Adrian College
The staff of Adrian College are keeping busy this summer with plenty of on-campus activities. The donor-funded “Trustee Terrace at Phelps Garden” on the College’s campus was completed in early July and includes a memorial garden in honor of the late Mickey Phelps, Security Officer and Chief of Campus Safety.
Shortly after the Terrace’s development, the college hosted its Annual Sneak Peek Day. Incoming freshmen and their families gathered on campus to see their dorm room, meet their roommates, and connect with the AC community.
August is projected to be another busy month for the Adrian College community, as they prepare for Summer Preview Day and the arrival of students for the 2018-19 academic year.
Siena Heights University
Siena Heights University has identified several innovative projects on their Adrian campus this summer. The new Spencer Performing Arts Center will include a theater, music hall, and band room. Other significant developments include the renovation of the old St. Joseph Academy building, and improvements to softball’s Christensen Memorial Field.
The University also announced that it will be starting a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program. The first classes for the MBA program will begin in January 2018, and will be completely online. Along with other schools in the county, the staff at Siena Heights is beginning preparation for their students’ arrival later this August.
Jackson College
Back in June, Jackson College invited the community to its campus for Free College Day. This was a chance for the community to visit the College, check out the campus, and enjoy the fun and informative classes taught by the college’s faculty. Students were also able to explore any personal interests and learn about the college programs that are offered.
The college will have a very full plate come August, with events such as the Hillsdale Patio Party, the Lenawee Accelerated Business Program Session, and the Jackson College Foundation Scholarship Starry Night Dinner. Classes are scheduled to resume in early September.
LISD Tech Center
The “LISD Center for a Sustainable Future” was featured in the MLive Jackson Citizen Patriot, which recognized the institution for continuously exceeding expectations of their net-zero energy K-12 school building in Michigan. The facility, built on 75 acres of land in 2013, features a 68-kilowatt photovoltaic array which generates electricity using the sun’s rays. During the first year of operation, the building produced 30 percent more energy than it needed, a trend that continues today.
Throughout the remainder of the summer, the Tech Center will continue to grow, and the campus staff will proceed with hosting events, and patently waiting for the coming of their students this fall.
CSI Hudson
Each summer, the Southern Michigan Center for Science and Industry (SMCSI) hosts 2 – 5 day camps over 2 separate weeks. This year’s camps included team building activities using VEX Robotics materials and the education on the of fundamentals of robotics, basics of electronics, and mechanical processes. The participants also got a look at 3D printers and how they work through project based activities. During the camps, students learned the importance of assembly, team building, and the communication skills that are needed to engineer and develop their robot.
Aside from the educational activities that occur over the course of the summer, CSI’s staff has been working hard to receive funding to improve both the equipment and programs they offer. In late June, State Representative Bronna Kahle and Senator Dale Zorn approved their request and contributed an $800,000 grant in the 2017-18 state budget. This grant is designed to enable the Southern Michigan Center for Science and Industry to upgrade its career and technical education equipment.
“Job providers have openings for good-paying jobs, but there are not enough people educated in the skilled trades to fill those job openings,” Kahle said. “CSI is helping to fill the skilled trades gap that exists in Michigan by training adults and students for successful careers in manufacturing and engineering.”