Lake Michigan College

Lake Michigan College is a regional two-year community college in Berrien County, Michigan. The main campus is in Benton Township, Michigan, USA, on U.S. Highway 31 (US 31, Napier Avenue), and regional campuses are located in Benton Harbor, Bertrand Crossing (Niles), and South Haven. The main campus is bordered by two major highways: Interstate 94 to the west and the St. Joseph Valley Parkway (US 31) to the east. The Mendel Center for Arts and Technology, a multipurpose theater and facility, is at the main campus.

History

Lake Michigan College was founded as Benton Harbor Junior College in 1946^[1][3] within the city of Benton Harbor when voters approved an initiative to create a junior college. In 1954, Benton Harbor Junior College was redesigned into the Benton Harbor Community College and Technical Institute (CCTI). In 1963, a vote in Berrien County was held and affirmed to plan to create a county college district. A tax of up to one mill was approved for operation and building needs and a six-person board of trustees was established as the governing body of the college. CCTI was renamed again in 1964 to Lake Michigan College. Construction on the Napier Avenue Campus, which is now the main campus, began in 1965 when the board of trustees approved the purchase of a 259-acre (1.05 km²) parcel of land in Benton Township.^[2]

Campuses

The college operates between four campuses: the main campus, located off Napier Avenue in Benton Harbor, the M-TEC facility, also in Benton Harbor, the Bertrand Crossing campus in Niles, and the South Haven campus. Classes are also offered at several off-campus locations. While primarily a commuter campus throughout its history, LMC began construction of the college's first on-campus residence hall at the Napier Avenue campus in the summer of 2013 and was occupied by its first residents in the fall of 2014.^[5] A Siena Heights University satellite campus ^[6] and the Western Michigan University-Southwest extension can be found on the Napier Avenue Campus.^[7][8] The South Haven campus was completed in 2003 after South Haven School District residents voted to join the Lake Michigan College district, the M-TEC training facility was completed in 2000 and the Bertrand Crossing campus in 1998.^[2] After a proposed millage failed, the board of trustees put the M-TEC facility up for sale in 2008.^[9] In January 2015, Lake Michigan College sold the 44,000 square foot M-TEC building to the Whirlpool Corporation. Programs previously housed at the M-TEC facility will be relocated to the Hanson Technology Center which is under construction at Lake Michigan College’s Napier Avenue Campus. The campus consolidations should save Lake Michigan College money through operational efficiencies.^[10] The Hanson Technology Center is slated to open on the Napier Campus in the fall of 2016. ^[11]

Athletics

Lake Michigan College is a member of the NJCAA Region 12^[12] and the MCCAA Western Division.^[1] The college's athletic teams were known as the "Indians" from 1946 until 2012, representing the school's historic connection to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Southwest Michigan. In February 2012, after several college staff and student meetings with the Pokagon Tribal Council, it was announced that the school would adopt a new team nickname in an effort put forward by student leaders to increase school spirit and mascot visibility while still honoring the historical connection to the Pokagon. On April 24, 2012, the college officially announced "Red Hawks" as its new team name for all sports, inspired by the red-tailed hawk which appears on the flag of the Pokagon Nation.^[13]

The current Athletic Director and Women's Basketball Head Coach is Jason Cooper. Doug Schaffer, former Athletic Director and current Men's Basketball Head Coach, was named Michigan Community College Athletic Association Athletic Director of the Year for 2005. The LMC Women's Basketball team had a very successful 2011-2012 season, finishing as the #2 ranked team in the country.^[14] The men's basketball team placed 7th in the nation in 2005. Lake Michigan College also has baseball, softball, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer teams as well as club sports. Detroit Tigers pitcher Duane Below pitched for the baseball team in 2005-06. The Lake Michigan College Cheer Team has performed consistently well in Universal Cheerleading Association events, earning numerous awards, most recently two consecutive Leadership Awards in 2012 and 2013. LMC's mascot, Rocky the Red Hawk, has become a popular part of all sporting events and college activities since his debut in 2012. The biggest rivals of Lake Michigan College are the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Cougars and the Ancilla College Chargers.

References