Exciting Changes Coming to LSSU and a Surprise Announcement!
I’ve always felt that the most important year of a leader is the second year in a new position. You’ve spent much of the first year meeting people, learning about what is working and what is not, and most importantly, setting a course for improvement. By the second year, it is time to make changes and begin implementing new ideas. This is what we are doing right now at Lake State. By Year 3, these efforts should begin to pay off.
This year we have implemented a large number of changes, including providing a broader choice of benefits for our employees, which provided cost increase prevention to both employees and the university against the rising costs of health care. We are implementing a new scholarship program that relies less on the university to fund “tuition discounts” and more use of true money scholarships from our generous donors. We are also making significant changes in areas such as dining and housing, which are important revenue sources to the university and, more importantly, impact the quality of the student experience. All of these changes are moving towards making the university more financially stable. This will be a key part of our new Strategic Plan that will be ready by fall.
We are also embarking on an aggressive, cutting-edge recruitment plan that is intended to attract a national audience rather than just focusing on the region around us. This is being done using a combination of enhanced “boots on the ground” recruitment with homegrown AI-enhanced digital marketing. We believe the Lake State story is special, and by telling it in a more effective and more purposeful way, we will attract students from across the country and Canada who are looking for the unique type of educational experience that we provide.
Speaking of telling our story, a surprise announcement is that we are about to embark on documenting the story of Lake State from our current state going forward as a docuseries reality show. The name will be “Raising State.” Film crews have already been on campus and will continue through the summer and into fall as we document changes happening at LSSU and tell our story to the world. We have an award-winning Executive Producer who currently has a show on Netflix, and I can’t wait for the Lake State story to be told! There are so many stories, characters, and historical moments to share about both Lake State and the city of Sault Ste Marie that I have little doubt that people will watch and want to learn more. Beyond the unique history of this area and this great university, the current state of higher education in the United States is a difficult one. This series will provide an opportunity for the world to get a peek behind the curtain of the challenges that small universities are experiencing in trying to stay viable. More importantly, they will get to see how we are overcoming the challenges to ensure that Lake State continues to thrive for decades to come. If you have unique story ideas to share, please reach out to me so that I can share them with the producer ([email protected]).
While we believe our marketing efforts, along with the docuseries, will pay off, it is essential that we make this university a more productive, safer and more appealing place for students and employees to co-exist. Currently, the university is trying to recover from yet another brutal winter in the Upper Peninsula with nearly 200 inches of snow for a second straight year. This summer we will begin the massive job of improving the infrastructure on campus. Taffy Abel will be renovated, new roofs will be put on key buildings such as the library, Crawford Hall, and Canusa. Additional patchwork will be done on several other leaky roofs. New sidewalks and repaired parking lots will be another part of our improvement plans. Improved signage, landscaping and overall improved curb appeal will make this a place where we can be proud to work and students can be proud to learn. Finally, new “Hollywood” signs will go up on campus and downtown as we continue to do things that help both the campus and the community. These are funded by the Campus-Community Partnership Fund. If you are interested in contributing to this cause, we would very much appreciate your support!
Depiction of LSSU Sign to go on the lawn in front of Cisler (facing the International Bridge)
Depiction of City Sign to go downtown at the corner of Ashmun and Portage
The docuseries will not only feature improvements in our infrastructure and anticipated enrollment growth, but will also highlight the rapidly improving performances of our sports teams and individual accomplishments of current and former students. It will also feature the great traditions of this university, including the “ringing of the bell”, the “banished words list,” and the “snowman burning,” among many others.
Speaking of the “banished words list,” you may recall last year my banished phrase was “hidden gem.” This university has been a hidden gem for way too long. Between our aggressive marketing and recruitment plan, the docuseries, and additional efforts we are making to be noticed in places like Lansing and beyond, we are quickly moving from the “hidden gem” designation.
This year, my banished phrase was “good enough.” I heard this way too often during my first year and decided that was one of our biggest challenges. People had settled for “good enough” as an acceptable way to run this university, and some had given up hope that we could do better. Sadly, this is also a challenge with the city of Sault Ste. Marie, in general. I’m hoping that the university can be a leader to change this mindset and say, “good enough is NOT good enough.” Starting this summer, the university will start to transform into the new LSSU. I’m very excited to see this happen and to tell our story.
I hope you will be a partner along the way as we make this journey. Year 3 is going to be the best year so far.
Stop by and say hello if you’re on campus this summer. I’d love to see you!
Dr. David Travis
President
LSSU Alumni Insurance Program
Did you know that the LSSU Alumni Association sponsors an Alumni Insurance Program as a service to our graduates? The program offers a variety of attractively priced insurance products, most of which are available to alumni, students, faculty and staff, as well as their spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, and siblings.
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