Lake Superior College News Releases

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College is offering new evening courses in welding beginning fall semester. Day classes start August 25 and evening classes start September 9. Students can complete an entry-level Gas Metal Arc Welding certificate or Gas Tungsten Arc Welding certificate part-time evenings in two semesters. The certificates are available days or evenings. An associate’s degree in welding is available days.

“Welders are in high demand in the region,” said Tom Tonkin, LSC’s dean of business and industry. “Whether it’s manufacturing, aviation or general industry, the employment picture is excellent for welders because of regional growth in jobs and the aging workforce resulting in increased retirement in the field.”

LSC is also offering several courses for individuals seeking a career in engineering drafting and design or for individuals who are employed in the manufacturing sector and desire CAD training. Three short-term certificates are available: Solidworks, Engineering CAD Technician and Advanced Inventor. Solidworks and Engineering CAD Technician are entry level. Advanced Inventor provides students in-depth knowledge and application of the Inventor software who already have training and experience in drafting and design. A diploma and an associate’s degree in Engineering CAD Technology are also offered. Evening classes start September 8.

For more information on these courses or to enroll, go online at www.lsc.edu/academics or call 218/ 733-7601.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring 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 a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Outstanding Leadership and Innovation Recognized at FUSION 2008 Conference

(Duluth, Minn.) — Desire2Learn Incorporated, a leading provider of eLearning solutions, recently announced the winners of its 2008 Desire2EXCEL Award program. Three awards, in the categories of Teaching and Learning, Program and Community Service, were handed out at the FUSION Desire2EXCEL conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

In the Program category, Barry Dahl, vice president of technology and the e-campus at Lake Superior College, received the award for his work with the Online Student Mentor program, a first of its kind in higher education. The program has successfully employed 120 online student employees over its five years of operation. A sense of community within the LSC Virtual Campus has been fostered by providing online students with a peer connection. The course-specific mentor has proven to be a greater resource for a student than a mentor/peer/advisor who is more of a generalist. The mentoring experience provides the mentor with a solid means of giving back to the college as well as providing employment opportunities for off-campus students.

“I’m excited and happy to receive this award for Lake Superior College,” Dahl explains. “But this award really belongs to the many online students and faculty who participated in the program and helped us develop an innovative approach to eLearning.”

Dahl and Lake Superior College previously won a 2007 Desire2EXCEL Award for Community Service in recognition of partnerships with Grandma’s Marathon and the American Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Marathon.

“We were overwhelmed with the creativity, innovation and caliber of the award submissions from this year’s nominees,” said John Baker, president and CEO, Desire2Learn. “The Desire2EXCEL Awards Committee conducted extensive reviews before selecting the winners from the pool of nominees who have made enormous contributions to their organizations, to the Desire2Learn User Community and to eLearning as a whole.”

The awards were handed out in Memphis, Tennessee, where 600 members of the global eLearning community convened at FUSION 2008, the Desire2Learn annual Users’ Conference focused on best practices and innovative breakthroughs in eLearning.

For more information about the conference and its award program, visit www.Desire2Learn.com/Fusion.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring 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 a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Photo caption: CSI president Kirk Ilenda presents a check to Dr. Kathleen Nelson, LSC�s president, and Paul Damberg, LSC Foundation director.

President Kirk Ilenda, Construction Specifications Institute – Twin Ports Chapter, recently presented the Lake Superior College (LSC) Foundation with a check for $2,500. The donation will add to the Construction Specifications Institute Scholarship Fund, an endowed fund that provides scholarships for LSC students enrolled in architectural drafting, building construction, commercial and residential wiring and computer-aided design engineering.

The Construction Specifications Institute is an organization made up of design professionals, contractors and suppliers. Its primary goal is improved communication regarding design documents. The organization established the scholarship fund in 2000 and has made contributions to it every year since. During that time, the fund has grown to more than $25,000.

“The Construction Specifications Institute has made a long-term commitment to support our student scholarship program,” LSC president Kathleen Nelson explained. “We are grateful for their ongoing support.”

The Lake Superior College Foundation’s mission is to support the educational, cultural and service goals of Lake Superior College by acting as its designated friend and fund-raiser. Additional information about the LSC Foundation is available at www.lsc.edu/foundation.

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College has appointed Matt Ferrari director of the Center for Advanced Aviation. Ferrari will supervise Lake Superior College’s aviation programs, including the professional pilot program and the aviation maintenance technician program, which is tentatively scheduled to begin accepting students for fall semester 2009, pending Federal Aviation Administration approval. Ferrari will also oversee the development of LSC’s proposed Center for Advanced Aviation.

“We are very excited to have Matt join Lake Superior College,” Tom Tonkin, dean of business and industry, explains. “He brings the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to make our aviation efforts a great success.”

Ferrari has more than eighteen years of experience in the aviation industry. He served in the U.S. Air Force, owned an aviation company and has been a captain, instructor pilot, and check airman for a commercial airline. He has more than 8,000 hours of documented flight time and is a certified aircraft maintenance technician.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring 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 a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) Lake Superior College’s Main Campus on 2101 Trinity Road in Duluth will be closed on Wednesday, July 9 from 7:00 a.m. until Thursday, July 10 at 7:00 a.m. The Main Campus will be closed for a 24-hour period to allow Minnesota Power to complete an electrical main feed changeover. Both on- ground and online classes on July 9 will be canceled. The Emergency Response Training Center (ERTC) on 11501 Highway 23 and the Lake Superior College Flight Center, 4525 Airport Approach Road, will both stay open during this time period.

“We deeply regret the need to close the campus and apologize for the disruption and inconvenience of doing so during the week,”? said Mark Winson, vice president of finance and administration. “The campus’s main electrical feed has to be relocated as part of our loading dock upgrade project. The electrical work needs to be finished by July 11 in order to keep the loading dock project on schedule in order to handle the large volume of shipments that come in before fall semester starts on August 25.”?

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring 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 a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.