The doorway to a college education is opening wider with the establishment of Lansing Community College’s University Center (UC), slated to open for classes in January of 2008. Through programs offered at the UC, mid-Michigan residents have new opportunities, options and alternatives for bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees, all offered in the new University Center adjacent to LCC’s Downtown Campus. Students entering the UC will have earned freshman and sophomore credits; junior, senior and graduate level courses will be offered at the UC.

In June 2004, Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced the formation of the Lieutenant Governor’s Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, chaired by Lt. Gov. John Cherry, and charged with identifying strategies to double the number of Michigan residents with degrees and other postsecondary credentials within 10 years. According to a speech by Granholm in March of 2004, “If we want a high-performance economy, we must work now to improve the strength, depth and adaptability of our colleges and universities.”

The final report of the Cherry Commission, released in December of 2004, recognized that while 25 percent of Michigan residents 25 or older have some college experience, only 22 percent of these citizens have a bachelor’s degree. It also estimated that, within 10 years, 60 percent of newly created jobs will require a bachelor’s degree. One of the commission’s recommendations was to “expand access to baccalaureate institutions and degrees,” and it further urged that “universities that currently grant applied baccalaureate degrees must forge new partnerships with community colleges.”

According to Dr. Stephanie Shanblatt, Strategic Learning Partnerships, “In response to the Cherry Commission report and as part of LCC’s already established strategic plan, we invited four-year institutions from throughout the state to join us to establish a University Center in Lansing.  As a result, we are now partnering with eight universities to bring baccalaureate and graduate programs to the community. As well as helping meet the goals of the Cherry Commission, the UC will allow students with work and family responsibilities to stay in the area to complete their degrees and will meet the needs of adult learners through flexible scheduling. Support services will help keep students on track to graduate, and access to library and other learning services will connect students to a campus environment.

“Construction of the facility is being funded from LCC’s general fund as well as monies from the State Capital Outlay Projects Fund. Within two to three years, the UC will be self-sustaining with income from partner annual fees and classroom fees.”

The facility will feature 11 classrooms, one computer classroom, four seminar rooms and eight team rooms as well as office space for each university partner. The University Center facility will be dedicated to its own programs; it is possible that some classes may be offered off-site (for instance, at West Campus), but no LCC classes will be held in the UC building. Parking, while always an issue at LCC, should be readily available for UC students as most classes will be offered in the evening and on weekends.

The eight partner universities include:

• Central Michigan University
• Ferris State University
• Lawrence Technological University
• Northwood University
• Spring Arbor University
• Siena Heights University
• University of Michigan-Flint
• Western Michigan University

More than 40 different degrees will be offered at the University Center, and these are listed at http://www.lcc.edu/uc/programs/. The offerings correlate to another stated goal of the Cherry Commission which recommends “improving the alignment of Michigan’s institutions of higher education with emerging employment opportunities in the state’s economy.” With options for degrees in such high-demand careers as healthcare, business, information technology, engineering and education, mid-Michigan students can prepare for stable and well-paying careers that will serve them well and allow them to stay in the area. Under the current organization, there is no duplication in the programs being offered except for degrees in nursing, a career field in great demand, offered by both Ferris State University and University of Michigan-Flint. The only associate’s degree will be offered by Ferris State University in respiratory care, an associate’s degree not offered at LCC.

Only two other community colleges in the state currently operate university centers: Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City and Macomb Community College in the Detroit area. Another university center, located in Gaylord, is not affiliated with a community college.

The University Center is being built on the southwest corner of Shiawassee Street and Capitol Avenue, a site formerly the home of Old Central, one of the Lansing School District’s first schools and the first building used by Lansing Community College when it was founded in 1957. The Carnegie Library, built in 1902 on that site, is being refurbished and will be connected to the UC facility and used as classroom space.

According to Shanblatt, “Old Central was an important part of the Lansing community and many artifacts from the building have been saved. Using materials from the old building, a sculpture designed by LCC architectural design students and fashioned by LCC welding students will be placed outside the main entrance of the University Center. Landscape design students will be creating the environment for this sculpture.”

Transfer between Lansing Community College and the university partners will be seamless, and advisers at all of the institutions involved have worked together to make the transition an easy one. But students with LCC credit are not the only students who will be able to benefit from the University Center. Shanblatt said, “We know that a quarter of Michigan citizens 25 or older have some college credit. Students with college credit from colleges other than LCC may be eligible to enter a University Center degree program with the credits they have already acquired. Others will be able to earn the additional credits they need through LCC and then begin their studies at the University Center. The center will benefit not only LCC students but also anyone who is interested in a four-year degree and beyond.”

She continues, “We anticipate that as time goes on, the universities will expand their offerings at the University Center, and there is always the possibility that more universities will become partners.”

Open houses are planned for next fall with the grand opening scheduled for late 2007. Additionally, LCC and its partners are planning information sessions throughout the next year. Representatives from the eight partner universities will also attend Discover 2007, a career and college fair being held at West Campus on April 26 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The website for the University Center (www.lcc.edu/uc) will provide updated information about these and other events. The website also offers links to each of the partner universities for more detailed information about programs and admissions.

As Michigan and its citizens face the future, the need for a good education has never been more evident. To compete in a rapidly changing marketplace, education is key. With the establishment of the University Center at Lansing Community College, this region is poised to become a leader for change in a new and exciting environment.

Author: Jane Whittington

Photography: Terri Shaver