LSSU Board of Trustees approves $60M campus master plan

NEWS RELEASE

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE UNIVERSITY

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SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – Lake Superior State University’s Board of Trustees approved a $60 million 20-year master plan at its traditional day-before-graduation meeting on campus Friday, along with supporting a proposed $35.5 million budget for the coming academic year.

The board also heard an update on the South Hall construction project, discussed enrollment and recruitment goals for the coming few years, awarded emeritus status to three longtime mathematics and computer science professors, and recognized a generous donor and outgoing member of the LSSU Foundation’s board of directors.

“It’s always an exciting time to be on campus when graduation is here,” said LSSU President Tom Pleger. “We’re looking forward to celebrating our students’ progression into the next phase of their lives tomorrow…It’s especially exciting this year as we celebrate graduation and consider this master plan, which is the first comprehensive look at our facilities since we were a branch of Michigan College of Mining and Technology. This endeavor involved a variety of stakeholders on campus and in the community who have made a plan for our future – a roadmap for our facilities that is driven by our academic programs and our mission. It’s a great step forward that will drive our future foundation work and future capital outlay projects, and will strengthen our connections with Sault Ste. Marie and the Eastern Upper Peninsula.”

Pleger noted that the plan, which is divided into three phases, includes immediate and continuing work on several university projects, such as the South Hall renovation project, the proposal to expand the aquatic research laboratory into the LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education, and the continuing plans to establish a new center for simulation technology, or SIM Center, for students and community members studying and working in the health care field.

Produced by architect and engineering firm TowerPinkster of Grand Rapids, and Corbin Design of Traverse City, and paid for by a private donor, the plan includes proposed establishment of new academic buildings and residence halls, repurposing and remodeling of existing structures, and improvements to the grounds and other facilities.

It seeks to maintain a connection to the university’s origins as U.S. Army Fort Brady by maintaining historic buildings, much like LSSU is doing now with South Hall.

“While the plan is divided up into three tiers, that doesn’t mean that projects in the third part of the plan can’t be moved up into the first,” said Morrie Walworth, LSSU Interim VP for Finance/CFO. “It’s not set in stone. Changing priorities may see us move some projects around.”

For those who may have thought the $60 million plan is too ambitious, Walworth reminded them that there have been approximately $50 million in campus improvements since he started working at LSSU in 1991.

Walworth also provided an update on the South Hall project, which has seen a brief delay since LSSU declared construction manager DeVere Construction to be in default of its contract earlier this spring.

“We have been working with representatives of DeVere’s surety, Arch Insurance, to have them take over as the construction manager and make sure the project is completed on time and on budget,” Walworth said. “We are negotiating a takeover agreement that would have Arch hire subcontractors and reinitiate all of their contracts, so it’s taking a little time to complete that.”

The $13.5 million project was scheduled to be completed in time for students to take classes in the building this fall.

In his enrollment and recruitment report, LSSU VP for Enrollment and Student Services Matt Jurvelin said while the university expects enrollment to be lower again this fall, he is encouraged to see more applications coming in despite fewer numbers of high school graduates in the state.

“Since our applications are up, that means our marketing strategies are working and we’re reaching more students,” he said. “But even though applications have increased, the number of our admitted students is lower than last year. The number of applicants with lower ACT scores, lower grade point averages, and lack of college readiness is to a level we have not seen in the past.”

Jurvelin said the best thing LSSU can do to increase enrollment is to make sure its current students continue their studies and complete their degrees.

“The number one recruitment and enrollment strategy we have is retention. The best thing we can do is serve our current students well. That’s our effort every day as we continue to look at strategies that will bring more students to campus….In addition, we need to see what we can do to help these underprepared students become ready for college. What can we put in place to help them?”

To start, Jurvelin said the enrollment and retention area is looking at increased communication between LSSU and applicants from the time they apply in the fall of their senior year until the following fall, when they would be expected to arrive on campus.

In discussion of other enrollment and recruitment strategies, Jurvelin and Pleger noted that improved collaborations with community colleges should help, too.

Pleger said LSSU is pursuing an agreement with Sault College of Sault, Ont. that would extend LSSU’s one-rate tuition policy to international students who complete a certificate or associate’s degree at Sault College and are pursuing a bachelor’s degree at LSSU.

Currently, LSSU’s one-rate tuition is not available to students coming from outside of North America.

The board granted emeritus status to three longtime math and computer science professors: Thomas Boger, Galen Harrison, and Randall Suggitt.

Boger retired last December after more than 34 years of teaching math and computer science; in fact, he was the key leader in establishing LSSU computer science programs.

He was department chair for more than 11 years and served as the NCAA faculty athletics representative for 12 years. Reading a resolution for Boger, Interim Provost David Finley noted that Boger was known for encouraging his colleagues and boosting their morale by hosting barbeques and bringing humor into the workplace.

Harrison returned to campus to be recognized by the board after retiring in 1996. He taught some of the toughest math courses on campus for 33 years, as well as computer programming courses, also.

He was treasurer of the LSSU Faculty Association for more than 20 years, and was one of the organization’s founding members. Harrison was also recognized for founding the Galen H. Harrison Mathematics and Computer Science Scholarship.

During his 30 years on campus, Randy Suggitt was known for working formally and informally with military veterans studying at LSSU, a mission that founded LSSU and continues to this day.

He taught a variety of mathematics coursework, from developmental to advanced, as well as computer science courses, and was instrumental in the development of those courses through the years. Suggitt was well known for his master of ceremonies duties for LSSU’s annual Math Bowl.

The board held off on setting tuition rates for the coming academic year until more information on appropriations is known from the state of Michigan, but it did establish a 1.6 percent increase in room and board rates, from $9,200 per year to $9,350.

It also increased the athletics fee for the first time in six years. The $135 one-time fee allows students to attend all campus athletic events for a period of six years.

In other action, the board heard reports from the leaders of the unions representing campus staff and faculty, including a list of grants and initiatives led by faculty over the past year; approved the Michigan Transfer Agreement, which makes it easier for transfer students to earn credit for LSSU general education requirements; recognized outgoing LSSU Foundation board member William Bollin for his service on the board since 2005 and for the establishment of a scholarship in memory of his daughter, Leah; and recognized Employees of the Year Karen Storey and Sheri Garee, who had been recognized earlier in the spring at LSSU’s Retirement and Service Awards dinner.

LSSU Board Chair James Curran said the panel would select officers at its next meeting, when it would also introduce new board members Randy Pingatore, Sault Ste. Marie, and Tom Bailey, Petoskey.

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