Lake Superior College News Releases

Lake Superior College will formally dedicate the opening of its new Miller Creek Interpretative Trail on Wed., Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend. The event will take place at the Miller Creek trailhead located in the creek ravine south of the LSC west parking lot.  Tours of the new trail will be available and refreshments will be served. 

The Miller Creek Interpretative Trail is less than a mile long and connects 14 sites of ecologic and geologic interest. The sites are marked by numbered sign posts for self-guided tours. Trail guides are available at the trail head sign. Open to the public, the interpretative trail and ravine is used as an outdoor teaching laboratory by geology and biology faculty at the college and provides recreation opportunities for physical education classes. The Miller Creek Trail also serves as part of the Superior Hiking Trail system. 

This wooded, cool ravine of Miller Creek is one of the few remaining sections of creek that support a brook trout population. Brook trout are the canaries of the watershed, sensitive to increased water temperatures, loss of shade, and silt and salt from polluted runoff.  

A two-acre site within the Miller Creek ravine is undergoing restoration funded by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR). There is strong evidence that this site was once occupied by a northern hardwood community similar to those found at Spirit Mountain and Jay Cooke State Park.  Sugar maple, red oak, and white pine seedlings have been planted in protected enclosures.  

Partners and supporters in the Miller Creek Interpretative Trail development include the Minnesota DNR, the South St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District, the Superior Hiking Trail Association, and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD).  

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.  With more than 4,100 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college.  LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry.  LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota. 

Lake Superior College Celebrates Opening of New Academic and Student Services Building; First of its Kind in Sustainable LEED Design

Lake Superior College will celebrate the grand opening of its new $11.2 million Academic and Student Services Building on Friday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Designed by LHB, Inc. of Duluth, the 45,000 square-foot building follows the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for New Construction (NC). It is the first higher education LEED building in northern Minnesota. The new building provides nine high tech classrooms, open computer labs with 245 computer stations, consolidated student services, and offices.

“We are proud to be a leader in the LEED building approach. Our staff and faculty have been instrumental in encouraging sustainability on our campus,” said LSC President Kathy Nelson. “We know our new building will provide a pleasant and healthy environment to learn and work in for our students, faculty, and staff.”

LEED is a nationally accepted system that provides measurable benchmarks through a credit system for the design, construction, and operation of high performance “green” buildings. “We are pleased to have worked on the first LEED-registered higher education building in northern Minnesota,” noted LHB architect Kevin Holm. “We believe it sets a new standard for energy efficient public buildings and also provides a healthy and comfortable environment for the students, staff, and faculty using the building.” The LEED NC system recognizes and scores performance in five key areas which affect human and environmental health: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

LEED projects are recognized as Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum depending on the number of credits a project achieves. Registered as a LEED project in May 2005, the Academic and Student Services Building project is currently tracking as a LEED Certified building. “Our goal is to achieve a silver LEED rating,” noted LHB interior designer and LEED coordinator Kiiri Schoenberg. “The jury is still out on the final designation because the documentation process cannot be finalized until construction is completed. We are working hard to achieve the silver level.”

The new building is designed to reduce student frustration and provide better service by consolidating essential student services into a convenient central area. This provides “one-stop shopping” for the returning or new student. “This new center really says that students’ needs and feelings are important,” said LSC student and Campus Ambassador Becca Krause. “You know you can walk right up to the Student Services reception desk and your problems are on their way to being solved.”

The new Student Services Center includes admissions, financial aid, academic advising, counseling, records and registration, Campus Ambassadors, recruitment, the Business Office, Disability Services, and the new Student Services Testing Center, all closely located on one floor. “We’ll have almost everything a student needs in one central area,” said Vice President of Student Services Beth Adams. “The new space is also designed to enhance what we’ve always had – a great group of staff who serves students.”

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,100 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

New Study Estimates that Duluth’s Community/Technical College Generates More than $98 Million to Local Economy

(Duluth, Minn.) — According to a newly released study, Lake Superior College (LSC) adds an estimated $98,333,357 per year in activity to the local economy and generates 1,294 jobs in the region.

“This research confirms what we’ve known for a long time,” said LSC President Kathleen Nelson. “Higher education is an engine for economic development and Lake Superior College adds greatly to our area’s economic well-being.”

Wilder Research of St. Paul, Minnesota conducted the study, using financial data from the 2005-6 fiscal year, and the results of a student survey conducted in May of 2007. The study included estimates of direct spending by LSC and local spending by LSC students to generate its estimate of economic impact.

The study also reported on the number of LSC students in the region’s workforce. Based on survey results, the researchers report that 78.4 percent of full-time students and 93.9 percent of part-time students hold jobs in the community, with full-time students working an average of 28 hours per week and part-time students working an average of 37 hours per week.

“Perhaps LSC’s greatest impact of all is not captured by the study,” Nelson explained. “As they graduate, our students bring knowledge, enhanced skills, and dedication to the workplace. The result is improved on-the-job productivity and profitability for local employers. More than 70 percent of the LSC students in the survey reported that they planned to remain in the immediate Duluth/Superior area after graduation.”

The report is available online at www.lsc.edu/publicinfo/publications/. For more information, contact Gary Kruchowski, director of public information and government affairs, g.kruchowski@lsc.edu, (218) 733-7600.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,100 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.