Dear LSSU Alumni & Friends,
Lake State is once again delighted to be welcoming our students to campus for the fall semester. We are proud of our commitment to provide high quality hands-on education to our students, and equally proud to know that we are helping them reach their goals and excel in their future careers.
I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with many of you at Comerica Park on July 22nd, cheering for the Detroit Tigers as they played the San Diego Padres. It was good to visit with so many of you at the Alumni Social as well. I look forward to these events each year and love to hear about everyone’s plans and successes.
This year’s Lake State Golf Classic was equally enjoyable, with 144 people signing up weeks in advance. It’s the first time we were sold out in many years, and we appreciate that so many of you came out to see old friends, meet new friends, and support LSSU and Laker Athletics. Our very own LSSU Board Chair, Tim Lukenda, hit a hole in one!
I want to encourage everyone to come out to Great Lake State Weekend and our 28th Annual Homecoming on October 13-14 this year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends, and celebrate all the things that make LSSU so special to all of us. Join us to cheer for our Lakers as they take on Alaska Anchorage for some hockey you won’t want to miss! I know you’ll enjoy all the events and festivities we have planned for GLSW, too.
On July 26 the Richard and Theresa Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education (CFRE) hosted a visit from Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist. By a happy coincidence, he was able to see firsthand how CFRE staff engage with very curious and active K-12 students as they led the children through some clearly captivating hands-on learning activities. Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist had an excellent opportunity to soak in the enthusiastic buzz of activity we see so often from our K-12 visitors at CFRE. In addition, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow visited CFRE and held a meet and greet with area community members.
As you may have heard, Dr. Dave Diles is retiring from his position as Director of Athletics, effective October 31. We are truly grateful for the wonderful work he has done at LSSU, and we extend our sincere thanks to him for a job well done! The search committee is currently selecting and interviewing candidates for the Director of Athletics position.
Let me extend a sincere thank you to everyone who made a contribution of any amount to LSSU’s successful $2.9M fundraising year. Giving to Lake Superior State has increased the last three consecutive years, including a 43% increase in the last two years. That includes increased giving to the annual fund through the efforts of our student callers who enjoy connecting with alumni and friends. Gifts designated to the Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education from Richard and Theresa Barch, scholarship support from Dr. Tom and Harriette Robinson through a documented planned gift, a generous pledge in support of Laker men’s basketball from Dr. Rick and Kathryn Gray, and support for our Nursing Simulation Center from the Roberts P. and Ella B. Hudson Foundation all helped in making last year a very successful fundraising year.
Looking ahead, there are many groundbreaking new ventures on the horizon for LSSU. First, LSSU has announced plans for a College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education. This new College will encompass Barch CFRE, the School of Natural Resources, and the School of Education to play a major role in educating and training the next generation of conservationist leaders and teachers. I am thrilled to be a part of this initiative, and I have encouraged faculty to explore potential opportunities for new undergraduate and graduate programming for this College. We all understand the importance of good stewardship for the Great Lakes and their fisheries, and I am excited that we will be leveraging our cutting-edge, transformative-driven Barch CFRE as the foundation for this new College. As we do with all our programs at LSSU, the programs in this College will deliver high-impact learning experiences for students that include research, internships, and volunteerism. Students will also have opportunities to work with faculty and staff on environmental causes vital to the area through many partnerships with public and private natural resource agencies. I am confident that the wide range of opportunities at the College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education will attract new students to LSSU.
LSSU’s new Master of Business Administration program is expected to start enrolling students in fall 2024 as well. This is another forward-looking initiative I am excited to support as Interim President, and I believe it will be a powerful transformative opportunity for our students. We are waiting on approval from the Higher Learning Commission to launch the program, but hope to receive that approval this fall. This innovative 2-year program is designed to fit the busy lifestyles of working professionals, following a cohort model with each entering class of students working sequentially through a series of one-at-a-time eight-week courses. Students completing this MBA will earn 36 graduate level credits in 12 classes, all of which are designed to prepare them for advanced positions in business careers. Course topics covered include management level skill development in areas of finance, human resources, digital and global markets, operations, business and human resource law, data analysis, organizational design, information systems, business strategy and execution, and a final culminating course with project management. The MBA program will provide students with cutting-edge knowledge and skills, preparing them to take on leadership roles in diverse business fields and career settings.
We are extremely proud to be participating in Michigan’s Prison Education Program as well, and are working with the Department of Corrections to make that happen in 2023-2024. This program is proving to be highly effective in transforming lives, which is what we do best at LSSU. Every dollar in prison educational programming saves roughly four-fold on incarceration costs, and incarcerated individuals that participate in educational programming are 48% less likely to return to prison within three years than those that do not participate. What an amazing opportunity we have to make a real difference in the lives of these men.
LSSU is also changing lives through its new REUP program by reaching out to reconnect with LSSU alumni who did not complete their degrees. As Lake State continues to develop new ways to deliver programming to working adults, our partnership with REUP allows us to work with those individuals and devise a plan to help them finish their college education. REUP Success Coaches work closely with re-enrolled students to customize support services to those students throughout their entire journey to degree completion. As of July, we already had nine students re-enroll and register for fall classes. The REUP Success Coaches are also working closely with 85 additional students who are either interested in re-enrolling right away or are considering re-enrolling in the near future. We are truly inspired by the early success of this program, and we are gratified to have this opportunity to transform the lives of these individuals for the better.
Once again, I hope to see all of you at Great Lake State Weekend, and I hope you can continue to take advantage of what’s left of our beautiful summer weather.
Dr. Lynn G. Gillette
Interim 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.
Life Insurance
Long-term protection with great rates and fantastic features. Coverage is available from $10,000 to $50 million.
Travel Insurance
Travel Medical and Trip Protection coverage is available for individuals or groups, for personal or business travel.
Long Term Care Insurance
Protect your assets from serious erosion while allowing access to quality care in the most appropriate and desirable setting.
Pet Insurance
Simple, customizable dog and cat insurance plans are available.
Special Event Insurance
Liability coverage up to $2 million is available for events lasting from a few hours to as much as 10 days.
Dental Insurance
COMING SOON Family dental coverage that provides a national network of dentists, online enrollment, and travels with you to any employer
ID Theft Protection
NEW! Protect yourself and your family against identity theft with a comprehensive solution you can count on.
Small Business Insurance
NEW! We offer an all-in-one simple solution that includes a selection of plans, employee enrollment, and ongoing administration.
Advisory Services
A licensed insurance professional is available, at no charge, to answer questions and provide customized guidance.
For more information visit Meyer and Associates or contact our Meyer and Associates program administrator at 1(800) 635-7801.