show them why it is so important to remember and honor those lives. Dr. Michael Beazley emceed, and Ms. Anya Alexander sang the National Anthem to a full crowd. I spoke at the event, along with Mayor Don Gerrie of the city of Sault Ste. Marie and Dr. Kathy Berchem, with the Coast Guard presenting the colors and three students from our Fire Science and Paramedic Technology programs placing the wreaths. This powerful 9/11 event serves to remind us all that while we all still grieve those tragic events, we can also take pride in the tremendous courage shown by the people of this nation in the face of adversity and sorrow, and in how we came together to overcome that adversity with fortitude, compassion, and strength.
LSSU continues working to support those who have served or are currently serving in the military through its commitment to veterans. U.S. News and World Report recently awarded a ranking to LSSU as the #1 Best College for Veterans among regional Midwest colleges in 2023. This ranking reflects our dedication to helping veterans and active-duty service members access all of the federal education cost resources available to them. As a part of our five-year strategic plan, LSSU has also earned Veteran-Friendly School Gold level recognition from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA). Since 2012, LSSU has been a participant in the Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program, designed to help bridge the financial gap between the GI Bill and the total cost of education.
In October, I had the pleasure to serve as one of four speakers at the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce “State of the Community” Fall Economic Luncheon. In my remarks, I shared much of the good news that I have mentioned above. In addition, I was delighted by the response I received as I spoke about the importance of LSSU’s role in the community. My point was made quite clear when I first asked all LSSU staff members to stand, then asked all LSSU alumni to stand, and finally asked all those who had family members that attended LSSU to stand. More than 80% of the audience was standing by that point, which truly attests to the essential role LSSU plays in this community. The event was a great success, establishing new bridges and strengthening existing bridges between LSSU and the larger community.