Lake Superior College News Releases

(Duluth, Minn.) –  As an offshoot of their “Green 101” Lecture Series, Lake Superior College is hosting a “Make ‘N’ Take” Rain Barrel Workshop this Saturday, October 10 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in room S2964.

Leading the workshop will be David Stark, owner of Stark Enterprises, LLC, an environmental consulting firm specializing in water, waste and energy conservation. He’ll provide expert information on how to properly design, construct, use and install your rain barrel. Participants will be able take a rain barrel home and after learning how to correctly install and use it.

The cost of participating in the workshop will be $50. This fee will cover material costs.

Future “Green 101” lectures include third of this three-part lecture series, titled “Locally Adapted Food Systems,” on Tuesday, October 27.
More information is available at www.lsc.edu/Green101.cfm. “Green 101” is presented by Lake Superior College – Workforce and Community Development.

(Duluth, Minn.) –  “Greening Your Home: From Energy Efficiency to Renewable Energy Options” will be the next free “Green 101” presentation to be held at Lake Superior College, taking place on Tuesday, October 6.

This presentation will cover the wide range of options for making your home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. It will also help you develop a plan that is right for your home.

Dean Talbott, a Conservation Improvement Program Energy Specialist and customer service representative for Minnesota Power, will be the featured speaker. Talbott has worked in the field of energy efficiency and healthy home construction for more 28 years in a variety of capacities in the energy and housing field.

This presentation will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. in room S2964 on the Lake Superior College campus.

Future “Green 101” sessions include “Locally Adapted Food Systems” on Tuesday, October 27 and a “Make and Take Rain Barrel Workshop” on Saturday, October 10.  The “Food Systems” lecture is free. The rain barrel workshop requires a $50 fee to cover materials.

More information is available at www.lsc.edu/Green101.cfm. “Green 101” is presented by Lake Superior College – Workforce and Community Development.

Lake Superior College (LSC) will set an all-time enrollment record when classes begin on Monday, August 24.  The college surpassed last year’s opening day totals early this week and expects to start the semester with an increase of approximately five percent in the total number of students enrolled.

“We’re going to have another significant enrollment increase this year,” explains Melissa Leno, LSC’s Director of Admissions. “We are projecting that we’ll have nearly 4,500 students enrolled by Monday.”

Based on past experience, the college expects to see enrollments continue to rise throughout the semester, as students finalize their schedules. Because students have five days to add courses and continuing education activity is also likely to contribute further to enrollment gains throughout the term, official enrollment numbers will not be announced until the 30^th day of the term.

“LSC continues to grow because we are meeting the needs of the students we serve by providing excellence in the classroom and expanding access and opportunity for students,” said Kathleen Nelson, Lake Superior College president. “I’m very proud of the effort that staff and faculty have put forth.”

College officials believe that economic conditions are a major factor driving enrollment increases.

“Historically, community college enrollments rise in recessionary periods” Nelson explains.  “We are seeing that pattern again this year at LSC and across the nation, as students seek training and education for the job market.”

Lake Superior College is a community and technical college located in Duluth, Minnesota.  The college offers more than 80 technical majors, courses and programs for transfer, continuing education, and custom training for business and industry.  LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

(Duluth, Minn.) – As a result of reductions to state support for higher education, ten employees will be laid off at Lake Superior College.  The layoffs represent a three percent cut to the college’s permanent workforce and will take place over the next several weeks, depending on various contract requirements.

In addition to the layoffs, LSC announced several other cost saving measures today at a series of meetings with employees. These measures include elimination of vacant positions, a voluntary salary savings program and instructional efficiencies.  Altogether the announced measures total $1.4 million. Prior to making the staffing changes, Lake Superior College cut their non-personnel budget by $950,000.

The budget reduction plan was developed in response to cuts to the state allocation and the anticipated gubernatorial unallotment. The reductions announced today affect all operational units and employee groups within the college.  The plan was developed over a five-month period, as various revenue and expenditure information became available.

The actions announced today are “Phase Four” of a five-phase process. College officials say additional adjustments to the budget may be required once impact of the governor’s unallotments, federal stimulus dollars, and legislative actions are fully assessed.

The college anticipates similar financial challenges for fiscal year 2010-11 and the subsequent biennium. LSC’s budget planning includes provisions to position the college to balance its budget into the next biennium.

Topic is “Local Green Design and Building: Past Present and Future”

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College will present the third and final Green 101 lecture with “Local Green Design and Building: Past Present and Future” on Tuesday, May 19.

Rachel Wagner, co-owner of Wagner Zaun Architecture will be the feature speaker.

Wagner will talk about what defines “green building,” and what it mean for our region. This presentation will include some history, some current events, and a look to the future about how we design, construct, and occupy the built environment. The talk will range from the general to specific – appropriate for the builder, the design professional, the homeowner, or the businessperson.

This lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m. and go until approximately 8:30 p.m. and will take place at LSC in room S1981.

With more than 6,000 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 the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

They have names like “Spike,” “Roid Rage” and “Blood, Sweat and Gears.” They’re combat robots designed to fight each other in competition, and they’ll be doing battle at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth on May 12.

Lake Superior College is sponsoring the third annual Northeast Robotics “Battle of the Bots” competition on Tuesday, May 12, 2009. The event will feature 15-pound combat robots competing in a 12-foot by 12-foot plexiglass arena. In addition to six teams from LSC, students from three area high schools will also participate this year.

This year’s “battle” will take place in the courtyard in front of Barnes and Noble at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth, Minnesota. Competition starts at noon and continues until a champion is crowned. The competition is free and open to the public.

According to LSC machining instructor, Mike Koppy, robot competitions have proven to be an excellent way to interest students in manufacturing and engineering programs. “The challenge of designing and building a robot for competition engages students and get’s them fired up about the field,” Koppy reports.

Earlier this year, Koppy’s students designed and built robots intended to pick up and transport water balloons in a timed competition.

The tournament is sponsored by the Midwest Robotics League and LSC Integrated Manufacturing program.
Photo: LSC student Devin Ninneman makes adjustments to Team Rampage.

(Duluth, Minn.)  — Lake Superior College’s (LSC) 15th annual Spring Art Exhibit opens on Monday, May 4 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m.  Free and open to the public, the reception will include refreshments and an opportunity to meet the student artists.

Students enrolled in LSC’s popular art courses will have an opportunity to display their work during the exhibit.  For many of the approximately 350 participating students, it will be their first-ever exhibition.

Students will present a variety of art, including watercolor painting, sculpture, jewelry, digital photography, drawings, two and three-dimensional design projects, and ceramics.

Artwork will be displayed in the upper and lower concourse in LSC’s main building.  The exhibit will be open during regular campus hours, beginning at noon on Monday, May 4, and continuing through Wednesday, May 6.

For more information, contact faculty member Tonya Borgeson, (218) 279-2669 or t.borgeson@lsc.edu.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 6,000 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.

LSC presents “Expression Through Clay: A Workshop”

(Duluth, Minn.) – If you’ve ever sat at a spinning wheel and fashioned a piece of art with clay, you know it takes a soft touch and a lot of concentration. Many say it can be therapeutic.

The therapeutic part is the idea behind the upcoming “Expression Through Clay” workshop on Thursday, April 23 at 5:15 p.m. at Lake Superior College.

“Clay is a vehicle that records feelings and experience,” said LSC Art Instructor Dorian Beaulieu. “The art of creation will draw happy, sad or whichever emotions but those expressions of feelings will each be unique to the artist.”

The event, which is sponsored by the LSC Art Department, Diversity Committee, Campus Parents Club and United Students, is designed to bring awareness to domestic and relationship violence and how to stop the cycle of violence. Liz Dolph and Jeremy Nevilles-Sorell of “Mending the Sacred Hoop” a Native American non-profit social change agency that works to eliminate violence against women, will be the featured speakers for the event.

The event kicks off at 5:15 p.m. with a presentation from Dolph and Nevilles-Sorell. A clay demonstration by Beaulieu, along with a pizza reception, will begin around 6:30 p.m. The entire event will take place at the LSC Art Building, located on the far west end of the campus.

For more information on this event, contact Nancy Schumacher at 733-5985 or n.schumacher@lsc.edu.

With more than 6,000 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 the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Lake Superior College’s Center for Advanced Aviation will host an open house for its professional pilot program this Saturday, January 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  The event will take place at LSC’s Flight School located near the Duluth International Airport.  Tours, refreshments and demonstrations will be offered.  LSC’s professional pilot program offers both fixed wing and helicopter flight training.  For more information and directions, call (218) 733-7700.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,200 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 a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn., Dec. 12, 2008) — Lake Superior College will participate in a new national college mentoring program to develop effective intervention strategies for improving student achievement in postsecondary education. LSC is one of only 18 community colleges selected across the country to participate in the program.

LSC faculty, staff and administrators will participate in an intensive and collaborative learning experience with peers in order to share knowledge and experiences and receive technical assistance and expert advice.

The college mentoring program is a central component of Community Colleges CAN, www.communitycollegescan.org (http://communitycollegescan.org/), an initiative funded through June 2009 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education. The initiative, which is administered by JBL Associates, Inc., is designed to strengthen the capacity of community colleges to meet students’ academic needs and support their success in college and the workforce.

Teams of faculty, staff, and administrators will work collaboratively in six mentoring communities — each with one mentor college, two mentee colleges, and a facilitator with extensive professional experience in the two-year college community. Mentee colleges were selected through a national competition and matched with a mentor college experienced in the implementation of an effective initiative similar to that which the mentee would like to develop.

Lake Superior College was chosen to participate in the program to further develop its academic and student support in developmental education.  The college received a $14,000 grant.  LSC will be mentored by Parkland Community College in Champaign, Illinois along with Macomb Community College of Warren, Michigan.

“We are excited to have the chance to work with other college practitioners,” said Candace Barnack, LSC vice president of academic affairs. “Being part of the mentoring community will help us as we develop practical ways to address retention issues on our campus.”

Each mentoring community focuses on a program area that is important to all community colleges and centers on an initiative already successfully implemented at a mentor college. The mentoring communities are: Academic and Student Support Centers, Career Pathways, Developmental Education Learning Communities, Innovations in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), P–20 Educational Partnerships, and Teaching and Learning Centers. For a full list of the mentoring communities and participating colleges as well as descriptions of the colleges’ initiatives, visit www.communitycollegescan.org/about/factsheet.cfm.

Through the program’s fast-track collaborative learning experience, the mentoring communities will develop practical strategies that mentee colleges can use to advance their own initiatives. They will focus on critical issues or challenges commonly faced by community colleges, such as program planning and design, building community partnerships, staff training and professional development, evaluation and assessment, data collection, and funding strategies.

Six issue briefs, each focusing on one of these critical challenges, will be developed in the first half of 2009 to support the learning of the mentoring communities and to share practical strategies within the two-year college community.

“The college mentoring program will allow participants to benefit from expertise to which they might not otherwise have access,” said William Munn, program coordinator and research associate, JBL Associates, Inc. “In recent years, many community colleges have developed innovative interventions for improving student access to, preparation for, and persistence in postsecondary education. Peer mentoring can serve as an effective method to share knowledge and inspire development of successful implementation strategies.”

Community Colleges CAN, www.communitycollegescan.org, is a two-year initiative aimed at strengthening the efforts of community colleges to improve student achievement and to help students address the challenges they face in entering and succeeding in college. The initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education, encourages the exchange of ideas and knowledge among college practitioners through the support of collaborative mentoring communities; showcases practices that offer promise for improving academic preparation, participation, and success of students; and disseminates useful and timely information about community college programs and practices to the higher education community.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,200 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 a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.